The Dark Knight Rises

In 2005 Batman began, in 2008 The Dark Knight fell from Gotham's grace at the hands of the Joker and Two-Face and after what feels like too long a wait The Dark Knight Rises as a new threat emerges from the darkness. It's been 8 years since the Dent act was put into motion clearing the streets of organized crime in the name of DA Harvey Dent who, to the people of Gotham, was brutally murdered by the Batman. Though Commissioner James Gordon keeps watch over the now quiet streets, an aged Bruce Wayne finds himself a recluse without his late-night activities to keep him occupied and Alfred questioning his life goals Bruce finds himself lost without the cape and cowl. Elsewhere prominent thief Selina Kyle sets her paws on the ex-billionaire playboy at the behest of her employers who are out for Wayne and his family business. All mysterious events from Wayne's cat-theft to people disappearing into the sewers begin to unfold as rookie-cop John Blake picks up on things that most haven't, that something is amiss in Gotham and all too soon the pieces begin to move. As events push Bruce Wayne to return to the night, the darkness rises from the depths of his past and from below Gotham itself a new monstrous force of nature appears to test the Batman and bring long awaited justice to the city of Gotham. Bane.

Christian Bale's take to the cowl has been more dramatic and emotional than any of the previous wearers of the cowl and in this final installment he shows the drama and tragedy of the character in both the Batman and Bruce underneath. Giving a powerful send off to his time as the caped crusader, finishing off the trilogy and being the darkest and most ferocious Batman to take flight to screens a round of applause is needed for this Batman. Commissioner James Gordon, Gary Oldman is also back and with his own story he's just as much broken on the inside as Batman is on the out, though Oldman still plays the likable card and no matter the mistakes his character must face you rally behind the everyday man who shines as he does in the shadow of the bat-signal with the previous films, the upholder of justice and sanity in the madness of Gotham. The heart of emotion comes from the most lovable character of all  Alfred Pennyworth, Micheal Caine pulls a heart wrenching performance as the father figure to a crippled in belief Bruce and makes you care as much for Bruce as he does and a hell of a lot for the man who won't stand by and watch someone else he loves buried. The last reoccurring main is Lucuis Fox, Morgan Freeman uses the same smile and sleek charm that makes Bruce trust him on the audiences and who could dislike Morgan Freeman. No one. Fresh faced cast in the finale include Joseph Gordan-levitt as police officer John Blake. While at first his part was rumored  to be minimal his screen presence and charisma largely refute that, his talent shines even against characters you''ve cared about since Begins and his rookie-cop fresh view of Gotham, sparkly innocent eyes and boyish charm work on levels that make Bruce and Gordon question their own once bright vision of justice in Gotham. Anna Hathaway takes to the snuggly fitting catsuit and plays the role of both Selina Kyle and her counterpart with confiedence, greed and sex appeal to knock all haters to the ground as Hathaway proves to be the most coimcally tuned and performed catwoman to grace the screens. Marion Cotillard takes the role of business philanthropist Miranda Tate and with a likable and charismatic approach her role in Wayne enterprises may turn a few heads.  The large and electrifying mass of muscle which stands tall as the enemy of the Batman in Rises takes the form of Tom Hardy as Bane, both physically and mentally a match for the Batman, Bane doesn't level the playing field but breaks it. The booming voice, the caged monster who promotes chaos through order and all the while steered by Hardy's brilliance in ways of conveying the sheer force that Bane is, through chilling voice and haunting eyes alone it's ensured that Batman has met his match in the shape of Gotham's Reckoning.

The Dark Knight in some peoples minds is impossible to top and so before carrying on if your someone who views Heath Ledger and Bale's last stand off as the be all and end all of cinema chances are Rises will place under that. However Rises is described in one word, epic. To the people who want a story driven on the caped crusader and the tale of the corrupt Gotham, Rises follows much the same as Begins instead of showing the start of a legend it shows the legend at its peak, the effect in Gotham and its people and Bane while not the overwhelming act that Ledger pulled off is still a fantastic villain for Nolan's Batman. From the outset Batman is a myth, Gotham is at peace and Bruce Wayne has gone into seclusion and then the fire rises. Bane isn't just the enemy of Batman he's the enemy to the very symbol and meaning for which Batman stands. It's difficult to see scenes in which Bruce is powerless to stop the suffering of Gotham's people, Bane terrorizing the occupants even his plan to feed Gotham hope as he destroys her. The fact that over three films the characters and a fictional universe has become so popular in today's mainstream audience shows just how much the very ideal that Nolan has brought fourth in his bat-epic. The beginning of the film may feel slightly ajar in pacing as we're introduced to the waves of new faces in Gotham but the film eventually finds its natural speed mid film and chances are you'll be to drawn in to notice. It feels as if you're watching the final part of Harry Potter as the ending draws ever closer and you're drawn back to the tagline 'The Legend Ends' and you'll be so enthralled by the grand scale and spectacle that you'll be holding a breath as the film builds pace towards an emotional and breathtaking finale to Nolan's critically acclaimed and universally appealing bat-saga. You owe it to yourself, whether a casual cinema goer or a die hard bat-fan to see The Dark Knight Rises a darker, grittier and more emotional take on the superhero blockbuster. An equal if not grander spectacle than The Avengers, considering the appeal of that its saying something that this film is a big deal, and one of the greatest ends to a trilogy you will find yourself the privilege of being a part of.

10  /  10

FIN.