The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The critic calls it big-time Hollywood filmmaking at its most massively accomplished and the best of Nolan’s Batman trilogy. He singles out the realistic dramatic events, lucid storytelling, and opulent production values for particular praise.

It is a satisfying conclusion to the best superhero series, with unprecedented scale in spectacle and emotion, strong intimate moments, and superb supporting turns like Hathaway's Selina Kyle, though it lacks some of the earlier films' surprise or anarchy.

Christopher Nolan’s baroque opus is a worthy trilogy closer, both seriously epic and epically serious. It is an immaculately crafted, fatally clinical last hurrah dotted with dazzling set pieces and a relentless percussive score, though it lacks a true emotional hook.

Nolan concludes his Batman franchise with another ambitious epic that sees the caped crime-fighter taken to hell and back, featuring superb set pieces and terrific performances. The long haul occasionally sags under too many plot strands, but breathtaking action and directorial ambition make it unmatched for mood and quality.

Nolan brings solemnity and humourlessness to the franchise, turning Batman into a grave myth of a tortured saviour; the film features strong action and a murky political context but is weighed down by excessive dialogue and over-determined plotting.

Stirring in its broad strokes but shakier in its handling of character and story nuances, the film doesn’t lack ambition or vision yet is the first in the series not to smoothly execute its grand aspirations. It suffers from a glut of new characters but is helped by Nolan’s insistence on emotional resonance over mindless spectacle and a satisfying thematic through-line.

The critic describes it as a grand but scattered blockbuster whose thematic ambitions and mammoth set pieces are undercut by narrative muddle and a less mesmeric villain than the Joker. He singles out the IMAX-enhanced action sequences and strong supporting performances, especially from Hathaway and Gordon-Levitt, for praise.

The critic finds the film reasonably compelling as a big, ambitious close to the trilogy but notes it is overly long with spatial incoherence in action sequences and a letdown coda. He singles out Anne Hathaway’s witty, charismatic performance as Selina Kyle for praise.

The film delivers glum verbosity and thunderous action in Nolan's characteristically solemn style, but benefits from physical seriousness, solid casting, and a satisfying connection to the trilogy's start, with Hathaway providing welcome levity.

The sprawling epic is stuffed with side characters, subplots and diversions, skewing toward grandstanding action over emotional resonance. When the action sequences hum with real crowd scenes and massive cityscapes, however, it delivers an impressive, imaginative conclusion to the trilogy.

The critic calls the film murky, interminable and self-important with poor sound and dialogue, redeemed only by Anne Hathaway's lively Catwoman performance.

The critic praises Nolan's ambitious conclusion to the trilogy as a magisterial epic that deepens the story and delivers one of the great sustained action sequences in American cinema. He singles out the film's commitment to shooting on film and IMAX for its rich cinematic images and the spellbinding climax as a highlight.

The critic deems the film potent, persuasive and masterful filmmaking overall, highlighting its bleak tone, terrifying villain and contemporary societal themes.

The critic finds the film a big, brash, epic-scale superhero movie with Wagnerian confidence from Nolan, praising the wounded maturity of Bale's performance, Gordon-Levitt's terrific turn as Blake, Caine's heartfelt Alfred and Hathaway's Catwoman. Bane disappoints due to indistinct voice and lack of a satisfying cerebral duel with Batman, and the absence of Ledger's Joker charisma is sorely felt.

The critic finds the film a grave and satisfying finish to Nolan's Batman trilogy, with strong performances and coherent action that shifts focus from a lone hero to collective hope.

The critic sees the film as going further than most superhero movies, with Nolan directing a tale where Batman is often absent and the story focuses as much on everyman figures like Blake. It builds to a ferociously satisfying climax with a nuclear payload of catharsis after a bravura final act.

The critic finds the film very good as a standalone and even better as a trilogy conclusion, with strong ensemble drama, ambitious storytelling, and impressive action and visuals. He singles out the commitment to physical effects, detailed Gotham cityscapes, and how it ties strands together for a satisfying endpoint.

The film offers plenty of thrills and lives up to Nolan's standards but lacks the groundbreaking innovation of its predecessors. Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle is singled out as stealing the show with her dangerous and sophisticated performance.

The critic describes the film as a storytelling mess overloaded with ideas but praises its visual spectacle, scale, and performances, particularly Tom Hardy's Bane.

The film is an intense, epic conclusion to the trilogy with terrific performances, exhilarating action, and thoughtful ideas, but it sidelines Batman in favor of a large ensemble, socio-political themes, and spectacle. The first act is clunky, the emotional core is weak, and the story feels more like a function than a hero's journey, though IMAX action and Hathaway's Catwoman stand out.