Spoiler Free Plot Synopsis

It has been eight years since the death of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart ) and the disappearance of Batman ( Christian Bale), and Gotham is free of crime and corruption due to the Dent Act. This peace is short-lived as a new force prepares to destroy Gotham City and its inhabitants. Bruce Wayne must assume the mantle of The Dark Knight once more to defeat a foe that will test his limits, both physically and mentally.

Kick Ass Moments:

Since the there aren’t many video clips showing the key scenes, this will be one of the few times we must resort to only photos.

This chase scene was great in showcasing the Batpod, especially after the destruction of the Batmobile in The Dark Knight.

Bane‘s first fight with Batman was choreographed very well and showcased the skill learned by both from The League of Assassins.

While Batman had a more streamlined fighting style, you could tell in both fights with Bane that there was anger in those blows. This was very apparent in their last hand-to-hand battle of the film.

Any and all scenes involving The Bat were well done. The design maintained that same aggressive profile made famous by the Batmobile a/k/a the Tumbler.

My Take:

The Dark Knight Rises is the end of a masterful trilogy put together by Christopher Nolan. While we can sit here and cite all the things that were not straight out of the books, people need to realize that the universe that Nolan created was something unique and meant to not be entirely like the books. Nolan wanted to use ample realism to tell his stories and make Batman more than a story about a rich guy in a costume fighting crime. In that regard, I felt he succeeded and gave us what is now viewed as the gold standard in Batman storytelling. Of course, the story was excellent and the visuals were striking – but let’s get to the acting. Christian Bale continued to do an excellent job as Bruce Wayne. In every film he gives us a bit more insight into Wayne and what motivates him to be Batman. Bale as Batman continues to be a love/hate relationship mostly because of the guttural delivery of Batman’s dialogue. There is no better example of that then when he is whooping Bane’s ass while yelling at him. Instead of feeling “fear” I just felt the urge to laugh. But it is a minor gripe that still honestly adds to the enjoyment of the film. Michael Caine continues to be amazing in his role as Alfred and supplied some very emotional moments throughout the film. Also, I do not need to tell you Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman are awesome because we all know that. How about those new cast members? Joseph Gordon Levitt (John Blake) was a very interesting addition to the cast for reasons I can’t mention without spoiling the film. I will say that movie validated my opinion that Levitt has come a long way since Third Rock From the Sun. On to Anne Hathaway……… It pains me to admit this since I shit on this casting choice from the beginning, but Ms. Hathaway did a damn fine job as the cat burglar. I only call her that because she was never really called Catwoman during the movie. She delivered the right amount of sex appeal and finesse to make the character her own and her nose was not a distraction (hahaha). Next up is our villan Bane, who not only brought the fight to Batman on a physical level but also on a psychological level. Tom Hardy did a great job as Bane due to the ferocity displayed by his character which is something Hardy is familiar with after doing films like Bronson and Warrior. Bane had no qualms about killing anyone that did not serve his agenda. He was cold, calculating and imposing which is a departure from Bane’s last appearance on film. While at times, he did sound like Sean Connery in a scuba mask, Bane delivered some powerful lines throughout the film. As for Marion Cotillard and her performance as Miranda Tate, all I can say is that I understand why Nolan likes her work. She had the right of amount of beauty and brains to keep up with Bruce Wayne and become a character that people cared about. She was not a one-off love interest like Rachel Dawes was.

Recommendation:

As a comic fan, I cannot stress enough how people need to see this movie. The Dark Knight Rises is Christopher Nolan’s homage to the Batman mythos and even if you are not a comic fan you should still see it just to see some amazing filmmaking on display. I ask my hardcore comic fans to not pick apart everything and just enjoy the film. If you spend time picking apart all the wrong things you’ll miss all the great moments.