Unconditional Ending to one of the Greatest Trilogies.

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2015)

Can you make a decent sequel to a perfect movie? Christopher Nolan exceeds himself by proving that it can happen and delivers, not just a proper movie, but a great finale to the best trilogy you could possibly ask for a superhero genre.
The great director promised us a good and satisfying finale with this one. And we got it in every single way.
Nolan by now has accomplished to create this realistic, comic-booky world for us in the city of Gotham. So much that in the beginning of the movie he attempts to throw in several situations and events that have happened in the time between The Dark Knight's epic finale up to 8 years later and expects us to accept them with a blink of an eye. I'm not sure it exactly works all the time (especially the first 40 minutes in, you are a bit confused), but I was OK filling in the blanks later. After that, you get a wonderfully paced action movie, with Bane (the villain) portraying a purposive figure of a tyrant who has supposedly come to bring deliverance, but truthfully plans to destroy the city at its core. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has to cope with his own pains, thoughts and guilt. Wayne Enterprises struggles as well, with its owner now being Luscious Fox. The lovable Alfred tries to stand by the side of his master but seems to fail. Things have changed within the city as well, with a female burglar taking advantage of Batmans' absence. And the last hour is the thrilling non-stop climax (where you can't get enough of Hans Zimmers' amazing score bumping in your ears).
The film is a masterpiece. It has everything we have come to expect from Nolans' filmmaking. I will accept people who point out some plot points that could be argued in the film. But saying that The Dark Knight Rises "is not a good movie", now anyone who claims that is mislead and being unfair. The only way to be disappointed and dissatisfied from this film, is if you have decided to question it and not like it before you watch it (most commonly, those are the people who constantly compare it to the "The Dark Knight").
We don't get to see a lot of Batman in this film. Bale mostly portrays amazingly a broken and suffered Bruce Wayne, fighting his inner demons and struggling to keep the symbol he has created, alive. Joseph-Gordon Levitt is a welcomed addition as the fearless newcomer detective who soon discovers that not everything is so bright. Morgan Freeman has more screen time than before, giving a heavier push to his role as a mentor to Batman. Gary Oldman is simply flawless. He should be considered a primal and fundamental piece of the entire trilogy. His guilty and determined Gordon is with no doubt superb. Excellent and surprisingly ultimate performance is Catwoman (or at Nolan's better suggestion: the "Cat"). Anne Hathaway is watchable to death. She owns the part with her voice, style and appeal being a highlight throughout.
And then you have Bane. Villains are proved to be, by the end of this trilogy, an important part of its' success. I have come to understand that Nolan uses his villains in a specific way to highlight Batmans' strengths and weaknesses. Ra's Al Ghoul and the Joker did it concerning Batmans' fears and psychology respectively. But Bane manipulates and destroys almost everything Bruce has and fights for. Claiming he does it for the sake of the world and the future, he breaks Batmans' ethics, morals, strengths, hope and spirit.
And therefore gave us the perfect way to end the trilogy: Bruce overcoming once again, proving to all of us that symbols just can't die no matter what. Emotionally sensational, Batman in the end truly "Rises" to our delight.
What I specifically loved in all three films is the way that Nolan is not afraid to explore the moral implications of decisions made throughout the trilogy and explains the impact, the results and of course the effects that collide. The Dark Knight Trilogy can be a great inspiration if you look for the meanings. All the writers and associates who worked on it gave a new meaning to words we already knew, like: heroism, truth and lies, purpose, symbols, faith, death, suffering and so on. I feel like what has left in me is a whole lot of pieces of advise rather than just a superhero story. The beginning, middle and end of this superb saga can be so insightful at times, that I feel it often gets recognition but for the wrong reasons.
I'm pretty sure that 50 years from now, it'll still stand as an example of terrific filmmaking. That's because these 3 films mean something and give you something to think about.
The Dark Knight trilogy is art.