First TV spots for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

Bat-fans clamouring for more footage from "The Dark Knight Rises," Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated conclusion to his Batman trilogy, got a treat last night with the release of not one, but two television spots for the film. The spots aired during "American Idol" and "Modern Family" on Wednesday night.

The short 30-second ads feature new footage and dialogue from the film, including a closer look at Anne Hathaway's thieving Catwoman in action. Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) even have time to crack a few jokes, proving that Nolan's movie will not be as dark and dreary as the trailers have made it out to be.

The wonderful thing about movie TV spots is that they need to be succinct. The 30-second pitches need to tell viewers exactly what the movie is about. The commercials tend to say more about a movie than a two-minute theatrical trailer ever could, especially the intentionally cryptic trailers of Nolan.

Of course, Warner Bros. and Nolan haven't spilled the beans quite yet, as the plot of "The Dark Knight Rises" still remains largely a secret. Batman/Bruce Wayne has seen better days and Bane (Tom Hardy) is the bad guy, but beyond that, details are scarce. However, as the film's July 20 release date approaches, TV spots like the ones found below will start dominating the airwaves, painting a broader picture of just what to expect from the enigmatic movie.

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