You have to listen......

Rating: Null/10 (5 December 2012)

I've watched the movie twice in the last two days. I'll admit that the first time, I found it a bit confusing. But after watching again with the knowledge what was going on, I was able to analyze it and understand much better. I found that there was pretty much an explanation for everything, though I will admit that some of it was just simply illogical, like (spoiler) sending the MAJORITY of the police force down in the sewers after Bane and his men, leaving no one to protect the city. I would have also liked to have seen more Batman action sequences, but I understand that Nolan was trying to convey that Batman was a shell of himself. (Spoiler)In fact, Alfred actually warned Bruce that he was no longer the same Batman, and that he would not be able to stand up to Bane. This would explain Batman's weak and slow fighting style.
As far as Bane, I thought Tom Hardy gave a decent performance. He made you understand that this guy is a complete psycho, and that everything he does is BRUTAL. To me, he commanded every scene he was in, mostly by his presence. However, I didn't like the twist at the end, and I think that they didn't do his character justice by (spoiler) having him shot by a secondary character, and then you hear nothing else about him. The climatic fight between him and Batman was weak, and it left me feeling like "that's it?".
The other characters were portrayed well. Michael Caine did a splendid job. I've read some reviews that say (spoiler) Alfred left...again, if you LISTEN to the conversation between Bruce and Alfred, you will see that Alfred was DISMISSED by Bruce because Alfred lied about Rachel's decision to be with Harvey Dent, therefore shattering Bruce's entire illusion and belief system.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie. There were some illogical sequences, but the movie kept my attention for the full 2:45. It wasn't as good as TDK, but then what superhero movie could be? The Dark Knight was a one of a kind like Michael Jackson's Thriller; this movie is more like the Bad album; a great follow up, but not a masterpiece.