Too long, too dark, and too serious. The darkness is unavoidable - but exacerbated by the length, and the fact that for a movie about a superhero, it is entirely too serious. No matter how hard we try, the idea of a superhero is still a bit crazy. Imagine Bill Gates or Warren Buffet as superheroes - it's silly. So why does the film take itself so seriously? Also, it seems that the Batman story slips to the side in parts, as though the film is intent on tackling too many issues all at once. This isn't said to be contrary - the movie can be legitimately difficult to watch. It's simply too long for the content. It's not a bad film - but it's not an all-time great either.