When a franchise reaches its conclusions, the finale should always make sense to the viewer. The emotional weight that the story brings about must have a logical and sensible end that pleases all audiences. So when Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, considered to have some of his best films, brought one of Batman's best eras to a close, fans were a little confused.
This isn't to say that The Dark Knight Rises wasn't a meaningful finale. The film is a prime example of how to properly end a series and is even seen by some as being the best of the series. That's not to say that the movie isn't without its problems or things that don't make sense though.
Bane's Survival
If there's one thing that the Dark Knight Rises got right, it was the treatment and usage of Bane. Instead of being treated as a typical strongman or muscle character, Bane is much more like his "Knightfall" counterpart.
However, when his origin is revealed, it's a little strange as to how he survived. Given how brutally he was beaten in the pit and how he didn't get his mask until Talia and Ra's Al Ghul arrived, it's a little weird that he was able to survive for so long.
Bane's Mask
Of course, even after Bane survives the pit after helping Talia Al Ghul to escape, a number of other questions emerge, chief among them relating to Bane's mask. While in the comics Bane's mask is only superficial, his mask in the film is much more important.
Somehow, the mask keeps the constant pain that Bane is always in at bay... somehow. It's never really explained if it's due to venom, some other substance, or something else altogether. That's not even mentioning what it does to his voice.
How Bruce Recovered So Fast
Over the years, a constant joke about everyone's favorite Dark Knight is that he's literally unstoppable. The only real explanation given for him surviving one catastrophe after another: He's Batman. Which only goes so far.
Specifically, when Bane snaps Batman's back like a twig in a scene pulled straight from the comics... only for Bruce to recover in five months. There's no way anyone can recover from a back injury like that in just five months, even if they're Batman.
"You should use your real name. Robin."
The Dark Knight Trilogy brought loads of classic characters to life. From Ra's Al Ghul to a reinvention of Catwoman, a horrific take on Two-Face, and Heath Ledger's relentless Joker, who many consider being one of cinema's most terrifying villains. Yet, up until the final film, one character, Batman's sidekick, Robin, remained missing.
Of course, there were better ways to introduce him than having John Blake's legal name be Robin. It was a tacked-on reference that could have been done with a simple Tim, Drake, Jason, Todd, Grayson, or Dick (although that last one might have been weird to say).
Why Selina Took The Pearl Necklace
Adding Selina Kyle or Catwoman into the trilogies finale film was a bold and not bad move on the creator's part. It allowed the relationship between the Dark Knight and master thief to flourish. Although there were some oddities surrounding Selina Kyle, one of Nolan's strongest female characters.
Despite having to break into Wayne Manor to steal blueprints, there was no real reason besides "she's a thief" for the creators to have Selina steal Bruce's mother's necklace, other than creating tension between the two for no real reason and not even being a key plot point.
The Fusion Reactor
Every villain needs an over-the-top, megalomaniac, "destroy or control the city" plot. Bane leaned far more into the destroy the city side of things. Although that's not to say his plan makes a whole lot of sense, not to mention the decay of the fusion reactor.
Not to say that the audiences are nuclear physicists (although if they are, good on them) but the idea that the reactor can decay in a five-month time span then explode violently doesn't, like Bruce's recovery time, add up all that much.
The Only Prisoner To Escape The Pit
Movies always have to make it where one person is good at one thing. In the case of the Dark Knight Rises, Bane (or rather, Talia Al Ghul) is the one person to escape or outwit or overtake that one thing.
Not to say that a child locked in a pit couldn't escape given proper motivation. It's just strange that Talia is the ONLY one to have escaped. That's the claim to fame that the child's given, and yet one can't help but wonder if others escaped before Talia's time.
The Talia Twist
Doing a twist in any film, let alone a Nolan feature, is a difficult feat on its own. One must always be sure that there is enough setup and payoff with the twist so that it feels fulfilled and not random or out of nowhere to the audience.
While the Talia Al Ghul twist towards the film's end is a good one, it's nothing compared to Nolan's other twists and movies, and even with some hints and clues dropped, it feels rushed. There wasn't a whole lot of set-up or clues that Miranda Tate was Al Ghul's daughter, muddying an otherwise decent twist.
Bat And Cat In Italy
Look, there's no denying that the last few scenes of The Dark Knight Rises are amazing. Emotional, uplifting, and even honoring the comic character, it ends on a high note... and a bit of a weird one.
Following Batman's "death" Alfred, a character with some great heroic and a few questionable moments throughout the trilogy, takes a trip as he did all those years ago to Italy, where he sees Bruce and Selina. How did they know to be there at the right moment? Better yet, why did Bruce tell Selina, a thief he barely knew he was alive, over the man who RAISED him?
Batman Vs. Atomic Bomb
Again, using "because he's Batman" is not always a valid argument for Bruce Wayne's invincibility. After beating Bane and Talia, the bomb is set to go off and with no other options, Bruce takes the bomb out over the bay and seemingly sacrifices himself as it detonates.
However, thanks to some shady autopilot, Bruce survived. Somehow. Even though the autopilot is explained, how Bruce got out in time and got away or didn't even just use the autopilot from the get go is frustrating and mind-boggling.