The Dark Knight Rises

The long-awaited final chapter of Nolan's Batman series ends...or does it? 

2012. Rated PG-13. 165 minutes. Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Caine. Directed by Christopher Nolan. 

Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy. [imdb]

Nicole: Welp, Cassidy, 165 minutes never passed so quickly. That, in and of itself, should tell you how much I loved this movie. I was equal parts dreading its release (worried the final chapter in the three-movie arc would be a letdown) and feverishly awaiting it (wondering what Nolan had up his sleeve for the last installment of a series I never wanted to see end). Well, without revealing too much, it was anything but a letdown and the payoff was extremely well spent. 

elizabeth: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…..

Nicole: HEY! Wake up! Here’s the scoop: The movie opens eight years after we last saw Batman, now considered a threat and villain to Gotham instead of its caped-crusading hero. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale, the deliciously gorgeous man behind the mask) has become a crippled recluse, holed up in his mansion while Wayne Enterprises flails. A mysterious cat burglar (Anne Hathaway) happens into Bruce’s life and as a result, compels him to once again enter society and try to cure it of its ills. But, these past eight years haven’t been kind to the Batman and his most recent nemesis Bane (played to creepy perfection by Tom Hardy – shame to put such a lovely looking man behind such a grotesque mask, ahh well) isn’t quite what he expected. Luckily, the Batman still has allies, namely Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who steps up to help save Gotham in what appears to be its final hour. 

elizabeth:  Why have you ignored my plea to never put these two words together: deliciously gorgeous? Get thee to the bat cave and think about what you have done.

Nicole: When it comes to Christian Bale, you must make an exception. So, that’s all I’ll say about the plot, because the last thing I want to do is spoil this movie. The payoff is THAT good. I know, some people found it contrived, predictable, perhaps even hokey. I guess I’m a total sucker, because I bought it hook, line, and sinker. Even things I was certain I was going to HATE about this movie (like the casting), I ended up loving. (Case in point: Anne Hathaway as Catwoman? Really? Well, REALLY. She owned it. Totally and utterly enjoyable in this role. And to think, I rolled my eyes when she first hit the screen. Oh, how wrong I was.)

The only bad thing about  THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is that it ended. And, for all we know, for good. There are no plans to continue the series. Nolan says he’s done. And, I am in denial. Because there’s so, so much more to be told. That, and I reallllly want to see Bale slip on a tux as Wayne and kick ass in that skin-tight Bat suit again. A girl can dream, can’t she? 

elizabeth: Oh, please. We both know that Hollywood is all about bringing back tried-and-true movie scripts that they can tweak a touch because no one is smart enough out there to write something new. Here’s my challenge—don’t bring back Batman ever again, but write something that is clever and original. Yea, right. 

The Film Fatales give THE DARK KNIGHT RISES