From darkhorizons [excerpt], Right from the start the film establishes itself as a sprawling epic - a gritty crime saga the likes of which Michael Mann or Martin Scorsese would be proud to call their own - and keeps things consistently at that high level despite numerous dark twists and turns. Densely layered and with fully fleshed-out characters that not only embody intricate concepts but are often placed in legitimate peril, the film makes no apologies for being too brutal and elaborate for not just kids but many adults as well. Even without graphic on-screen blood-letting and a PG-13 rating, the film manages to portray menace and tension with far more power and effectiveness than many an R-rated horror film.
Chris and Jonah Nolan's remarkable screenplay both credibly and cleverly explores the power plays, moral ambiguities and inherent complexities of a city torn apart by fractured authority figures both righteous and criminal. Many will find a surprisingly deep statement about the state of the post-9/11 world in the film's display of a vulnerable and desperate populous tortured by its darkest impulses and facing the challenge of sticking to the moral high ground - even at enormous personal and emotional cost. Such a character and thematic driven narrative means that the general plot does become segmented and thin at times, but the pacing never falters and all the assorted threads are wrapped up in not just plausible but very satisfying ways.
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