The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

This final sequel sums up Christopher Nolan's achievement to reboot the franchise. His ultimate task was to clean up the mess created by Joel Schumacher and his bomb Batman & Robin: Bane. In this movie, Bane is a mastermind, brutal and merciless even without the growth serum, and determined to fulfill Ra's Al Ghul's destiny.

Nolan pioneers a movie project with a mega-large budget. It appears that most of the destruction to buildings and infrastructure, including the football grounds, is real and had to be correctly executed. However, such work is computer-generated as it is obvious that real destruction is far too costly.

It has been eight years since Batman declared himself an outlaw and hid away from the public. Bruce Wayne is crippled and reclusive; Alfred is displeased with his delay to move on as he believes Gotham will need the Bat again. So it must be the case of this quote from the last movie, "You can die a hero or live long enough to be called a villain." It looks like Wayne was determined to be that hero rather than continue to live a life as a fugitive.

This movie also brings in Selina Kyle/Catwoman, even though we were already satisfied with her appearance in Batman Returns. Nevertheless it was decided that since Rachel died in the previous installment, Bruce Wayne/Batman would need a new love interest, just as is the case in the comics. And cleverly revisited is the ballroom dance scene between Wayne and Kyle, as was the case in the aforementioned movie. Just a classic reminder brought closer to the beginning rather than closer to the end.

Bane executes his role brilliantly: he not only aims to fulfill the long-standing plot to decimate Gotham, but he successfully "breaks the Bat," literally and metaphorically. He makes certain that he knows Batman's true identity is revealed, and that Bruce is ruined as a result of the raid on the stock exchange. Whoever thought he could hack into the billionaire's account with such expertise? Quite impressive, I would say myself. And let's not forget Bruce's incarceration in the "pit of Hell", where many languish and lose all hope of ever re-emerging into the light. There is no better way to break a man's spirit than to force him to watch Gotham tear itself apart in the hands of a brute, while sequestered in a deep prison.

And thank you, Commissioner Gordon, for keeping hold of that letter. Now Bane can reveal the truth about Harvey Dent, and release several inmates from Blackgate Prison, who have languished under the controversial "Dent Act". Bane can unleash the plague on Gotham before it can be decimated with a fusion core. That so-called "vanity project" has been mothballed by Wayne but rekindled by Bane and his minions.

I must admit the clever writing regarding the "child of Ra's Al Ghul". When I first watched this movie I, too, assumed that Bane was that child. But he was not, it is Miranda Tates. There is no obvious plot twist as in frequent flashbacks the child who climb out of the pit was a girl and not a boy. I thought I was completely caught off-guard and left bewildered; however, this plot point is completely logical.

"The Legend Ends." The tagline to this movie marks the summary to the movie as Nolan's final work--his tremendous assignment to revive the Batman franchise. This action director has invigorated the action, and upheld integrity with comprehensive writing and plot. Let us also note the solid acting and faithfulness to the source material. Nolan has scored a hat-trick, and has added his three movies to the list if greatest movies of all time.