By Marty Mulrooney
The Dark Knight Rises is the third and final instalment of director Christopher Nolan’s epic Batman film trilogy, following on from Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008). Christian Bale once again reprises his role as Batman, this time opposite Tom Hardy as the villain Bane, a terrorist hell-bent on destroying Gotham City. Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman also return, alongside newcomers Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anne Hathaway.