Hell yes this freaking movie. Have I mentioned my deep adoration of Batman? I read Batman comics whenever I am not working or playing video games; which is usually when I am eating. I must admit that I've only been a fan of The Dark Knight for a relatively short amount of time; about a year. In fact, it was Batman Arkham City which finally made me decide to find a way in.
Even before I fell into this obsession, I, like most people, really enjoyed Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. My appreciation for the films increased a lot after reading a number of the graphic novels and comics as I started to recognise the inspirations behind a lot of the decisions in the movies.
My excitement for The Dark Knight Rises this year has been unrivaled, and this is certainly saying a lot considering Pixar's Brave is set to come out this August. The first viewing at our local Cineworld was a Friday, but unfortunately I was busy, and so a Saturday watching it was. Before I move on, I just want to say that I feel so truly sorry for all of the people and families of those who were injured or lost their lives in the recent shooting during a The Dark Knight Rises screening. We have no idea what those people who were killed would have went on to achieve, and in that sense my sadness is paired with a very real anger.
On to the film, and let's do it chronologically; don't worry, I won't talk too much. The beginning of this film was a lot different to how I would have expected. The entire set up felt very slow, but was executed in a way that I didn't once feel even slightly bored. The introduction of Catwoman was truly spectacular, and Anne Hathaway absolutely nailed the character. It's in the depiction of the people of Gotham, and the atmosphere of the city itself, where you can instantly recognise the fact that Christopher Nolan intrinsically knows Batman.
Christian Bale's performance in this film was better than the preceding two. As the Batman, you feel as though that is still Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne, and not some random dude in a costume. All aspects of the character were played magnificently; Batman, the Playboy Bruce Wayne, and the real Bruce Wayne behind the masks.
I loved the interpretation of Bane; his newly devised origin story was incredibly clever, and the clear intelligence that he wielded was something I was hugely grateful for. We can all finally forget about that moron they called 'Bane' in Batman & Robin.
Not wanting to ramble on about every second of the movie, frame by frame, I will hit the ending, without spoiling anything of course. The beauty in these final moments are astounding, and the last five minutes of this film are some of my most favourite moments in any film, ever. Everything felt perfect in a "life's never really perfect" sort of way. Nothing felt contrived and despite the 164 minute run-time, I came out of the film wanting another three hours about what happens afterwards. Some things are best left unanswered though, and not being given an entire wrap-up is something I love in all media. I can now imagine what ever I want, but one thing is for sure, even my very best concoction of the events that subsequently took place could never make me feel as fulfilled as I did when those credits rolled.