An instant classic that will haunt you for years to come.

Rating: 9/10 (20 July 2012)

(SPOILER FREE)
Christopher Nolan has outdone himself with The Dark Knight Rises. The power behind both it's plot and the chilling visuals that Nolan brings to the screen will haunt you and scare you like no horror movie can. Not only is this a film about overcoming fear, like the first film, or learning about sacrifice like the 2nd film; The Dark Knight Rises is a film ironically contradicting the first film in that Batman needed to be fearful again in order to succeed. Rises also presented itself with a plot that embodies many of today's real world political arguments.
The Dark Knight was always called the Citizen Kane of our time, but comparing that film to TDKR is like comparing a slice of pizza to a whole pie. TDKR is the nutshell, and unlike the previous installment, is tied to Batman Begins a bit more. In a sense, it feels like the real "Part 2" of the trilogy, whereas TDK was the subplot, like the ones included at the end of a monthly DC comic to flesh out a story arc. This 3rd and final movie matches the emotions induced from the first film, and is the darkest and most terrifying one of them all. If you're expecting humor, or fun, or just want to be entertained. Forget it. This is not an entertaining film. It's dark, its serious, and more violent then the last 2 as well. As a viewer, I was thrown into the middle of a modern world on the cusp of apocalypse and anarchy. And Nolan presented such a rich atmosphere that a pang of panic shuddered through me for most of the experience.
Now, I'm a huge Batman fan, and wanted to bring up what I thought from a comic book geek's perspective. Yes, I was always a bit harsh on Nolan for not being nostalgic enough, and even Batman Begins felt a bit too realistic. TDKR does pay homage to the comics here and there, but very little.
However, I've come to grips with Nolan's vision, since he is just an absolute master director; although could use work on his writing. I loved the lines in this film, especially those spoken by Wayne, Alfred and Bane, but what Nolan needs to work on is plot holes. He is not a great writer by far, and neither is his brother because there are some few plot holes in this movie that could have been addressed. But he can sure pace a film. TDKR plays out like a novel, each scene slowly building tension, and at times, certain scenes break this tension, but not too much. Perhaps, there his huge budget led him to shoot and write too many scenes, and some could have been sacrificed to make room for necessary scenes. A minor gripe...and I would love to see a director's cut. All this is easily overlooked after witnessing such masterful film direction. Nolan used inspirations from everything from spaghetti western films, Kubrick's silent wide angle shots, movies like Metropolis and Spartacus come to mind at times, and it's safe to say that this film is more like a war movie instead of an urban crime drama. Nolan's own patented quick cuts are less frequent in this film, and even John Carpenter's famous apocalyptic urban opera, Escape from New York comes to mind when watching TDKR.
I won't get into the acting too much, Bale is the best Batman by far, and he is the best in this film. My favorite performance was from Gordon Levitt. A fine actor and I look forward to seeing him in more films; Nolan films preferred! And as for Bane not being menacing? well, I disagree. He was physically menacing, and if you were disappointed in the fight scenes in TDK like I was, then you will surely leave the theater satisfied this time out. The fist fights in this film are breathtaking to say the least, Nolan puts you right in the middle of them, no music, just the sound of fists hitting bone.
9/10 for incredible film directing, pacing, score, and top-notch acting by the entire cast. This is a hardcore, old school film with lots of extras, and minimal CGI. The chilling villains and the steps they take to carry out their ideals and goals are absolutely terrifying. I live in Gotham City myself, NYC to be exact, and seeing the city in absolute states of anarchy had haunted me for hours after leaving the theater. I would have given this a perfect 10 if not for the choppiness of the story. The end felt cut to death, as if Nolan took a 5 hour film and condensed it to two and half hours. This film needed more scenes...but instead, there were too many time jumps...and it really hurt the pacing of the film. It's a shame that there was never a directors cut... :(