Speaking of F-U-N, let us now turn our attention to Hathaway's Catwoman.
Dudes have absolutely dominated Nolan's Batman films.
Rachel Dawes, the only female character of note, until now, was unceremoniously exploded in The Dark Knight.
Katie Holmes played Rachel in Batman Begins, with Maggie Gyllenhaal taking over the role in the second film - Nolan couldn't even be bothered to make sure the same actress was in both movies, as if no one would even notice.
With Hathaway, he's made sure that she will be noticed like nobody's business.
She also brings a woman's touch to a franchise sorely in need of one.
"Something about her morally ambiguous philosophy finally gives Batman someone he can relate to," said Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan's brother and writing partner on The Dark Knight Rises.
"In a weird way, she's the yin to his yang. The dynamic between them is so fresh - the playful way she kind of pokes fun at him - it sparks a connection between them and takes some of the sombreness away from his character."
Catwoman isn't the only one who helps bring our moribund hero back to life.
The franchise has another fresh face in
John Blake, who was inspired by Batman's example to become a policeman.
He possesses a sort of innocence and idealism that hasn't been seen in the series thus far.
He's as hungry for justice as Bruce Wayne, but without the attendant neuroses.
He sees Batman as a child sees Batman - gee whiz, a superhero! - and we see the film through his eyes.
As Bale told Movieclips.com: "When we return to Bruce Wayne at the beginning of this movie, he's somebody who's lost all sense of purpose and of self.
"It's very much Blake who inspires him again.
"He has all of the brashness of youth, and that reminds Bruce Wayne of who he used to be."
Not all superhero movies have to be as frolicsome as The Avengers, and The Dark Knight Rises certainly stays true to Nolan's serious-minded vision for the franchise.
It's filled to bursting with corruption, fist fights, machine gun fire, riots, car crashes, rape, betrayal, conspiracy, robbery and explosions.
Good guys die.
Gotham falls to ruin.
But though the onslaught of evil is relentless, there are still those who choose to be courageous and compassionate.
The Dark Knight Rises may be black, but it is far from bleak.
Batman remains the comic book adaptation of choice for grown-ups, and I can't wait to take my kids.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
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