Il cavaliere oscuro - Il ritorno

Christopher Nolan's stunning conclusion to his Batman trilogy is a welcome return to form after the slightly overrated THE DARK KNIGHT, which was so obsessed with being all dark and brooding that it forgot to tell much of a story. Despite the presence of a much-hyped (and lamented) Heath Ledger in the cast, I found that film to be less entertaining than BATMAN BEGINS although it still remains an engaging and watchable film. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (horrible title, by the way), though, blows it out of the water, offering a piece of sheer spectacle that's as involving and as tightly-plotted as you could wish for.

It's eight years since the last film, and Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne is nowadays retired and definitely feeling his age. Before long, though, a hulking brute of a bad guy (Tom Hardy, whose sheer physicality in the role will surprise nobody who's seen Bronson) decides to do some very unpleasant things in the city, so it's time to dust off the bat suit and get back into the action. Good news for the viewer.

As usual, Nolan surpasses the conventions of his genre, making this a superhero film that looks nothing like a superhero film, instead more like a modern-day epic of dramatic cinema. Yes, at the end of the day it's still about suited guys beating the hell out of each other, and Nolan once again relies on old conventions/clichés (such as the 'ticking bomb' trope, which he's repeated in his last three films now) to see him through, but everyone runs so well and so smoothly that you end up not minding.

The cast is thorough and involved as ever, Bale as usual going the extra mile to portray the tortured hero and Caine lending emotional support as Alfred. Hardy's villain is a sheer powerhouse who dominates every scene he's in, and Nolan brings back a couple of his favourites from INCEPTION (Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) for good measure. There's not quite as much action as you might expect from a film of this type, but the storyline is so involved that you don't care. Throw plenty of stunning special effects into the mix and you have a real crowd-pleaser of a film with real brain as well as brawn.

Not being a huge fan of superhero movies, I didn't have much expectations for Batman Begins. However viewing the 2005 Christopher Nolan production, I was pleasantly shocked. Then after my huge expectations for, "The Dark Knight", Christopher Nolan blew my expectations to the dust. Will the same happen with the 3rd and last film, "The Dark Knight Rises"? Quite simply, Yes! My big expectations were once again, blown away. What a production! This is a true cinematic experience, to behold. The movie exceeded my expectations in terms of action, and entertainment. The editing, sound, score, visuals, direction and action are all top notch.

The film contains a fine cast of talented actors. Christian Bale, of course still makes is a great Batman. Michael Cain is fantastic, as he always is. He gives such a powerful performance, he really ought to be considered for an Oscar nomination. Tom Hardy as Bane is utterly terrifying, at times, and completely ominous. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman/Selina Kyle is a scene stealer. She is completely engrossing. Everyone is so great, the dynamic scenes between the actors are so well done, so well written, and so well directed. The Dark Knight Rises is is emotionally riveting and amazing to view.

At a running time of almost 3 hours, the film never becomes dull, which is pretty impressive. The movie's action sequences are spectacularly well created and very intense. The dialogue between the character's are intelligent and highly believable. The movie's soundtrack is terrific and really exemplify's many of the movie's scenes. Extremely well editing and sound use really develop many of the movie's action scenes, so it's not just explosions and visuals like in many other movies. Nolan creates a grand, dirty, engrossing world, and his action sequences just hum.

In conclusion, this film is a gorgeous reminder that great writing and direction can enhance any movie-going experience, even superhero movies, which are usually thought of as mindless entertainment. I am wholly satisfied with Christopher Nolan's vision and thank all who worked on this film for bringing such an intricate interpretation of its very famous literary source. I cannot recommend this film anymore than I have, I just have to say everyone and anyone should see it. 10/10"

After eight years in seclusion, Batman resurfaces to face Bane, a mastermind bent on destroying Gotham and has ties to Bruce Wayne's past. Christopher Nolan's conclusion to his Dark Knight trilogy should be treated as a wrap up rather than a third installment. Despite many new characters being introduced, even their conflicts and motives are derived from events that occurred in the previous two films. Such an approach could be seen as a weakness, since the conflict could just end up being sort of a rematch rather than moving the story forward; however, Nolan's approach works terrificly. Over an hour is shot in stunning IMAX, but the film is more touching than it is intense… and that's its best quality. Hardy steps in as the genius mercenary Bane, who is slightly bigger, slightly stronger and slightly smarter than Batman, thus making him a challenge best suited for the grand finale. The Joker works best as Batman's arch-nemesis since they are polar opposites, with The Joker standing for everything Batman stands against. Two-Face works best as Batman's most tragic enemy because Harvey Dent is very much like Bruce Wayne… the only difference is: Dent copes with his tragedy through revenge rather than seeking justice as Wayne did. Bane works best as Batman's most challenging villain because of his physical and mental superiority—forget the Bane you saw in "BATMAN & ROBIN". Nolan carefully chose all his villains in the series wisely and executed them perfectly. Hardy had big shoes to fill following Ledger's posthumous Oscar winning performance; while Bane is no Joker, Hardy does a satisfying job and should not be compared to Ledger's performance as they are completely different roles. It is Michael Caine, however, that delivers the most memorable and touching performance of the entire film. A wonderful conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.

**** (out of four)

Possibly my personal favourite of the Nolan Batman films, and I do like Batman Begins and The Dark Knight very much. Is it perfect? For me, not quite, there are so many plot strand in a long running time that the film occasionally(and there is a big emphasis on that) sags in momentum and some of the strands in the ending could have done with more development. It is a brilliant film all the same, one of the highlights so far of the year. As to expect from Christopher Nolan, it is a visually audacious film, with gorgeous cinematography, a beautifully realised Gotham City and great special effects. Hans Zimmer's score is not one of his very best for me, but there is still an epic and haunting quality that is just perfect for this film. The dialogue provokes thought and makes an emotional impact, and a vast majority of the time The Dark Knight Rises is ambitious and gripping. I don't consider Christopher Nolan one of my favourites, this said he is a hugely impressive director who shows great ambition and a willingness to make his subject matters interesting. He does a really wonderful job here, as the set/action pieces including the plane hijack and Bane's assault on Gotham are enough to make the jaw drop. The performances are just terrific from all involved, Matthew Modine fares weakest but he is far from bad. Christian Bale is still a charismatic presence, Matthew Caine appropriately loyal and Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman subtly understated. Joseph Gordon Levitt captures his character's idealism wonderfully. Tom Hardy is in beefed-up terrifying mode as Bane, a worthy successor to Heath Ledger's iconic Joker. Anne Hathaway was a curious casting choice, but as Catwoman she is spot on, here is a Catwoman who actually does much more than acting sexy(which she still is), she is very ruthless and no-nonsense here. All in all, a hugely impressive film, the best of Nolan's Batman trilogy- though I'm prepared for any flaming I'll get for this opinion- and one of the highlights so far of 2012. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Christopher Nolan's epic trilogy concludes in glorious fashion and gives us a thought provoking and suitably satisfying conclusion to an epic saga. It's emotional, intense and has a great villain in Tom Hardy.