The Dark Knight Rises Revisited: A Film That Could Have Been Great, But Wasn't

It's no secret that the final installment, The Dark Knight Rises, left some viewers feeling underwhelmed and frustrated.

But let's start with the positives, because there were a few. The action scenes, as always, were top-notch and visually stunning. And who can forget Tom Hardy 's gruff portrayal of Bane? A definite highlight.

However, it's hard to ignore the film's shortcomings. The plot was convoluted, with too many characters and subplots vying for attention. And speaking of characters, what happened to Selina Kyle? Reduced to a love interest for Bruce Wayne, her potential as a complex and layered character was unfortunately wasted.

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And then there's the ending. Without giving too much away, let's just say it left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans. "I had such high hopes for The Dark Knight Rises, but it was a complete letdown," lamented one of the Nolan fans on Reddit. "The plot was a mess and the characters were poorly developed. I'm not sure what Nolan was thinking."

But not everyone was disappointed. Another Redditor had a different take: "I know it wasn't perfect, but I still loved it. The action scenes were epic and I thought Tom Hardy did a great job as Bane. I'm just glad we got to see a conclusion to the trilogy."

The Dark Knight Rises may have had its fair share of flaws, but it was still a massive commercial success. Grossing over $1 billion at the box office worldwide, the film was one of the highest-grossing of 2012 and cemented Nolan's place as a major player in the superhero film genre.

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But let's not forget that The Dark Knight Rises didn't quite reach the same level of success as its predecessor, The Dark Knight. That film remains the highest-grossing in the trilogy, and it's clear that Rises wasn't able to capture the same level of critical and audience acclaim.

Still, it's hard to deny the financial power of the Dark Knight trilogy as a whole. And who knows, maybe a few years down the road The Dark Knight Rises will find a special place in the hearts of fans, flaws and all (just like Star Wars prequel trilogy did after the whole sequel trilogy disaster). After all, love (and box office receipts) knows no bounds.