It was good, but way too long

Rating: 7/10 (15 July 2008)

I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment of this rejuvenated franchise. That movie was smooth and exciting throughout. I'll try not to be too specific since the film hasn't been released yet.
First, I'll tell you why it was good. Bale and Ledger didn't disappoint. There has been a lot of buzz about Heath's performance being his best (it's so easy to say nice things about an actor once they have died). He actually was fantastic as the Joker. I don't know if he was better than Nicholson, but he was different. You can't compare the two. Bale's darker side of Batman was great. The action and effects were gripping. The score fit the scenes flawlessly too.
Now the problems. I started looking at my watch after an hour and a half...and I continued looking at it for a full hour. The movie was choppy and didn't flow very well. I'm a bright person, but parts of it were hard to follow. 45 minutes easily could have been edited. This movie did not need to be 2 1/2 hours.
I recommend seeing it, but you'll be exhausted after from excitement and boredom.