My Ranking of the Batman Movies

Batman is my favorite superhero. I love the dark themes and imagery of his comics and he's one of the most written about heroes ever. He's been seen in many different iterations and adaptations, with everyone seeming to have a different take on the character. I took it upon myself to talk about ten films from Michael Keaton's Batman in 1989 to the most recent release in 2022 with Robert Pattinson as the titular hero. This review will include Keaton's two films, Kilmer and Clooney's attempts, the Dark Knight trilogy, Affleck's joint film with Superman, a fun, animated take on the character with Legos, and then Pattinson's take this year. I know the Lego Batman film is an odd choice to include on this list, but I'm including it for two reasons. The first is because it's a different take on the character, and the second is because it gives me an even ten without talking about the Justice League film or Suicide Squad since they are large team films. I'm also not going to include any of the other animated films based on specific comic storylines because there are a lot of them and that would take a lot of time to go through, as well as the movies before Keaton's turn because they aren't as commercially known and talked about. I'm going to talk about the things about each movie I really liked and the things I really didn't like. This is all my opinion and my opinions aren't perfect. I might like some things that other people don't like and vice versa. 

10. Batman & Robin (1997)

Due to the reputation that preceded it, I tried avoiding this film for as long as I could. I knew this was considered to be one of the worst superhero movies ever and easily the worst Batman movie. I'd heard all the negative things but tried to suspend any preconceived notions as I watched it. Upon further evaluation, this truly is dreadful from beginning to end. I'm not sure what I attribute it to the most because there is so much bad about it. I don't think it all boils down to the casting. I want to make it very clear that this film's biggest problem is that every single line from Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze are puns and 90% of them are terrible. Arnold Schwarzenegger probably wouldn't have been my first choice based on the other names rumored for the role, yet I don't think I can blame him for how poorly his character was written. Uma Thurman might have the best performance of the movie, yet she gets subdued so easily. Bane is completely wasted in his role. As a villain that is so powerful and charismatic in the comics, he's reduced to a bodyguard role and it feels like a major letdown. There was no need to have him in the movie unless they were going to make him a priority. George Clooney as Batman was an interesting choice and I never really could get behind him. He feels more like a Batman at the end of his run as the crime fighter, not the successor to Val Kilmer. Alicia Silverstone doesn't move the needle for me and neither does Chris O'Donnell in his return. It feels like everything bad about Schumacher's first film is amplified to a million in this one and it leads to a catastrophe of a film. 

9. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

While it's branded as both a Batman and Superman film, I'm going to include it on this list because Batman is equally important to the plot and it's the only Ben Affleck film I'm going to include since his other performances are in larger team-up films and his role is slightly less important. This movie is not well-remembered and I think it's all for good reason. Ben Affleck is one of my least favorites to wear the suit. He makes a decent Bruce Wayne, but he doesn't play Batman that well. The conflict between Superman and Batman is really stupid. It says a lot that a vigilante that has been operating Gotham for a long time feels like an extra-terrestrial is a threat to the world. Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther was a weird choice and I didn't like the direction he took the character. The reveal of Doomsday and the final fight between the creature, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman was a bit underwhelming. I hate when a film kills off a character, only to undo it in a subsequent film. It makes me feel cheated out of a huge moment. The only real good thing the movie has going is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Seeing her make an appearance during the climax of the film was a good reveal. Superman saying "Martha" to get them to stop fighting was really bad. It was such a stupid reason to stop the fight and eventually end up on the same team. I didn't care about any of the side plotlines the movie tried to have. They didn't add anything to the film to help in any way. This was a disappointing way to welcome Affleck into the Batman brotherhood. 

8. Batman Forever (1995)

This might be one of my least popular Batman opinions, but I actually don't mind Val Kilmer as the caped crusader all that much. Sure, he can be pretty wooden at times, but I feel like he captures the essence of Bruce Wayne pretty well. I think his biggest problem, outside of what he had to work with, was that he had to follow up two brilliant performances from Michael Keaton. As far as the good things, the casting of Tommy Lee Jones at Two-Face and Jim Carrey as The Riddler were excellent. Carrey's brand of comedy is always going to be over-the-top and could turn some people off to his performances and while this borders on too much at times, he was truly the star of the film. I don't think Nicole Kidman is terrible, though I rarely find love interests in Batman films to be well-written. There is no denying that the world Tim Burton created in his films is vastly different than what Joel Schumacher created and I think it becomes a little too campy and cartoonish for a live-action Batman film. Some of the artistic choices don't work well for me and I think it is to the detriment of the legacy of Batman. I don't find this gritty enough. The introduction of Robin, played by Chris O'Donnell is fun because it's not a character that is not seen outside of the Schumacher films, other than the Lego Batman movie and The Dark Knight Returns to an extent. Getting a brief backstory on him and seeing his motivation play out without needing too much time or a separate film is a good way to have him jump right in. It's definitely a step below the Burton films, but I think this film gets too much of a bad rep. It's not a classic, though Carrey's performance, in particular, is one of the best villain portrayals from the pre-Nolan films. It's different and that might be the best thing I can say about it. 

