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The final part in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is finally here, The Dark Knight Rises has been much hyped recently and given the level of success of Nolan’s last two movies, The Dark Knight and Inception respectively, it’s clear to see why. So, having avoided almost everything possible regarding the movie beyond my own internal hype, does it live up to it? The answer, unfortunately, is mixed.

The Dark Knight Rises opens 8 years after the events from the previous outing, the fallout from Harvey Dent’s homicidal rampage being a cover up and The Dent Act enabling the cleaning up of Gotham’s streets. Batman is an outlaw who hasn’t been seen since the evening of Dent’s death and Bruce Wayne has become a recluse, shut up in one wing of his (now rebuilt) mansion. We first see Bruce, dishevelled and unshaven, in a dressing gown and walking with a cane. Enter Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle, posing as an unassuming server at a function being held at Wayne manner. Hathaway’s timid maid gives way to a confident, sleek, perfectly cat like creature in an instant and the transformation is flawless, as indeed is her performance throughout. This opening is just a precursor to the larger story, which won’t be given away here, the basics of which bring Batman out of hiding in order to try to defend the people of Gotham from Bane, a massive imposing agent of chaos who is seeking to redress the balance of power between the elite and the everyday man.

The pop at the stock markets/banks and big business is an obvious and heavy handed message (even more ironic given that these movies have made a lot of people very rich) but it’s not really the point of the movie, which seems to be seeking to resolve the purpose of Batman in the first place. As expected Batman’s return brings with it some new toys that afford some exciting action sequences – the chase when he first reveals himself, and the final epic battle sequence being the highlights. Bane is imposing, but ultimately feels wasted, like he’s holding back – particularly in the two fight scenes with Batman that come off feeling very blocky and not enough like an ‘ultimate showdown’ – there’s one very brief moment during the final battle where you feel Tom Hardy is really going all out, but it is short lived.

The biggest point of contention, and one that ruins the effect of Bane completely, is his voice; not only is it bafflingly goofy to the point of distracting from what he’s saying but actually understanding him is sometimes difficult. Add to that the growly ‘big boy’ voice Bale puts on as Batman and at certain points it’s like listening to two rock filled blenders attempting to hurl dialogue at each other. It contrasts starkly with the simple, heartbreaking exchange that takes place between Alfred and Bruce at one point. As always Gary Oldman is great as Commissioner Gordon, this time adding some more subtle layers to the character, making him a lot more flawed and he get’s a sidekick of sorts in Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Gotham PD beat cop turned Detective, John Blake. However Blake’s sub plot revolving around child orphans and his ‘instinctual’ knowledge of Batman’s identity are just a bit much in terms of trying to hammer home an emotional or humanistic story. Mostly it is not the performances that let this film down, it is the script (the exception being a late on performance by Marion Cotillard where she completely Shatner’s up the scene).

Unfortunately in many respects TDKR is very predictable, there was little in the way of surprising plot twists that weren’t clearly signposted early on, and some of the story development is bloated and tiresome. There has always been some licence with the interpretations of the comic books, I have no issue with that because of the universe that these films have created is succinct and vastly interesting, but this one perhaps represents the most divergent removal from the DC universe. It’s as if the previous two films success had inflamed the ego of this one to the point where some of the dialogue is self-indulgently inane. Cutting a couple of the superfluous elements and streamlining the rather expansive length would have made a world of difference to the overall satisfaction of the film.

But, a mediocre Christopher Nolan movie is still a good movie by any standards and TDKR isn’t awful, it’s just a bit muddled. Nolan is a great director, no doubt, but his portrayal of the passage of time is bafflingly full of holes and at more than a few points drags. The overall tone that runs through the previous two, highlighted perfectly in the powerfully dark soundtrack from Hans Zimmer, comes to a crashing crescendo in this movie and it is likely for that reason that any plot or pacing eccentricities can be forgiven.

