Stunning conclusion to a thrilling trilogy

Rating: 9/10 (22 July 2012)

I haven't been this excited for a film in a long time. Yes I had high expectations and even though I was disappointed on some levels, for the most part 'The Dark Knight Rises' is a stunning conclusion to a thrilling trilogy.
Christopher Nolan's direction is once again fantastic and the cinematography by Wally Pfister is beautiful. The opening sequence with Bane on the plane is absolutely breathtaking. All the action scenes were great, particularly the showdown at the end with the cops and Bane's men. It really was a sight to behold. The finale is truly epic and the last 15 minutes or so were just unbelievable. And that final scene? Well, let's just say it definitely left me wanting more! I was very satisfied with the ending. The score throughout from Hans Zimmer is striking.
Christian Bale has outdone himself reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. His acting in both 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight' was absolutely fantastic, but here he shows why he is one of the best actors around today. Bruce Wayne is a man in pain and torment and it shows. Tom Hardy is superb as Bane. He is controlled, menacing and ruthless. Even though it was very hard to understand what he said a lot of the time, his eyes convey so much intensity and emotion. One particular revealing and moving scene towards the end of the film was just pure magic. Anne Hathaway really delivered as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. She's smart, strong and sexy. Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were all excellent once again. But it was Joseph Gordon-Levitt who was the standout. His performance was perfect. His idealistic, honorable cop John Blake never gives up and besides Alfred, he is the one who understands Bruce/Batman the most.
What's wrong with it? The first half of the film takes a little while to take off and somewhere around the middle I got restless. I also think that Nolan tried to introduce too many new characters and at times the whole thing felt rushed. Bane's death was anti-climactic. He gets shot and that's it. We barely see it. But the major criticism I have was Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate. Her character and acting were just plain boring. There was no chemistry whatsoever between her and Bale, and her death scene was laughable.
As with many of Nolan's films, it's a movie you need to see more than once to fill in missing pieces and process everything. Christopher Nolan is indeed in a class of his own and what he has been able to achieve is remarkable and will be forever etched in cinema history.