The Final Chapter

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2012)

To talk about "The Dark Knight Rises" merely in super-heroic terms would be to mete out grave injustice to the movie. For this movie has great ambition, spectacle and exhilarating energy of epic proportions. This is not a folksy, cartoonish, sophomorish, campy super hero caper (which is what Hollywood has been churning out with alarming frequency) passing muster by the sheer din of a few well executed CGI scenes but a cerebral, potent, tense, disturbing yet hypnotic climactic outing which reaffirms Chris Nolan's status as the pre-eminent film maker of our times.
With "The Dark Kinght Rises", Nolan has done the well nigh impossible. He has made a trilogy in which every sequel is better than the prequel. Something that even legendary Francis Ford Coppola could not achieve with his magnum opus, "The Godfather" series.
Now to come to the 250 million dollar question, Is Bane as good as the Joker?
Well, in the fearsome badman Bane, Batman seems to have finally met more than his match. Bane is terrifying, grotesque, humongous, powerful, remorseless with brains to match his brawn. However, Bane's biggest strength comes from the fact that Batman under estimates his prowess and cunning and is therefore forced to eat humble pie. Menacing Bane starts off as a populist villain promising to free the society from the inequalities brought about by evil capitalists. He also sets up a kangaroo court with "fast track" proceedings and instant punishments (reminiscent of our own Maoists) however strangely he soon starts working at cross purposes with himself setting off a nuclear device to kill the very people he set out to liberate. In Bane, Nolan has picked out a monumental foe. Bane is jaw dropping awesome but for once the movie is about Batman/Bruce Wayne and he does manage to outshine every other character. The best part about Batman - Bane showdown is their raw, unadulterated, hand to hand mortal combat. Nolan does not hide behind some gadgety, 3D, special effects generated larger than life clash but gives the viewers a ring side view of the fight as it happens.
Christian Bale is ably supported by a stellar cast where everyone is more than adequate however in the star studded galaxy 2 names shine brighter than others - Michael Caine as Alfred, the Butler and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Caine is the emotional core of the movie, providing the much needed gravitas and old world charm. Hathaway is deliciously ambiguous as slimy yet vulnerable, neurotic yet sweet, glamorous yet dangerous cat burglar and boy she does flip those alternate personality switches with ease.
However, fans of gorgeous Marion Cotillard would be justified in thinking that the French delicacy was somewhat wasted here. Hans Zimmer's music score should have been toned down a bit as it tends to get ahead of itself at times even drowning out the dialogs at a few places. There are a few loose and unexplained ends in the movie but in the overall scheme and grandness of things I would dare not say that it matters.
In the finality of things, the man who emerges as the true super hero, the one who deserves a standing applause is the British White Knight, Director Chris Nolan. Nolan is courageous and competent enough to raise the stakes to astronomical levels and deliver the final product with aplomb. This is masterful film making at its mercilessly brilliant best. "The Dark Knight Rises" is a fitting finale, a final show down, a final pay off which leaves you desperately asking for more.
I am going with 4 stars on 5.