- Film Review
- Reviewed By Jeremy Aspinall
-
4 out of 5
Director Christopher Nolan concludes his game-changing Batman franchise with another ambitious epic, which sees Christian Bale's caped crime-fighter taken to hell and back. Eight years on from events in the last film, Gotham City has seen nothing of the Batman since Harvey Dent's death, and Bruce Wayne has become a recluse. But when nefarious masked terrorist Bane (a beefed-up Tom Hardy) and his minions infiltrate the city and Wayne encounters slinky cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), it's time for the tortured tycoon to suit up and get back in the game. Only this time, he may have bitten off more than he can chew, as his adversary is smart, organised and ruthless. As with The Dark Knight, Nolan produces some superb set pieces (the plane hijack, Bane's explosive assault on Gotham) and gets terrific performances from his cast, both regular and new (nods to Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an idealistic young cop and Hathaway, who's spot on as a sexy but no-nonsense Catwoman). But this is a long haul (at nearly three hours) and with so many different plot strands to fit in, the film's momentum sags occasionally. However, there's so much that is good (breathtaking action sequences, star chemistry, directorial ambition) that Nolan can still be credited with producing a superhero franchise unmatched for its mood, menace and quality.
Plot Summary
Batman has drifted into isolated retirement years after helping to rid Gotham City of organised crime. He is lured into returning to duty by an encounter with an enigmatic thief, but his investigation leads to a far greater threat - the leader of a terrorist army planning to seize control of the city. Conclusion of Christopher Nolan's comic-book thriller trilogy, with Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Bruce Wayne / Batman
- Christian Bale
- Selina Kyle
- Anne Hathaway
- Bane
- Tom Hardy
- Alfred Pennyworth
- Michael Caine
- Commissioner Gordon
- Gary Oldman
- Lucius Fox
- Morgan Freeman
- John Blake
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- Miranda Tate
- Marion Cotillard
- Foley
- Matthew Modine
- Daggett
- Ben Mendelsohn
- Jen
- Juno Temple
- Mayor Anthony Garcia
- Nestor Carbonell
- Stryver
- Burn Gorman
- Prisoner
- Tom Conti
- Wayne's lawyer
- Tomas Arana
- CIA agent
- Aidan Gillen
- Ra's Al Ghul
- Liam Neeson
- Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow
- Cillian Murphy
- Uniform
- Desmond Harrington
- President
- William Devane
- Young Ra's Al Ghul
- Josh Pence
Crew
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
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