Review: The Dark Knight Rises

                                               Nolan Ends His Batman Trilogy With A Bang

                        While I have enjoyed the other two films in Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises is not only the best of the trilogy, but it is one of the most flawless superhero films I have ever seen.

                         Story:
                       Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne has become a recluse and has hung the Batman cowl. Then a mercenary known as Bane (Tom Hardy), a villain that manages to challenge Batman both physically and mentally, calls him out of hiding, as does master  thief Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), also known as Catwoman.

                        What I Liked About It:
                      First off, I loved the acting. Christian Bale once again delivers a solid performance as Batman. Just like with Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, he truly embodies this character. Anne Hathaway delivers a standout performance as Catwoman. I loved the dynamic chemistry between her and Bale, and she even portrays some dramatic depth in her performance. While I always have liked Hathaway as an actress, after watching her performance in this and Les Miserables, I really look forward to her future work. Tom Hardy gives such a chilling performance as Bane, that it evens surpasses Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker, not just because of his brutal physical strength, but because he's both brawny and smart, which to me seems like a pretty lethal combination. Marion Cotillard gives a charming yet brooding performance as Miranda Tate, a businesswoman who seems a bit too interested in Bruce Wayne and his company. Even though Michael Caine isn't on screen that much, he has a powerful presence when he is on screen. Gary Oldman is also really good, and while he was good in the other two Batman films, in my opinion, he was even better in this. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Morgan Freeman also give solid supporting performances as well.

                    Like with any superhero movie that I enjoy, I loved the action scenes. Even though the film has plenty of action scenes, the film definitely isn't style over substance. Much like the other two films in Nolan's trilogy, there is plenty of dramatic depth in the story, specifically with the theme that surrounds it, which is Pain.

                    What I Didn't Like About It:
                   Nothing.

                    Consensus:
                  Overall, The Dark Knight Rises is an action-packed yet flawless and dramatic film, and ends Nolan's Batman trilogy with a bang. While it is upsetting that this is Nolan's last Batman film, I loved how he did provide closure to Batman's story, and I loved the realistic, dark vision of the Caped Crusader that he brought to the silver screen.