With “The Batman” barnstorming into theaters this weekend, we figured it was as good a time as any to rank the movies where the Dark Knight has been prominently featured. (We say “prominently featured,” which means that David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad,” which features a brief cameo from Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader, is out.) Batman is arguably the richest superhero, in terms of the psychological depth of the character (and the fact that his alter ego Bruce Wayne is very, very wealthy). He is also blessed with the best rogues gallery of any superhero – what’s more striking than the number of bad guys that have graced the big screen are the number of super-villains that still haven’t been brought to life.
Batman is such a dimensional character, full of lovable flaws, that even if the movie the character inhabits is lousy, there are probably things that you can find (and love) about it.
A brief caveat: we have chosen not to include the two “Batman” features from the 1940s. This is more about the modern interpretations of the character, including this new version.
14. “Justice League” (2017)
The catastrophic problems that befell “Justice League,” which was meant to launch several new franchises for Warner Bros and DC but ended up being such a debacle that they had to release an entirely separate version (also on this list!), are well documented. And whew boy is “Justice League” a mess. Watching the reconstructed version, it’s shocking just how little of Zack Snyder’s original vision made it into the final cut. (When Snyder was removed, “Avengers” director Joss Whedon was brought in. It was a ultimately decision that would lead to his unlikely fall from grace.) Batman (played by Ben Affleck) is meant to bring together the Justice League in order to fight an intergalactic threat (sound familiar), but with so much of his and the other characters’ backstory deleted, he feels like a dour soccer coach trying to rally the petulant players.
The one bright spot is Danny Elfman’s energetic score, which incorporates elements from DC’s past like John Williams’ “Superman” theme and his own iconic “Batman” theme, but the music is placed so low in the mix you can barely hear it.
13. “Batman & Robin” (1997)
Yeesh. Joel Schumacher’s first candy-colored outing with the Caped Crusader, which did much to resurrect the camp aesthetic of the old TV show while also somehow maintaining the Gothic seriousness of the two Tim Burton movies (which these are ostensibly sequels to), made a ton of money. So Warner Bros and Schumacher decided to double-down – “Batman & Robin” is even campier, even more colorful, and even more blatantly “toyetic” (a phrase that Schumacher has since repeated and apologized for), meaning that many more toys could be made from the characters. Suffering from villain overload (including Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy, plus Robert Swenson’s Bane) and a nonsensical plot that is so busy that Batman (now played by George Clooney) gets lost in the shuffle. (He also has to contend with Alicia Silverstone’s Batgirl and Chris O’Donnell’s Robin.)
This rightfully plunged a stake into the heart of the live-action Batman franchise for nearly a decade. And when he returned, things were very, very different.
12. “Batman Forever” (1995)
At the time, a lighter approach following the oppressively dour second Tim Burton Batman film seemed like the right time. Jim Carrey was one of the biggest movie stars in the world when he was cast as The Riddler, and the rest of the cast was just as impressive (from Val Kilmer’s Batman to Tommy Lee Jone’s Two-Face to the fact that Drew Barrymore played a silent femme fatale role). And the trailer was killer. But whew boy is “Batman Forever” very, very bad.
Joel Schumacher’s direction is all over the place; you can almost feel him struggle to maintain some kind of creative vision while also corralling all of the egos involved. (In the years since its release, Carrey has been open about the animosity he and Jones shared for one another. Watching it again, you can tell.) Befuddling decisions abound – why cast Jones, an actor not exactly known for his comedic chops, as an outrageous villain? And, bigger question: why are none of the villains actually scary? Also, Nicole Kidman, as a horny psychoanalyst who wants to bone Batman, remains utterly insane and not in a good way. What a mess.
11. “Batman” (1966)
Yes, it’s basically just a super-long version of the show, but it’s also a ton of fun. Adam West and Burt Ward are doing what they did best as Batman and Robin and, most importantly, the villains are all present and account for, being essayed by some of the more memorable performers from the show. Lee Meriwether is Catwoman, Burgess Meredith is the Penguin, Frank Gorshin is the Riddler and Cesar Romero is the Joker. The plot of “Batman” doesn’t make much sense or really matter; the reason to watch (or re-watch) the 1966 “Batman” movie is the beautiful pop art production design, wonderful stylistic flourishes, and the heightened performances by every actor. A low key delight.
10. “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)
After a single Henry Cavill-led Superman movie, Warner Bros. and DC got nervous and decided to throw Batman in for the sequel. So now Batman is here! And he’s Ben Affleck. Affleck’s performance as Batman, a battle-weary warrior who is extremely distrustful of Superman following the climax of “Man of Steel” (one of the cooler elements of the movie is the opening, which restages that battle from Batman’s perspective), is arguably the best part of this movie.
While this Batman is perhaps the most controversial big-screen iteration of the character, from his indiscriminate killing (even bloodier in the home video version) to the infamous moment when Batman and Superman form a connection towards the end. Also Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is in the movie for some reason? Honestly who knows. Enjoyable in fits and starts, and admirable in just how rigidly director Zack Snyder sticks to his own nihilistic vision, “Batman v. Superman” is neither the abomination detractors make it out to be or the triumph Snyder’s supporters frequently push.
