1. Less and Less Emotional Connection
How are we supposed to connect to Batman easily the most effortlessly relatable Superhero out there if the plot doesnt slow down for long enough for us to get a decent look at his plight? Batman isnt a straight action character, he never was, yet as Nolans franchise trundles on it focuses more and more on plot and less and less on story. As a result Nolans Dark Knight becomes a cardboard cut-out of Batman. I dont think Ive ever come across a character with more depth, but in Nolans franchise, the more screentime we sit through, the shallower Batman gets. From pretty much the moment Two-Face gets involved, there just isnt enough time to develop Batman properly as a character. Weve got to find out whats happening with the Joker, jump back to Two-Face, then back to the Joker; TDKR begins, weve got to quickly re-establish Batman, explore he and Alfreds relationship, find out about Jim Gordon, then to Selina Kyle who gets some of the quickest, clumsiest exposition Ive seen in recent years, back to Batman, then Bane to establish yet another brand new character.Jesus, my head is spinning just trying to recount it. With more and more emphasis on sub-plots and cheap action set-pieces, and less and less on nitty-gritty character development, its all but impossible to form a satisfactory emotional connection with any of the characters. And when that happens to a franchise, the films become vacuous exercises in high-budget turd-polishing. Just look at Star Wars I III. In the end, Batman drowns in the convoluted plot of The Dark Knight Rises way before the bomb potentially kills him off, effectively negating Nolans stellar work in understanding the character throughout Batman Begins. So there you have it. Nolan hates you and you just paid for his next house. Agree? Got a bone to pick with me? Do let us know...