The Dark Knight Rises Best Movie in Dark Knight Franchise BY NICK BICHO Staff Writer Out of all the big budget, action packed blockbusters that came out this summer, none could have topped the hype and notoriety of The Dark Knight Rises. Starring Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises is a tale of despair and redemption that cannot be missed. Director Christopher Nolan's final act in the series lives up to the hype and goes above and beyond the expectations set by the last movie. The plot is set eight years after The Dark Knight, at this time Bruce Wayne (Bale) is a broken man who lives in hiding while trying to deal with the consequences of his actions in the last movie. However, when a new villain comes to Gotham, Bruce Wayne must return as the Batman and save Gotham city once again. Christian Bale does an amazing job playing the part of Bruce Wayne. He’s able to capture the emotion, sorrow, and responsibility of the Batman. However Bale isn't the only one carrying this film. Actors Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon Levitt gave spectacular performances in their supporting roles. This movie has a lot of things going right. Other than the stellar performances of all of the actors, the story is deep and fits well with its predecessors. Director Christopher Nolan paints a dark and dreary Gotham city during the Batman's absence and it only gets worse when Bane shows up. Nolan perfectly tells The Batman's story and ends the series on a good note. The ending will literally take your breath away leaving you in your seat speechless. The story is what makes this movie great and is the reason why The Dark Knight Rises can't be missed. However, every movie has its faults. The only problem with this movie would have to be its antagonist. Don't get me wrong, Bane is a great villain whose wit and motivation are just as terrifying as his strength; however it’s hard to take him seriously. Heath Ledger's iconic performance as the Joker overshadows Bane and is the reason why Bane can't be taken seriously. The Joker was human which is what made him a great villain. Bane is a great over the top super villain but he's just too cliché. Other than that, the only other minor problem is that the movie also starts off a little slow. Despite these problems, The Dark Knight Rises is still an amazing movie. Overall, Christopher Nolan's epic conclusion to the Batman series lives up to all the hype. It’s a powerful and action packed movie that will satisfy Batman lovers and ordinary movie goers alike. Even though it has a few minor problems, this is a movie that cannot be missed. .