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Here's a look at the best film of the year so far.

The Dark Knight Rises
Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Synopsis: How do you balance the weight of expectation with writing the ideal finish to a highly anticipated film series? That was the question before Christopher Nolan and his team as they tried to complete their modern Batman trilogy. It would be hard to imagine the expectations could have been any higher for Nolan’s third Batman film after the iconic work in “The Dark Knight.” Having crafted a masterpiece that set records, changed an entire award voting system, and gave the world an iconic performance from an actor who died too young, Nolan’s second Batman film set a new benchmark in the genre. But with Nolan and star Christian Bale emphatically saying the third outing would be their last with Batman, the question was how to follow up such a masterpiece and wrap up the series? The answer came on Friday, with “The Dark Knight Rises.” Though only time and a great deal of debate with give the film context, it’s hard to imagine Nolan doing anything more to meet fan expectation. Nolan has, in some ways, been cursed to have his Batman series associated with tragedy. First it was the passing of Heath Ledger prior to “The Dark Knight,” and now it is the massacre in Aurora, Colo. It’s unfair to blame the film for the acts of a disturbed individual, but that is still a shadow that will, unfortunately, cast a gray cloud over an otherwise beautiful, well-crafted film. I am biased when it comes to appraising Nolan’s work. I find his style as a director compelling and am a huge fan of his films. For me, “The Dark Knight” was the greatest film of the first decade of the 21st Century, as I wrote in this column. For four years I have waited to see how he would follow that vision up, and this is a film that does not disappoint. Time and multiple viewings will put it better into context, but I don’t believe this is a better film. It is satisfying, and it does offer a satisfying end to Nolan’s vision for Batman while leaving the door open for future stories for Warner Brothers. Bale has been under-rated for his work in these films. The villain characters or the myth of Batman has often over shadowed him, but he does a great job in this third film. He shows time and again why he was an ideal choice for this masterful take on the classic comic book character. Again the film is full of great supporting performances. Series members Oldman, Caine, and Freeman are all strong in reprising their roles. Hardy is sufficiently menacing as Baine, Cotillard is great as Tate, and Gordon-Levitt is a superb addition as Blake. All three are veterans of the Nolan world and fit in well with his vision of Batman. Also great is Hathaway, who stretches out of her typical fare to play the role of Selina Kyle. She has great chemistry opposite Bale and does a nice job of creating something new in this classic role. But the real victory for fans with this film is the way that “The Dark Knight Rises” creates its own story while tying the series together beautifully. When it is all said and done — and I won’t ruin any of the magic by delving into plot details — it is beautiful to see how this film continues one long vision that Nolan began with “Batman Begins” in 2005. These three films are all strong on their own, but like any great series they are better when take as a whole. Another pleasant surprise is the way Nolan wraps up his vision of Batman while leaving an opening for the future of this profitable franchise. We’ve seen that studios are loath to let the license lapse for these superhero franchises, which is why “Spiderman” was rebooted again this summer. Nolan wraps up Batman but leaves the door open nicely for someone else to continue a vision of the world without going back to the drawing board. I, for one, hope that is the path that the studio follows. “The Dark Knight Rises” may not rise quite to the level of its predecessor, but it is an incredible and incredibly satisfying film. It looked to be the class of the summer when 2012 began, and it has not disappointed. Hopefully this film will yield the Best Picture nomination that has so far eluded the talented Nolan.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

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