The best trilogy of all time. Thank You, Mr. Nolan.

Rating: 9/10 (28 July 2012)

After finally watching what was my most anticipated movie ever, I'm full of mixed emotions. I'm sad that the journey is over, but also overjoyed by what I saw. Although a small step below the sheer excitement and astonishment that I felt walking out of The Dark Knight, I feel completely fulfilled. And for that, I am EXTREMELY thankful. I feel absolutely privileged to have witnessed Nolan's vision of Batman. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would see my favorite comic character realized with such thought, care and maturity. I feel forever indebted to Christopher Nolan for doing Batman ultimate justice. This film and the trilogy overall was masterfully done. With Dark Knight Rises, everything comes together wonderfully. With a host of new characters added, it never felt overwhelming. The core themes are fully fleshed out and the villain this time around is simply terrifying. A couple things seemed a bit rushed; I would've liked to have seen more of Bane (back story, more explanation of his mask), as well as more stuff regarding Bruce Wayne and his love interest. The length of the film didn't bother me one bit, but the pacing in the first 45 minutes could've been slightly better. Thankfully these minor issues do not take away from the overall experience.
Now to the performances. Tom Hardy as Bane was absolutely amazing! Nolan took quite a risk having the main villain wear a mask throughout the film, but it really did add to the mystery and menacing nature of Bane. Aside from missing a couple of words, I absolutely LOVED his voice and delivery. Tom Hardy really gave a wonderful performance. His movements, his mannerisms, his EYES....he is just mesmerizing as the brutal Bane. By reflex, everyone will compare him to Heath Ledger's Joker, but I never bothered with that going in. By default he will never compare, and I never wanted or expected him to. With that said, he was as effective as Bane as Ledger was as Joker in TDK. For that, he and deserves ultimate respect because Bane is a hell of a villain. Anne Hathaway was excellent as Catwoman. I had doubts, but she really killed her role, surpassing Michelle Pfeiffer simply because she was as engaging and sexy without the extra histrionics. She was such a joy to watch, her brilliance here was just effortless. Christian Bale really carried this film acting-wise. His performance here is no doubt the best in the trilogy. The amount of emotion he was able to convey was heart-wrenching. Never have I seen a (super)hero tortured more; it really was painful to watch, but made the film SO effective when he finally 'rises'. Not only did Bruce Wayne/Batman come full circle, but Bale did as well portraying this character. His Batman voice was annoying at times, but better here than in Dark Knight. Speaking of emotion, Michael Caine as Alfred was outstanding...his best and most touching performance in the trilogy. Levitt was wonderful in his role also, he really has cemented his status as a true player in Hollywood.
This is without a doubt Nolan's biggest film, and it shows. His brilliance is in the way he could have the great action set pieces coupled with great acting and engaging, complex stories. The 'wow' moments are plentiful....and the IMAX format made it even more entertaining. When it comes to the story, for an almost 3 hour movie I was a bit surprised by how much more I wished was in the film. I could have sat there for another hour at least.
On its own, Dark Knight Rises is a VERY good film. As the close to this amazing trilogy, it's an outright classic. Nolan is a genius, a true visionary who could still do NO wrong in my eyes. The way he has treated this material is and always will be the stuff of legend, and I have never been more satisfied by a character's journey the way I was here. I had no idea what to expect going in, and I'm so excited because this may be the most fitting end to a trilogy as I've ever seen. Everything comes full circle, the core themes introduced in Batman Begins resurface here and puts the film and trilogy on yet another level. There was actually a tear in my eye as it was ending....that is how gripping this film was emotionally; which is a quite a rare feat considering it's a Batman movie. I'm sure I will go see it at least one more time before it makes its way to home video....its that good.
In the end, Dark Knight Rises is a very well done, fitting, and extremely satisfying end to the Dark Knight Trilogy. Bravo to Mr. Nolan.