7. The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

Had it not been for the legacy and brilliance of "The Lego Movie" a few years before it, this movie would've never happened. We got a glimpse of that version of Batman for brief moments throughout and it was a characterization of him that we hadn't seen before. He was a lot more self-absorbed and unlikeable than any of his live-action counterparts. The Batman universe lent itself beautifully to a film like this because it allowed for further exploration into an already abundant cast of characters. Lego Batman isn't a new concept. There had been video games dedicated to the character in Lego form for almost a decade before the release of the film. The plot centers on two main arcs. The first explores how lonely Batman is. It's not the newest of concepts for Batman given his backstory. I really liked that they showed what life at home looks like after he finishes up a battle with the Joker. He refuses to accept help from Alfred, Barbara Gordon, and Dick Grayson because he works alone. The second arc involves the never-ending battle between Batman and the Joker and the Clown Prince of Crime trying to prove that he's Batman's biggest adversary. I, personally, feel he is, but Batman refuses to accept it until the very end when he needs his help. As for the cast, the entire main cast is almost perfectly cast. Will Arnett, reprising his role from "The Lego Movie" was very good. Zack Galifianakis was great as the Joker. Michael Cera and Rosario Dawson are both good as well. My only real problem is Jenny Slate as Harley Quinn. Maybe it's because of how spoiled we've been by the other portrayals in recent memory, but I found her voice more jarring than anything else. The film was extremely meta and self-referential, mentioning all the other films I'm going to include on this list that came before it. It's a new take on a classic character and while I prefer the darker Batman films, this was a fun departure from the norm. 

6. Batman Returns (1992)

I was surprised to learn that this film received better reviews than the original Keaton film did. I can see the appeal of this one for sure. I think Danny DeVito steals the show and was perfectly cast as The Penguin. He was physically the correct choice and he acts like no one's business in this one. His makeup throughout the film is also spectacular. Being abandoned shortly after being born makes you sympathize with him in the beginning, but you quickly lose that as his plan takes shape. I felt like they expanded the city itself to bring some new personality to Gotham. However, there are some problems I have with this movie. Christopher Walken, while good, is basically playing himself and I've always felt his hair and eyebrows being the same color looked weird. Outside of a fight sequence of the film, we don't see Michael Keaton until 35 minutes into the film. Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman was a miss for me. I didn't like for suit at all, especially the staples on the mask. I thought her relationship with Bruce Wayne was weird and never felt believable. I don't have much of a problem with her being a villain for most of the film. If she's going to be something, I rather her be bad for the entire film and I think she succeeds in that. I didn't think she meshed well with Penguin at all though. It was a weird combination to me. The only problem I had with Devito's performance was how overtly sexual it was at times. Maybe it's more of a childhood development thing that was never explained, but it was awkward when he tried to make advances. I don't have any problems with Keaton's performance, but it felt like Batman took a backseat in a Batman movie. 

5. Batman Begins (2005)

After the horrible taste that Joel Schumacher left in everyone's mouths just about a decade prior, Batman needed a new image. In steps Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale. This new take on the character and the origins of the persona are a stark contrast to both Schumacher and Tim Burton before him. It's a much grittier and real-life Batman than the prior iterations. I don't think this film wastes much of its runtime either. Almost every moment feels important to the central story. The beginning is probably the most confusing act of the film since the story jumps around quite a bit and it's mostly flashbacks. The reveal of Ra's al Ghul feels really obvious in hindsight, but it doesn't take away from being a decent trigger for the final act. I really like Cillian Murphy as an actor and he plays the duality of the Scarecrow and Jonathan Crane well. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman make an incredible duo as the elder statesmen of the group. Gary Oldman is another perfectly cast part of the film. Especially at the end, he made some small acting choices to inject some laughs into serious portions of the film. One thing I'll always prefer about this film compared to the rest of the Nolan trilogy is Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes compared to Maggie Gyllenhaal. She's an excellent counterpart to balance Bruce Wayne and I think they look good together. There are some criticisms of Bale's portrayal, namely the voice. I've never hated it that much, though it can be funny at times. This film is a good re-introduction to the character as we see him from the beginning of his reign. I don't think this is the best of the Nolan trilogy, but it is still an excellent improvement from where we were in 1997.

