A Perfect Ending

Rating: 10/10 (26 June 2015)

This movie rises above expectations and delivers on all counts. Christopher Nolan outdoes himself again as he brings a monumental conclusion to his epic Dark Knight saga.
The Dark Knight Rises transcends into territory that comic book movies have never explored with allegory to the French Revolution, financial meltdowns, lower class vs upper class, the grey areas of today's justice system, and the physical and mental consequences of being a vigilante as shown with Bruce Wayne after he has retired from superhero duty for 8 years and how that comes back to haunt him when he must take up the mantle again with the arrival of masked terrorist Bane who plans to burn Gotham down one block at a time.
Christain Bale gives his best performance as Batman as he perfectly captures the dark and emotionally tortured side of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Tom Hardy delivers as Bane with physical dominance and on screen presence that no other actor could've done as perfectly. Anne Hathaway is the best Catwoman yet with a charming criminal side that hides a heart of gold. Michael Caine is emotionally riveting as Alfred along with other excellent performances from Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Marion Cotitard.
The Dark Knight Rises stands alongside The Dark Knight, Batman Gotham Knight, and Batman Begins in my opinion the greatest superhero franchise of all time as they go beyond comic book and mainstream movie conventions as masterful works of art that'll be held as examples in cinema for years to come.