Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

[Editor's Note: Opening Friday the Dark Knight Rises was taken in by Julie Fisk, our Queen of the Silver Screen and member of the DFW Film Critics Association.]

The Dark Knight Rises

“The Dark Knight Rises” once again stars Christian Bale as Batman, who is protecting his beloved Gotham from a new villain.

Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

You might want to watch the other Batman movies Christopher Nolan directed before seeing this one because things have changed. Batman is wanted for murder and Bruce Wayne is hiding-out inside Wayne Manor. The crime rate of Gotham is at an all-time low until Bane hits the scene. He’s a muscle-y freight train of barely contained rage played by the adorable Tom Hardy, whose pretty face has been replaced with something terrible. Bane represents very REAL threats to our society, like terrorism & nuclear weapons. Batman has his hands full with this one, but he is sadly not the man he once was.

In fact, the bleakness Batman’s condition threatens to overwhelm this movie but it doesn’t, thanks to a new cat-burglar on the scene. When I heard that Anne Hathaway was playing Cat Woman, I didn’t buy it but BOY was I wrong. She is amazing. Every scene she is in pops and crackles and yes, I have a Girl Crush on Anne Hathaway now. Nothing gross, I just want to braid her hair and borrow her clothes.

“The Dark Knight Rises” does get a little overwrought when questioning Batman. Is he strong enough? Will he return? Well YES! The movie is called “The Dark Knight Rises!” Plus, it’s very long. At 2 hours & 44 minutes, you’ll be running for the facilities when the credits roll.

This did little to dampen my enthusiasm though because I’m giving “The Dark Knight Rises” an A. Also, we’ve been told repeatedly THIS would be the last Dark Knight movie, but don’t worry. After seeing this one, I feel CERTAIN we’ll see many, if not MOST of these characters again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXAzGGX2tpw