Waited for the second week of release to see what all the fuss was about. Truth be told, I’m a fan of the Batman reboot with the dark and edgy version of this DC super hero brought to the big screen by Christopher Nolan. I was also interested to see how the franchise was going to conclude. I’d heard some say this was the best movie ever made — clearly hyperbole and pushed by the media machine but nevertheless, I was looking forward to the film.
Post viewing I was left… wanting more. Don’t get me wrong, I found the film well crafted with excellent direction, flawless characters and a plot that kept the audience engaged — despite the length sitting for almost three hours. However, with all that being said, I left the theater feeling underwhelmed. Perhaps the media machine pushed too hard and raised my expectations beyond reason. But perhaps the film was simply good, not great. If I take the time to compare and contrast The Dark Knight Rises against the second film in the franchise, Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker easily takes the crown as the best and most finely crafted film of the three.
So, when wrapping up, I would give The Dark Knight Rises and Solid Seven | of Ten | and feel that it isn’t worth battling early release crowds, but is probably worth seeing on the big screen — but just barely. All in all, a fine finish to this darker version of Batman; one can only hope the Superman and recent Spiderman reboots withstand the scrutiny of past incarnations.