Gotham's Reckoning

Rating: 9/10 (22 July 2012)

Greetings again from the darkness. If you are a fan of the series, this is a sensational ending to the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy. Though replicating Heath Ledger's Joker is not possible, every other piece of this finale worked for me ... and worked exceptionally well. There are critics who are nit-picking, saying that the story is muddled, the villain a letdown, run time too long, the first half is slow or the second half is too traditional in action. My challenge to these critics ... name a better comic book hero film. For me, this is an incredibly entertaining and ambitious film that sets the standard for the genre.
In addition to director Nolan, many of the familiar characters are back. Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Luscious Fox. New to the series are Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Officer Blake, Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate, and best of all, Tom Hardy as Bane - the hulking masked monster wreaking havoc on Batman and Gotham.
I will not go into any of the plot points other than to say this is the first time we have seen a villain who is at least Batman's match physically and mentally. Bane is a wrecking ball with a general's strategic skills and voice that is begging to impersonated by intoxicated high school boys for years to come. There are a couple of twists that add much fun for the fans of the first two films, including an appearance by a key member of Batman Begins. Also, Michael Caine is given a couple of wonderful scenes to prove he is more than a driver and butler.
Since this is Batman, the action scenes have to be analyzed. It should be noted that Batman is not on screen very often, but when he is, it is quite thrilling. We have new toys and weapons, and quite a bit of fisticuffs with Bane and Catwoman that compete with any of the giant firepower scenes.
Neither Mr. Nolan nor his DOP Wally Pfister are proponents of 3D (Thank Goodness!!), so instead we get treated to 50 minutes of actual 70mm IMAX footage. This means, if possible, you should catch this on an IMAX screen. I have seen it IMAX and XD, and while both are visually stunning, the IMAX is an overwhelming site at times.
The movie picks up 8 years after the ending of The Dark Knight. Harvey Dent is worshiped as a hero, and Bruce Wayne is a Howard Hughes type recluse - broken body and all. The initial aerial sequence is a fun start to a film that runs just under 3 hours. Contrary to some critics, I believe the story is fairly easy to follow and quite intense, thrilling and pure cinematic joy.
For those who claim there is a lack of humor ... Exhibit #1: Hines Ward returning a kickoff for a TD. Come on, how long since he was fast enough for that??
Note: Though I haven't addressed the Aurora shooting here, I did post a statement on my blog at www.moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com