4. Batman (1989)

Tim Burton making a Batman film was always crazy to me, especially since I wasn't alive when it first came out. Michael Keaton isn't the first man that comes to mind when I think of Batman. Jack Nicholson isn't the first Joker that I think of. Despite all these preconceived notions, this film is excellent. It was criticized for being too dark when it first came out, but I think that fits the comics well, and honestly, isn't that dark considering what we've seen since. I think Keaton does a fantastic job, but the star of the show is Nicholson as the film's main villain. We see the abbreviated origin story of the Joker and everything after that was a lot of fun. I also like that he's the only big villain with most of the subsequent films having at least two main antagonists. It allows Nicholson to shine on his own without having to play off anyone else. We do get a little with Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent without him becoming Two-Face. I thought the Joker's plan was a little too comical, but I think that's the point given his background. There isn't too much to the plot which makes it pretty easy to follow. Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale is fine, though I don't think she adds too much to the film outside of being a good love interest. I can tell this was a huge deal for its time, but it doesn't quite suit my preferences for a darker tone like those listed above it. This is a good film, but it truly could've been great with some minor changes.

3. The Dark Knight Returns (2012)

I don't think I truly appreciated this film and all its greatness until rewatching it for this list. It had very big shoes to fill after the success of The Dark Knight and while I don't think they filled them completely, there's no doubt that this is a fitting end to the Nolan trilogy. The strength of this film can be attributed to three big things. First, Tom Hardy brings Bane to light in a way that we didn't see when the character first appeared in Batman & Robin. Where he was a throwaway character in 1997, he was at the center of it all and Hardy was awesome. The voice was intimidating, he was physically dominant, and portrayed a decent level of emotion. Second, the action sequences at the end of the film were beautiful. The entire climax with the fight in the street and the rematch between Batman and Bane was captured well and choreographed to near perfection. Third, the story was more driven by Bruce Wayne instead of Batman. It's clear this is more about Bruce's struggles in and out of the suit and that makes for a more compelling story. Bane breaks Batman, but the repercussions are more on Bruce than they are on his persona. I think the twist reveal for Talia al Ghul would likely hit harder if you didn't recognize actress Joey King as her younger counterpart during the flashbacks. Regardless, I think Marion Cottilard's performance is just subtle enough for it not to be given away too blatantly and she is extremely convincing. Anne Hathaway's turn at Catwoman is good, though I don't think it's truly amazing compared to the others in the film. Joseph Gordan-Levitt is a good addition and I liked that they established that he knew that Bruce Wayne is Batman. The reveal that his name is Robin was fine and I don't feel too strongly either way. I didn't mind that they had the elders of the cast take more of a backseat, though they shone in their moments. This was an appropriate way to end the flagship trio for Batman. It tied up some loose ends while also giving the sense that his legacy could live on with a new person taking over the mantle of The Dark Knight. 

2. The Batman (2022)

I'd see a lot of people raving about this movie. I went in with high expectations of everyone involved. It exceeded my expectations and then some by the time it was finished. This take on Batman was significantly darker from top to bottom. I was wary of Robert Pattinson's casting when it was first announced. He knocked it out of the park from the second he stepped on the screen. The world they built felt more complete than the Nolan trilogy's and more claustrophobic. I think everyone was cast very well. Paul Dano was excellent, though his face was covered for most of it. After he's seen without his mask, the Riddler's scenes are absolutely chilling. Zoe Kravitz as Selena Kyle/Catwoman made a serious case as the best to portray the character and I like that she's not a villain trying to fight Batman even with her own agenda. Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon was a good choice. I didn't hate Colin Ferrell as The Penguin, though it was a very interesting take on the character. I'm sure we'll see him back in some way during the sequel. I'm not quite how to describe the plot other than it was a movie-length cop drama as they try to figure out who the Riddler is. It does feel like the movie was a bit on the long side, but the long runtime doesn't mean it felt like it dragged that much. I appreciate us not having to see a re-telling of Bruce Wayne's parents dying for the thousandth time and we instead jumped right into the action during what appeared to be his second year as Batman. I prefer this darker tone and am very interested in the direction they go with the sequel appearing to feature the Joker prominently. They've built a creative world and I think they've found something good with this new iteration. 

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

I've said it before that I don't believe the perfect movie exists. I do contest that this is as close to perfect as a superhero movie gets. It has its flaws, like Bale's Batman voice getting a little funnier or the Joker's plan not making the most sense, but that can't sour me on how masterful this is. The central reason for this film's legacy is the Academy Award-winning performance of Heath Ledger. There has been no villain in a superhero film as beloved as Ledger's Joker and he is easily the star of the film. His performance is equal parts chilling and unhinged with a tiny mix of comedy since he is the Clown Prince of Crime. I think it overshadows Aaron Eckhart's performance as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Eckhart in his own right was excellent too. The design of Dent's face after becoming Two-Face looks incredible to this day and is super unsettling. Bale's performance is an improvement on his first outing, having that first film to work off and improve in most aspects, I still love Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman in their roles as well. Oldman, especially, gets a larger role and he thrives. I mentioned earlier that I prefer Katie Holmes over Maggie Gyllenhaal, but that's not to say that I don't think she's very good as well. The action is non-stop for almost 150 minutes and I enjoy every second of it. I knew this was going to be my favorite Batman film because I've seen it so many times. Each subsequent viewing reminds me of why I love it so much. I don't think they'll ever be able to top this one no matter how hard they try.