The Dark Knight Rises
2012  PG-13  ACTION  2h 45min
CAST— Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman
MUSIC— Hans Zimmer  DIRECTOR— Christopher Nolan  BASED ON— Characters appearing in DC Comics

     The caped crusader returns in the conclusion of the epic Dark Knight trilogy. Set eight years after the events of The Dark Knight (2008), Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is now a secluded recluse who lives the life of a hermit in his rebuilt rambling mansion. Due to Harvey Dent’s legacy Gotham City has been relatively peaceful and secure. Little do the citizens of Gotham know the threat that is about to surface: Bane (Tom Hardy), an imposing figure comprised of both brain and brawn. As Bane begins to carry out his master plan Wayne returns to the land of the living just in time to dust off cape and cowl and show the world that the bat is back in business. But have the years taken their toll on Wayne? Can he still deliver the goods after all these years? Has the Batman finally met his match in the mysterious Bane? Other key plot elements include the introduction of the slinky cat burglar Selena Kyle (Anne Hathaway) as well as a young detective eager to see Gotham’s guardian up and at ‘em. Though not on par with the first two entries in the series the film does boast an all star cast in this thriller that delivers a dramatic punch. What’s lacking is the presence of the main protagonist and the muscular antagonist, both of whom seem to be supporting characters in this somewhat bloated but still entertaining final chapter of the Dark Knight saga. It’s been a fun ride.
OUR RATING— ***
PRECEDED BY— Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008)