2. Going Out With A Bang
Many a trilogy has been felled by a disappointing third film. The Matrix and Spider-Man franchises are examples of trilogies that had a very promising two-thirds only to nosedive in the third act. The Dark Knight Rises faced almost impossible expectations. It followed a film that was universally hailed as the best superhero movie ever made. The Dark Knight is considered by many to be the sole reason why the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided to increase the list of Best Picture nominees from five to a possible ten. Fans may have hoped that The Dark Knight Rises could be as good as The Dark Knight or even surpass it, but no one really expected it to be. The Dark Knight Rises was a flawed film because of some glaring plot holes, but it was also an epic conclusion to The Dark Knight Saga. Having to follow The Dark Knight and do so without the Joker put the film in a very difficult position, but as a finale The Dark Knight Rises was an enormous success. Most importantly, the filmmakers nailed the most important part of the film, the ending. The Nolan brothers and David S. Goyer found a way to truly end the trilogy without going as far as killing off the protaganist. Even though The Dark Knight Rises wasn't perfect, it didn't have to be. The Dark Knight was the perfect film that anchored the perfect trilogy, and The Dark Knight Rises gave it the satisfying ending it deserved.