The Dark Knight DEFINITELY Rises

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2012)

The question you have to ask yourself is this film worth getting butt blisters over because it is a long one. The answer is undeniably, YES. Director Christopher Nolan did an excellent job wrapping up the Batman trilogy by brilliantly incorporated the first two films into this film. There were a few moments when I caught myself thinking "get on with it already", but other than that I was thoroughly entertained. This film did solidify for me that Batman is just an ordinary guy with lots of really cool gadgets. All the situations that Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) was put into only enhanced the fact that he is a mere mortal. This includes the emotional turmoil and the physicality of his character. The introduction of Selina/Cat Woman (Anne Hathaway) was expertly introduced into the story. Selina was as unpredictable as ever and by the middle of the film you really don't know if you like her or hate her (which is the way her personality was designed). Bane (Tom Hardy) was one of the most evil "bad guy" ever to be portrayed on screen. He was ruthless and determined to put an end to Gotham's existence. The only predictable character for me was the introduction of Blake (Joseph Gordan-Levitt). Commissioner Gordan (Gary Oldman) took him under his wing almost immediately which would ultimately define Blake's future. Fox (Morgan Freeman) was up to his old tricks and continued his development of new toys for Bruce to play with, while Alfred (Michael Caine) caught me off guard with some unexpected dialog. This film did have some really great plot twists which caught me by surprise. The Dark Knight definitely deserved some redemption after the last film (The Dark Knight) and Christopher Nolan (along with Jonathan Nolan) ensured that he got it. This is one of the best action films that I have seen this year with a rich storyline and unmatched acting. I would put this right up there with The Avengers. I know that this is Mr. Nolan's last Batman venture, however there is no doubt in my mind that the character will live on and we will all see him again. This is absolutely a film that deserves to be seen on the big screen and is worth the price of a ticket. I will be adding this one to my DVD collection. I give this film a glaring green light. Note: I would like to express my sympathy to the families of the victims in the Aurora shooting. My heart goes out to you and I will keep you in my prayers.