Living up to the great heights established in The Dark Knight was never going to be an easy task for Christopher Nolan. Having delivered such a tightly focused study of Batman's psychology compared and contrasted to his greatest nemesis The Joker, it was clear from the beginning that it was going to be a difficult act to follow. Still, when we all saw the incredible intro sequence to The Dark Knight Rises for the first time, as villain Bane is freed from a CIA airplane in spectacular fashion, our hopes for something bigger and better were reinvigorated. That The Dark Knight Rises never quite manages to achieve that edge-of-your-seat excitement after the opening scene is just one of the problems the movie faces, irrespective of any comparisons with The Dark Knight Bane is established well as a super villain worthy of taking on Batman, and for the first two acts his menacing presence certainly gives the film its momentum. That Nolan and his collaborators then decide to pull a fast one on the audience in the final reel, revealing Bruce Wayne's love interest Miranda Tate to be Talia al Ghul, daughter of his mentor/enemy from the original movie, completely undermined the threatening nature of Bane by reducing him to a mere footsoldier, even going so far as to kill him off in such a perfunctory manner as to almost define "anti-climactic". Having Batman escape from a huge explosion and turn up unscathed supping on drinks in a picture postcard cafe was for many the final straw in a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise solid trilogy. Which movies have you seen which were totally ruined by their final revelations? Agree or disagree with the selection on this list? Why not let us know in the comments below?
