The Big Daddy of all Superhero Movies is finally upon us....

Rating: 9/10 (20 July 2012)

After being fortunate enough to watch an advanced preview screening, I can safely say that.............................. TDKR is a fitting finale and a grand conclusion to the epic trilogy of the Batman series, as envisaged by Christopher Nolan, who definitely cements his place as one of the best directors of the modern generation with his trademark "relentlessly intense storyline, utterly chaotic dystopian society riddled with totalitarian government & cyber-genetic technologies, stark and bleak portrayal of human pessimism and misanthropic attitude as well as superbly spectacular big-budget Hollywood set-pieces of massive destruction, chaos, catastrophe and pandemonium." The real world threats of global terrorism, political anarchy and economic instability make deep incursions into the cinematic comic book domain in TDKR. Even though indispensably it lacks an element as unique as Heath Ledger's immortal and memorable turn in "The Dark Knight", it compensates for that by being fully enveloping and at times unnerving in a relevant way one would never have imagined. The director daringly pushes the credibility of a Gotham City besieged by nuclear-armed revolutionaries to such an extent that it momentarily seems absurd for a guy in a costume who refuses to kill people, unmasked and debilitated, emotionally shattered and physically drained, leading the life of a retired recluse, to conceivably show up to save the day but due to the laconic, succinct yet lucid storyline, manages to do so impeccably and masterfully. As before, the production values are opulent and sensational; nothing short of the highest praise can be lavished on the work of the production designers, The only conspicuous faux pas is a big continuity gaffe that has the raid on the Stock Exchange take place during the day but the subsequent getaway chase unfold at night. While Some of the action scenes have something of a "deja-vu", familiar feel the others are fresh and brilliantly rendered, manifesting the brilliant visual spectacle of epic proportions. Despite the high level of suspension of disbelief, dark tone and sometimes lugubrious approach, this is a finely crafted and prudently structured plot, providing just about sufficient and adequate time for character development, tying all the knots from the previous iterations & installments, yet avoiding UN-necessary confusions and myopic plot twists, never allowing levity to intrude the conflicted, sinister and flawed outlook of the principal characters. The stellar performance by the entire cast and the dramatic, haunting background score alleviates and effortlessly transforms the sheer scope of Nolan's vision – with emotion and spectacle thundering across the screen – for its entire running time of nearly 3 hours. Most importantly, TDKR unequivocally manages to achieve the impossible, which is to bring a cherished cinematic chapter to a close, yet manage to leave the fans feeling neither desolate nor forlorn but essentially cheerful, one steeped enough in self-contained mythology to reward hard-core fans while giving less invested viewers a rousing, adroitly executed piece of popcorn entertainment. In the end, this is a sequel that not only succeeds but easily surpasses the enormous weight of hyped-up lofty expectations built ridiculously high by fan culture and savvy marketing. TDKR transcendence the art of movie-making into an entirely different level, that had been hitherto unseen and unheard of previously in any kind of super-hero, comic-book adaptations to the big screen till date. This Brilliant and Exemplary exercise of groundbreaking accomplishment in movie-making must not be missed by any movie buffs, let alone "Batman affectionados". 10/10.