'The Dark Knight Rises' misses greatness by a bats whisker, but still the greatest super-hero movie ever

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2012)

From my blog - www.rahulbalyan.com
The dark knight rises, lifts the entire genre of super hero movies to another level – more real and gritty than ever. Batman meets a foe that is stronger than him, loses everything to him and then has to rediscover his inner drive to rise against him. The evil brewing in the dark underbelly of the city, literally, adds to the ominous feel. You forget that this is a comicbook superhero thriller, and are pulled into this gritty narrative of Gotham city about to be annihilated.
The story weaves in the theme of OWS and the current economic situation of the world. As Selina the Catwoman says- 'There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us.' The evil rises on the back of social discontent and rides a tide of public chaos. There are sequences out of the Khmer Rouge, or even of the rise of Nazism with the summary judgements on the rich through public trials, and rule by the mob/ dictator etc. The use of social discontent to legitimise its oppressive control is almost an instructive lesson being given by Nolan to citizens everywhere.
Even though you know that Bane will somehow be defeated by Batman in the end, you still cant be sure what surprise Nolan may throw at you. However when the end does come, it is a bit underwhelming, and which does reduce the impact of this movie. There are enough weak parts in the script but they are more than madeup by the spectacular action sequences. A tighter ending would have taken it to greatness, it almost makes it.