Bunbury Mail reviewer Jeffrey Kitt says The Dark Knight Rises is a fitting finale to the Batman trilogy.
Ever since the incredible second installment to the dark and realistic Batman reboot, audiences were begging for Nolan to return to the director’s chair and do what he does best.
Fortunately, the epic conclusion to the modern day telling of the dark knight does not let its audience down.
In fact, far from it.
The sprawling final piece of the Batman puzzle suitably matches its ambition with breathtaking scale and intriguing ideas.
Eight years after the events of the last film, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has retired the Batman after he took the fall for the death of Harvey Dent.
Battered and bruised, both mentally and physically, the billionaire relies on butler Alfred (Michael Caine) for much of his day-to-day life.
The fictional city of Gotham is violently woken from a state of peace into disarray after terrorist Bane (Tom Hardy) and cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) arrive on the scene, prompting the caped crusader out of retirement.
The simple overview makes the film look simplistic, but countless subplots and nuances always keep the viewer engaged and enthralled.
Each character of the film plays their part exceptionally, with the talents of Nolan as a storyteller realised as he fleshes out each player and their motives.
New characters add a fresh face to the franchise, and it is warming to see past characters return (watch out for various cameos from Batman Begins).
The villain in Bane was never going to live up to the mesmerizing performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker, but Bane’s physical presence and menacing ideals mark above that of Scarecrow from the first film.
Hathaway owns the infamous role of Catwoman, with the viewer kept guessing on where her loyalty lies.
The action comes thick and fast in this third Batman helping with some scenes marking the best this reviewer has seen in recent times.
The ambitious ideas and set pieces are matches by a hefty run-time, but not once was I looking at my watch.
Nolan kept the viewer engaged, and a couple of twists and turns towards the end of the feature were well written and translated to the screen.
All in all, the third installment to this Batman universe may not scale the heights of its predecessor, but plays its part in the overall franchise.
Nolan nails the serious tone laid down in former films and adds something new with interesting characters and plots to destroy Gotham.
The film caps off the best superhero trilogy in my opinion in style.
