Dark Knight Rises, The

Theatrical Release: 7/20/2012

Reviewer: Scott Rolfe
Source: Theater
Writer: Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan
Producer: Charles Roven
Director: Christopher Nolan
Genre: Action
Runtime: 164 min.
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman

Synopsis:
Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' "The Dark Knight Rises" is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy.

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.

But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.

Dove Worldview:
The latest edition in the Batman saga falls short in multiple ways. The action isn't impressive, the fight scenes linger on, the bad guys murder many in cold blood and the special effects are flat. That said, the story is more intricate than in the previous films and does hold one's attention for the full two and a half hours. However, this is not enough to sell the film.

The language is over the top, using biblical profanity which is unfortunate as this and a single scene where Bruce Wayne sleeps with a woman for no apparent reason are unnecessary. These are the only reasons we cannot award our Seal to this film. Thus, we must conclude that this is not a film for the family. Perhaps the filmmakers will keep this in mind for the next reboot of the franchise.

Content Chart & Description

Rating Descriptions

Sex: Man/woman kiss-1; passionate kiss between man/woman-1; implied unmarried man/woman have sexual relations.
Language: GD-1; J-2; SOB-1; H-11; B-1; Slang for male genitalia-1
Violence: Multiple gunshots, explosions, cold blooded killings with a minimum of blood; several hand-to-hand combat scenes.
Drugs: Man addicted to morphine delivered through a mask to relieve his pain.
Nudity: Shirtless men multiple times.
Other: None

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