A masterpiece. A perfect way to end the trilogy. Thank You Mr. Nolan!

Rating: 8/10 (26 October 2012)

Well, I FINALLY watched this movie. I honestly haven't waited longer for a movie to come out than for this one. FOUR YEARS I waited and as you'd expect, by the end of 'The Dark Knight' and the tragic death of Heath Ledger, I really wanted to see how Nolan would end this epic, EPIC trilogy. In simple words; My expectations were sky high but I knew that it won't be able to match its predecessor.
So, did it exceed expectations? Eeeh..Kind of. Don't get me wrong it is a GREAT movie. Nolan has outdone himself...AGAIN! Everything in this movie is perfect. The story, the acting, the direction, the cinematography, the special effects...All, top notch. There is even a thrill of wanting to know what will happen to Bruce Wayne and Gotham and most of all how Nolan will conclude his EPIC finale.
But this movie just doesn't give that sense of excitement and anticipation as 'The Dark Knight' did. I don't think there's any argument that 'The Dark Knight' is the best superhero movie EVER made and it really is. I don't think any upcoming movie can be as 'dark' or 'gritty' as 'The Dark Knight'.
Simply put, The Dark Knight Rises is not a 'superhero' movie...it's a 'war' movie and a pretty damn good one. It focuses on real world issues and how a simple army of 200-300 men and a mercenary can take over an entire city and it focuses well. You really think if it can happen in your city. Bane is THAT terrifying!
On to the performances and as usual, there were NO problems as Nolan is very strict on that. We finally see more acting from Christian Bale than action, not meaning that he's only Batman for a short while but we really sense the struggle he's feeling. The need to just get over his life doing nothing. Just die a simple death. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Morgan Freeman and others have done a commanding job, no mistakes there. Micheal Caine is absolutely outstanding this time. We get to see more of him and it really is very heartwarming when he's talking in the movie. Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle......well one, she's HOT! And two, she steals absolutely EVERY scene she is in. She is the big surprise in this movie and the character fits really well into the movie and doesn't even make you think if it was really necessary to bring her into the movie.
Now...BANE...Tom Hardy is OUTSTANDING and EPIC as Bane. I can't think of any other words! The things he can do and the expression he can give with just his eyes and his body language is a joy to watch. Is he better than 'The Joker'? Acting wise, No! But it really is very, VERY unfair to Hardy that he'll be compared to 'The Joker'. The Joker was menacing, psychotic and chaotic while Bane is strong, intelligent and fierce! There completely different characters. I honestly think Hardy deserves an Oscar nomination for his role here. He was just....EPIC!! (Can't find another word)
To sum it all up, The Dark Knight Rises is a fitting and impressive conclusion to the 'Dark Knight Trilogy' and whoever decides to take over to the franchise, they must know...that the bar is as high as it can be. I don't think anyone will be able to match what Sir Christopher Nolan has done in the past 7 years. I'll miss the Batman, I really will!
HATS OFF TO CHRISTOPHER NOLAN!! YET ANOTHER GREAT MOVIE TO THE WORLD! 8/10