I want to preface again the heartbreak and sadness surrounding Aurora, Colorado. I do not blame the Warner Brother’s camp for contemplating canceling Dark Knight Rises screenings and the public premieres world wide. This tragedy is not about the film whatsoever, it is about a horrific act by a monstrous person. If it taints the release of the film, so be it, because these moments are not about box office records nor any political aftershock. I resent any pundit or reporter that seeks to profit off of this by discussing the film and the massacre as one entity, arguing a cause and effect or bringing up social mores for ratings. This is about support and prayers going to all those affected by this tragedy in the wake of this terrible event.

That being said, here’s my review of the film.

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I have already seen The Dark Knight Rises twice. Not that I’m bragging (BUT I AM BRAGGING). I was finishing up my coverage at Comic Con when a friend invited me to a small screener happening on the Warner Brother’s lot. I completely changed my travel plans to attend. As I was speeding in my rental car to the airport right after the screening, I found myself weeping over the conclusion of such an important film franchise (my poetic waxing on that can be found here). This all meant so much to me and therefore I must reiterate that this review may be slightly bias. I usually have a critics eye but here I am a pure fan. For more rational reviews, you can scour the internet. But if you’re a fan of the franchise, and are as excited about seeing the film as I was, this review is for you.

The Dark Knight Rises is the conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s epic Batman reboot and it wraps up the entire series so gracefully that it’s hard to pull yourself away. We are through with this Batman, through with this Bruce Wayne, and The Dark Knight Rises lets you appropriately digest this. You mourn over the end, but never regret the journey laid out before you. Never before have you seen such a conclusive end to something so epic and so established in the fandom community. Not only does it harken back to both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight but it sums up the tone and texture of what Nolan and his team has created.

But as a singular film, and you must judge each one equally as well as a the total package, grabs you from the first moment and never lets go. The first sequence, shown in front of Ghost Protocol in IMAX theaters last winter, still remains one of the most ambitious and impressive action scenes of all time. Even with the high anticipation, followed by skepticism, there is nothing dubious about this final film. It’s set up perfectly, reaching a goosebump and tear-worthy climax in the middle and then perfectly weaves a tale of the trials and triumph of hope in the city that needs saving. Your heart races through the film, feeling like a Gothamite as every moment ticks by.

Not that award shows matter any more, but the performances in The Dark Knight Rises reach unrivaled success for everyone involved- yes, I’m including Anne Hathaway. To throw in Catwoman, a franchise in its own right, and to make her cool and sexy while never pandering to the audience is a challenge. Hathaway takes this on without fear and it pays off in every way imaginable. It is hard to hold one's own on the screen with Bale’s growling Batman and Tom Hardy’s massively intimidating Bane, but she nails it. Hathaway, I am sorry for ever doubting you.

I refrain from spoilers in this review, because I know that many of you won’t get a chance to see it on opening weekend, but I will say that Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s role is paramount to the final film, creating a much needed storyline that rounds out the aptly portrayed human element that the rest of the cast carries. You can tell that each actor really believed in the vision of the end and Nolan’s belief in their talent was not wasted.

As for Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises really may be the most important film in his career to date. Not only did he use the final film to tout the importance of shooting in celluloid (a hot button issue in the development of film these days), but the pure scope of the film is bigger and more intense than anything he has ever done before. He challenged himself with this project, when it would have been just as easy to rest on his haunches and ride out the film on The Dark Knight’s coattails. Not only staying true to many of the DC Comic incarnations of Batman (Frank Miller’s Year One stands out), Nolan (along with writing partner and brother Jonathan Nolan) stayed true to the story they set out to tell seven years ago with Batman Begins. No stops were pulled and every risk was warranted.

Speaking of those risks, I’m not going to sit here and say that the movie was perfect. Nothing is perfect, no matter how beautifully something comes together. There will be moments that some may raise an eyebrow over. There will be those few who don’t like the film. But this was also present in the reactions to The Dark Knight. At this point, we’ve seen that film so many times it has become flawless in our memory, something that I think The Dark Knight Rises will do as well.

So much so, you leave the theater immediately wanting to watch the movie again. Even the long length (about 2 hours and 45 minutes) doesn’t deter you from one of the most expansive and epic films ever made (PEE BEFOREHAND). I promise, and this goes especially if you’re seeing it as it is meant to be seen in IMAX, you have never had such a movie experience in your entire life, when your entire body is wrapped up in the wonders of cinema.

I cannot express to you readers how relieved I am to have loved this movie, perhaps so more than The Dark Knight. As I mentioned before, it is hard for me to write out a more critical review, but I did mentally prepare myself for the slight possibility of disappointment. We see the greatest franchise conclude with an award worthy opus and the only thing we are truly disappointed in is the fact that nothing will fill its cape and cowl for a long time.

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