Review of The Dark Knight Rises (2012) by Oakley99 — 22 Jul 2012

Incredible acting. Perfect balance of action and dramatic storytelling. Edge-of-your-seat intensity. The last film of Nolan's Batman trilogy is absolutely thrilling from beginning to end. While the movie doesn't contain a central villain as unique and iconic as The Dark Knight's Joker, the assortment of new characters and their interweaving stories make for a larger, more intricate movie.

Bane's visceral presence brings forth feelings of terror and dread each time he appears on screen, his brutal physicality and authoritative personality a contrast to the wild chaos of the Joker in the previous film.

Selina Kyle is the most interesting character in the movie; devilishly sly, sensual, and intelligent, and the dynamic she shares with Bruce Wayne is one of the high points of the film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's John Blake has a surprising amount of screen time, but none of it is wasted - he evolves into a sort of second hero of the film, willing to do whatever it takes to save Gotham but foregoing the elusiveness and symbolic nature of Batman in favor of an every-man who can connect with the citizens as an actual human.

The action set pieces are great, and the visuals stunning. Of particular note is the jet/helicopter hybrid the Bat, which is an amazing sight to behold as it soars throughout Gotham. The fight scenes between Batman and Bane are also a blast to watch, each one a slow, gruesome, bare-knuckle brawl that test the limits of Batman's body and abilities.

High speed chases through Gotham, scenes of destruction on a massive scale, and a huge battle royale on the streets make this this most epic movie of the trilogy. This is not the Dark Knight, which was a more cohesive film and contained the best portal of a comic book villain in recent times, but The Dark Knight Rises is spectacular in other ways.