In which Emily has lots of thoughts and feelings about 'The Dark Knight Rises'

So I really enjoyed 'The Dark Knight Rises' and that surprised me. I had very low expectations going into the film because I only watched two trailers and I avoided spoilers, clips of scenes, and reviews. I'm so glad I did this because it really allowed me to look at the movie with fresh eyes and so much of it was unexpected. I may have to start doing this from now on!

There's been a lot of talk about how this final film holds up to the rest of the trilogy. Here's the thing; none of the movies in the Dark Knight trilogy are bad. In fact, all three of them are really good stand alone films. The third had an epicness to it that the other two don't. It's fitting for a finale though. I enjoyed the third movie the most, though I think it will be the second movie, 'The Dark Knight,' that stands the test of time the most. It was the movie that changed super hero movies, it has one of the best villians of all time, and it really made people sit up and pay attention to Christopher Nolan. 

All of the characters in TDKR had their own story line and I thought Nolan & Co. balanced them all very well. What was interesting to me was how Bane was such a terrifying force in the first two acts, and then in the third act he takes a step back and lets chaos reign. We find out that he is really just single minded, and it's not on destruction, but on saving someone he loves. 

(Side note: I had no trouble understanding him, but I can see why some people did)

There's also been a lot of chatter about the Batman trilogy and how they are reflections of our post-9/11 world, particularly the chaos that's reflected in 'The Dark Knight.' It's not hard to miss the political sub-text in this film either, but for me I was more concerned with seeing how Batman was going to overcome his own psychological demons in the wake of a changing and sometimes rebellious world. 

Speaking of Bruce Wayne, how awesome is Christian Bale? I sometimes forget he acts so differently in real life and I'm always taken aback when I see his interviews. He's a fabulous actor. The journey he took as Batman is remarkable. He can be a badass who shows up out of nowhere to save the day, but he can also be a broken recluse. 

In the grand tradition of other hero journeys, Batman has to go to the underworld and emerge unscathed. Bruce Wayne has to literally go to the pit of hell, conquer his fear, and emerge triumphant. The journey back to the prison where it all began was a great way to tie in the first movie. 

My only complaint about the movie was the Miranda Tate story line. I thought the big reveal about her came out of nowhere. I would have liked a little more warning. That may have been Nolan's intention though. He may want to show how truly surprising people can be, especially when they are evil, which she clearly is. I felt bad for Bruce though. I mean, Miranda may have been a rebound, but still, can't the poor guy catch a break?! Oh well, it gave us a sexy scene was a shirtless, hunky Christian Bale and I will never complain about seeing him in his Batman physique. 

I thought the ending was fitting. Though I feel like many super hero films require the man guy to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the city (like Tony Stark/Iron Man in 'The Avengers'), I really did think Bruce Wayne could be dead because with Nolan films, you really never know. I like that he simply gave himself a blank slate, something that Selina Kyle (otherwise known as Catwoman, who I also enjoyed) wanted as well. 

I saved my favorite part for last, which is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He's my favorite in a lot of things, but I thought he was the best in this film, which is hard if you're playing an idealistic cop. He was great though. I loved the ending that showed his taking up the torch, so to speak. Anyone else catch what his real name was and chuckle? I did. I love it when things tie in like that, especially when I don't see them coming. 

I feel very satisfied to the ending of the trilogy, which I can't say happens at the end of series (example: The Hunger Games), though I am sort of sad Nolan won't be around to make more great super hero movies. That's okay though because if the short film that dubbed as a trailer for Superman is any indication, I think there are more films to look forward to.