The Citizen Kane of superhero movies

Rating: 10/10 (12 June 2017)

Apologies, Dominus, I have done many reviews here but to get this one right took me 5 years and multiple re-watchings.
Conclusion? Not merely great, but the "great-est" superhero film of all time. The story is iconic and majestic in scope. The script not merely good, it borders on perfection. The performances are nothing less than stunning.
Bale and Oldman could not give a bad performance even if you asked them. Hathaway has never looked this good, her height and frame infusing her Catwoman with a vibe never seen before or since. And the almost-invisible Tom Hardy (one of the greatest actors of our age, BTW) makes Bane as interesting a character, if not moreso, than even Darth Vader himself.
So why did this review take me 5 years? To discover the dissonance between the three parts of the trilogy, which is the only flaw, the Achilles Heel of the boxed set.
Ordinarily a trilogy should be harmonious and consistent. Look at the original Lord of the Rings as the best example. Each part not only stands on its own but, taken in sequence, the story builds, the characters become clearer, everything works to a conclusion.
Like an orchestra reaching a crescendo.
Not so here. The whole is weakened by the sum of the parts. Batman Begins is, frankly, sloppy. Great ideas and even great performances are lost in a weak narrative with a unsatisfying conclusion.
The Dark Knight has become iconic in its own right but not because of the way it continues the story, but rather because of the amazing one-of-a-kind performance by Ledger.
It is only when we get to Part 3 that we achieve perfection. This film is not merely better than than the first two, it may be the best film of its genre, ever.