87% The Dark Knight Rises

All Critics (240) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (208) | Rotten (32)

There was an opportunity here for Nolan to show us another way, to (again) stretch the boundaries of what is possible in a superhero film. Instead, alas, the latter half of The Dark Knight Rises retreats toward conventionality.

I'm not arguing that Rises should be Singin' in the Rain. But its Wagnerian ambitions are not matched by its material. It hasn't earned its darkness.

The biggest surprise may just be how satisfying Nolan has made his farewell to a Dark Knight trilogy that many fans will wish he'd extend to a 10-part series, at least.

Others will see it differently, but for me this is a disappointingly clunky and bombastic conclusion to a superior series -- Nolan's biggest and worst movie to date.

The director and cowriter/brother Jonathan Nolan pay heed to Wayne's wounded emotional arc. And the film is a feat of painstakingly crafted closure.

TDKR completes on the great trilogies in movie history.

Faced with the Curse of the Threes - the ancient jinx that sabotages quality control in the final chapter of any big screen superhero trilogy, Christopher Nolan arms himself with the power of myth.

The film has more action, more special effects, and more mystical philosophy than THE DARK KNIGHT, but less intelligence.

While "The Dark Knight Rises" is much better than most third entries, it's still flabby and convoluted.

The Dark Knight Rises has an intelligence, epic thrust and visual grandeur...

As uneven as the plot is at times, Nolan commendably retains the Batman's beating black heart in TDKR, with lead characters ever challenging our perceptions ... to keep things fresh.

Nolan's dour realism has turned the Batman experience into something like a sexless Eyes Wide Shut party.

The degree of difficulty involved in balancing on that many knives' edges overlooking potential disaster is high, yet by the time the credits roll, there it is: Nolan sticks the landing.

Anne Hathaway provides The Dark Knight Rises with most of its levity; the rest of the time, this brooding, bruising movie is content building its reputation as a black beauty.

Fueled by a diet of oxygen garnished with hydrogen, Anne Hathaway slices through bad guys like paper through rock and scissors. 'Wilst thou grant me one Tic Tac, O grumbling gut!'

Tom Hardy can apparently do more with only 20% of his face than most people can do with all of their face.

Relies on eye-opening spectacular action sequences throughout to provide the thrills.

A massive film with a forceful thematic grip, it might actually qualify as three sequels for the price of one.

One hell of an ambitious, provocative, epic picture.

Christopher Nolan can't direct an exciting action scene to save his life. He's no Michael Bay! You have to admire the scope of his vision even if it does have major flaws. There wasn't enough of Batman being, you know, Batman in this.

'The legend ends' makes for a most inaccurate tag line for the film, for this ambitious, largely satisfying wrap-up only further ensures that Nolan's legendary achievement with this three-film cycle will long live on.

Pour one part Michael Bay (eye candy) plus another part Quentin Tarantino (rich writing) and the resulting mutation is Christopher Nolan and his near-perfect Batman conclusion to one of the greatest trilogies of all time.

Topping the genre-changing achievements of Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008), director Christopher Nolan here delivers a serious spectacle, a blockbuster with brains, an action movie for adults.

Satisfying without being more than slightly breathtaking, a hugely appealling broad-strokes action movie that nevertheless feels that, given everything, it should have a bit... more.

It rises above other sequels and its predecessors.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight_rises/

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