The Bat Blog: On The Dark Knight Rises...

After a four-year wait, and bringing in a record £1 million in advance bookings at the BFI IMAX (if you were hoping to rock up ticket-free this weekend, think again) you may be wondering if the new installment of the blockbuster series can live up to the hype.

We've seen the teaser trailers, felt a flutter of unease about hearing Bane through that mask, heard the standing ovation rumours, and prayed that this third and final Nolan Batman wouldn't be a let-down. Well, big news... it isn't. In fact, it's great.

Tom Hardy's hulking presence looks set to give ‘roid rage-ridden bodybuilders severe jealousy pangs (and underage viewers a few upsetting dreams). Christian Bale's final reprisal as the time-weathered hero serves up some poignant moments; his odd, husky voice even feeling like something we're going to miss.

With added newbies Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt thrown in at the deep end with fast-paced, limb-flinging action it's a tumultuous end to the series, one that I wouldn't want to give away any major spoilers for. I will however say this: it looks fantastic, and that's without having (dare I say because is hasn't) given in to the current 3D craze.

It was in fact one of the first feature films to be shot using IMAX cameras, so it's intended for awesome scale. You may have to wait for an IMAX viewing but Nolan's representation of Bruce Wayne's world is actually rather breathtaking and warrants the biggest of screens.

The Dark Knight Rises is out in cinemas this week. Read the (pretty much universally excellent) reviews for the film here.

Avid fans should head to the Science Museum IMAX tonight in London for a talk from visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin.