Batman ENDS = "Escape from New York" times Ten . . .

Rating: 7/10 (27 July 2012)

"The Dark Knight Rises", Rated "PG-13" for Adult Situations, Adult Language, Mild Sexual Innuendo, Violence, Mild Gore. Running Time: 2hr&44mns.
My Take *** (Out of ****) -- IMDb = 7.3/10
Director Christopher Nolan's take on Batman has finally come to an end. Nolan's third and final "bat-offering" completes his near-perfect film trilogy of the popular DC Comics character. To say that Nolan's take on the Batman, a character rich with over 73 years of history, is the definitive version of the caped-crusader is entirely subjective. The first two films in this series, "Batman Begins" (2005) and "The Dark Knight" (2008) raised the bar on comic-book film adaptations. Both films have been universally praised as the genre's two best movies. Based on that, will "The Dark Knight Rises" live up to the film legacy established by its predecessors? Will it conclude the trilogy on a satisfactory note?
What distinguishes the Nolan Batman films from other comic-book inspired movies is the naturalistic approach to the source material. His films provided fresh and interesting re-interpretations of well-known characters in terms of relatability and their social relevance. Straight out of today's headlines, "The Dark Knight Rises" deals heavily with issues of social inequality, class warfare, identity theft, re-distribution of wealth, terrorism and righteous fanaticism.
Eight years after "The Dark Knight", the Batman (Christian Bale, "The Fighter") has not been sighted since the fateful night he took the rap for the death of the Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Ackhart, "Battleground: Los Angeles"). He is wanted by the police. His vigilantism will no longer be tolerated. Batman is really the secret identity of the billionaire philanthropist and playboy Bruce Wayne. He also has been absent from the public-eye, holed up in his restored ancestral home of Wayne Manor. His depression over the death of his beloved Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhahl, "Hysteria"), from the previous picture, has left him in mental shambles. He is also in a deteriorated physical condition due to his dark defender days. Wayne's physician assures him he does not have any cartilage remaining in his knee. There is scar tissue on his kidneys and there is concussive damage to his brain tissue. He's not even match enough for the sleek cat-burglar Selena Kyle (Anne Hathaway, "Love and Other Drugs") when she robs him, not once, but twice.
Enter Bane (Tom Hardy, "Inception"). He's an eco-terrorist with a seeming agenda to punish Gotham's wealthy. He initiates a steep toll on western civilization by attacking Gotham's financial and professional sports worlds with his insurmountable armies and resources. His attack on Gotham's social elite is eclipsed by a more sinister plot, one of proportions no city or the entire world has ever seen. Given the apocalyptical nature of plan, is fitting the hulking masked Bane resembles a nomad from "The Road Warrior" (1981) with the most intense voice for a cinematic villain since Darth Vader.
The urging of Police Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II") and rookie beat cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "50/50") presses the dark knight back into service. Wayne Industries CEO Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman, "A Dolphin Tale") is still a technological ally for Batman. Also offering aid is the environmentally conscious Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard, "Contagion"). She just might have what it takes to save Wayne Enterprises from financial ruin. Not onboard with Batman's return is Wayne's faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island"). He is a loving father figure who fears Bruce is on a path of self-destruction. There aren't many scenes between Alfred and Bruce, but the scenes they do have are touching and resonate with you after the film is over.
2008's "The Dark Knight" was a pitch-perfect movie (****/**** -- IMDb = 10/10). That film was bold in a way comic book movies had never previously been (eight months after TDK's release the "Watchmen" also took the genre to new ground). In comparison "TDK Rises", though it is satisfactory entertainment that delivers, comes up a little short both as a third part of a trilogy and as a stand-alone movie.
This is a Batman movie that barely has Batman in it. With a running time just under three hours, Batman makes a few short appearances and then a longer one during the climax of the picture. For a flagship superhero movie, why is he barely in it?
This new picture is unusually grim for big-budget superhero film about a such a mainstream comic book icon. Though it is a good feature, I cannot say it is much fun. This film is bleak and depressing. I felt all of the Batman series regulars (Batman, Gordon and Fox) were somewhat restrained from their usual positions of proactivity against adversity. I realize every situation and movie is different, yet it just felt a little off to me. When the Batman regulars do band together to oppose the terrorism threat, it feels a little too little too late. As a result, the movie's middle section seemed to sag. I think the middle part could have been consolidated or re-worked to fix the momentum, or its lack there of. Though the finale is grand, the resolution of all the main characters felt a little rushed and forced. This is a minor complaint, as I'm sure many people will love the ending and it will be talked about in the years to come.
"The Dark Knight Rises" is at its core a war-time disaster picture. It is an extremely tangible commentary on social inequalities and terrorism of this age. Though not perfect, Christopher Nolan delivers an extremely ambitious and very intense film. The movie's last third is "Escape from New York" times ten (you'll see why). This film does ultimately accomplish what it set out to do: the Batman legend does end in style. Overall, it is a fitting conclusion to the dark knight saga.