Let’s face it, Christian Bale’s Batman has never been the cheeriest caped crusader.

But in Christopher Nolan’s, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, he brought gravitas and a sort of sexy, tortured quality to the role of Bruce Wayne, billionaire and part time vigilante.

At the beginning of Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, Wayne’s a recluse, having given up on Batman and almost life itself. What could bring him out of this hermit-like existence? How about a formidable new enemy (Tom Hardy), a beautiful love interest (Marion Cotillard) and a feline foe (Anne Hathaway)?

It’s enough to entice anyone, and The Dark Knight Rises duly keeps you captivated with nearly three hours of jaw-dropping action, drama, romance, thrills and yes, the occasional one-liner.

One of our favourites comes from Selina Kyle, a Catwoman prototype who teams a skin-tight rubber catsuit with thigh-high black boots and killer silver heels. ‘Do those heels make it tough to walk?’ mocks one of her male aggressors. ‘I dunno - do they?’ she enquires, while giving him a swift kick in the crotch.

The story itself is epic, taking in typical Batman themes of good vs evil, terrorists vs benevolent rebels, murky pasts and political presents. It offers up great new characters and sheds light on old ones – even if some of them, like Michael Caine’s Alfred, are shunted to the sidelines.

One of the most impressive newcomers to the Batman series is Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a cop whose story is only just beginning. This may be Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film but we’re hoping this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Gotham City.

The Dark Knight Rises is in cinemas today

See Marion Cotillard in Dior at the premiere of