Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy Director: Christopher Nolan

    STIRRING in its broad strokes but shakier in its handling of the nuances of character and story, “The Dark Knight Rises” doesn’t lack ambition or vision. Nonetheless, this final installment in director Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy is the first of the series not to smoothly execute its grand aspirations.

    The film suffers a bit from a glut of new characters — none of whom are as indelible as Heath Ledger’s Joker from “The Dark Knight” — but is helped along by Nolan’s continued insistence on emotional resonance over mindless spectacle.

    Taking place eight years after “The Dark Knight,” the new film presents us with a Gotham City in which crime has been greatly reduced, Batman has gone into retirement, and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a recluse living in his mansion, still reeling from the death of his beloved Rachel. But he feels compelled to put the cape on again when a vicious madman named Bane (Tom Hardy) plots to destroy Gotham and Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a mysterious thief, eyes Bruce as her latest victim.

    As a replacement for the slain Rachel — played by Katie Holmes in “Batman Begins” and Maggie Gyllenhaal in the sequel — the filmmakers have given Bruce two possible love interests who are meant to appeal to different aspects of his personality. As the demure Miranda Tate, Marion Cotillard exudes a sweet warmth, while Hathaway as the conniving, acidic Selina Kyle is a dangerous seductress. There’s potential for an interesting dynamic between the three characters, but Nolan and co-writer Jonathan Nolan don’t offer enough emotional beats to either woman’s story to allow them to become compelling romantic figures.

    This is also problematic with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of young, inexperienced policeman John Blake. At first, Blake seems too inconsequential to be part of this film’s grand design, but soon it becomes clear that the cop’s unexpected childhood connection to Bruce Wayne will make him one of the narrative’s emotional guideposts, allowing him to be a metaphor for uncorrupted idealism.

    The final new character, that of the evil Bane, is played by Hardy and certainly his task is the most difficult. Not only does he portray a villain who’s less well-known than the Joker, he has to follow in the footsteps of Ledger’s chilling performance. Perhaps intentionally, Bane is the opposite of the Joker: reserved and powerful, rather than dynamic and slippery. But because he’s concealed behind an iron mask that covers his mouth — giving the impression that he has a jaw of terrifying metal fangs — Hardy’s performance is more about physical presence, and he makes for an imposing figure. Still, one can’t help but feel that he’s a bit one-note, stripping his showdowns with Batman of some of their dramatic power.

    As would be expected, the effects, cinematography and production design are all top-notch. But special mention goes to Hans Zimmer, who co-scored “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” with James Newton Howard. “Rises” is his first solo effort in the trilogy, and his ominous music — particularly the haunting, rhythmic theme for Bane — gives the film much of its creeping sense of unease. Nolan has always aspired to make Batman films with a dramatic heft that transcends simple comic-book-movie escapism, and Zimmer adds plenty of instrumental weight to the proceedings.

                                    The movie is now being screened in Hong Kong.

                                   (SD-Agencies)