The Dark Knight Rises Film only

OK so this is the next installant of the Batman franchise.

SPOILER ALERT!!! - please take heed.

So at the end of the last film, Batman had taken the blame for the death of Harvey Dent and Commissioner Gordon hasn't done anything to stop this. This film enters eight years later, where Christian Bale, and Michael Caine haven't aged a day...

Gotham is a much nicer place, since the development of the practices that come down hard on organised crime.

The Batman has disappeared, and Bruce Wayne has become a recluse and is seen by no one except Albert. That is until a waitress is tasked with taking a tray to Bruce's private wing of the house where a benefit is being thrown downstairs while he hides away. Enter Anne Hathaway, who gets seen with a string of pearls that look just like Bruce's mother's - but couldn't possibly be as they are kept in an 'unbreakable' safe. After a bit of flirting with Bruce, she manages to back flip out the window, and the viewer becomes aware how she makes such a good cat burglar.

The movie has the usual themes for the Batman franchise - the weak being downtrodden, and rising with the help of a masked stranger, and the 'faceless' evil character out seeking revenge.

In the usual Batman character choice we have a baddie / madman who has a facial disfigurement who hatches evil plans to again make Gotham the organised crime bosses place to be seen. In the usual (rather stale) plot device we have some brains behind this evil henchman, who will reveal themselves towards the end of the film (if you haven't napped through the first 30 minutes of the movie you'll probably have guessed).

Bane - the masked madman / baddie is heralded as the baby that was born in hell, and that hell found him so distasteful, he was spat out...

The film has the usual issues for a Batman movie - Bruce suffers an injury that he needs to recover from, while things in Gotham look to get really bad. He obviously recovers from this while doing shirtless chin-ups, and getting a bit sweaty from doing push ups (*I mean I'm not exactly complaining - but do we have to see this in each film?)

Batman is as ever supported by his crazy clever tech guy - Fox. Morgan Freeman as ever gives a great performance, but I have to say the flying Batmobile - lacked a bit of excitement for me.

The brief cameo from Liam Neeson did give a bit of back-story - linking the Bane plot to the past movies nicely, but he wasn't in it enough for me to help to improve the rest of the movie.

The film is filled with rather predictable twists that help move the story along, and tie in nicely, however I couldn't help but feel that this film was a device for introducing the characters of Cat-woman, and Robin (while pretending to kill off Bruce's character).

I am a fan of the Batman Franchise (I mean Christian Bale - swoon) but I have to admit I felt there was something lacking from this film. The gadgets weren't impressive enough, the twists were predictable, and contrived and rather obvious from early points.

The film was too intent on introducing Cat-woman, and Robin (I'm expecting good things from them though), and not intent enough on the bits that make Batman - well Batman.

A lack lustre 2*s from me.

(I feel really bad doing this - and I'm hoping the next movie will be great, it was just too predictable, and we want an exciting Batmobile back please).

Cast From IMDB

Christian Bale ... Bruce Wayne
Gary Oldman ... Commissioner Gordon
Tom Hardy ... Bane
Joseph Gordon-Levitt ... Blake (Robin)
Anne Hathaway ... Selina (Cat Woman)
Marion Cotillard ... Miranda
Morgan Freeman ... Fox
Michael Caine ... Alfred

Movie rated 12

160 mins approx
Directed by Christopher Nolan