I'm a firm believer in the power of three: in comedic purposes, in math and in franchises. Typically by the time the third film has released, the franchise is dead and cannot be brought back to life (i.e. Ice Age). However there comes a time when a film is just so good, the curse is lifted and surpasses all expectations. Christopher Nolan has brought that to us in the darkest Batman yet. I'm convinced that Nolan was a hell raiser as a child because someone who had an average living couldn't come up with something so sinister and heart breaking as The Dark Knight Rises. That or he read way too many comic books.
  The story is as follows: it's been eight years since the death of the fallen Harvey Dent and Gotham is as quiet as a mouse. There was a law after his death put in place that allowed the police to make arrests without the normal protocol so a lot of the streets have been cleaned up. The Batman is gone and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a sliver of what he once was. Wayne Enterprises is not what it used to be. Commissioner Gordan (Gary Oldman) is ridden with the quilt of helping idolize Dent and tarnish Batman's reputation. But there's always something about calm before the storm that really makes a person nervous. Wayne Enterprises is teaming up with the beautiful and persistent Miranda (Marion Cotillard) for a clean energy project in order to help resort balance to the world. Well things soon start to shake up: Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn), a no good greedy bastard, comes up with a plan to steal Wayne Enterprises from under Bruce by hiring the trained killer Bane (Tom Hardy) to steal a code from the Stock Exchange and frame it on Bruce, literally leaving him penniless and forcing him to sell the company. However, in order to frame it on Wayne, Daggett needs his fingerprints and that's where Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a.k.a Catwoman, comes in. With the help of Bane and Selina, Daggett leaves Bruce practically homeless, only you should never trust someone who you can't even pick up. Bane has bigger plans other than to satisfy Daggett's lust for power and so he removes him from the equation to start the real plans. Soon the city is in a code red state, fearing for their lives. Criminals of all backgrounds are being let loose through the city. The social elite are being tried for crimes against the people of Gotham and are only given two options: death or exile. Pure chaos is following through the alleyways of Gotham as if it were blood. And the only question on people's minds are where's hope? Where's Batman?
  In every Nolan Batman film, there is one theme that is always pressing forward: hope. This film in particular, hope drives everyone: for Bane, it's to fulfill a destiny to help bring balance back to the world. For Selina, it's to finally have the slate wiped clean and live a life without having to look over her shoulder. And for Bruce, to help save the city that he loves and to finally put Batman to rest and move on with his life. Nolan has a way of making the most monstrous characters human. We all have to eat and some of us will do anything for a meal. We all have dreams and some of us are willing to do whatever it took just to accomplish them. We all have a wanting for something that sometimes feels like will never happen.   
  No matter what I tell you, you'll only believe me if you see this film. I'm not asking, but I'm telling you, see this movie. If you're not a Batman fan now, talk to me after this and I'm pretty sure you'll have changed your mind.