The Dark Knight Rises - A

Despite insanely high expectations for the conclusion of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy--and although dampened by the horrific tragedy of the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting--The Dark Knight Rises proved to be just as epic, exciting, and emotional as fans hoped. Grade: A.

When plans to watch a midnight screening of TDKR fell through, I thought about watching it the next morning, but then I woke up to the tragic news about the Aurora shooting and was extremely saddened by the senseless attack and loss of life. I teared reading the stories of the victims, the 6-year-old girl, the Navy officer, the girl who had survived one shooting only to die at another, the man who died on his birthday and right before his first-year anniversary, and all the other lives. And reading about the shooter's life didn't help make sense of it but only raised more questions. It's hard to wrap one's head around something like this, but I think these express my sentiments best:
 

via @GeorgeTakei

via @DevonCanales

But although my anticipation for TDKR was overshadowed by a somber mood (and admittedly, some worry over safety), I still felt I had to go see it opening weekend, so I went with my sisters on Sunday. Many of the film's images and themes on terrorism, armed civilians, and society at war were particularly resonant, as Nolan intended to write about "things that worry us today", but what struck me the most at the end was how he showed the core of what made Batman (or, "anyman") such a compelling story and such a great hero (see above).

Nolan said his goal for TDKR was to combine the romanticism of Batman Begins with the crime thriller of The Dark Knight, and I think he was enormously successful. TDKR mixed BB's evocative sense of myth and legend grounded in reality with TDK's intense drama and disturbingly poignant questions on human nature, society, and justice, and then raised it all up several notches. Although it was 2 hours and 45 minutes long, and did seem, well, long, it didn't feel like it dragged or was over-indulgent with either action or angst. Rather, to me, it felt like I was watching a mini-series where everything was important, well-done, and high-quality, just longer (like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King). Once again, I must praise Nolan and his team for the smart writing of the complex plot with an emotional backbone, on an intimate to epic scale. I'm still amazed with their ambitious vision and the genius execution.

Tom Hardy's Bane was powerful and impressive. I love how Nolan and Hardy played Bane's immensity as well as his intelligence, which make him one of the most dangerous in the Rogues Gallery. The character has never felt more real to me. I wasn't as tense and terrified as I was with Heath Ledger's unpredictably twisted Joker, but I agree with the comparisons that say both villains are frighteningly charismatic in awe-inspiring performances.

I had been skeptical ever since Anne Hathaway was cast as Catwoman, and even more so when I saw her 60s Batman (the television series) look with long brown hair, cheesy mask and ears, and thigh-high boots (with steel stilettos, no less). But, I am pleased to be proven wrong. Hathaway and her catsuit both work really well within the movie. I still would have liked to see Catwoman with short black hair, cat-eye goggles, and combat boots, and especially more sexy Bat/Cat chemistry, but for Nolan's Bat-world, I am satisfied with Catwoman.

I also enjoyed Marion Cotillard's Miranda Tate and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's John Blake. Really good performances and characterizations. (But I was rather miffed that I figured out a major twist a bit early because of one small throwaway detail I read in a minor casting article months ago. >< I had been so careful to avoid news and spoilers, too!)

TDKR has a big cast in a big story, but what I liked best was how it brought it back to Bruce/Batman. With BB, I had been a bit disappointed that Nolan's Bruce more heavily (albeit realistically) relied on Alfred and Lucius for detective work and inventions. Then I thought TDK didn't have enough of "my" Batman, as it focused on the head-to-head confrontation with the Joker. But with TDKR, I felt like it returned to the heart of Batman and his strength as "just a man" but a badass one. (Yes, I cried at the end. ;)

I didn't walk out of the theater with a big smile and lots of excitement like with Avengers. I walked out with a sense of closure and deep affection, thinking, "This is why I love Batman." But it's impossible to say which is "better". Both have fantastic writing, directing, and acting, but with such different tones they might as well be different genres. I was right when I predicted that Avengers would be the perfect fun superhero team movie, while The Dark Knight Rises would be the perfect epic hero film. They're both the best.

But since I love Batman more than any other superhero, I'm actually more critical of Bat-movies than Marvel movies, which I take at face-value without much background or attachment. And I have to say, after all the anticipation and expectations, I have absolutely no complaints about TDKR. It tied up all storylines, completed all character arcs, met all expectations for spectacle for the eyes, stirring of the heart, and stimulation of the mind, and was a fitting conclusion to TDK trilogy. It was, quite possibly, the best Batman movie yet.