Film: The Dark Knight Rises

The third instalment to Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Batman series 'The Dark Knight Rises' is the film everyone is talking about this month. Worldwide promotion campaigns have gone viral and Nolan has stepped-up his game, using IMAX cameras for most of the filming to create shots that dare to impress even the high-definition technology generation.

Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne, this time eight years after Batman's fiery battles against the terrorising Joker. Gotham is initially a relatively crime-free city thanks to stringent law enforcement that came into place following the Joker's bloody stint, leaving little need for the superhero to make his return. Nonetheless, Bale's face emerges on the scene, raised from exile, to bring down ruthless gas-masked terrorist Bane.

Some critics have picked up on a changed quality in comparison to the prequel's unstinting spouts of barbaric and blood-spattered action scenes. Batman is less of a fighting superhero, but instead represents a mediator in a more sober take on a Marvel classic; reviews have highlighted that the atmosphere is more reminiscent of Coppola's second Godfather film than that of archetypal superhero movies Spiderman and Incredible Hulk. Instead, our costumed crusader takes a slight backseat and characters such as moral referee, Morgan Freeman, and beat cop, John Blake played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, come to the foreground.

Those who enjoyed Nolan's flawless cinematography in 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight' are in for another treat. Nolan's style is minimal and unadorned and he restrains from using over-elaborate visuals. The result: a fanciful storyline reaches unnerving levels of believability. Likewise, the star-studded cast sees the return of blockbuster heavyweights Michael Caine and Gary Oldman, as well as the addition of Anne Hatheway and Tom Hardy to the bill, playing Selina Kyle and Bane.

Reviews in the build-up to release were divisive and Hollywood and Fine's claim that the film is "grandiose not grand" stirred controversy. Film review forum Rotten Tomatoes even had to suspend comments for ?The Dark Knight Rises' after ardent fans threatened critics who had published negative reviews. However, themes from the first two films are cohesively intertwined into an epic two and three-quarter hours and adrenaline soars to levels that justifiably compete with the originals. Nolan tugs at his spectators' emotions, focusing on strong characterisations, developing relationships and delving into the psyche of the characters. Worth seeing, the trilogy's thrilling finale will undeniably leave cinemas overflowing with fans this summer.