Long Overdue

*SPOILER ALERT*

There have been many different opinions on which Nolan Dark Knight is the best of the trilogy. If you know anything about me, you'd know that it is virtually impossible for me to remain unbiased on the subject of Batman anything so in order to explain why I feel the way I do about the trilogy---that factor must be understood. Ever since I was a kid, Batman has been a big part of my life. It's a story that I have grown up knowing and I hold anything that comes with the Batman name on a very high pedestal. Knowing more than an average person should about Batman's legacy and backstory, I am fully prepared to defend my argument that Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises are my two favorites of the trilogy for one reason. His name is Ra's Al Ghul. 
When asked who their favorite Batman villain is, most people go with the Joker. After all he is the most well known villain and the possibly the most psychopathic character in the DC Universe. In my case, Ra's Al Ghul is my favorite villain. In the comics it has been proven time and time again that he cannot die. It's kind of complicated to explain but in a nutshell Ra's found the secret to eternal life. This secret is called "The Lazarus  Pit" which enables him to be revived at around 50 years old. In his first appearance in the comics, Ra's Al Ghul is roughly 500 years old but had lost count of his age many years before. He likes to play both sides of the spectrum when it comes to Batman. On one hand he wants to make him a better man and on the other, he wants to take over the world. I feel that his role in Batman Begins was very well played by Liam Neeson. granted, Liam Neeson could portray a paper bag and still do an amazing job, but still. 
I remember watching Batman Begins like it was yesterday. I remember how excited I was when I realized that Ra's Al Ghul was going to be the villain of Nolan's Batman directorial debut. No one talks about Ra's Al Ghul. When most people discuss main Batman villains---he is the one that no one remembers. Batman Begins had a brilliant way of showing both sides of him. Nolan was able to bring one of the most brilliant villains to the spotlight in such a way that it will not be possible for fans to forget his name.
In The Dark Knight, his name was not mentioned at all. In regards to the trilogy aspect, I felt like this film---although very good on it's own---had very little to do with the "trilogy". Yes, Heath Ledger was a phenomenal Joker. He captured the essence of the character much better than Jack Nicholson did in the '80's and he deserved each award that he won for that role. The Joker is a character that no one will ever be able to fully understand. He is a psychopath that no one can stop or get close to. He does not have friends or possessions. He does not care about anyone or anything. He is the epitome of chaos. Again, although the movie was very good as a stand-alone film, it had nothing to do with the aspect of a trilogy. 
And finally, we come to The Dark Knight Rises. I have heard mixed reviews on this---most of them were good and the others were mostly "The Dark Knight was better." I can understand why those people say that, but I think it's just because they can't fully grasp how monumental this film was to the franchise. Not just with this film but with the others as well, Nolan managed to take multiple Batman storylines and mash them together in such a way that he managed to create his own Batman universe. He created his own beginning and end to the Batman story. Due to this fact, the first time I saw the movie I did not see Talia coming into the film. When Bruce came to the conclusion that Bane was Ra's Al Ghul's son, I just accepted it because Nolan had created his own world. I was angry not at the film, but at myself because I KNEW that Ra's only had one child and that it was Talia. I should've seen it coming. The second time I saw it i caught a good chunk of the signs that Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) was not who she pretended to be. There are several things that I  really liked and disliked about the film even though it was probably my favorite of the trilogy.


Likes
-Bane: When Bane comes to mind most people think of the super muscular guy in a luchador mask who pumped up on steroids (technically it's called venom but eh). In the '90's movie, Bane was portrayed as an idiot. TDKR was a much more accurate depiction of Bane. In the comics he is a criminal mastermind. Yes, he has super strength but he is a mastermind. He can come up with plans, he can brainwash men into following him and do his bidding. He is the mastermind that was portrayed in the film. 

Yes. This happened.

-Backbreaking: The scene where Bane breaks Bruce's back was so...beautiful. This topic has been discussed many times over by fans such as myself before the movie came out because it is such a crucial moment in the Bane/Batman story. Bane was one of the very few characters who never feared Batman---never worried about whether or not he would lose the fight. Bane breaking Batman's back was a crucial moment in the comics. It put Bruce out of commission for a long time and it ruined his spirit. In that moment in the sewers, when the two of them are fighting, I was breathless. 
- Catwoman: I had serious doubts about Anne Hathaway's portrayal of this vital character. Throughout the history of Batman, Catwoman has played a very important role in Bruce's life. Selina Kyle is an expert jewel thief and has always been an expert jewel thief. She is another character that can be seen as an anti-hero. She doesn't want Bruce to fail but she doesn't know if she can trust him. I was shocked at how well Hathaway played the role of Selina Kyle. She is indeed more of a Robin Hood type character and that speech she gave to Bruce when they are dancing at Tate's party was so well done that just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. 

Dislikes
-Lack of Ra's: Although I am aware that Nolan wanted to stay far away from the supernatural aspects of the traditional comic book film, I still think that it was wrong to exclude Ra's from the film. Yes, there was that minor 3 minute hallucination but for me, that wasn't enough. HE CAN'T DIE! It was a little irritating but I understand why he didn't present it in that manner. 
-The Ever-Popular Bird Issue: Everything about this film was incredible...but this. This. This stupid combination of characters into one character was...the dumbest thing...I don't even have words for this. Plot lines can get mashed together and it works but characters? No. Let me clarify something: I am talking about Robin. For those of you who don't know, there are four Robins in Batman's life. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damien Wayne. Each sidekick has a different origin story and three out of four are orphans. They all have dark pasts and that is what draws Bruce to them. They understand him. I wish Nolan would have picked one defining Robin to model his Robin after. The fact that he NAMED his character Robin was stupid. It ruins the effect. I also believe that the name Blake is too close to Drake---the third Robin and a fan favorite---for it to be a coincidence. He needed to pick one, not take elements of the three. 
-Talia Dying: To be honest, I didn't actually mind her death all that much (except for that acting job. That was terrible). What I did mind, even though I hate to admit it, was the lack of Damien. Damien Wayne is the spawn of Bruce and Talia. There's a whole lot that I won't get into but just know that Talia's death changed the course of the Batman universe. He created his own world but he changed too many things. 

All in all the movie was fantastic. As a hardcore Batman fanatic, I thought Nolan did a really good job with his story.