3. The Fight Choreography
Nolan has been criticised for the handling of fight choreography in his bat-films, but really upped his game in TDKR. Batman's first, wince-inducing scrap with Bane is brutal and balletic in equal measure. The accompanying, thunderous sound effects only add to the viscera. The second fight with Bane ups the ante further, and when Bane's broken respirator causes him to go berserk, the action is fast and furious, but always coherent. But this time it's not just Bats throwing the punches, as Anne Hathaway gives a terrific turn as Selina Kyle. Nolan's version of the cat-burglar gets her very own style of fighting, and seeing her team up with Batman to dispatch a group of thugs is a fanboy's delight.