The Dark Knight Rises

Eight years after Harvey Dent dies and Gotham is supposed to be clean of his tainted legacy, Batman keeps a heavy promise by bearing responsibility for Dent's crimes so the law can protect his memory. The hero has become a fugitive in his own city, with the police and public wary of his vigilante methods. Then a new threat arrives in the form of a masked revolutionary named Bane, who brings a ruthless plan to topple the city’s order, and a wily ally in Selina Kyle who tests Batman’s ideas about justice. As fear spreads, the Dark Knight reenters the fray to defend a metropolis that now views him as an enemy, even as he doubts what he’s fighting for.

Directed by Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises closes his Batman trilogy and draws on the Kane legacy created by Bob Kane. Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne, joined by Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway, delivering a finale.

The film earned over a billion dollars worldwide, finishing as one of the top box office performers of 2012 and a high point for comic book cinema in the early 2010s, helping redefine spectacle and legacy in blockbuster filmmaking trends.

Tom Hardy's Bane delivered a distinctive physical presence and a commanding voice that lingered in pop culture, while Anne Hathaway's Catwoman offered a stylish foil and a charismatic counterpoint to Batman. The movie also pushed large scale action into IMAX theaters, shaping how big finales feel on screen for cinema.

Critics celebrated the film's ambition and scope, praising Nolan's filmmaking craft and the performances, especially Bale's grounded Bruce Wayne and Hardy's Bane. Some reviews pointed to uneven pacing, but many highlighted themes of sacrifice, accountability, and resilience in a city tested by fear and inequality, and sparks debates about justice.