An epic trilogy....a magnificent conclusion...a movie that was worth the wait.

Rating: 10/10 (21 July 2012)

The Dark Knight finally Rises! I have been waiting for nearly a year for this movie, and it was well worth the wait. Being a huge fan of both Christopher Nolan as well as the previous two Batman installments, I was actually wondering if this movie would be able to do justice to my expectations....YES IT DID!
The movie is unusual in the sense there isn't much of Batman in the movie. Bruce Wayne the man is there (ably played by Christian Bale), carrying the burden of false accusations, injuries and advancing age. He walks with a limp, carries a cane, and has no cartilage left in his knees and shoulders. The man who saved Gotham is now seen as its biggest villain. He is forced to come out of self-imposed retirement when a new terror hits his beloved city...Bane.
Bane is played by Tom Hardy, with a raw physicality rarely seen on the big screen. Its not just his incredibly transformed body that conveys the menace that is Bane, but his voice with its swooping tones and accent. I was a bit skeptical about how his covered face would translate on screen, but Tom Hardy has taken this character and made it his own. His gestures, his eyes, even his forehead - he becomes Bane. His talent is too obvious to be hidden under a mask.
The movie is grand in scale, with numerous characters - old as well as new. Alfred (Michael Caine) gets a role that's worthy of his talents, with a more emotional core. Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) writes the book on great acting - how does one convey a character while lying immobile in a hospital bed. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) is as competent as ever, with the deadpan humor and witty one-liners. Adding to the mix are some new characters - Selina Kyle aka Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) is surprisingly good in a role made famous by Michelle Pfeiffer...and infamous by Halle Berry. The surprise package is John Blake played by the yummilicious Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The cute kid from "Third Rock from the Sun" has grown up...and how! He looks good, he acts amazingly well, and he could well be part of the next Batman movie (hint, hint!).
The movie has numerous plots and sub-plots - in the hands of a lesser director, all of this could easily get confusing, or worse, make the audience lose interest. But not in this movie - director Nolan has a firm grip on the reins, and never lets go of any of the plot points. Every line has a point to it...every incident leads to a resolution...every character is needed to take the story forward. There isn't a single unnecessary character or scene in the 2.45 hour long movie. And the human element is never lost sight of, while at the same time executing sweeping and intricate plots.
There were times when I felt that Nolan hasn't just made a movie about a superhero....he has actually made a powerful commentary on our times. His plot has echoes of the global financial crisis, as well as the various "occupy" movements going on in various parts of the world. His movie seems to be a metaphor for a world in disarray and chaos, with Gotham as its disintegrating heart.
Or you could just forget about the political metaphors, and watch it for its grand spectacle, the great acting, and the incredible SFX!!