Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked
11. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
It was always going to be a thankless task for Christopher Nolan to end his Dark Knight trilogy on a high that ticked all the required boxes. After all, he'd set the bar at a mountainous level with the previous films - how could he possibly reach so high again?
To his credit, he certainly tries. There are passages in The Dark Knight Rises that rival the emotional heights of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, whether that's in the form of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) trying to mend his body after a brutal battle with the indomitable Bane (a chilling Tom Hardy), or long-suffering butler Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) failing to save the boy under his care from a futile quest for revenge.
The Dark Knight Rises does all a final superhero flick is supposed to in the current climate - tug at the heartstrings with a touch of melodrama, beat its hero to rock bottom, up the scale to 11 - and it makes for a choppy, overstuffed affair. But this is Nolan - choppy and overstuffed has rarely looked so good. Even at his most unfocussed, he somehow yields moments of brilliance.