Review: Dark Knight Rises

I saw the newest Batman movie yesterday. Good movie overall, but there were some parts of it that were just plain silly. *WARNING! SPOILERS!*

First, there's the initial Bane vs. Batman fight. Batman tries to take on Bane with brute force, which works out to be a colossally bad idea -- given his physical condition, he should have tried some jiujitsu-style moves. I understand the need to move the plot forward in the way it went, but still -- pretty dumb Batman moment there.

Second, there's the escape from the pit prison scene. A bunch of guys are stuck in a underground prison and the only way out is up a well-like brick wall. Fortunately, you can try as many times as you want because there's a rope and a spotter who keep you from dashing your melon on the rocks when (not "if) you fail.

Wait a second -- a rope? What's the rope attached to at the top? And more importantly, why don't you try going UP THE ROPE instead of climbing the wall? Even better, why not have the spotter and a couple of buddies just pull you up? Then, when you get to the top, you can then pull the rest of your buddies up and escape together?

Third, there's the incredibly stupid infantry tactics the police use to attack the automatic weapon-carrying militia -- a frontal assault in a column formation down a narrow street. I suppose that's one way to finish the movie quickly, but that's not the route to a happy ending.

Finally, there's the Miranda's-a-badguy moment. Consider the situation late in the movie: Bane has control of the city, the nuclear weapon is armed, and Batman -- as far as Miranda knows -- is out of commission. Why was she still playing good guy? Why'd she wait for Batman to -- surprise! -- show her true colors?

To conclude, I appreciated the timely themes of nuclear terrorism, a rise against 1 the 1 percenters, and green energy, but the repeated sacrifice of personal interest for plot progression was just too much to truly enjoy.