There’s an argument to be made that Superman is still the definitive comic book hero, but when it comes to movies, there isn’t a character more beloved than Batman. Batman has inspired more films than any other superhero character, and has become a highly sought after part for some of Hollywood’s greatest leading men. Although comic book films have faded in and out of popularity, it’s almost guaranteed that there will always be an upcoming film about Gotham’s caped crusader on the slate; in addition to the return of Robert Pattinson in The Batman: Part II, a new actor will be cast as Bruce Wayne in The Brave and the Bold, a new reboot set in James Gunn’s DCU.
Many of the greatest Batman films are legitimate classics, and even the lesser entries in the franchise are at least worth discussing for the interesting creative choices they made. Here is every live-action Batman film, ranked worst to best.
10
‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is a film that fundamentally misunderstands the character of Batman, who is depicted as a violent psychopath who has no qualms about killing people. It feels hypocritical for Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne to take issue with Superman (Henry Cavill) and the destruction of Metropolis considering the blood that is on his hands, and it isn’t made any more effective by the confusing narrative that struggles to incorporate set up for the rest of the planned DCEU.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is a vapid, cynical film that started the DCEU off on a sour note, but Affleck’s performance was a bright spot. It’s deeply unfortunate that Affleck didn’t get to appear as Batman in a film that was not directed by Zack Snyder, as he clearly understood what made him an interesting character.
9
‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)
Batman & Robin is one of the most mocked films of all-time, as the hyperstylized approach that Joel Schumacher took was a complete creative failure. Although it was clearly trying to evoke the tone and aesthetic of the original 1960s television show, Batman & Robin didn’t have any of the unique wit and whimsy; Chris O’Donnell doesn’t capture any of the brave heroism of Robin, and Alicia Silverstone isn’t given enough to do with her performance as Batgirl.
George Clooney was fundamentally miscast in the role of Batman, even if no one could have made the rubber nipples look cool. That being said, Clooney did have the magnetic charm and celebrity persona of a good Bruce Wayne, as he is completely believable as a billionaire playboy. Even if it’s viewed ironically, Batman & Robin has a lot of gags to laugh at, and is constantly more entertaining than anything that Snyder was involved with.
8
‘Batman Forever’ (1995)
Batman Forever is one of the most underrated superhero films ever made, and doesn’t get enough credit for balancing the somber and the silly. Although Tommy Lee Jones’ version of Harvey Dent and Jim Carrey’s interpretation of The Riddler are very over-the-top, they fit into an escalated version of Gotham City that has already experienced superheroes for a few years.
Batman Forever features a remarkable turn from Val Kilmer, who captures the blending of Bruce and Batman better than any other actor; Bruce is put under strain throughout the film because he wants to reveal his identity to Dr. Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman), who is one of the better love interests in any of the Batman films. Batman Forever is not only a great-looking movie that earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography, but features one of the best original soundtracks of the ‘90s.
7
‘Batman’ (1966)
Batman has been unfairly maligned as an unintentionally hilarious film, when in actuality it’s an incredible work of satire that featured brilliant comedic writing. Although the tone of the television series was also very tongue-in-cheek, Batman amped up the eccentricity when Bruce Wayne (Adam West) and Dick Grayson (Burt Ward) are forced to face off against four supervillains that have teamed up to take down Gotham City.
Batman may not reach the heights of the television series because of how inherently episodic it is, and that there’s never any real sense that the characters are in any danger of being harmed. That being said, West and Ward make for such a great duo that it’s still a blast to watch; “somedays, you just can’t get rid of a bomb” might still be the greatest line ever uttered in a Batman film.
6
‘Batman’ (1989)
Batman launched a new wave of superhero films and confirmed that Tim Burton was one of the most exciting filmmakers of his generation. Although some fans balked at the idea that a comedic actor like Michael Keaton would be playing a famously dark character, Batman actually helped to reclaim the legacy of the character based on how different it was from the West era.