9. “The LEGO Batman Movie” (2017)
It’s Batman! In LEGO form! After the character (voiced by Will Arnett) made such a splash in “The LEGO Movie,” a spin-off was quickly snapped together (get it?) And “The LEGO Batman Movie” is pretty great and weirdly underrated, from the terrific cast (including Zoë Kravitz playing Catwoman years before she would get the gig in live-action) to Batman and the Joker’s (Zach Galifianakis) rivalry re-contextualized as a co-dependent relationship to the oversized action set pieces, wonderfully staged by director Chris McKay (who would go on to direct the Chris Pratt sci-fi extravaganza “The Tomorrow War”).
And what makes “The LEGO Batman Movie” extra fun is the LEGO-y component of Joker going into the Forbidden Zone and recruits a bunch of characters from other WB properties, like gremlins and Voldemort (it sounds obnoxious but is pretty charming). As far as an all-ages “Batman” movie goes, it’s hard to beat “The LEGO Batman.”
8. “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” (2021)
After years of vocal fans rallying Warner Bros. to “Release the Snyder Cut” (an original, unmolested version of “Justice League”), the studio finally did it, making it a splashy exclusive on their streaming platform HBO Max. This is clearly not the mythical Snyder Cut, considering that this version cost more than $70 million to shoot additional scenes and create more visual effects, plus the fact that it is R-rated and more than four hours long. But whatever this version is, it’s absolutely fascinating – from its gargantuan runtime (with separate “chapters”) to the decision to frame it in a boxy 4:3 aspect ratio.
Not all of it works, but it does do a much better job of emotionally connecting us to the characters (particularly Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, who was all but deleted in the theatrical version and is the heart of the film here) and giving us something to root for. Plus, the added mythology (about Darkseid and his eventual conquest of earth) points towards a fascinating alternate timeline where Snyder was able to carry out his long term vision for the DC movies. Warner Bros. has wisely moved away from those plans but at least they gave Snyder the chance to put together his magnum opus.
There’s certainly never been a superhero movie quite like it before or since. Oh, and Affleck’s Batman has much more to do and his flirting with Wonder Woman is pretty cute. Go Bruce!
7. “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
The culmination of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was almost certain to let people down, especially after his plans for the finale were clearly meant to include Heath Ledger’s Joker (Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose before the release of “The Dark Knight”). Nolan is clearly juggling a few masters with “The Dark Knight Rises” – he said publicly that he meant to emulate the historical epic genre but is also clearly folding in elements from his abandoned Howard Hughes project (particularly in the characterization of Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne as a shut-in recluse).
The resulting film is unwieldy, particularly in the arc of Batman, who goes from retired crimefighter to grievously injured and spends most of the movie either purposefully or forcibly out of the limelight, but it also has its own unique, kinetic charm. Tom Hardy’s Bane is a typhoon of physical menace and anarchic philosophy (unpopular opinion: he was scarier when you couldn’t hear every word he was saying), and there are a number of set pieces that rank among Nolan’s best and most thrilling, particularly the opening plane sequence and the countdown chase with the bomb towards the end.
It’s easy to dismiss “The Dark Knight Rises,” but if you get on its wavelength, there’s plenty to love.
6. “Batman Begins” (2005)
Truly a Batman movie unlike anything that had come before it. After the neon-drenched eyesore of “Batman & Robin,” director Christopher Nolan chose a more grounded, real-world approach to the Bruce Wayne character (now played by Christian Bale). We watch as Bruce Wayne goes from rich kid orphan to the Dark Knight of Gotham; he trains in mystical arts (Liam Neeson and Ken Watanabe serving as his guides) before returning to the city to fight corruption and occasional super-villainy (Cillian Murphy is aces as Scarecrow).
This movie was big and ambitious, introducing us to what many consider to be the definitive big-screen retelling of the Batman mythos. And while it doesn’t have as much pomp and circumstance as the later installments, it is arguably the most fun (the movie ends with a literal rollercoaster ride) and most overtly comic book-y, in the best possible way.
Bale is an amazing Bruce Wayne and is just as powerful as Batman, his voice mutating into a terrifying growl. Bale and Nolan prove that if Batman did exist, you would not want to cross him.
5. “The Batman” (2022)
The latest incarnation of Batman is also one of the very best. “The Batman,” directed by “War for the Planet of the Apes” filmmaker Matt Reeves, somehow manages to go for a vibe even grittier and more grounded approach than the Christopher Nolan trilogy (and whatever Zack Snyder was up to). This Batman (Robert Pattinson) is in his second year of operation and you can tell; Pattinson has a physicality that sees him throwing himself into crime scenes or at bad guys. He lacks finesse or tact; the edges have yet to be rounded. He’s all raw nerve endings and emotional outbursts.
