So I've actually watched the film. And...it's BRILLIANT! Or maybe sublime. Honestly, I'm at a loss of words...
I have zero hesitation in crowning this the best Batman movie ever. TDK may well remain the better film overall, but this is definitely the best live-action representation of Batman and his world that I've ever seen. From the visuals, to the dialogue, to the storytelling, to the performances, to even the music...everything made it feel like a Batman comic-book brought to life.
It's a weird paradox actually - in some ways, this Batman and this world feels more 'grounded' than Nolan's. And in other ways, it feels more subtly stylized and more comic-booky (or rather graphic novel-y). It's hard to explain...but you'll understand when you watch the film.
A lot of things that we take for granted about the Batman mythos in general felt real and earned here in a way that I don't think they've really felt before. Batman's relationships with Gordon, Alfred and Selina. Batman's methods of terrorizing Gotham's criminal element. The intense corruption of Gotham City. Even the debate over whether Batman has changed Gotham for the worst or not.
Pattison really nailed the character. He's done some serious research and it shows, but he also makes the character his own. Jeffrey Wright and Zoe Kravitz nail Gordon and Selina perfectly. Andy Serkis' Alfred feels a bit different from previous versions of Alfred, but not radically so and even he's largely true to the original character. Ditto with Colin Farell's Penguin, who looks and sounds very different from most people's image of this character, and yet in so many ways is more faithful to the comics than Danny DeVito's version.
Paul Dano's Riddler is, needless to say, very different from any previous version of the character and yet you can clearly see the DNA of the comic-book Riddler in him. His Riddler is a lot like how I've always imagined Riddler would be in a 21st century reimagining of the character. Dano's performance, particularly in a couple of scenes (you'll know which ones) is a treat to watch. That said, it may be unfair to him, but I feel this is the one area where this film definitely pales in comparision to TDK - he's not a patch on Heath Ledger's Joker. But again, he fundamentally plays a very different type of villain, so...it's just an unfair comparision I guess.
Above all, without getting into any spoiler-y territory, what I most admire about this film is how, the more it subverts our conventional understanding of the Batman mythos, the more it rebuilds and reinforces it as well. All the trailers, interviews, and other marketing may have primed you for a certain kind of Batman story...but you'll walk out of the theatre feeling like you ultimately saw a different kind of Batman story. And you'll love it!