Batman is an incredible looking film that creates a unique version of Gotham City that merges gothic architecture with the film noir of the 1930s. Although Keaton does a great job at finding the mystique and pain within the character, the biggest flaw of Batman is that the Dark Knight himself feels outstaged because of what an immensely entertaining performance Jack Nicholson gave as the Joker. In fact, Batman begins with Bruce as an established hero and instead chooses to reveal the Joker’s origins.
5
‘Batman Returns’ (1992)
Batman Returns is one of Burton’s true masterpieces and one of the bleakest and most psychologically fascinating superhero films ever made. It is a film that is essentially about broken people that have been discarded by society at large; Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) survives abuse to become a lethal femme fatale, Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito) becomes a nightmarish politician who feeds off of hatred, and Keaton’s Batman is caught in the middle as he comes to grip with his own pain.
Batman Returns goes for a politically satirical edge with a storyline involving the Penguin running for mayor with the support of Max Schreck (Christophr Walken), who may be the cruelest character in the film. In addition to being a bold and subversive superhero film, Batman Returns is also one of the best “dark Christmas” films to watch every holiday season.
4
‘The Batman’ (2022)
The Batman embraces the noir roots of the character better than any other film by showing how Batman (Robert Pattinson) became the “World’s Greatest Detective.” Although the film begins with Bruce having already taken on his role as Gotham’s silent guardian, The Batman examines how an angry young man obsessed with vengeance transformed into a legitimate hero who found value in saving lives.
The Batman is not only a gorgeous film that featured incredible cinematography from Greig Fraiser and a haunting score by Michael Giacchino, but a terrific showcase for the franchise’s rogue’s gallery. Paul Dano transformed the Riddler into a terrifying domestic terrorist reminiscent of America’s far-right radicals, and Colin Farrell completely transformed into a version of Oz Cobb that grew into an even more complex character when he appeared in the Emmy-award winning HBO spinoff series The Penguin.
3
‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises is an immensely satisfying conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s saga because it provided a definitive emotional conclusion with real stakes. While superhero films like Avengers: Endgame and Logan had their stakes rendered irrelevant when subsequent films revived characters, The Dark Knight Rises showed Christian Bale’s Bruce at his most vulnerable when the lie told to protect Harvey Dent’s (Aaron Eckhart) secret is revealed, threatening to plunge Gotham City into chaos. Tom Hardy’s Bane was a fascinating example of a character who both physically overpowered Batman and preyed upon his past.
The Dark Knight Rises is an ambitious film that drew inspiration from The Tale of Two Cities, and examined the aftermath of the financial crisis. However, it’s also a very entertaining film thanks to the scene-stealing performance by Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and a series of incredible set pieces that were filmed practically with almost no CGI.
2
‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
Batman Begins is the gold standard for what a superhero origin film should be because it managed to legitimately justify why a wealthy billionaire would choose to don a superhero mask and fight the city’s criminals. Nolan utilized a clever non-linear structure to explore the events in Bruce’s life that lead him to becoming a hero, particularly in the revelatory scenes in the League of Shadows in which he trained under Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Neeson).
Batman Begins is a surprisingly earnest film that was able to flesh out some of the supporting characters in DC comics, including Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), and Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine). Bale identified an emotional arc to Bruce that offered more insight into his psychology than any other interpretation, but it may have been Cillian Murphy who stole the film with his unforgettable turn as the Scarecrow.
1
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
The Dark Knight is not only the greatest superhero film ever made, but one of the rare American films of the 21st century that is sure to be remembered as a classic. By utilizing a crime movie style similar to what Michael Mann achieved with Heat, Nolan created a hypnotic cat-and-mouse game that questioned the lengths that Bruce would go to in order to save the city without sacrificing his morals.
It would be impossible to discuss The Dark Knight without mentioning the Oscar-winning performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker, which instantly ranked among the greatest villains of all-time. Not only did Nolan ask fascinating questions about the birth of anarchy through the Joker’s obsession with controlling the media, but The Dark Knight contributed to the debates about torture and terrorism that had engulfed America in the aftermath of 9/11.