From the pits of hell the Dark Knight Rises!

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2012)

I didn't get to watch TDKR immediately on its release. But when I did I was left with a sense of awe and fulfillment. Afterwards the usual discussion as to whether it was really 'that' good or not ensued. Let me get this straight upfront. TDKR has flaws; few, but enough to make some people speak harshly of it. Those who were overtly critical (usually on sites like this) took everything way too seriously(and are being total snobs). TDKR was meant to be a dark and grim film; granted; but it was also meant to be thoroughly enjoyable. And isn't that the main idea behind films? Entertainment? You get to watch- cool gadgets and vehicles, things blowing up (or caving in for that matter!), a foxy and stunning temptress, a scary, merciless villain (who seemed to have a heart after-all) and a climax that satisfies. What else would one need? I loved the idea of the movie overall. Though the narrative of the story feels jarring at times, Nolan's attempt at bringing the trilogy to a cyclical end is laudable. You can't help but notice a hint of Memento and The Prestige in it. The beginning had an intelligent, logical and perhaps a poignant end. I feel that Catwoman's character could have been better written and I've always hated the fact that Jim Gordon never had any palpability in the entire series. Joseph Gordon Levitt's character is the one that is completely under rated. He did a fine job with his role, he made the the perfect witness. Marion Cotillard is totally wasted in the movie (matters not the twist in the tale). Bane on the other hand felt like the right antagonist (maybe except for his voice that sounded weird at times). He seemed to let out a miasma of fear and diabolism, something that would be necessary for Batman to overcome (and thankfully he does). Tom Hardy did complete justice to the role considering the fact that his face was barely visible. His on screen presence is imposing and now feels like the role was meant for him. Christian Bale never felt like "The Batman" to me and things haven't improved in this film either. The fight scenes were a little awkward, perhaps mostly because of the rigid suit that Bats wears and is at times painful to watch. And the total lack of blood felt stupid. And I think people should stop comparing Bane with The Joker. They are supposed to be two entirely different classes of villain. One raving mad the other eerily precise. So, in summary: "Why do we fall?" "So that we may pick ourselves up". And rise like the Dark Knight did in this movie, even from the depths of hell. Epic!