The franchise comes full circle

Rating: 9/10 (20 July 2012)

For those seeking more mayhem of Batman, be patient with TDKR, since Wayne has been in exile from authorities for obvious reasons. We find he's been out of "uniform" for some years and is now dependent on a cane to hobble about. But this film has more in common with Begins since it is coming back to 359 degrees. While Wayne has gotten older, he hasn't lost his abilities or his deductive prowess.
I'm gonna skip the synopsis since it's been explained profusely. While the plot line has NOT really changed from the previous ones, it's just as they say: "same book, different chapter".
But since Ledger gave us the iconic Joker, it really left big shoes to fill. I don't quite think Bane is fair to compare to Joker since they are quite different, the grandiose story does the narrative justice. It does come close to being too contrived, but if it weren't, it'd be a simple linear, no frills, run-of-the-mill plot.
What I noticed was the themes from the graphic novels like "The Dark Knight Returns", "No Man's Land", and the "Knightfall" books. Also, don't expect the gadgets to be so prominent here. This one goes for raw, visceral action. Even a Batman in daylight! If you pay close attention, you can pick up the subtle and not so subtle shout-outs to the Dark Knight universe.
A robust, and satiating finale to a venerable character and trilogy.