The Dark Knight Rises: Review By Speak4yourself

Not as good as the Dark Knight, but better than Batman Begins.

I'm not saying this was a waste of my time, because this picture was worth every dollar I spent on opening night. It's just that there were a few beats in TDKR that bothered me which pale in comparison to everything else that I admired about this film. Christopher Nolan has delivered a rich and satisfying ending to his Trilogy of Batman. In TDKR, Batman is taken to hell and back to come to his ultimate fate to save Gotham from utter annihilation. What works for me in this film is that the story is a portrait of Bruce's mortality. It sets Bruce almost a decade after the events of TDK and Bruce is a broken man. His tragedy is that his only reason to live at this point is for other people. But towards the end he finds a way to live for his self and gain his own life having fulfilled his duty to those he vowed to protect.

To speak on Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway's performances, they *became* the characters. Hardy's Bane felt like a classic villain bent on domination. The character was purely intellect with a heart of darkness. Bane is a solid and calculated villain and Hathaway's Catwoman is a fresh and original portrayal of the icon. Her performance was my favorite because she brought a sensibility to the character as well as a sophistication. Her wit and charm sold me throughout the entire film.

There are characters I felt could've have been better developed, but for the most part everyone from the main ensemble played there part well, excluding one or two actors. It's a bitter sweet ending to a fulfilling trilogy, but leaves me looking forward to what Christopher Nolan has in store for us next.