Bloody brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (29 July 2012)

WITH one of the most anticipated films of year finally upon us, one question is asked: does it live up to the high expectations of fans and the public? And the answer is simply, hell yes. Director and writer Christopher Nolan delivers a powerful conclusion to his Batman trilogy in The Dark Knight Rises. The story takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight. In that time Batman hasn't been seen and Bruce Wayne himself (Christian Bale) has turned into something of a hermit, seen only behind closed doors in Wayne Manor. Batman is forced out of retirement to don the cape and cowl, however, when a new terror — in the person of mercenary Bane (Tom Hardy) — threatens the security of Gotham City. Wayne also decides to make himself seen in public when his attention is caught by sexy cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway). Nothing seems to be going right for Wayne: his company is almost bankrupt, he has become a cripple and his relationship with Alfred (Michael Caine) is pushed to its limits. Like the first film from Nolan Batman Begins, Wayne and Batman have to overcome a certain hurdle in their journey, and this case, pain. Bane, with his army of ruthless thugs, overwhelms all of Gotham's police offices, and it's now up to Batman, Commissioner Gordon and officer John Blake to restore the peace. The fringe characters are also given a lot of scene time, most notably a young, hot-headed officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman). A new love interest for Wayne is introduced in the shapely form of Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), but the romantic partition of film falls to the bottom of the pile. The film could be considered a standalone in Nolan's series, but there are a lot of connections and references to the previous two films. I loved the fact that Harvey Dent's "legacy" is a theme that runs throughout the whole film. It would be advisable to watch the previous two films if you want to get maximum enjoyment out of the final of the trilogy. Nolan sticks to the gritty and dark undertones of the previous films, and with the score, these elements give the film an intense and captivating atmosphere. Although it is classified an "action" movie, Nolan's brilliant understanding of the source material — influenced by largely by Frank Miller's graphic novels — makes the action in the film secondary to the drama. Don't get me wrong, the action sequences are brilliant: there is enough fighting, exchanges of gunfire and explosions to keep action junkies more than satisfied. At just under three hours, Nolan managed to captivate my attention from the opening scene to the end credit. Bale is at his best, both as Batman and Wayne, giving his finest performance in the series. Hardy as Bane is absolutely terrifying, Hathaway at times manages to steal centre stage with her quick-witted lines and her skin-tight leather cat suit, and Caine adds both to the humorous and the emotional narrative. This is by far the best comic book adaptation series, and arguably the best film in its genre.