On Friday, the curtain will finally lift on "The Dark Knight Rises," Christopher Nolan's much-hyped and long-awaited conclusion to his Batman trilogy. Early reviews indicate that the film, starring franchise anchor Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman) and series newcomers Tom Hardy (Bane, the bad guy) and Anne Hathaway (cat burglar Selina Kyle), serves as a suitably dark, ambitious and well-crafted finale.