The Dark Knight Rises Review

Batman's done. After three films, Christopher Nolan brings an end to the story of the caped crusader. And despite it's rather uninspired title 'The Dark Knight Rises' is a worthy send-off for one of cinema's most enduring and recognizable heroes. My hopes for this movie were high, especially when considering its predecessor which is probably the best superhero movie in recent memory.

That's probably why, at the end of this movie, I felt a little down. This is it, the ending to Nolan's series and I was not sure what to feel. Everything's there, every character reaches a fitting conclusion, so what the hell am I missing? Maybe a second viewing, one not hampered by unrealistic expectations, will diminish these feelings and make the movie stand out more clearly. 

It is, certainly, a very enjoyable film, worthy of the names of everyone involved. But a lack of focus seems to pervade the story. Parts of 'The Dark Knight Rises' are a mess, the middle suffers from its convoluted storytelling. An element which was already present, but a lot less distracting, in 'The Dark Knight'. This film's story could have been told much more effectively, which would've helped the impact of its conclusion.

As it stands the film is still very good. Nolan finds the perfect point of entry with Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) still dealing with the death of his true love at the hands of the Joker. Batman has dissappeared and is still held responsible for the death of Gotham's white knight Harvey Dent. Meanwhile on the other side of the world a terrorist named Bane is plotting his attack on the fair city.

Bane is an interesting character. He had to be, considering the villain that came before him. Heath Ledger's brilliant turn as the Joker is still fresh in our minds but Tom Hardy's Bane is something else. Here's a man the size of a gorilla, donning what appears to be a gas mask and he speaks with an unnervingly uncharacteristic voice. He's brutal but cunning, and for the first time ever we fear for Batman's life as an unrelenting Bane pummels him. In short, he's the Anti-Batman.

Joining him is another well-known character. Anne Hathaway offers us a delightfully sinister version of Catwoman. Considering the ending it is unfortunate that we don't get to spend more time with her character. Another new addition is Tom Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young cop who might be more deserving of the batsuit than the grief-ridden Bruce Wayne.

Batman's three allies also return. Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Alfred (Michael Caine). All portrayed by veteran actors, these characters, with Alfred in particular, serve as the emotional core of the film. These are the men who have stood by Bruce Wayne and Batman and are about to be tested as well.

When the storm comes this film reveals itself to be a lot more loyal to its comic book origins than 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight'. The evil plot involves a nuclear bomb meant to level the city of Gotham. It might sound a little familiar but it works fine. Nolan knows how to dial up the tension and the film's climax is hugely entertaining because of it.

In conclusion, we leave Christopher Nolan's Batman on a hopeful note. The ending manages to tie everything up in a satisfying way. And, however unlikely, the prospect of sequel isn't out of the question. Seeing how things are at the end of 'The Dark Knight Rises' I'm not against the continuation of this story. This final film is an overly elaborate but very effective way of bringing this solid trilogy to a close.