The Dark Knight Rises - B+

Rated PG-13, 164 minutes

Overlong but thrilling, "Dark Knight Rises" doesn't disappoint

Christian Bale as Batman

If “The Avengers” is the mother of all superhero movies, then “The Dark Knight Rises” is the granddaddy. The visually stunning and thrilling conclusion to the new Batman trilogy is at times too earnest and long for its own good, but Christopher Nolan’s unique vision is far from dull, always watchable and wholly satisfying. “The Dark Knight Rises” story goes this way: it’s been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight (Christian Bale) sacrificed everything he and Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) both hoped was the greater good, and went into exile. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar (Anne Hathway, a great addition) with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane (Tom Hardy, menacing), a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane. Nolan’s fresh, visionary vision of the Dark Knight tale finally comes to an end (or does it really, ever end?) in this electrifying version, which is just as good, or maybe even better, than the previous installment, 2008’s “The Dark Knight.” With a stellar cast, production and visuals, Nolan gets the job done and then some, and his final call to the dark superhero of the night should please the masses. Whereas “The Avengers” and the recent updated version of “Spider-Man” were done in comic book style, “The Dark Knight Rises” takes itself far more seriously, evidenced in the overlong 164 minute running time. Yet Nolan is adept enough with pacing and building scenes to moments of crescendo, usually with a memorably throbbing and bombastic Hans Zimmer score that’s one of the chief highlights of the film, along with an elegant, expensive production design that’s award worthy. The second act of the film does drag a bit as Bane overtakes Gotham (redundantly explosive), but overall the film is vastly entertaining and enjoyable until the stunning, extended finale. “Rises” is held together by a thoroughly evil villain in Hardy, a sturdy performance by Bale (and less raspy-voiced than usual) and the skilled prowess of Hathaway as The Catwoman, who is more the cat burglar here than female with feline powers in Tim Burton’s now 20-year old version. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is also a nice fit in a character you need to pay more attention to, and I’m glad Nolan included him here, while Marion Cotillard (like JGL, from Nolan’s “Inception”) is an interestingly bland (but not terrible) cast addition. If you enjoyed the other Nolan Batman movies, you’ll enjoy this too, and I figure it will be remembered (hopefully) at year’s end come Oscar time, particularly in the technical categories. “The Dark Knight Rises” is definitely not a disappointment and worth a look for Batman and non-Batman fans.

Grade: B+
by Wes Singleton