All 13 Batman movies ranked from worst to best

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PITTSBURGH – JULY 31: Christian Bale, playing Batman, acts in a scene with Tom Hardy, playing Bane, during the filming of the new Batman: Dark Knight Rises movie at the Mellon Institute building in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh on July 31, 2011. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) /

6. The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan’s revered Dark Knight trilogy closed out with a larger-than-life battle for the remnants of Gotham City’s soul involving Bane, the League of Shadows, Selina Kyle and Talia Al Guhl as Bruce Wayne’s demons came back to haunt him one more time.

The film may not be as tight as its predecessors, falling victim to numerous plot holes and a somewhat convoluted story, but The Dark Knight Rises is justifiably regarded as a worthy conclusion to the storied trilogy. At its heart, it’s about bringing Batman’s story to a close in a way that felt true to this version of the character and that’s exactly what it does.

Bane is a threat that could best the battered hero in a way no one else ever could and Tom Hardy never falters stepping into the villain role after Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance in the previous movie, nailing the intimidating presence of Bane and delivering a version of the character that felt totally at home in Nolan’s grounded reality. And his plan, albeit a convoluted one, sets the stage for the Dark Knight’s well-earned redemption.

An overlooked classic, The Dark Knight Rises delivers on its promises to give Christian Bale’s Batman the epic send-off he deserves and the ensemble cast are, once again, glorious in putting that send-off together.

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