The Dark Knight Rises

"Now this evil... rises. The Batman has to come back.. he must," the words of Police Commissioner for Gotham, Jim Gordon. The characters of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy are back in the final installment, The Dark Knight Rises released in July of 2012. Christian Bale once again plays Bruce Wayne with other returning actors such as Michael Caine and Gary Oldman and some new faces in Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Each actor or actress does not disappoint and neither do the action, special effects and story line. Nolan completes his masterpiece and leaves the audience begging for yet another sequel.

The story begins a few years after the end of the Dark Knight. Batman’s reputation has been shattered and no one begs for him to return after he takes the fall for Harvey Dent’s crimes. Gotham has no masked figure to defend them as a new villain, Bane, rises from the shadows. Bruce Wayne, Batman’s real identity, struggles with whether or not to come to the rescue of his city that had banished him. The road of survival has so many ups and downs as the city of Gotham is put under attack.

The movie’s plot is one of the best I’ve followed in a while. It is not the average super hero movie. Most would expect for Batman to just return, defeat the bad guy and then the end, however, the film is far from straight lined development. It constantly leaves you on the edge of the seat. Guessing what is next is almost impossible. In the blink of an eye, the course of action can completely change. Cat woman, Anne Hathaway, is a nice addition who stirs up the plot with her flip flopping loyalty.

Although the citizens of Gotham have turned their back of the Dark Knight, Blake, a police officer player by Joseph Gordon Levitt, stands in Batman’s corner. He unknowingly motivates Wayne to step up and return to his role. He searches for ways to save the city even when he knows some of his efforts will be futile. Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of the heroic cop easily captures the essence of the character. . You constantly find yourself rooting for him as the underdog. The emotion he conveys adds to the powerhouse cast. Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine also give heartfelt performances and defy expectations. They add to the overall essence of the movie.

The best aspect of the movie by far is the actual production of the movie with the special effects. The effects make all the explosions, high tech gadgets and rugged scenes look incredibly realistic. In one scene in particular, Bane has his men blow up each bridge leading into and out of Gotham. The camera jumps from piece to piece showing each individual bridge blow up. Its hard to believe that the crew did not blow up a real bridge and film it. The effects of the movie make one feel as if they are citizens of Gotham as well.

Overall, in my opinion, the Dark Knight Rises was one of the best movies of 2012. The powerhouse cast, the twisting and turning plot and incredible special effects all add up to a gripping action packed drama. Christopher Nolan, kudos to you, for once again out doing yourself. 

"This city needs me." -Bruce Wayne