Unlike a more traditional action film, Reeves’ epic (running nearly 3 hours) instead hems more closely to a police procedural, with Batman tracking the moves of the Riddler (Paul Dano), reimagined as a sadistic serial killer. Not everything works (the climax gets a little too big and emotionally distant), but for the most part “The Batman” is utterly gripping, with fine supporting turns from Kravitz (as a live-action Catwoman) and Colin Farrell as the Penguin. Should this be a smash, several more films with Pattinson as Batman, solving crimes and locking away criminals, would be an absolute, rain-soaked delight.
4. “The Dark Knight” (2008)
Nolan’s magnum Batman opus. Inspired by Michael Mann films like “Heat,” Nolan crafted a movie wherein Batman (Bale, again) is thrown in the deep end, fighting off corruption in the Gotham police department alongside the increasingly anarchic power moves of Ledger’s Joker.
The movie is overwhelming, in the best possible way, throwing as many ideas and action set pieces as Nolan and his collaborators can physically cram into a single movie. (You want a giant car chase that ranks amongst the best in modern cinema? You got it! How about a weird moral analysis of Bush-era surveillance programs? We’ve got that too! Want to see an entire hospital demolished? Coming right up!) While not everything in “The Dark Knight” totally works (the two boats thing is still a dud and Batman’s final showdown with the Joker lacks electricity), it’s such a fun, unsettling, gigantic achievement that it is very hard to nitpick.
This movie is arty almost by default; at certain points its shapelessness takes on a kind of cubist charge. By the end of the movie, with that jaw-dropping cliffhanger, we would have followed Nolan and Bale anywhere.
3. “Batman Returns” (1992)
Certainly the most Tim Burton of Tim Burton’s two Batman movies, full of grotesqueries and Gothic flourishes (Gotham has never looked more beautifully art-designed). Instead of a waddling crime boss, Burton decided to make the Penguin a certifiable mutant, with webbed fingers, oozing black goo and (in one infamous scene) biting somebody’s nose off. (Danny De Vito is perfection.) Catwoman (Michelle Pfieffer) is a zombie in dominatrix leather. And Bruce Wayne is even more screwed up and lonely; he’s trying to prevent an evil industrialist (Christopher Walken, always at an 11) from draining the city of its energy. He also happens to be dating his arch-nemesis’ alter ego, Selina Kyle.
Parents were outraged by how bleak Burton’s vision of Gotham was, but that’s not exactly true – the sequel is alternately darker than the original film but more playful. Noirish gangsters are replaced by a murderous circus gang and a gaggle of penguins wearing with rocket launchers. Everybody is a freak, even the most straightlaced human characters. In “Batman Returns” everything is impossibly amped up, which makes it feel much more like a lurid comic book, from Danny Elfman’s music to the costumes and set designs to Stan Winston’s creative make-up and creature effects. What a movie.
2. “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” (1993)
Originally meant to be a direct-to-video release, Warner Bros. was impressed with the film and rushed it through production to meet a Christmas 1993 release date (just a year after “Batman Returns”). This meant that animation had to be completed in roughly 8 months. Not that you can tell. Amassing most of the talent behind the beloved “Batman: The Animated Series” television show (including Paul Dini, Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett), “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” is the most romantic Batman movie ever, focusing on Bruce’s (Kevin Conroy) doomed relationship with Andrea Beaumont (voiced by Dana Delaney) and what her reappearance in his life does to his psyche.
The decision to focus the movie around one of Bruce’s relationships is just one of the incredibly bold moves the movie makes, which also includes the use of lengthy flashbacks to frame the story, making Joker (Mark Hamill) a supporting villain, and introducing a new villain that had never been seen in the history of Batman before: the Phantasm, a grim reaper-type figure exacting revenge in Gotham. Lyrical and poetic, brutal and violent, “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” pushes everything that made the TV show so great – from its art deco design aesthetic to its keen interest in what makes Bruce Wayne tick – to glorious extremes. The great unsung Batman masterpiece.
1. “Batman” (1989)
People talk about Batman these days like they talk about 007 – who is “your James Bond” or “your Batman?” Most of this has to do with the first version of the character you were exposed to, usually at a young age. But it’s impossible to think of anyone watching Tim Burton’s “Batman” and not immediately identifying Michael Keaton as their Batman.
At the time, there had been nothing like it on the big screen. I still vividly remember my first time watching it. I was curled up on a hotel bed, my parents out to dinner (hopefully nowhere near Crime Alley). They let me order “Batman” on the in-room Pay-Per-View. And from that opening title sequence, with the camera careening around corners only to pull back, revealing Batman’s shield, I was in love. In the years since I have come to appreciate it for its myriad technical merits and the fact that they shot on the old sets from “Little Shop of Horrors” (another early favorite).
As the years pass it becomes even more awe-inspiring – Jack Nicholson’s performance, at once over-the-top and at the same time perfectly calibrated; Prince’s jittery songs (fought against by Burton); the subtle modulations in Keaton’s performance as he switches from Bruce Wayne to back again; Danny Elfman’s gorgeous, sweeping score that contains maybe the single greatest superhero theme ever. “Batman” was a sensation in 1989. And every Batman movie since has existed in its sharply angular shadow.
