A Great...But Not Perfect, Ending To Nolan's Batman Trilogy

Rating: 8/10 (13 August 2012)

Remember when Batman was completely ruined by Joel Schumacher and his pathetic films that were designed only to sell toys? Remember those dreaded bat nipples and all of those really bad one-liners? Well, at least Christopher Nolan managed to reboot the once dead Batman franchise into a modern, dark, and graphic film series. The first film, Batman Begins, was an excellent, though flawed film. It's sequel, The Dark Knight, was one of the greatest comic book films ever made, with a fantastic story, great special effects, an awesome soundtrack, and incredible performances, especially from the late Heath Ledger, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the Joker. Well, how do you top that, Nolan? Well, you can't. Sorry.
I'm trying hard not to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it yet. It's been eight years since the events in TDK, Batman is gone, and Gotham City is crime free. That's until the sinister Bane shows up and promises to act as "Gotham's reckoning". We see Batman struggling to get back in the game, while trying to fight Bane, which makes a great homage to the graphic novel Knightfall, and we also see Catwoman, now played by Anne Hathaway. The story for the most part, is pretty good. There's only one problem: it's 2 hours and 45 minutes long! This film needed to shave off at least 20 minutes, because by the end, I was starring at my watch. I hate it when I do that. Still, it's a great story, and the last five minutes made me stand up and shout and cheer.
The effects are great as always, the music is great, the performances are all stellar. Tom Hardy is great as Bane, but he's not as sinister as Ledger's Joker, mostly because he's not insane. Marion Cottiliard is awesome, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a great new addition. It does feel like Nolan used most of his Inception cast, though. I was seriously expecting Ellen Page to show up. Overall, this is a great film, and a fantastic send off for the series, but with a running time that's just a little too long, and a few plot holes that could have used more detail, this is a great, but not perfect ending to one of the greatest comic book film trilogies ever made.
Final Verdict: 8/10