We here at The Movie Banter, as probably holds true at most other entertainment and film publications and websites, were so very excited for Christopher Nolan’s third installment of his Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises.Given that the first two–Batman Begins and The Dark Knight--were just phenomenal in terms of both superhero movies as well as regular films, our expectations were high, high, high for the epic conclusion.

Well, how did The Dark Knight Rises fare? It was great, just great. I’m happy to report that Nolan didn’t fail in giving us an amazing third chapter, one that left me wanting more. Why is that the end Nolan’s Batman vision?Why?!

To be as vague as possible so as not to dole out any spoilers, The Dark Knight Rises follows Batman who, after saving Gotham twice from imminent danger, is now the injured reclusive Bruce Wayne, decides to come out of his self-imposed Batman-retirement one last time to save his beloved city from the evil that villain Bane promises.

Filled to the brim with credible cast members including Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Hardy, the film’s acting is expectedly outstanding.

Additionally, like most of Nolan’s other films, The Dark Knight Rises boasts a complex, detailed plot, one that truly benefits the movie. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Nolan treats his viewers as thinking subjects, a task often lost in the Summer Blockbuster game, and it continually pays off.

The dialogue, heart and anticipation were all great, so much so that I not only cared about the characters, I found myself tearing up with anxious excitement at various moments due to impeccable pacing.

The one thing I can say that detracted from the film was that in addition to a few minor plot holes and a fairly predictable and almost trite twist, The Dark Knight Rises seems far less dark than the other two films, especially when comparing it to The Dark Knight. Even so, The Dark Knight Rises remains a great movie and a fantastic blockbuster.

SEE IT (and if you’re anything like me, SEE IT again and again).