The Dark Knight Rises SPOILER FREE Review

I realize this movie literally just came out at the time of this posting and that is why this review is SPOILER FREE! Please refrain from posting any sort of spoilers in the comments section so the readers have a chance to see the film for themselves. Thank you!

Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge Batman fan and have been for a long time. I began collecting Batman comics and action figures when I was five years old and eventually got a Batman tattoo when I was 18. I have made it a point to see every incarnation of Batman on screen both large and small and The Dark Knight Rises is no exception.

Back in 2008, I was stoked to see The Dark Knight. I loved the title. It was edgy, original, and summed up the themes of the film presented in the trailers (which I watched every day). I spent months growing out my hair and traveling to several Goodwill stores to piece together a very convincing Joker costume. The film instantly became my favorite movie of all time and I saw it about 8 times at the theater. To me, this film was a perfect ten. I couldn't fathom a sequel to it. I distinctly remember after it ended, having my arms covered in goosebumps and thinking how I wouldn't care if this was the last one because the ending was so epic.

Fast forward to buzz surrounding the new film, which was yet to be titled. I was trying to guess the villain: Riddler? Hugo Strange? Bane? And the title: The Caped Crusader? The Dark Knight Returns? Batman Ends? I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Slowly details began to emerge and I wasn't thrilled with the title The Dark Knight Rises, but I figured the studio may have pushed to keep the title similar and I knew better than to question Nolan's motives (after all I remember scoffing at the thought of Heath Ledger portraying the Joker). I was excited about Bane and lukewarm on Catwoman, but again I don't want to doubt a genius.

As the previews came out, the lackluster posters (compared to The Dark Knight), and what little of a viral campaign there was I began to lose my excitement. Don't get me wrong, I still wanted to see the movie, but I wasn't as involved. At first, I thought it might because I was getting older, perhaps more mature about things (ha!). When it came right down to it, I just knew it couldn't live up to The Dark Knight and I didn't want to get my hopes up. Deep down I was doing just that. I was thinking, maybe I'll be surprised and Nolan will out do himself yet again.

I told my friends from the start that The Dark Knight Trilogy is akin to the Original Star Wars Trilogy: Batman Begins = Star Wars, The Dark Knight = The Empire Strikes Back, and The Dark Knight Rises = Return of the Jedi. This is exactly how this movie was; it was Jedi. It completely met the expectations that I had in my mind for what it was going to be and what it meant to the series, but I was disappointed that it didn't meet my hopes.

That being said, as a standalone movie it is phenomenal! It's just hard to follow something like The Dark Knight and I guess that's what I was hoping for. I really enjoyed this movie a lot. The first two acts are intense and really set the tone for how the movie is going to be and how Gotham and its citizens have changed in the 8 years since the events in The Dark Knight. I have a few problems with how things are played out in the third act. I won't go into details, but I will say that a few of the events feel a bit rushed. Like the first two acts take their time to set some things up and in the end it is resolved with relative ease. Also, there is a bit of "hokeyness" towards the end that kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. It was a nice sentiment, but I found myself thinking "Nolan is better than that."

I think I'm being a bit more critical than I should because I have seen what Nolan is capable of and I thought this film would exceed my expectations rather than just meet them. I did like the film for the most part and I'm sure people would disagree with some of these thoughts, but like I said in my head I'll always compare it to The Dark Knight.

I love Nolan and everything that he's done for the series and I think that he was the best possible director there is for Batman. It was an honor and a privilege to let us witness and experience his vision of Batman. I am hopeful that Warner Bros will let us digest this series and enjoy it before they rush out another Batman reboot a few years down the road.

Breakdown of The Dark Knight Trilogy:

Batman Begins - 9 out of 10 Batarangs!
The Dark Knight - 10 out of 10 Scars!
The Dark Knight Rises - 8 out of 10 Tumblers!