Christopher Nolan has done it again. AGAIN. The Dark
Knight Rises, the third and final instalment in the more adult and aptly darker film series is for me, the
sharpest and most enjoyable Batman film ever.
The Dark Knight Rises had been shrouded in secrecy ever since the film
was officially greenlit, with casting calls going out to various actors and
actresses, listing only physical attributes such as an actors hair colour as the only
clue to the roles they could be adorning. After months of speculation it was
finally confirmed that joining Christian Bale as The Dark Knight himself would
be the ever-charming Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and current hot
property Tom Hardy as juggernaut Bane- the main antagonist of the film. In
fact, the actual story of the film is still unknown to most, and for that
reason I will remain scarce on the synopsis for the duration of the review.
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| Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman |
The film matches its great story and potent script with a
stellar cast, which puts Batman veterans Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman
against Nolan’s past collaborators Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, almost making an Inception reunion in the process.
Although the cast as a whole are particularly strong, a special mention has to be given out to Tom Hardy, who has breathed life into
an unsettling and incredibly evil nemesis for Bruce Wayne, creating an adversary
that finally matches up both physically and mentally for our hero. However, a
special-special mention has to be handed to Hathaway who in my opinion has
probably portrayed the super slinky Catwoman in the best possible way out of any actress on
film or television so far. Hathaway toils with the anti-hero we all know Kyle
to be, playing up to the personal struggles she has with herself, along with protruding
the coquettish qualities a Catwoman should have, without overacting at all.
The Dark Knight Rises manages to grab and keep hold of your attention over its
2 hour and 40 minute running time, managing to fit in a flowing story, complex
characters, and uncomfortably incredible fight scenes while wrapping the story up for all
of us in a nice little ambiguous bow. It's a huge shame that there won't be any more.
Maybe.
A+
