Does anyone remember when Batman was fun and campy?

Rating: 7/10 (23 July 2012)

You might see the film and think this is the greatest film ever. I am glad for you. But I recall what Batman comics were, and I recall what good films were, and this film was very disappointing. Good, but not great.
I saw it on the first day of release, but I delayed in writing this comment because I wanted to think it over.
Obviously, to call this film the third in a trilogy, there was a need to relate it to the two previous films, and to seem to tie the films together. I thought such tying was extremely forced and contrived. The various plot twists (which I won't reveal) were exciting and believable, but the enormous amount of "backstory" added to tie everything together seemed to me to be totally contrived.
Does anyone remember when Batman was fun and campy? Did anyone think that Adam West was going to have a dark (k)night of the soul? Does anyone recall why Tim Burton's Batman films were so much fun? There is an absolutely excruciating fifteen minutes or so in the middle of this film that I'd like never to experience again. Brutal and depressing. (My complaint is not about the acting or direction. Just the idea.) But after Chris Nolan got beyond the need to "tie up" the trilogy, the ending of the film was satisfactory (even though it did not foreclose the possibility of further sequels.) The ending went far toward redeeming the misery of the middle.
The film should be seen, without a doubt. Just don't plan to have a lot of fun.