Back to Batman

I put off seeing The Dark Knight Rises until I was reasonably sure that I wouldn't be thinking about the Colorado killings all the way through. I'm not a particular fan of director Christopher Nolan's ultra-grim approach to Batman's world (I prefer the mixture of comedy and horror that Tim Burton brought to his 1989 film). In addition, I think Nolan is one of those very talented directors (like Ang Lee, whose 2003 Hulk was famously disappointing) who are so determined to bring something original to the table that they fail to see  the tasty treats that are already on the table. I'd estimate that only about 15-20 percent of Rises has anything substantial to do with what interests me about Batman. All the French Revolution/A Tale of Two Cities stuff that Nolan drags into the story may seem high-toned and "important" to some, but to me it's totally beside the point. Still, as I say, Nolan is talented, so the film has a certain appeal, anyway. Plus, I enjoyed Anne Hathaway's conflicted Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's determined cop character. I guess 2008's The Dark Knight is still my favorite of Nolan's series. Whatever its flaws, it does contain Heath Ledger's superb swan song: As the Joker, Ledger was completely appropriate to Batman's world and yet also entirely original.