Eight years have passed since the events of The Dark Knight. Harvey Dent is dead, Gotham city's crime rate has dropped significantly, and the Batman has not been seen since the night of Harvey's death. While Harvey Dent is remembered as Gotham's hero, Batman is viewed as an outlaw and a murderer. As Commissioner Gordon and the Gotham Police clean up the streets, Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, has become a recluse—his body worn from numerous nights of vigilantism. But a new threat is rising. Bane, an international terrorist has set his eyes on Gotham City. Wayne Enterprises has developed a nuclear reactor, a possible source of renewable, clean energy for Gotham. But Bane plans to turn the nuclear reactor into a bomb that will wipe Gotham off of the map. In order to thwart Bane's plan to eradicate the city, Batman must conquer his physical infirmity, face his own fears, and discover new secrets about the past.

The Dark Knight Rises is a fitting end to Christopher Nolan's Batman films. This film brings the audience back full circle to events that occurred in Batman Begins, concerning the League Of Shadows and R'as Al Ghul's intentions to eradicate Gotham City. Here we find a new Bruce Wayne; he is forlorn over the death of Rachel Dawes at the hands of the Joker, he has taken the full weight of Harvey Dent's fate onto himself, and he considers himself retired from his days of vigilante justice. However, Bruce's interest in his crime fighting days are rekindled by a woman named Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, who pilfers Bruce's mother's pearls from the Wayne family safe during a charity benefit. Selina has taken to burglary out of necessity and is searching for a chance to start fresh and give up her life of crime. Once Batman returns, he makes a promise to Catwoman to help her start anew in exchange for her help in taking down Bane and his army.

Due to the extended absence of Bruce Wayne, Wayne Enterprises has fallen into disarray, having spent millions developing the top secret, nuclear energy project. In order to stop Bane's plan of capturing the nuclear device and turning it into a weapon, Bruce seeks out the help of Miranda Tate, a business woman and philanthropist, to head up the energy project and get Wayne Enterprises back on its feet. But there is more to Miranda than meets the eye and she has plans of her own.

The scope of The Dark Knight Rises is immense. The plot takes place over the course of about a year, by my estimation. Bane manages to take the entire city of Gotham hostage for months. Bruce spends a large portion of the plot in captivity at the hands of Bane, struggling to escape and rescue his beloved city. The prisoners of Blackgate Prison, all of whom were incarcerated on a program inspired by Harvey Dent, are released and incorporated into Bane's army of terrorists. As the city is taken under siege, the rich and privileged citizens of Gotham City are put on trial and sentenced to either exile, death, or death by exile, presided over by none other than Doctor Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow.

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