9. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
If I were a judgemental guy, I'd probably attribute the rise of "darker" movies where they're not warranted to Christopher Nolan's
The Dark Knight, and although that movie certainly did contribute to a legacy of seriously-inclined superhero movies, it wasn't entirely responsible. In fact, I think
The Dark Knight struck a perfect balance between serious and delightfully awesome - sure, the story is dark, but it doesn't make it any less fun to watch. The same can't be said, unfortunately, for the follow-up,
The Dark Knight Rises, which seemed to forget that it was a movie about a man dressing up in a bat costume and jumping around on rooftops and gave us a plot that spent most of its time trying to figure itself out - and on our time! Nolan wanted to gift us with another helping of scrumptious
Dark Knight entrails, but misses what made that movie so special. Where's the adventure? Where's the excitement? What's with all the pseudo-philosophy? And in the words of the Joker: "Why so serious?"