A Final Showdown

Rating: 8/10 (17 June 2013)

The Dark Knight Rises
I enjoyed The Dark Knight Rises and believe there were some great things in it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (who previously worked with Nolan in 2010's Inception) was a new addition to the franchise and gave a terrific performance as Detective Blake. Marion Cotillard and Anne Hathaway also surprised me with their ability to be action performers. Bane was a bit of a letdown for me. The movie trailers promised so much for his character that just didn't deliver the same showdown we saw with Batman and the Joker. I keep reading about the "political agenda" this movie supposedly had, and how it's "almost impossible for The Dark Knight Rises to meet the level of expectation it had facing it", but the bottom line is Christopher Nolan redefined the possibilities of the comic book/superhero movie. Even it fell way below fans and critics expectations following the Colorado shooting, it still performed very well and will continue to end on a note that will keep everyone happy. Reviewed by AN/NR 07-20-12