The Dark Knight Rises
It is a blockbuster under the spotlight today as out search for the Best Movies of 2012 continues... and that blockbuster is The Dark Knight Rises.
Batman fans have had a long wait to see this final instalment as it came four years after we were totally blown away by The Dark Knight.
And while at one point it looked like Christopher Nolan may not be returning he was back in the director's chair to bring this franchise to a triumphant and epic conclusion.
The movie was set eight years after the events of The Dark Knight and Batman has disappeared while Bruce Wayne is a recluse.
But Wayne is called into action one last time as Gotham falls into the clutches of Bane.
We may have had a long four year wait but Nolan really has not disappointed with this movie as it was one of the biggest action spectacles of the year.
While the movie may look great and contain some fantastic action sequences it is the human story that is the most intriguing thing in this movie.
The character of Bruce Wayne goes on his biggest journey of the franchise as he goes from being a broken man to drawing on his inner strength to fight for Gotham once more.
It is a powerful performance from Bale who really has excelled in this role over the year and brought some gravitas to this part.
Throw in a brutal performance from Tom Hardy and you have the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Hardy dominates all scenes that he is in and he has a real presence throughout the entire movie, whether he is in the scene or not.
When the pair go fist to fist it is one of the most exciting, not to mention visceral, scenes in the movie.
Christopher Nolan must be applauded for what he has done to this franchise since he took over the helm with batman begins back in 2005.
Batman was turned from a character that had been treated incredibly badly in the
mid to late nineties to a character that his myth and mystery returned.
Nolan has delivered a trilogy of movies that have redefined the comic book genre and the Dark Knight Rises is the perfect conclusion to this journey.
The Dark Knight Rises is everything you want from a blockbuster; the main character on a journey, a great villain, a fantastic twist and on top of all that a film that looks amazing.
It is sad to see Nolan leave this franchise behind and it should be many years before anyone tries to follow this excellent body of work.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Christian Bale Batman Christopher Nolan