Went to see this yesterday. It was pretty good and very epic but, unfortunately, the weakest of the three to me. I just think it could have been much better.
Critics that said the the movie is long and bloated and that there is only a "good 90 min movie" in there is non-sense. I think what the film really needs is to be longer to give the plot more room to breath and to add more scenes to elaborate on several plot points to lend them more weight and believability.
In particular, Nolan should have included more developments between Miranda/Talia and Bruce to make their love scene more believable and necessary. As it is, it seems tagged on. The film could also use more Selina/Bruce scene to make their hooking up together more real. Some more Bruce trainings to get back into the game at the beginning and in the prison wouldn't hurt either.
How about more time spent on the occupied island and the people trapped inside to make the situation more tense and the passage of time more apparent? Didn't really feel like the people were in any immediate danger and seems only several weeks has past.
And where is Alfred in all this, was he gone so far and for so long that he didn't even know Batman was rumored to be dead? No scene and reactions from him at all. The film could also use a better explanation on how Blake found out about Bruce/Batman.
I am starting to believe the rumor before release that there was a 3-4 hr cut of this firm at one point. It was probably cut down due to Nolan's insistence on IMAX, which I think has a maximum run time of 170 min.
I like the film enough, and hopefully will like it even better on repeat viewings. But what I really want and hope for is a future Blu-ray release that contains a Director's or Extended Cut that perhaps can make the film better (a la Kingdom of Heavens).
I also like the ending, but would've like to see Bruce and Alfred together again as I think their relationship is the heart and soul of these films, rather than his dream of just walking away without even saying a word.
I love Nolan's Batman film and and enjoy all of his movies in general, so I can't help but be a bit disappointed. I like it, but I really want to love it. First impressions, about an 8, and BB=TDK>>TDKR.