They died down? Says who?
Me. Look at this thread.
If anything, TDK is more a comic book movie attempt at HEAT, or 3-4 dynamic larger-than-life people in a saga set in one giant ass city.
?
As for GODFATHER, well I think it was Kevin Smith who called TDK the GF2 of that genre, and I think he's got a good argument for it.
On what grounds, quality alone? Thematic grounds offer nothing in the way of a comparison; aesthetically, they're worlds apart. I can only assume you mean in terms of technical quality, then; I can think of many films that are technically accomplished.
Very few of my problems with
The Dark Knight are on formalist grounds.
