The Dark Knight Rises

This a short review that expresses my opinion of the film. The Dark Knight Rises is a near perfect culmination to Nolan's 'Gotham Trilogy' and more that, more than anything, it culminates a depiction of the one superhero in the realm of comics that CHOSE to take on this massive responsibility other superheroes feel compelled to take on. Ever hear of, "With great power comes great responsibility."? The point is Batman, Bruce Wayne's true self, made a choice in the aftermath of his family tragedy he never had to make. As a trust fund baby, he could have moved on with, at the very least, financial security, but he CHOSE to devote himself to helping and inspiring other people while Never seeking any credit for it. Batman is a hero for the people, all people of every walk of life and not just the downtrodden, the poor or disenfranchised, but anyone and everyone in need of help. In the end, Nolan's Gotham, Gotham's rich and poor, strong and weak, all need him as much as they need each other, a symbol to believe in....that is the legacy of Batman in Gotham and 'The Dark Knight Rises' delivers that Batman, that Bruce Wayne. edit: It's a touch drawn out in parts, feeling as though it could be tightened and yet, none of these drawn out elements feel unnecessary or detrimental to the experience. Some flashbacks feel a bit too expository as the dialogue describing it is enough to complete the expostion and with how complex this film is, they come off as a bit much, but I'm still not bothered by them and they in no way contradict the rules of this world or create plot hole in any way. So really, they are not much to quibble about. The more I think about, especially considering what I'm reading in some negative reviews, is that this drawn out quality, this middled sense some see, serves the tortured nature of Bruce Wayne in a way we haven't seen on the big screen before. More than ever, Bruce is forced to struggle, claw and climb his way up from the depths (literally) in a manner that more honestly characterizes the self-imposed weight of his city's well being and the well being of any one person in need. That's very important to make clear here. Batman has always be an exceedingly well disciplined, tightly wound, passionate and willful...open wound. The Dark Knight Rises, to some, is a long, tortured experience.......perhaps that's a sense of what was intended; (and this is essential), Bruce Wayne's experience, at it's most human has always been a long tortured climb from the depths of emotional despair, a climb the character has always wielded as the source of strength he needs to become the Batman. Some negative reviewers have claimed the film's characters come off as perposterous, false, too one dimensional or that their actions make no sense. Where that comes from I have no idea because I saw no issues with any of them, especially considering my own familiarity with each of them from years of loving Batman and his villians in the various mediums in which they've been portrayed. The actions of Bruce Wayne, Bane, Catwoman, etc. (I don't want to reveal a cool cameo of one villian or the appearance of a third villian I did not expect), come off well within the range of the characters as they've always been portrayed. To say that Bane's revolution or his maniacal fanaticism makes no sense is to not understand Bane as he has always been. Bane is a true believer in the vein of the League of Shadows, much the antithesis to Wayne's true believer in the good people can and must have if Gotham is to be saved. These character's are who they've always been and if that's unbelievable than there's no accounting for imagination or a lack there of.