As a final film in a trilogy TDKR suffices, and at times almost does justice to the idea of Batman, and it seeks to resolve plot lines and link back through to the beginning of the story. However the first two thirds feel like a crawling, banal, series of exposition heavy and pointlessly complicated series of scene progressions (for what is essentially a very straight forward plot) to end up at the satisfying, if predictable, conclusion. The final fight for Gotham is suitably epic, even if the Batman vs. Bane fight is not, and it is really Anne Hathaway’s sleek, charmingly crafty, and refreshing portrayal of Catwoman that really steals the show. It falls a bit short of the grandness of endings that I was hoping for, but in between the unnecessary parts there are moments of brilliance.

The Execution of Private Slovik (pronounced “Slovak”) is the made-for-TV telling of Eddie Slovik’s execution for desertion in Europe during the second World War; the only time an American soldier has been executed for this since the American Civil War.  Like all stories based on actual events, we already know the end and the way the filmmaker deals with that challenge can be the making or breaking of the film.

The film opens with open conversation of the execution and how it is to happen.  It is this type of story telling, early on, that sets the style up as documentary in nature.  The dialogue between characters lays down details of the context and process of the story and the actions within.  We don’t even see Solvik, portrayed by Martin Sheen, until quite some time into the film.

When we meet Sovik we find a man we’re not prepared for.  A man accepting of his end and understanding of the situation.  We’re instantly gripped by this character that defies our expectations, and Sheen carries us with him until the end.  We see the story of Eddie Slovik told retrospectively by jumping back to his youth in the US, and hear voiceovers of friends and family from his life to narrate it.

The Execution of Private Slovik is not just a film about this man, it tells a story of the insanity of war as a whole and the story of an everyman.  We grow to know and love Slovik like a distant friend, and feel with him as the fates almost conspire against him.  Not only this, the director educates us about a darker side to World War II, a world of the draft and families torn apart and men not built for violence commanded to kill their fellow man.

This movie is a must see.  Don’t expect explosions and dramatic shoot-outs, but be prepared to be glued to the screen from the moment the opening crawl crests the television.

Airborne is a direct to DVD horror/thriller movie from director Dominic Burns and staring Mark Hamill (yes THAT Mark Hamill) as a senior air traffic controller who on his last shift before retirement finds himself dealing with an unexplained series of disturbances and mysteries on board the final flight under his charge. Strange disappearances and supernatural undercurrents abound as the only flight to take off during harsh weather conditions tries to make it’s way from London to New York.

Tensions are already fairly high as the thoroughly British cast of semi-recognisable wait to board their plane with a mixture of army officers, cockney gangsters, a loved up couple, a still drunk/hungover guy, chipper American, and a few others make up the sparse passenger list. The film tries to spread intrigue and drop red herrings all over the place as to what the film might be about: is it a terrorist plot? A heist? A supernatural thriller? As passengers and members of the crew start to disappear and the remaining members of the cast are forced to start acting a little too ‘tense’, one thing is clear – Mark Hamill’s Malcolm is not going to have the quiet, stress free retirement send off he’d hoped for.

Airborne is trying, often a little too hard, to generate tension and oddness – think Twilight Zone in a confined space – and unfortunately it doesn’t really succeed to any great length, in fact given the minimal cast the relatively small aeroplane actually seem quite expansive. Several of the passengers and staff act ‘odd’ in order to make you wonder at their motives or involvement in what is actually going on and while this does create some intrigue it’s also unevenly handled with half the characters seeming completely irrational. Alan Ford, Bill Murray, and Julian Glover each have their own moments to shine in an otherwise so-so script. Mark Hamill is unfortunately tied almost exclusively to a single room and doesn’t get much of a chance to do anything other than talk into a headset and voice the films narration.

When the reveal comes and we finally understand what is going on, it’s a little bit of a let down, or at least it feels a little tacky. But the very final shot is pure horror B-movie and Airborne isn’t completely devoid of merit. A little slow, a little muddled, but not altogether the worst movie ever made. Fans of schlock thrillers and B-movie style films will probably not be disappointed but really it should have gone further, been darker, or gone all out to try and scare, unfortunately instead the result is a bit tepid and forgettable.

Airborne is available on DVD July 30.