3.5 out of 4 STARS

{ I wrote this a couple of weeks ago after viewing a private screening, however after the tragic events in Aurora, Colorado posting it then just didn’t seem appropriate. My heartfelt sympathy to all that were victimized.} 

   The most eagerly anticipated film of the year is finally here, and it doesn’t disappoint. Chistopher Nolan’s Batman saga  has redefined the super-hero genre. This series finale had a lot working against it, huge expectations, the 3^rdmovie trap which Spiderman fell prey to, and the near impossible mission to follow up The Dark Knight, which is the best comic book adaptation film ever. Yet, Rises lives up to the hype, it’s an astonishing conclusion to a trilogy that sets the standard by which all comic book series will be measured.

   Visually the film kicks ass. The production and visual effects are spectacular. Nolan uses as little CGI as possible, and the results are more  gritty and realistic. The sound and score by Hans Zimmer are a little overbearing, sometimes loud enough to loosen the filings in your teeth. But Nolan’s strength is story telling , and he brilliantly navigates thru an intricate maze of plots and sub-plots, never losing sight of what sets his films apart from other super-hero films.....the characters. Unlike most comic book   films, Rises has three dimentional characters, many of whom are broken emotionally. Nolan’s films are not the typical lightweight, mindless, turn off your brain, eat popcorn and enjoy summer fare. The 3 films which comprise this series are all deep, meaty, thoughtful motion pictures, escapism on a much more intellectual level. 

   In Rises, Nolan once again focuses on the psychology of heroism and evil. Batman himself is a study in contrasts. He selflessly has always had Gotham’s interests first, but his motivations are selfish. He exorcises his own personal demons thru revenge in Batman Begins. He realizes his own limitations and the lines that Batman can’t cross to deal with murdering psychopaths like the Joker in The Dark Knight. In Rises, he is disillusioned, and morose with guilt. Batman seems hell bent on self destruction. The film is an interesting study about the role of a hero in todays complex and chaotic world. Nolan attempts to humanize Batman, who is emotionally scarred like all of us. He has frailties and has to deal with many issues, like his own mortality and other areas of weakness. Indeed Nolan chose Bain as the arch villain because he would be the first adversary that Batman can’t cope with physically. It is this vulnerability that serves to remind us that Batman, like us, doesn’t possess super powers. 

    Bane is portrayed by the enormously talented Tom Hardy. Bane is a terrifying monster, and he commands every scene he is in. Though the actor is saddled with a mask that covers much of his face, and makes it difficult to understand everything that Bane is saying, Hardy still manages to convey a menacing rage with his eyes. Bane is truly an uncontrollable force of evil. Symbolically it’s appropriate that Bane’s mask, which covers his mouth, [think Hannibal in Silence Of The Lambs], is the opposite of Batman’s cowl. They are polar opposites in this elemental study of hero and villain.

   Although long [2 hours and 45 minutes] and dark, it’s a fitting end to the best super-hero trilogy to date. It’s visually beautiful, well paced, and the narrative is thoughtful and ambitious. Nolan entertains and at the same time comments on class warfare, corruption, and terrorism, while offering an analysis on heroism and morality. Superlative film making!!!