... It's much more cohesive and better paced than its predecessor. Christian Bale reclaimed the role after being overshadowed to the point of a non-entity the last time around. And while I can't say for sure if this is the best comic book movie ever (it's hard to say that with certainty in a world where "The Avengers" exists) Tom Hardy as Bane might be the best villain in a comic book movie ever. Not necessarily the best performance, mind you -- that still belongs to Ledger -- but the dude's sheer physicality alone is utterly frightening; the initial fight scene between him and Bale is vicious, and I really thought they might kill Bruce Wayne off right there. Plus, he sounds like Peter O'Toole speaking through Darth Vader's voice box, which turns out to be a deeply unsettling combo.

And while it's as grim and dark as the other films, this one actually felt the most fun (relatively speaking, anyway). A lot more humor in the dialogue than in the other two, and enough comic book-y elements to remind you that, yes, this is still a comic book franchise. After straining, in my estimation, to distinguish itself with bleakness and "realism," I enjoyed the injection of a few moments that let us know Nolan is still aware of what he's making.

Easily my favorite of the three films.