Thoughtful, moving, intelligent, incredibly satisfying

Rating: 9/10 (26 July 2012)

I am a 30 year man who has watched many, many films and I try to watch films through the eyes of a cinephile - I like to fairly deconstruct films whilst appreciating them as a whole.
Truth be told, I had to see this film twice to really appreciate what Mr Nolan was trying to do. My initial IMAX experience had a questionable and loud sound mix whilst the unbelievable expectations set by 'The Dark Knight' made the film almost unenjoyable as I scrutinised every scene and constantly wondered how good the film truly was.
Having seen it a second time, it all makes perfect sense. Christopher Nolan has created a beautifully bleak and inspiring film with a consistent tone of darkness, pain and urgency that rouses the senses.
Whilst I admit to liking the Batman universe, the grounded realism of Nolan's vision truly taps into our Zeitgeist with themes of greed, ignorance, fear and anger. This is what ultimately drives the film and it is made a reality with excellent performances, staggering cinematography by Wally Pfister and a pounding Hans Zimmer score that creates tension and excitement at the right times.
Some critics have suggested that characters are underdeveloped and this could only partially be aimed at Cotillard's Miranda Tate. Yet upon second viewing everything falls into place wonderfully. Hathaway's Selina Kyle is sexy and ferocious and totally convincing in her role. Michael Caine also gets the chance to show his wonderful range but the film belongs to the powerhouse performances of Bale and Hardy who both own their scenes and play their roles as tortured souls to perfection. Hardy is more 2d than Ledger's Joker but he is meant to be a physical embodiment of threat and terror.
Nolan uses architecture and physical levels to mirror the journeys and origins of the main characters and his foreshadowing of the end of Batman's journey is intelligently done. Each of the three acts of the film builds and executes the story with perfect measure, under Nolan's masterful gaze.
Overall, The Dark Knight Rises is bold filmmaking about the reality of the world we live in and especially rousing in the way that Batman is ever the incorruptible symbol that stands up to the fears that we all have. It is an excellent film and part of a trilogy that will be remembered for a long time to come.