Review of "The Dark Knight Rises"

The epitome of the year for nerds all over has finally come: The Dark Knight has risen, the trilogy is complete.

The Dark Knight Rises
Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy
Directed by Christopher Nolan
My Recommendation: See it.

The film begins with the winded billionaire limping through his manor, avoiding any and all public appearances. He's withered and isolated: far from the man who protected Gotham eight movie years ago. He has dissipated into an old man. Of course Christian Bale is master of deforming himself, but the transformation from the stoic Batman into the Bruce Wayne is nearly wrenching. However, Christopher Nolan doesn't take that much time exploring this Bruce; in fact, we learn more about Alfred than Bruce in this film. Of course, the state of intimacy with the superhero that the precursors establish was innovative, but Rises is differentiated by the rawness of its action-driven plot.

I wouldn't say that this is a bad thing, the movie essentially is clusterfuck of violence. One of the most important accomplishments of this film is that Bane, the new villain, fills the shoes left large and empty by Heath Ledger's Joker. Of course, the blurred lines of good and evil are so invigorating that Bane seems much more shallow. He's almost too evil. However, this does work for the story, which is less of a developed plot-line than a spiral of shit, sucking Batman down below rock bottom and forcing him to admirably pull himself back up. It's fast, angry and packed with brutal combat, much of it hand to hand. It's very entertaining action, but with a lot less depth than the previous film.

Most reviews are a side by side study of Rises and its predecessor. I fear that I have also fallen into this trap, but how can you not? The last one was great, even though I was disappointed by Two Face's story line. Whether or not it was realistic to top what the last one had done, The Dark Knight Rises was the appropriate and entertaining end to a very solid franchise. Was it too long at parts? Most definitely. Was it a little shallow? Of course. But it's fun and the biggest movie of this summer. Don't miss out.