Very good, but...

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2012)

TDKR is a very good fun movie indeed, but not as nearly as good as TDK. In the matter of quality it is quite close/comparable to the Batman Begins. The plot is raw and not as multi-layered as you would expect from Nolan. There are few unexpected twists but also a handful of clichés and plot holes that counter them. The storytelling during those 164mins doesn't transcendent into something that could occupy anything other than your perceptory senses. Bane is nowhere near to be as charismatic as the Joker was, in fact no one in the movie is and that is the main weakness of the movie, really. Catwoman is good, but Michelle Pfeiffer's was better. This Catwoman version has some advantages but also many flaws - and this is not Anne Hathaway's fault, who by the way did a great job, but due to the Nolan character concept which is much simplified wrt. Burton's version. Although I've mainly pointed out the weaknesses of the movie, don't be fooled - I liked the movie and had fun watching it but after the TDK I had high expectations and those expectations weren't fulfilled.
Action scenes and the special effects are really good (and loud!) and as I've pointed out there are few plot twists which keep the suspense high till the very end of the movie.
All in all, this is a high quality Hollywood action movie, but only that. And I must add I liked the Avengers more due to the greater charisma of the characters.