The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

Simply put was the best film I've seen in a LONG time. Christopher Nolan finished his Dark Knight Trilogy with a masterful stroke. So far I've seen this film twice, both times being in the simply amazing IMAX presentation. I wouldn't put it past me to see it again. Yes folks, it's that good.

The thing that most impressed me with the film was the story. The writing may have been the best of the three. The acting, while not on the level of The Dark Knight, was superb. Some people have found the story slightly hard to follow, I have to disagree. I'm currently watching Lost (again) and it's far easier to follow TDKR. There are a few somewhat difficult spots but nothing that watching the first two films wouldn't clear up. My single largest gripe with the film is simply that the film was shot in two different cities and neither of those is Chicago (Gotham City in the first two films). And that's it, I do understand WHY this was done, however it remains my ONLY gripe.

Plot pacing was great, Hans Zimmers score may have been his best work in film to date, Wally Pfisters cinematography was stunning, and Anne Hathaway's Catwoman was wonderful. This film is a text book action film with a genuine story.

Nolan said that each of the Dark Knight films deals with a different concept. The concept at the heart of TDKR is Pain and there was certainly alot of pain dealt to the denizens of Gotham throughout the film. From Commissioner Gordon's pain over the cancerous secret he has held for 8 years since The Dark Knight, to Alfred's pain over leaving Bruce Wayne to the suffering administered to Batman by Bane, even to the constant pain that Bane felt with every breath.

Bane was a prefect villain to finish out the Trilogy because he was a physical as well as cerebral match for Batman. When Bane fights Batman he's supposed to win. Bane is stronger, tougher and more brutal than Batman. And unlike the Bane from the dismal Batman & Robin Tom Hardy's is tenacious AND intellegent. I felt he had the most difficult acting assignment of the film having to rely almost exclusively on his eyes and gestures to portray the menacing mercenary.

Emotion is one word that I can't help but using to describe TDKR. Pain, relief and sorrow are woven throught the fabric of the film. There's also the action. WOW. The action sequences in this film were almost as good as those in The Avengers. The scope of the action in TDKR is not lost in the IMAX film transfer. Quite possibly the best part of the action sequences is the spectacular score delivered by Hans Zimmer. Zimmers score is the perfect seasoning to any cinematic indulgence. He's never too over the top, never too weak. He is always just the right ammount of sweet, savory and bitter.

I could go on talking about the film but i'll stop here. Because instead of reading this any more you need to go out and see this movie. For if you have you like me want to go watch it again....

The Dark Knight Rises     93 out of 100.

Superb.