Spoiler

Rating: 8/10 (28 June 2015)

**spoiler**The Dark Knight Rises is the darkest of the Batman trilogy. It doesn't play by any of the normal superhero rules which is unexpected. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a much gloomier version of the character from days past. He is disconnected and battling inner turmoil throughout the movie. He had left off the radar for several years which shows that although he is a superhero, he has his own human struggles as well. Christopher Nolan definitely created this film to show another side of Batman. Batman is broken and very human in this movie which is the opposite of what we normally see in terms of a superhero. There were actually parts where I wasn't sure if he would be able to overcome the adversities presented in this movie. The evil villain in the movie was Bane played by Tom Hardy. I don't think I've seen a more sinister character in the Batman series. His merciless behavior and threatening voice really made the movie much scarier than its predecessors. The Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) didn't make much of an impact for me. I couldn't tell if she was really Catwoman or Batgirl actually. She was smart and witty, although mysterious throughout the movie. I definitely think she was missing the crazy, unstable personality that makes Catwoman. Her intentions weren't clear until the end. In order to truly appreciate this movie, you would need to see the first two because there were questions left from the previous movies that were answered within this film. She ended up proving herself in the end, but she was a strange addition to the movie. To get the full movie experience, I would recommend watching this movie in the most "theater-like" setting possible. The fast cut transitions were what made the car scenes exciting. It also applied in the major fight scene between Bane and Batman. It was hard to see when the hero is supposed to always win. The music was a major part of the plot as well as the voice of the terrorist Bane that could send chills down your spine. This movie had to follow behind The Dark Knight which will go down in history as one of the best movies ever made in my book.