In the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises lives up to all its anticipation and finishes off the final installment in a near-perfect way.
After the 2008 movie starring Heath Ledger as the Joker, the expectations were set very high for the follow-up to the mega-blockbuster. While not completely without flaws, Nolan's final movie in his Batman series ends on a very, very high note.
It has been eight years since The Joker terrorized the citizens of Gotham in The Dark Knight, and the city is now in a state of peace. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has since retired and left his alter-ego behind, and James Gordon has since put an end to the once crime-filled city. After a long, dragged-out first 50 minutes of set-up, the film's villain, Bane (Tom Hardy) begins to terrorize the city, leading Wayne to bring back Batman to put an end to the evil that is slowly creeping its way back into Gotham. What follows is 2 hours of apocalyptic-sized storytelling leading to a grand finale too good to spoil. With twists and turns thrown unexpectedly throughout the film, audiences are kept at the edge of their seat as they watch both the people in Gotham, and the city's heroic symbol Batman fighting for their lives.
New additions to the cast include Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, Tom Hardy as Bane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake, and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate. Hardy is not nearly as delightful of a villain as Ledger was, and while he proves to be a real threat to Batman, the mask covering his mouth made his audio not only annoying to listen to, but also comical at parts. The real standout in the ensemble however, is Anne Hathaway. Hathaway continues to prove that she can do no wrong and I'd be surprised if she doesn't win an Oscar sometime in her career. As the role of Catwoman, Hathaway brings a level of complexity and flare to the character. In one of the earlier scenes in the film, Hathaway impeccably switches from being an innocent maid to the infamous burglar, further showcasing her acting chops.
While some superhero movies simply aim for flashy moments to grab viewers' attention, others manage to capture the audience's heart with its storytelling. In the case of The Dark Knight Rises, Nolan has written a screenplay filled with political undertones that not only gives its fans "superhero" moments of explosions and action sequences, but also a narrative that is endearing. The final act to this Batman trilogy is not to be missed.
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