The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

After two absolutely stunning films, would Christoper Nolan be able to deliver what so few have achieved before him: The coveted trilogy of complete quality? Yes. Yes he would.

The opening set piece of this flick seems like something that was stolen from a James Bond movie. Thankfully, a good Bond-movie. It sets Bane up as something of a Keyzer Söze too, though Hardy has better scenes later on.

After a pure action-bred start comes a meticulous build-up. The story is set eight years later and much has happened. As in the previous installments, Nolan excels at characters, making it more than worth the wait for more action. He is also very good at using his surroundings, creating the atmosphere he wants. Most typically the loneliness of Wayne by showing his huge, echoing house with the marble tiles.

Smartly, he uses the astonishing Michael Caine a great deal in this part. In a film brilliantly cast and filled with exceptional talent, the 75-year old is still a good head's length in front of the others. Bale is still perfect, looking every bit 8 years older, and weary. Beaten even. Finishing the trifecta is Gary Oldman. Tormented by his deceit of Gotham, he lingers, waiting for something to save him. Special mention goes to Matthew Modine (long time no see) who brings a little life and credibility to what is essentially a very unoriginal character.

I could go on, and herein lies the problem I feared with this film. There are too many characters that want screen-time and it hurts the film every here and there as they are simply not all interesting enough. And I'm afraid that since Gordon-Levitt does a very nice job, it is Selina Kyle that fails to enthrall. No amount of leather and latex can help the fact that apart from the end scene she adds no real value here. The chemistry Hathaway has with Bale is not good enough to spark any tension, and I would challenge all to compare the ballroom-scene with Keaton/Pfeiffer to that of Bale/Hathaway. Burton has Nolan beaten by miles, maybe even a full state. It would appear as if Michelle Pfeiffer remains the only credible Catwoman of modern cinema.

As for the action, I like Nolan's tendency to realism - as far as that is possible in Hollywood. Motorcycle meets car never means a fiery explosion. It means stop. Hard stop. Other than that a lot of the action applies liberation army war tactics. Very aptly executed, very clever. And most importantly: Full of suspense. And while this all rolls, Bane is established as a most brutal, vicious and seemingly indestructible foe. The first fight Bane vs Wayne is a pain to watch, but it's a brilliant pain, establishing Bane as what could be the fitting end for a worn-down Batman.

There are a few "clues" that are written in much too broad strokes for my taste, but I guess that is my punishment for paying attention in general. Furthermore, the story falls apart for a few minutes with the daft "Talia-angle" but amazingly Nolan still manages to keep the suspense at a high throughout, making me feel like a nitpicker for pointing it out.

As it is, this is the weakest installment. As expected. But though it has its flaws, no one can take away from Nolan that he has made one of the greatest trilogies in film-history, dwarfing all other superhero-franchises in the process. And even though this is the weakest link, it is still mesmerizing in suspense and most of its story and characters. A joy to watch.

9/10