Batman is back and more serious than ever

Rating: 6/10 (21 January 2016)

Sound - 1.5/2 - The soundtrack is great, but dialog is occasionally garbled.
Acting/Characterization - 2/2 - The acting is uniformly good. Tom Hardy is an intimidating Bane, and Anne Hathway is a likable Catwoman. Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Matthew Modine are also welcome additions to an already stellar cast.
Script/Writing - 1/2 - Catwoman adds a little levity, but The Dark Knight Rises is a long slog overall. Batman's friends and foes are both fond of long-winded exposition, and the passage of time is disorienting. Months go by in a flash, while minutes are prolonged to accommodate impossible action sequences.
Visuals - 1/2 - Gotham is a disappointingly generic U.S. city in broad daylight.
Concept (Plot/Theme) - 0.5/2 - Contrary to the implications of the title, Batman suffers multiple crippling defeats at the hands of his opponents. Thankfully, the villains have convoluted plans to force the slow lemmings of Gotham to destroy themselves, giving the Caped Crusader time to be a proper idol while Catwoman does the dirty work. Although both Batman and Bruce Wayne are unfavorably depicted (the latter's wealth and resources empower Bane while the former's vigilantism causes as many problems as it solves), the film is too philosophically shallow to explain Gotham's shortcomings. Instead, Batman's flaws are overshadowed by his role as a symbol, scapegoat, and crutch for weak-willed citizens. He and his successors are needed, apparently, but no one is supposed to wonder why. Moreover, the film undermines its claim that anyone can be Batman by giving us so few contenders and a hero who has remarkable difficulty rising to the challenge.
Total Score - 6/10
Gut Feeling - 6/10 - What makes Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy both compelling and disappointing is its tendency to relate Gotham to the society we know. Unfortunately, Gotham is nothing but a playground for Batman and the big bosses he fights. Everything exists for Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, including his wealth, his gadgets, his inner turmoil, and his corrupt town. Therefore, it is not Batman who must justify his existence, but Gotham itself. The film's hollow ruminations simply detract from the fun.
Final Average - 6/10