MOVIE OF THE WEEK (7/20/12): THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

  "All of that P90X training is going to help me crush Batman!" The imposing terrorist figure that is Bane (Tom Hardy) prepares to crush Gotham City in a scene from the third and final film in director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. Credit: Ron Phillips © 2012 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Matthew Modine, Ben Mendelsohn and Joseph Gordon-Levitt 

WRITER(S): Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan (Screenplay); Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer (Story); Bob Kane (Based on characters by)

DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan

WEB SITE: http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/

THE PLOT: The final installment in director Christopher Nolan's trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises takes place 8 years after the events of The Dark Knight. Gotham is now in a state of seeming peace, largely due to the Dent act, so named after the late District Attorney (played by Aaron Eckhart). Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) has succeed in keeping the true nature of Dent's heinous crimes secret, so much so that the caped crusader who took the blame – Batman – has not been seen since.

Also off the social – and for that matter, economic – scene is Batman's billionaire alter ego Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale). Now walking with a limp, Wayne has become a bit like Howard Hughes in his last days, with his faithful butler/father figure Alfred (Michael Caine) being the only one really having any contact with him. Sure, Wayne is still hosting all of his social affairs to benefit worthy causes like the local Gotham orphanage, but no one has seen a trace of him in eons ...

But a trace of him is all Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) needs ... Why, however, is something only she knows.

Meanwhile, half a world away, a powerful mercenary with an even more mysterious mask known as Bane (Tom Hardy) is preparing to cause chaos in Wanye's native Gotham City. No one knows what he is up to, but it can't be good. Then again, Wayne has another threat looming in form of rival Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn), who wants to become the chief energy magnate in Gotham.

Things aren't all bad for Wayne, however, as Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) has been working on a clean energy project that could be made all the better by the technology Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) has at his disposal. Then again, things are always just a moment away from taking a critical turn in Gotham that brings the unexpected right to the forefront ... And let's just say that ambitious young cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) may just get the chance to find out just how intense things can become when it happens ...

So, who will save Gotham once chaos erupts on the city's streets? In this case, the better question might be can anyone save Gotham ...

THE TAKE: If you're reading this review, I am 99.9% certain you are going to see The Dark Knight Rises. In accordance with that, I am certain that if you are reading this, I am 99.9% want a spoiler-free review that will confirm what you already suspect based upon seeing the first two films Nolan has crafted. For those people, I will simply say this:

I can say with 99.9% certainty that the masterpiece conclusion you've wished for is now available for you to enjoy.

Save for maybe one weak joke, the acting in Rises is as exemplary as one could hope for. In continuing to portray the ever-so-conflicted billionaire/vigilante that is Bruce Wayne, Bale continues to find a way to add new depth to the character so that you are fully encapsulated in the world in which he exists. His depiction of the character brings him full circle, completing the full picture of who Bruce Wayne is at his core – but to explain that would be to ruin a significant portion of the entertainment of the film. You'll just have to watch it as it happens for yourself.

Likewise, Hardy adds a strong presence to the film as Bane; with apologies to the late Jeep Swenson, Bane has been one of the most misused, maligned characters in Batman's cinematic adventures. Fortunately, the combination of the intense physicality and – albeit a very twisted one – sense of intellectual altruism regarding his purpose. Last but certainly not least is the strong, inspired take by Hathaway as the Catwoman is both respectful to the performance by Michelle Pfeiffer and yet distinct in her own interpretation of the devious, supreme jewel thief.

The film's biggest winner may ultimately end up being Gordon-Levitt, whose maturation into a legitimate leading man continues in The Dark Knight Rises. In a role that essentially is Bruce Wayne without the affluence, his performance not only affirms who Bruce Wayne is, but the influence Batman ultimately has on the residents of Gotham. (And let's be honest – that same influence is why his fans have been reading Batman comic books for more than 70 years.)

The thing that makes The Dark Knight Rises a hitting and essential chapter is Nolan's attention to not only detail, but his ability to extract everything out of his cast and make sure that every little nuance is not an afterthought. Along with David S. Goyer, the writing is fairly impeccable, the pacing – despite a 2 hour, 40 minute-plus run time – builds on a slow but never slagging pace and each twists and turn adds to the sense of realism of the film.

That ultimately is his greatest achievement in Rises: Creating a world that feels real for the all the parties involved where so many conflicting ideologies exist that a full perspective of modern life are put on display and battle for supremacy.

Much like the real political stage, countering world views are at constant battle with one another. In Rises, the opposing ideals are the idea society, once corrupt, must collapse in order to save itself versus inspiring the people to rise up and be inspired to fix it. Of course, there's the inner battle faced by Bruce Wayne himself of can he exist without Batman and can Gotham survive without him.

Then again, there's the coming-of-age tale that is Gordon-Levitt's character's journey and what would a super hero movie be without the longstanding plot device that is Bane representing the irresistible force opposing Batman's unmovable object? And why not throw in a little romantic intrigue with a female character that may not be able to be completely tamed by a man who knows all too well the danger she represents while you're at it? Nolan is able to pull it all off in grand fashion, resulting in a movie that concludes an epic story in likewise fashion.

PARTING SHOT: In crafting the final chapter to what has become one of the most revered movie franchises of recent memory, director Christopher Nolan and his crew have pulled off what was once thought impossible: Creating a standout film that rises – pun intended – to the challenge of meeting fan expectations without losing any of the artistic integrity of its creator's vision for one of the best known characters the world over. 

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):