Release date: 20 July 2012
		123telugu.com Rating : 3.75/5
		Director : Christopher Nolan
		Producer : Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven
		Music Director : Hans Zimmer
		Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman

The final installment in the Batman series conceived by Christopher Nolan, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, has hit the screens today amidst unprecedented hype and expectations. The movie has Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman , Morgan Freeman and Tom Hardy. Music has been scored by Hans Zimmer. Let us see how the movie is

Story :

As expected, the story of this movie takes off from where ‘The Dark Knight’ ends. Gotham City’s organized crime ring is busted by the Police Department because of the extraordinary powers given to them under the Dent Act. As the city is under a period of calmness and peace, Batman does not make an appearance for many years. The city’s billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) disappears from the social circuit and prefers to keep to himself, in isolation.

The calm is shattered by the rise of a new terrorist leader Bane (Tom Hardy) who is hell bent on blowing up Gotham City into the stone age. Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) requests Batman to come back and save the city from destruction. Batman must now face off an extraordinarily strong enemy who is also very intelligent. He must use all his resources and rely on his old friend Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) in order to defeat Bane. He is also aided by a young detective Blake (Joseph Gordon Levitt), who believes in Batman and what he stands for.

Two lovely ladies, Serena Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), keep coming into the picture and work with Batman, but they have their own secret agendas. Will Batman be able to save the city? Will Bruce Wayne have a future beyond his call of duty? That forms the story

Plus Points :

The film has some superb performances from an ensemble star cast. Christian Bale is brilliant as usual in the role of Batman. His performance as the struggling former superhero is very good. Anne Hathaway takes the cake with a sinister performance as Catwoman. She shows brilliant variations in her feelings for Bruce Wayne, that keep shifting between love and betrayal. Marion Cotillard looks sensuous and she has a very crucial role in the movie. Her performance adds weight to the film. Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman are good as usual.

The film has grand visuals and even grander action sequences throughout. There is massiveness in every frame, and Batman’s new toys are cool. Hans Zimmer’s rousing background score is outstanding.

The story is tied off beautifully as elements from the earlier two installments are used to great effect. The events leading upto the climax are emotionally charged and they succeed in evoking strong emotions from the viewers.

Special Effects are top notch and they are very entertaining. Some scenes like the one in which Bruce Wayne escapes from the prison will stick with you long after you walk out of the theater.If you can, watch the film on an IMAX screen as the big screen delivers maximum impact.

The climax twists are good.

Minus Points :

Bane’s performance is not a patch on the Joker’s act. Where the Joker is sinister and brilliant, Bane is not even legible most of the time. Tom Hardy has a respirator like mask throughout the film and his dialogues have been rendered in a digitized voice. The mask also distracts a lot and Tom Hardy’s facial expressions are barely visible.

The film is not a popcorn entertainer and there are some moments in the film where pace dips a bit.

Technical Aspects :

Christopher Nolan succeeds in delivering a fitting finale to a brilliant series. Direction is very good but screenplay could have been tighter in a few places. Hans Zimmer’s music and Wally Pfister’s cinematography are major assets.

Special mention must be made of the dialogues, as they have a lot of depth and add weight to the proceedings. Editing could have been crisper.

Verdict :

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is a brilliant film, make no mistake about it. However, Bane is no Joker and that is perhaps the only shortcoming in this movie. A rousing background score, superb performances and great action pieces make the movie a must watch. Go catch this film on an IMAX screen if you can, for we may have to wait a very long time to see Batman on the big screen again in such a brilliant action drama.

123Telugu.com Rating : 3.75/5

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Reviewed by Mahesh S Koneru.