Christopher Nolan directed three films that starred Christian Bale as Batman. Those films are often considered to be the best Batman films. The Dark Knight, in particular, is an extremely beloved film. It has gotten to the point that some people act like the Batman films that came before The Dark Knight trilogy aren't good. That's a feeling that I disagree with. This article is for showcasing the things in The Dark Knight trilogy that I like, as well as the things that I have a problem with.

The Good Things In The Trilogy:

Hans Zimmer's music has a big, epic feel to it. It helps bring the atmosphere of the films to life.

A majority of the action scenes are greatly directed. Seeing Batman ride on his bat-themed motorcycle is thrilling.

Batman Begins did a good job at showing the complexity of Batman's origin story. The scenes between Bruce and his mentor, played Liam Neeson, are well done. Seeing Bruce Wayne struggle to find his place in the world makes him feel relatable. Also, as someone who struggles with anxiety, seeing Bruce ignore his fear of bats so he could save the city was very touching.

Although Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer and Eric Roberts don't get a lot of screentime, they give memorable, entertaining performances as the supporting antagonists.

Although I have a lot of problems with The Dark Knight's version of the Joker, it can't be denied that Heath Ledger put a tremendous amount of passion and effort into the role. Seeing so many fans honor him and keep him in their memories to this very day is a touching thing.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a very good performance as John Blake, a very heroic officer who helps Batman save the day. Some people complained about John Blake being an underwhelming substitute for Robin, but I think that John Blake is a good character in his own right.

The use of Roland Daggett, an obscure antagonist from the Batman cartoons, is something I greatly appreciate. Sure, they changed his first name to John, but Daggett still provides some much needed entertainment to The Dark Knight Rises.

A lot of actresses have played Catwoman over the years, but Anne Hathaway managed to stand out as a strong Catwoman. She brought a good amount of playfulness and powerfulness to the role. In the comics, Catwoman has been both a villainous thief and anti-hero who helps Batman stop the bad guys. This film presents both versions of the character in an effective way.

The Bad Things In The Trilogy:

The films try so hard to be realistic that they lack the colorful creativity that makes that makes the Batman franchise so enjoyable.

Christopher Nolan claims that the reason the Penguin never appeared in these films is because he wouldn't fit in this more realistic version of Batman. I find that very questionable. After all, Penguin's a brilliant mastermind. It's not like he has any superpowers or anything. He could of easily have been one of the mob bosses in the films. Did Christopher Nolan think that Penguin was too campy, because of his gimmick? If so, I don't get it. After all, if you can have a guy in a bat suit and a woman in a cat suit, what's wrong with the Penguin?

It's been rumored that the Riddler was originally going to be the main villain in The Dark Knight Rises. Not using him was a lost opportunity. He could of added a lot to the film.

I admire the effort that Christian Bale put into his performance, but I have some problems with the film's version of Batman. The romance between Bruce and Rachel is underwhelming and confusing. Bruce considers Rachel to be the love of his life, but the films don't really explain why. Bruce and Rachel were childhood friends, but that doesn't explain why Bruce is so obsessed with her. After all, he has never been on a single date with her. However, that doesn't stop him from trying to convince Rachel to dump her boyfriend at the time, Harvey Dent, and get together with him. Bruce comes across as too lovesick. In The Dark Knight Rises, it's revealed that Bruce wasted eight years moping around his mansion, because he was sad about Rachel. Grief is an incredibly hard thing to deal with, but the fact that Bruce did nothing with his life for eight years is very confusing. He didn't even bother to take responsibility for the charity that Wayne Industries is supposed to take care of. He didn't even know that his charity organizations were falling apart until John Blake informed him about it.

A lot of people have different opinions on what the Joker should be like. The Joker is the Clown Prince, so I expect him to be one of the most entertaining, outlandish villains there's ever been. However, The Dark Knight's version of the Joker spends far too much time making speeches about his feelings about how insane the real world is. I don't mean to sound immature, but frankly, the Joker's constant analysis is tedious. Also, the film goes out of it's way to paint the Joker as the smartest guy in the city. It almost comes across as the film is glorifying him for being so clever, to the point that Joker accomplishes what he sets out to do. The Dark Knight's climax and ending lack the optimistic feelings of hope and justice that should be included in a superhero film.

Overall, those are my personal feelings on The Dark Knight trilogy. I know that a lot of people wouldn't agree with me, which is fine. I felt like offering a unique perspective.