All right, you guys asked for it (not really) and I’m sure you’ve been anticipating it for over a week now (I highly doubt that) and I’m super proud to present (or just don’t really have anything else to write about), my review and thoughts on the newest and last installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises.

Now, of course, as any nerd girl would, I went to the midnight showing of this movie. Due to some, hem, hem, difficulties before the show, I wound up getting to the movie at about 11:20, only forty minutes before it started. As I’m sure you could guess, I was lucky enough to sit in the very first row, gaining me not only the opportunity to watch the movie, but to live it as well. My nose was basically rubbing right against the movie screen.

But despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was worth sitting in the front row for (though I can’t wait to go back and view in a more enjoyable seating spot) and it was definitely worth only getting two hours of sleep for, as I worked at 7 a.m. the next day.

Just picture it: three hours of non-stop drama and action. I’ve watched plenty of 3 to 4 hour movies in my lifetime and there haven’t been many where I feel riveted and glued to the screen the whole time. The Dark Knight Rises definitely did that.

The movie picks off eight years after the end of Dark Knight. Batman has been underground ever since he decided to take the blame for Harvey Dent’s “murder”. Crime is basically nonexistent in Gotham City, Commissioner Gordon is bored as hell and Bruce Wayne has locked himself up in his gigantic manor house. That is until Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, sneaks into his house to allegedly steal pearls, but, in fact, is stealing his fingerprints…and this all eventually leads to Bane. Bane literally causes such havoc in Gotham City, he shuts the entire city off from the world.

Now, the things I liked about this movie (I could go on and on but I’m going to narrow it down to a few):

1. Bruce Wayne’s comeback as Batman. To me, it was believable. He didn’t jump into the suit and start being epic and awesome again. It’s been eight years. He’s literally become a hermit, and let’s face it, he’s getting up there in years. It’s not easy to beat up the bad guys, especially strong and powerful ones like Bane. I like that he had to make that journey again to become the Batman, that he had to overcome obstacles and believe in himself again, and rediscover himself. Loved it

2. Joseph Gordon Levitt as John Blake (SPOILER: Robin John Blake). Joseph Gordon Levitt has only gotten better with age, both in talent as an actor and in looks. He is a fantastic supporting character, taking on the role of detective and holding on to that strong strong belief in Batman and what he stands for. And his belief in justice, its just so strong, he continues to fight for Gotham City even while all hope seems lost. And come on, the guy has grown up so well. He looks damn good, and he was definitely my nerd girl eye candy in this movie.

3. I LOVE Anne Hathaway, I think she’s a fantastic actress and beautiful in a way that makes you look twice. She doesn’t immediately come to mind when it comes to “hot” girls, like Megan Fox or Scarlett Johanssen, etc. Until this movie. She exudes sexiness and fierceness and intelligence and she is simply badass in this movie.

4. The ending. I’m not going to reveal it for those who have not yet watched this movie. (You haven’t watched this movie? Seriously, you need to get your ass to a movie theater right now. Close the laptop. Seriously, close it. Go. Now). I loved the ending. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before in my blogs, but I hate happy endings. Okay, I don’t hate them but I find them to be extremely unrealistic and believable. I love endings that have a bit of happiness in them, definitely, but I like that ending where you know things were bad and people have died. Because instead of left feeling like you just watched a Disney movie, you leave feeling literally like you got clubbed over the head, but you also leave with hope, that even though things were bad and horrible things have happened, its going to get better.

Now, things I didn’t like so much:

1. Bane’s voice. For two reasons. One, it was kind of weird for a bad guy, at first anyway. I eventually got over it. It isn’t what you would think a bad guy should sound like but as the movie went on and Bane got more and more terrifying and evil, the more his voice started to creep me out. The second reason, it was extremely hard to understand. I’m the sort of girl who needs subtitles when I watch TV shows and movies, even if I’ve already seen it a million times. So it was really difficult for me to understand. From what I’ve heard though, Christopher Nolan had already heard these complaints before and has stated firmly that this was never going to change and that he had this done purposefully. So I accept it because Nolan is awesome.

2. Okay, (SPOILER ALERT, Continue to #3 if you would not like this movie ruined), I guessed pretty early on that John Blake (Levitt) was Robin. It was so obvious. He was badass, he was an orphan the same as Batman, etc. I loved that part and I loved the end, with Levitt going into the Batcave. Oh my Rowling, I loved that part. The part that ticked me off was that his name was Robin John Blake. Seriously? You couldn’t have named him Dick Grayson, or even the less obvious ones like Tim Drake or Jason Todd? I guess that would’ve been too obvious for Batman fans (or even people like me who know enough about Batman to know who Robin is!) and just not obvious enough for those who don’t know Batman. I know it’s so petty haha but I would have liked Blake to be named Dick Grayson, the very first Robin.

3. The tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. As I’m sure most people are aware of what occurred during a midnight show of Dark Knight Rises, I won’t go into detail. What I will say is this: such a terrible act should never have to happen and it is appalling to me. As a nerd girl, I am obsessed with many fandoms and often wish they could be real. However, I am aware that these aren’t real and can separate that fantasy from reality. My thoughts are with those in Aurora, Colorado.

In the end, this movie was fantastic, and an epic way to end what I feel is definitely the best Batman movies ever made. Nolan’s trilogy will be remembered for years. I urge everyone who has not seen it to go see it and I urge those who have seen it to see it again, as I’m definitely going to.

And I also want to send much love, and praise and hugs and admiration to Christian Bale for going to visit the victims of the Colorado shooting, not as a publicity stunt or any of that, but as a superhero, a hero just as big as the one he plays on the big screen.

What did you think of the last Batman installment? As always, leave it in the comments. I do ask that you leave the spoilers to a minimum, or if you do, please post “SPOILER” or something of that nature to warn those readers who haven’t had the chance to enjoy the movie just yet.

*      *      *      *      *      *      *

Okay, one last little side note: Gary Oldman, Commissioner Gordon? The guy seriously only gets more and more sexy as he gets older. I’ve had a crush on him since he became Sirius Black, one of my favorite characters in Harry Potter, and I definitely love that I get to enjoy his talent and his deliciousness in this installment once more. Okay, I’m done. :)