The Dark Knight Rises review

After being branded a traitor for the murder of Harvey Dent, The Batman (Bruce Wayne) goes into exile for 8 yrs in his mansion. He is forced to come back and protect Gotham as a new villain rises in the form of Bane. Bane is also a member of the League of Shadows, and his only mission is to destroy Gotham according to Ra's al Ghul's wish.

Bruce Wayne and co. have to contend with a nuclear bomb that has been activated to blast Gotham, by Bane and another main antagonist who is introduced as a twist in the tale. 

Selina turns out to be Wayne's romantic interest after being introduced as a burglar earlier. Commissioner Gordon is undying in his duties and there is another young cop named Blake who is also sincere in his duties. Fox continues to provide the best of the gadgets and weapons to Wayne while Alfred continues to be the concerned guardian. 

There are a bevy of stars but it is Tom Hardy as Bane who has the best role as the formidable antagonist. His characterization is imposing but his voice is too painful to decipher. Subtitles are a must to understand this movie well. 

The other stars, all play a part in this blockbuster action fest. Christian Bale looks beefed up and isn't required to act much. The scenes in the prison when Wayne gets back his strength and escapes, are among the best scenes in the movie.

Anne Hathaway and Marion Cotillard look sexy and play a solid role in the proceedings. Hathaway has got a killer structure and a seducing voice which she uses to great effect. The way she rides the bat-mobile in her super tight black costume is a drool-worthy sight. Such curves, she's got.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt really promises as the young cop while Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are earnest like in the earlier Batman movies. Oldman has put in a lot of effort in the action scenes towards the climax. 

The Batman's automobiles and wagons are marvelous to say the least. The cinematography by Wally Pfister and BGM score by Hans Zimmer lift the movie and make it a large screen experience undeniably. Zimmer's score in Inception was much better though. Nevertheless, the score is thumping. Editing by Lee Smith isn't entirely seamless as we can see some jumps in the narrative.

This tale by Christopher Nolan doesn't place any demands on the mind and is a simple movie. The twist in the tale is also not shocking by any means. That said, the making is what lifts the movie. The action scenes are terrific particularly Bane's and The Batman's intro stunt sequences. 

The ending is uplifting and we crave for more parts of this superhero movie. In fact, the entire movie is inspiring with heroic dialogues, amazing visuals and the noble intentions of Wayne, Blake and Gordon. 

VERDICT: Customary superhero movie by Nolan and co. The ending is uplifting while the twist in the tale isn't great. A compulsory 'big screen' experience.