Great action movie, but far from perfect

Rating: 8/10 (4 August 2012)

I go to see roughly one movie a year, and I try to choose carefully. So, I'll start by saying that I was very glad I saw the ending to this trilogy. Like the other Dark Knight movies, it had me riveted the whole time, moving quickly through an exciting plot. If you are looking for excitement and want to escape into fantasy world, this might be the best movie of the year.
The acting was outstanding for the most part. Christian Bale has redefined Bruce Wayne in the same way that Daniel Craig remade James Bond. In addition to the expected excellence from Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Feeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt once again has us wonder when he's going to breakout as the most sought after actor in Hollywood. Anne Hathaway surprised me, as normally I can't stand her facial expressions and annoying attitude, but she played Catwoman pretty well.
Now for the criticism and a few spoilers.
In trying to wrap up the trilogy, they attempted to force a weak love interest plot line into this story. There was zero chemistry between Bale and Hathaway, no believability that they even liked each other, and it sure seemed like Catwoman was a lesbian. I guess she was a bisexual after all, but there sure wasn't too much to make you believe she suddenly fell in love with Wayne, or vice versa. Would have been great without this love story twist.
Although the ultimate revelation of Bane and Amanda's past and relationship is very well crafted into the story, the idea of "destroying" Gotham still seems silly for many reasons. Was never really believable that she wanted to destroy the city to avenge her father's death, or to carry out her father's will, or whatever the half-baked story was, and the idea that she wanted everyone to suffer by giving them hope and then taking it away didn't make any sense. The bomb would instantaneously destroy them, so there was not countdown to the general public. Seems like another incarnation of The Joker, just another anarchist, when they easily could have gone with a more interesting villain motivation, as for awhile it seemed that Bane was a Marxist-type of liberator of the working class. Too bad that idea soon became absorbed into typical evil villain madness.