A good conclusion to the trilogy

Rating: 8/10 (23 July 2012)

A satisfying conclusion to Nolan's Batman trilogy. I don't love these films as some do, but I appreciate what they're trying to do, and I definitely enjoy them. The Dark Knight Rises doesn't have anything nearly as captivating as Heath Ledger's Joker character, but it makes up for it by being better plotted and by perhaps having a somewhat more interesting Batman/Bruce Wayne characterization than the previous two films. I definitely think this is Christian Bale's best performance in the trilogy (I'm generally not a big fan of his). This film takes place eight years after The Dark Knight. Laws enacted upon the death of Harvey Dent have solved Gotham's organized crime problem (and apparently in Nolan's universe crazy supervillains either don't exist in such great quantities or Arkham Asylum has much better security than in other Batman universes), and Batman has retired. Bruce Wayne has more or less become a shut-in and Wayne Enterprises isn't doing so well financially. New crime begins to creep in from the corporate world. One particularly sleazy CEO has hired a masked mercenary, Bane (Thomas Hardy), to help him commit his crimes. Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), whom I don't think they ever actually referred to as "Catwoman," is also employed for certain crimes. Neither Bane nor Kyle are loyal to their employer. Bane, in fact, has a terrorist plan to take over Gotham City, and it's up to Batman to fight him. Unfortunately, Batman is somewhat crippled by his earlier adventures, and, even if not, he would be hopelessly outclassed by the muscle-bound hulk (this being Nolan's Batman, Bane is not enhanced by VENOM, the chemical that made him a monster in the original comics). Marion Cotillard also appears as a wealthy socialite in whom Bruce Wayne puts his trust. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a smart cop who rises to the position of detective after saving Jim Gordon's life. The plot is quite complex - I'm not sure if it made total sense. The pace is more deliberate than The Dark Knight, but it's no less gripping and exciting. There were a few cringe-worthy sequences, but it mostly works.