Good movie, but not great

Rating: 7/10 (23 July 2012)

After watching the first two Batman movies, it's natural that your expectations will be sky-high with this third movie (and final) movie in the series. As a standalone movie, probably this can be classified as very good. But when seen from the perspective of bringing to conclusion an awe inspiring series...well, I think it falls short.
Let's look at the positives first. Nolan, as usual, does a great job of switching between characters and plots with an uncanny mastery, interleaving different threads of the story seamlessly. The acting: All central characters Deliver (with a capital D). Christian Bale does a fantastic job. I've always thought he's too good an actor to be behind a mask! He proves that here with a gritty and vulnerable portrayal of Bruce Wayne. Down but not out! Morgan Freeman does his usual performance, flawless. Though I think his role in this movie didn't offer him much scope to show the depth of his abilities. More like, just another day in the office for him.
Gary Oldman is good (again, as usual). As the, sometimes helpless, chief of police he puts in an absolutely believable performance. BUT if I have to choose a winner though, it'd have to be Michael Cain. What a performance! The raw emotions he displays defies the stereotype of an "English butler" (though I don't think anyone would think of his character on those lines in the first place). You actually feel for him and the pain he goes through. Then you have the villain, played brilliantly by Tom Hardy. He's downright creepy and exudes a sense of power on the screen that can't be matched by any other villain in the Batman series (Joker excluded). His mere presence brings a sense of tension to the proceedings. Though towards the end, I felt his dialogue delivery seemed a bit overdone.
Now to the not-so-positives (I don't want to use the word negative).
Where's Batman?? I heard that line a bit too many times in the theatre. The masked superhero gets the least amount of time in any Batman movies...ever! This is a superhero movie, after all, so you'd expect to be treated more to the caped crusader doing what he does best. But no, by the time Batman makes his first appearance you're already wondering if he is ever going to put in one. And when he does, it seems all too brief and too far in between. Reducing the superhero to a furious punching (but not very efficient) machine didn't work too well either (IMHO). I mean, come on, this is Batman we're talking about. What's the point in going 12 rounds with a giant adversary with, obviously, superior strength, when the entire city is at stake?? Where are the cool gadgets, the superior intellectual ability, the ability to out-master the smartest of criminals that we've always associated Batman with? Finally, the part of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman didn't sit well with me. The character starts off as a (petty?) thief and suddenly transforms into a mean fighting machine and starts using Batman's gadgets with consummate ease? The conclusion with the Blake's character also left a bit to be desired. You'll see what I mean when you watch it (don't want to add any spoilers here).
Overall - a well made movie but not exactly a good Batman movie, falling short of being a fitting conclusion to the series.