First, the bad news: At almost three hours long and with a convoluted plot that tries it darnedest to flashback to everything from the first two films, this third entry in the canon can be a drag. But if you have the patience to sit through this superbly crafted actioner, coupled with some of the most compelling performances seen in a summer blockbuster, the payoff is well worth your time.
The film takes place eight years after Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) took the fall for killing crusading district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) in the last installment. Wayne is in retirement, disillusioned and physically crippled by his vigilante career.
However, in Gotham City a resurgent criminal population is spearheaded by the fearsome Bane (Tom Hardy), a one-man wrecking crew from the League of Shadows (the same Himalayan vigilante cult that trained Wayne in the first film). Bane is dedicated to wiping away Gotham’s conniving politicians, freebooting financiers and everyone else in a brutal act of moral cleansing by robbing Wall Street.
So what’s a superhero to do but to rise out of bed and come face-to-face with the baddies?
There’s also the introduction of slinky cat burglar Selena Kyle (Anne Hathaway) who may or may not be on Bane’s side to bring down the city, while Wayne’s longtime business associate and new love interest Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) has a bag of tricks up her sleeves.
Couple this with an intuitive rookie cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is determined to save the city, alongside old characters like Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman)—the film is nothing if not overcomplicated.
Thankfully, the script by Nolan, his brother Jonathan and David S. Goyer treats its comic-book material with unflagging intelligence. Underlying its plot is a powerful (if somehow vague) commentary about modern day corruption, fears and revolt that is in tandem with the times. The denouement—a cascade of startling reversals and reveals—wraps up the story neatly while leaving enough wiggle room for yet more sequels.
And the cast is superb: Bale is in his finest form as the battered Wayne, while both Cotillard and Hathaway hold their own through their calculated, nuanced performances. But at the heart of the film is Gordon-Levitt, whose John Blake signifies hope and renewal in an increasingly decrepit world. This Dark Knight may be flawed, but it’s still one helluva ride.