Despite a clunky opening and impossibly high expectations, The Dark Knight Rises is absolutely incredible.

The final chapter in director Christopher Nolan’s epic Batman series, the Dark Knight Rises picks up 8 years after the end of the Dark Knight with Gotham City enjoying reasonably crime free streets thanks to the Dent Act, a piece of legislation that helps ease the prosecution of criminals named for the martyred Harvey Dent. Batman has not been seen since he took the rap for Dent’s crimes at the end of TDK and alter ego Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a recluse. In his absence, Wayne Enterprises has moved closer and closer into financial trouble and finds itself on the edge of a more hostile than it looks like takeover. Things in Gotham are boiling just under the surface and a new threat has emerged in the form of mercenary Bane (Tom Hardy) and a mysterious and beautiful cat burglar, Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), who breaks into Wayne manner and steals Bruce’s Mom’s pearls as well as his finger prints. After a visit from police Offer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who has figured out his secret identity, Bruce realizes it is time to get back into the world both as Bruce Wayne for his company and Batman for the people of Gotham. He looks to Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) to help save the company and takes to the streets to find Bane. And then things go horribly wrong.

Given how well received and truly great the Dark Knight was, the Dark Knight Rises is going to be polarizing for a lot of fans. This movie is not the second coming of TDK nor is it ever really the same sort of movie in the first place. TDK was fundamentally a crime movie and fit snugly into that genre. It was Heat by way of a caped vigilante and a psychotic clown and it worked enormously  well thanks in no small part to Heath Ledger’s incredible performance as the Joker. TDKR starts off looking like it is going to be another one of those movies replacing the organized crime angle with corporate espionage and the stock market and then it turns into a full on war film. It becomes Red Dawn if the Gotham City police were the Wolverines or the Siege if Bruce Willis were a ‘roided out madman with a respirator on his head. This is a very sharp right turn and if your expectations are that you want TDK all over again with new villains you are going to be disappointed. If, however, you love really great action movies and meditations on power and responsibility for everyone and not just guys in animal costumes as well as other such deep themes then you are going to find an amazing film.

Compared to the previous two films, there is pound for pound less Batman here. The story focuses not just on one character’s struggle but the struggle of several including a good deal of focus on John Blake, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman)and a fair amount for Selina Kyle. The way the story is structured, however, it doesn’t feel like Batman is being ignored at all but rather gives extra focus on what influence a symbol like Batman can have on people in times of crisis. As a man, Batman can be beaten and broken but as an idea he can inspire and motivate. This was a running theme throughout both of the previous films and finds a satisfying culmination here. That is not to say there is no place for Batman and his story arc is just as compelling and engaging as all the other characters.

Often times films like this are only as good as their villain. This seems doubly true off the heels of Legder’s Oscar winning performance in the last film.  The  villain we are given here is Bane and it is foolish to expect another Joker like performance  because the character calls for something much different and Tom Hardy steps up to the plate and knocks it out of the park. Sure, his voice is kind of weird and the volume through the mask is almost absurdly loud but there is more to the performance than that. You have to believe this is a man who Batman might not be able to beat both physically and strategically and who is intimidating enough to strike fear in the hearts of pretty much everyone in the city. He has to be big enough of a presence to keep people in line just by existing. Tom Hardy manages to do just that through posture, body language and physique. He doesn’t spend a lot of time pontificating and making speeches but what he says is pretty much always important and always drives the point home that he is in control and he has more power than anyone else. And he backs it up with his plan and with his actions. Bane is easily the most dangerous villain in the series and manages to exude that in every scene he is in and his influence is felt even in the scenes in which he is not.

Bane’s presence and the overall stakes of the film require it to be a much darker and more dramatic movie and it is. There is not a lot of humor going on and before the climax the desperation reaches fever pitch. Because of this the action scenes tend to be less about exhilarating spectacle and more about intensity and I feel like it would be very hard not to be swept up in the wave of tension and suspense at the end about how things will play out. The ending, for me, was very satisfying and represents a shining moment in long form storytelling in which the destination is absolutely worth the journey to get there.

The performances were phenomenal across the board here. Anyone doubting Anne Hathaway’s ability to pull off Catwoman should find themselves well satisfied. Joseph Gordon-Levitt again proves why he is one of the most engaging actors working today. Michael Caine absolutely kills it in just about every scene in which he appears. Gary Oldman provides a sturdy backbone throughout most of the film and shines much more brightly than in the previous films. Christian Bale eases back on the throttle a bit with his Batman voice and gives us much less Cookie Monster and a much more understandable Batman. As Bruce Wayne he gives us a man who found nothing to go back to after hanging up the cowl and who must overcome physical, emotional and mental damage to once again do what is needed. This is easily Bale’s best work in the series both in and out of the batsuit and he makes you really feel the struggle the character is going through.

There are some nitpicky problems here and there, most of which I can’t really get into without spoilers but taken as a whole experience none of them really matter that much. Once you get through the clunky first 25 minutes or so, once the movie engages and grabs you only the most cynical and pernicious of fanboys will care about these nitpicks. Some of them fall in the realm of ‘holy shit this movie is 15 minutes shy of three hours we have to cut that detail out’ and some of them have to do with handling of characters from the comic. I am personally not going to sweat any of these comic book details simply because this series is not the comics and that division was made a long time ago. The motivations of characters from the comics are not necessarily the motivations of the characters here. Looking at the film as a separate entity, the characters are what they are supposed to be.

Conclusion [9.5 out of 10]

The Dark Knight Rises is not a perfect movie but it is a great one. It is hard not to recommend it across the board but given how grim and dark it is with the ferocious intensity it is important to consider the content when taking kids to it. This earns it’s rating and it might be too much for small children. Likewise, if you don’t manage your expectations and understand that this movie is not TDK no matter how much you want it to be, there is a real danger of disappointment. Aside from those issues, the movie is smart, powerful, dramatic and important. Cut it some slack for its first 25 minutes and you will be in for a terrific film.