The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan and the story with David S. Goyer. Featuring the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the third and final installment in Nolan's Batman film trilogy, and it is the sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008). Christian Bale reprises the lead role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, with a returning cast of Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as James Gordon, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, and Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane. The film introduces two main characters to Nolan's series: Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a cat burglar whose appearance in Gotham City sets in motion a chain of events that leads Batman to come out of retirement; and Bane (Tom Hardy), a mercenary whose objective is to destroy Gotham.

 Christopher Nolan was initially hesitant about returning to the series for a second time, but agreed to come back after developing a story with his brother and Goyer that he felt would conclude the series on a satisfactory note. Nolan drew inspiration from Bane's comic book debut in the 1993 Knightfall storyline, the 1986 series The Dark Knight Returns, and the 1999 storyline No Man's Land. Filming took place in various locations, including Jodhpur, London, Nottingham, Glasgow, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, and Pittsburgh. Nolan utilized IMAX cameras for much of the filming to optimize the quality of the picture, including the first six minutes of the film. A variation of the Batplane termed "The Bat", an underground prison set, and a new Batcave set were created specifically for the film. As with The Dark Knight, viral marketing campaigns began early during production to help promotion. When filming concluded, Warner Bros. refocused its campaign; developing promotional websites, releasing the first six minutes of the film and theatrical trailers, sending random pieces of information regarding the film's plot to various companies.

 

The Dark Knight Rises premiered in New York City on July 16, 2012. The film was released in Australia and New Zealand on July 19, 2012, and in North America and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2012. The film received positive reviews and has grossed over $1.08 billion worldwide. The Dark Knight Rises is currently the seventh-highest-grossing film of all time, the second-highest-grossing film of 2012, and the second highest grossing superhero film of all time.

Eight years after the death of Harvey Dent, the Gotham City Police Department has nearly eradicated organized crime with powers granted by the Dent Act, legislation inspired by Dent. Batman has disappeared, with Bruce Wayne becoming a recluse. Feeling guilty over his role in the cover-up of Dent's crimes, Police Commissioner James Gordon writes a resignation speech confessing the truth, but decides that the city is not ready to hear it. While pursuing criminals in the sewers, Gordon is captured and his speech is taken by a terrorist named Bane. Gordon escapes and is found by John Blake, a patrol officer who has deduced Batman's true identity.

Wayne Enterprises is nearly bankrupt after Bruce invested in board member Miranda Tate's nuclear fusion project, only to shut it down after discovering the reactor core could be weaponized. Alfred Pennyworth, concerned that Bruce has not moved on from being Batman, reveals to Bruce that Rachel Dawes had intended to marry Dent before she died. Upon learning this, Bruce angrily dismisses Alfred. Meanwhile, Bane attacks the Gotham Stock Exchange and bankrupts Bruce using fingerprints obtained by cat burglar Selina Kyle. Fearing that his business rival John Daggett, who employed Bane to aid in a hostile takeover, would gain access to the reactor, Bruce asks Tate to take control of Wayne Enterprises.

Batman asks Selina to lead him to Bane, but Selina double-crosses him, leading him into a trap. Bane reveals that he knows Batman's true identity and intends to fulfill Ra's al Ghul's mission to destroy Gotham. Bane then cripples Batman and sends him to a foreign prison where escape is virtually impossible, telling him that he will torture the entire city of Gotham. While there, the inmates relate to Bruce the story of Ra's al Ghul's child, who was born in the prison and is the only person known to have escaped; Bruce deduces that the child is Bane. Meanwhile, using explosive concrete laid by Daggett's construction crews, Bane traps most of Gotham's police force underground and cuts Gotham off from the rest of the world, using the now weaponized reactor core to hold the city hostage. Bane reveals the cover-up of Dent's crimes and releases the prisoners of Blackgate Penitentiary under the pretense of starting a revolution. The wealthy and powerful are dragged from their homes and given show trials, presided over by Dr. Jonathan Crane, where the "convicted" die no matter the sentence.

Bruce spends months recuperating and retraining himself. He escapes from the prison and enlists Selina, Blake, Tate, Gordon and Lucius Fox to help liberate Gotham and stop the bomb from detonating. During a confrontation between the police and Bane's forces, Batman fights and subdues Bane by damaging his mask. Tate comes to Bane's aid and stabs Batman, revealing herself to be Ra's al Ghul's daughter Talia. It was she who escaped the prison as a child, aided by fellow prisoner Bane. She plans to complete her father's work by detonating the bomb and destroying Gotham. After Talia leaves, Bane is killed by Selina on the Batpod, while Gordon blocks the bomb's ability to be remotely detonated. Batman gives chase, attempting to force Talia to drive the bomb to the reactor where it can be stabilized. Talia's truck crashes, and she remotely floods the reactor chamber, before succumbing to her wounds. Batman realizes that the only way to stop it is to use The Bat, an aircraft developed by Fox, to haul the bomb away from Gotham. He flies the bomb out over the bay, where it detonates. In the aftermath, Batman is praised as a hero, while Bruce is assumed dead after the revolution. After Bruce's funeral, Wayne Manor is left to the city to become an orphanage, and Bruce's remaining estate is left to Alfred. Fox discovers that Bruce had previously fixed the Bat's on-board autopilot system, and Gordon finds the Bat-Signal refurnished. Alfred witnesses Bruce and Selina together in Florence. Blake, who resigns from the police force, inherits the Batcave.