Saw it last night myself as well.
In a word: Incredible.
With every movie he makes Christopher Nolan continually exceeds what I expect of him as a filmmaker. He is truly a visionary. I dont view 'The Dark Knight Rises' as a comic book adaptation though. More of a commentary on the effects of anarchy, lawlessness and disunity.
Semi-Review:
Acting: Christian Bale was great as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Gary Oldman churns out yet another solid performance. Anne Hathaway was decent as Selina Kyle, I didnt go in expecting much from her so therefore I wasnt disappointed. Could have done her some more justice in the second half.
Joseph Gordon Levitt. I'm still divided on him. Fantastic performance but Im iffy on his overall role. However, the ending did set up for him to possibly continue Batman into the Justice League, IF they go that route. I really hope they do not.
Tom hardy easily stole the show for me. Ive never read any comics with Bane in them but from what I gathered he's the only villian to ever truly defeat Batman. From the opening sequence to the Stock Exchange raid to the sewer fight, hardy portrays Bane as not just a hulking badass intent on destroying EVERYTHING in his way, but also as a tactical genius. Very impressive, though not to the level of Heath Ledger.
And then theres Michael Caine. Two Alfred scenes made me tear up. Short sporadic appearances but easily the most emotionally charged performance of the trilogy in my books.
The actual movie: Great cinematography as always, no shocker there. The opening sequence and sewer fight especially come to mind. The effects were also notable during the explosion montage across the city. Really I need another viewing to elaborate here.
In short: I loved it. More than The Dark Knight, which I feel was so grossly blown out of proportion due to Heath Ledger's death. Was it a masterpiece? Absolutely. And I KNOW I'll cause controversy here but 'Rises' is hands down my favorite movie in the series. It isnt a superhero movie, it's a straight up Drama. A masterpiece on every level that eclipses it's predecessors in every way EXCEPT the leading villian, who was just a tad bit underwhelming. There is very little humor throughout, be warned. It is intense, at least to me. Nolan cements himself as one the best filmmakers and storytellers in the business today. I honest to God hope he gets some sort of recognition this year, almost as a Lifetime Achievement Award. Im not sure how to sum this up other than to say that everyone old enough, who appreciates a fantastically crafter film needs to see this film.
