I have to admit that after reading some of the other critics reviews I was a bit worried when I went to see Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” the third and final installment in his Batman trilogy.  I went in worried but let me tell you that I came out satisfied.

The film is based eight years after “The Dark Knight,” Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has been in exile after Gotham City believes he is the one who killed Harvey Dent but after a new villain Bane (Tom Hardy) arrives and threatens to destroy the city, the cape crusader is forced to step back into the action.

A lot of critics are bashing the fact that Batman was not in the film a whole lot and that like the Batman films in the 90s, the film focuses on the villain too much.  If you pay attention to the story and understand it the way I do well then Batman is more than just Bruce Wayne in a costume, Batman is a symbol and if you look at it that way then he is in the film quite a bit.

I do think Anne Hathaway is a great actress though I just didn’t care for her as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.  I liked what they were trying to do and I think that Nolan stayed true to the comics in that Catwoman is not entirely a villain like we see her in Tim Burton’s “Batman Returns” but someone who doesn’t have all the rules Batman has.

I thought that the film did a great job giving Alfred (Michael Caine), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) their dues.  They all play big parts in the film just as they do in the other films if not more.  Each one has done a fantastic job in helping the character Bryce Wayne and the symbol of Batman grow.

Though Bane doesn’t live up to the craziness of the joker, he is definitely is a terrifying villain and he could be the reason for the end of Batman.  We never got a back story to the Joker, which I didn’t mine because we didn’t need one.  We do however get a back story on Bane and I loved how it all connects and relates to Bryce Wayne.

We are introduced to John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) a young cop with a good heart and who does a fantastic job in the film.

The film was entertaining from beginning to end and I highly recommend seeing it though it is a very dark film, so be wary when you bring the young ones. I believe it ends the trilogy in a great way and I want to thank Christopher Nolan and his team for giving us three awesome Batman movies to watch for all time.

I give the film 5 out of 5 Top Hats.