The end to one of film's greatest trilogies

Rating: 10/10 (23 July 2012)

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I don't normally write reviews for IMDb, but I feel like contributing to the great community here. I publish most of my reviews on youtube if you want to watch them here -> http://www.youtube.com/user/natdude101? feature=mhee
Batman is a character that film has been nice to. Great films from the late 80's/early 90's, wonderful animated films and an extremely successful reboot of the franchise in the 2000's. While he has seen his dark days (no pun intended), everyone knows that Batman is a profitable character. The Dark Knight Rises seems to follow it's successors having already broke many records. But no matter how much money a movie makes, it can still suck. Many wonder whether or not to watch film and with this review I hope to help people make the decision to see TDKR.
TDKR starts off strong. The plot opens up 8 years after the events of the previous movie where Harvey Dent is a hero and Bruce Wayne is a crippled shut in. The opening is a bit slow and possibly slower than most people would expect from such a action-heavy film, but it does pick up after the first 45 minutes. The casting for the film is excellent. The returning cast featuring Bale, Oldman, Caine and Freeman all make a wonderful cast. The new people also leave an impression. Hardy and Hathaway steal the show as the villain/anti-hero and Gordon-Levitt does a great job as the new cop on the force. I feel like this film has more a focus on the entire ensemble rather than a featured star (Batman in Batman Begins and The Joker in The Dark Knight). The plot is also well written and provides an excellent ending to the dark knight trilogy.
The Cinematography is breathe-takingly beautiful. Many scenes have been shot with an imax camera and that extra effort has helped make the film all the more amazing. Action scenes look especially good. The special and visual effects also look good, but the film doesn't rely on them to work. Unlike the other super-hero movie release of July, TDKR is able to stand on it's own without the special effects. The soundtrack is very well-written. Composer Hans Zimmer has done an excellent job again creating a haunting and beautiful soundtrack to accompany this film. The sound editing and mixing is one of the few problems I have with the film, while it's usually excellent, the beginning has a few problems as it's very hard to understand Hardy due to his mask.
The Script is very well written and brings together an excellent theme of pain and sacrifice. Nolan has once again outdone himself with directing this picture. Fight scenes are perfectly choreographed. Camera angles are set perfectly. Every line is delivered with the perfect amount of intensity and passion. The only question left is, how in the world has this world-class director not won an academy award?
Overall, TDKR is one of the best films of the year. Everything works so well and if you'll excuse some of the minor problems in the beginning, you'll find an excellent film that builds to one of the most satisfying endings in all of film. I highly recommend it.