The plot centers on Bruce Wayne, eight years later after he took the blame for Harvey Dent's death. His beloved Gotham now sees him as the criminal, except for a few who still continued to believe in him. Furthermore, he could not move on from the tragedy of his loved one and has become a recluse, much to the dismay of his loyal butler, Alfred.
Then another villain emerges and plans to destroy Gotham. Our hero dons again the bat costume in time to save the day... or night for that matter. However, time and hopelessness has made him weak. With that, he is forced to rediscover his life's purpose in order to get back on track as the Dark Knight.
Christopher Nolan lives up to expectations about his works. His stories are mixed with dilemma, emotions, heart-stopping suspense, and mind blowing action scenes. What is more amazing is that Nolan emerges the audience in every possible way. He makes you think, predict, then twists the plot to make you re-analyze again!
The Dark Knight Rises takes you to an emotional roller coaster ride. Depression, anxiety, insecurity, hope, thrill, and inspiration are just some of the array of emotions that will carry your through the movie. Twists are happening in minutes! Just when you thought Batman has the situation under control, something unexpected happens. Likewise, just when you thought it's going to be hopeless for our hero, hope comes out suddenly, in whatever form. It's that unpredictable!
The actors were excellent and truly in character. Christian Bale does a convincing role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, as he always did in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The villain Tom Hardy as Bane, on the other hand, is more than great in his role! There's not much facial expression because of his mask, but his eyes carry out his emotions. What superb acting skill! Another surprise to me is Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, she could flawlessly pull off one personality to the other. She carried the role as a tough and fierce woman, not the meow-ish sex kitten type. She had the aura of mystery and indecision, something that leaves the audience wondering.
Special and sound effects were great, as I expected. That should come with Batman's cool and high tech gadgets... and vehicles! The bangs and booms exceeded my expectations. I personally love the sounds created by Batman's motorbike when it stops then takes a turn! You could see the tires rolling with cool sounds! The only downside of the sound effects is when Batman speaks in his hoarse voice. There are instances when it's not audible enough. Now, even the villain gets his share of that. More hoarse voices! Subtitles please!
It's a very thrilling movie! I was literally on the edge of my seat, feeling my heart pound at every second. The kids beside me were noisy at first, but became silent and concentrated on the movie at the middle to the last part. So I guess kids could understand the movie, or they're in for the action. I'm not sure if they could comprehend the philosophical aspect of it.
After the film, the audience was so overwhelmed with emotions that most of us clapped our hands for a one-of-a-kind movie experience! This is my second time hearing the audience clap, first was Michael Jackson's This Is It and now... The Dark Knight Rises.
The ending is so good! It gives justice to the poster line: The Legend Ends. I'm not giving you spoilers. You have to watch the movie to find out more about it. And I suggest you go to a 2D or IMAX cinema for a better movie experience. The Dark Knight Rises is worth your time and money.
Let's face it. You watch a superhero movie and expect a happy ending right? Good always wins right? Well, I do. But what is amazing about Nolan is he takes on the question of 'how' the hero will tackle the situation. He even makes you wonder if the story will follow the typical superhero-happy ending note, considering how dark the plot was. That element alone gives the much needed suspense. That is The Dark Knight Rises edge to other superhero movies.
Ratings:
Plot: 5 stars
Actors: 4.5 stars
Special and Sound effects: 5 stars
Promotional Poster: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
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