Third-Act Overload, 7.5/10

Rating: 7/10 (15 July 2013)

The first thing that must be said about TDKR is that it is not as sharp as Batman Begins and/or The Dark Knight. A similar thing has happened here as happened to the X-Men and Spiderman franchises, where the first two installments of those respective trilogies were very solid, but where the third installments went off the rails a bit in trying to include too many characters and story elements. Granted, the Batman films have their own unique tone, but the parallels are there.
In general, the conceptual ideas at work in TDKR are good, and the ambition to put them all together in an epic statement is admirable. However, this film would have been better served by either cutting certain elements out, or by being presented in two separate two-hour films. Instead, it is a single film pushing three hours, yet still unable to adequately develop every aspect of plot and character development.
There are two things in particular that bother me about TDKR. The first is the "hole in the earth" prison. It is a compelling idea, but taking Bruce Wayne there and then having him escape pushes the envelope of believability too far, and is the film's single greatest misstep. There is simply too much either unexplained, or not explained satisfactorily about how much time has elapsed, how Bruce manages to return to Gotham City, and in particular how the only two people to escape from a virtually inescapable prison are a pre-teen girl and a man recovering from a back injury, especially when the practical task is a matter of physicality.
The other thing that bothers me is the screenplay's treatment of Alfred. It does not seem consistent with his established character that he would abandon Bruce. And his reappearance at the end of the film feels a bit abbreviated, final scene notwithstanding.
But even taking those things into account, I still enjoyed this film and consider it well worth watching. There is a breathtaking scope in the cinematography, Hans Zimmer's excellent score and in many of the powerful themes present in the story. The airplane scene at the beginning of the film is a fantastic, tense visual set piece. The bridges/tunnels/football stadium sequence as well. The echoes of the Occupy movement bring an ominous weight to the film. And of course, the terrific ensemble cast as always. Overall, there is a lot to like here, even if there are reasons to dislike as well.
I give both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight 10/10 scores. The Dark Knight Rises gets a 7.5/10. Not great or flawless, but still a very interesting, epic and ultimately enjoyable film.