Stick Around for the Ending

Rating: 8/10 (27 July 2012)

This movie has one of the best endings ever written in the entirety of film history, however, it takes a long, long while to get there. I'm not saying that the rest of the film is boring--it isn't by any means--however, there were definitely long, drawn out sequences of just Bane, and eventually you just wanted it to get back to Batman and see how this whole thing would wrap up.
That being said, the plot was generally very good, and really well thought-out, as with all of Nolan's movies. There was, however, (minor spoiler, not really) a long, drawn-out prison sequence that I felt didn't really fit in with the rest of the movie, but that's just my opinion.
The acting was, of course, great, and the cast is definitely packed with stars. The standout performances were definitely Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle--who was a great addition to the cast--Gary Oldman as Gordon, Michael Caine (who did a fantastic job however little he was in the movie) as Alfred, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Blake, who was actually one of my favorite characters.
And then, of course, you have Bane. Now, a lot of people are comparing him to the Joker because they are both the villains, however, I think this is unfair for numerous reasons. First of all, Heath Ledger gave an absolutely breathtaking performance as the Joker, which I don't think anyone will be able to go against. Secondly. Bane is a totally different character with completely different motives as the Joker, so they should really be looked at separately. Personally, I thought Bane was much creepier and violent than the Joker, but I was really annoyed by his voice. They tried to make it sound scary, but it seemed whiny and high- pitched to me, and was at times difficult to understand.
Anyways, there are certainly many flaws in this movie, and, at least in my opinion, (not really a spoiler) certain characters were killed off in unsatisfying ways, but again, that is just what I thought. The ending definitely makes up for all of this--it neatly ties up everything, and manages to leave you in a state of wonder. You have to pay close attention, though, because important lines go by very quickly. There are still twists within the last minutes of the movie, and yet, as I said, everything comes together. That was really amazing to watch.