LISTMAS—Best Live Action Batman Films
If you want to start a great debate when talking about comic book adaptations there may not be anything more divisive than Batman. Whenever a new Batman film hits theaters everyone has a different opinion on the new suit, the bat mobile, the villains, and of course the actor portraying our iconic Caped Crusader. Depending on when you grew up or how familiar you are with comics, everyone has their definitive interpretation of Batman. There is no right or wrong answer on what are the best Batman movies but discussing and ranking these films is always fun especially when he is your favorite superhero and when every few years a new director brings their vision of the character to the big screen. Here are my rankings:
(Just a disclosure for you hardcore Batman enthusiasts: I did not include the Batman serials from the 1940s.)
11. BATMAN AND ROBIN (1997)
It sucks. One of the most infamous box office bombs and critically panned movies ever. As a kid when I first saw it I wanted to like it but even then I knew it wasn’t as good as the previous entries. If you think maybe it isn’t as bad as you remember trust me you will be disappointed. Joel Schumacher brings all the worst parts of BATMAN FOREVER and cranks it up to a level that makes it into a bizarre comedy. At least Zach Snyder’s movies try to be serious and interesting at times with Ben Affleck, but George Clooney gives the worst performance as Batman. Not entirely his fault, of course. Amazingly, his career bounced back incredibly well as an Oscar-winning actor and accomplished director. The film is trying to capture the campiness of the 60s-era television show, but it doesn’t work. BATMAN: THE MOVIE was supposed to be cartoon-like and based on the television show, but BATMAN AND ROBIN is just all over the place. Even the set designs and costumes look worse than in the last movie, and each actor is either trying to be comedic or overly dramatic. It just doesn’t work.
The only thing that makes it worth watching is Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. The Terminator in a Batman movie?! As a kid, I was hyped. His one-liners and puns are actually pretty funny. I mean who doesn’t get a laugh when Arnie says “Cool party!” in that ridiculous suit. I can understand if you saw this as a young kid you might have enjoyed it. Of course, if BATMAN AND ROBIN hadn’t bombed we wouldn’t have gotten a new era of more serious DC and Marvel movies of the 2000s and remains it the example of how not to adapt a comic book movie.
10. JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017)/ZACK SNYDER’s JUSTICE LEAGUE (2021)
If someone had asked me what happens in JUSTICE LEAGUE, I wouldn’t have a clue except for the scene where Superman is resurrected and there is some awkward CGI trying to cover Henry Cavill’s mustache. Ben Affleck’s Batman is the leader of the Justice League and he isn’t horrible, but the movie is just boring. Later, we got the “Snyder Cut” known as ZACK SNYDER’s JUSTICE LEAGUE. It’s an improvement but more of the same. What a waste of a great premise and promising characters.
9. BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (2016)
What can go wrong when you have Batman face off against Superman? Turns out a lot. The film is a direct sequel to Zach Snyder’s MAN OF STEEL which I thought wasn’t bad. However, the main issue is the film is only made to create other franchises in the DC movie universe. It does not do a great job of trying to balance Superman’s story while also introducing a new Batman. Also Wonder Woman…for some reason. When Superman and Batman finally clash it should be one of the most memorable battles in film history, but it’s underwhelming. It is not that it ends anticlimactically, but the whole finale is not earned. Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Lex Luthor is forgettable and most of the action is disappointing CGI. However, my hottest take on all the Batman films is Ben Affleck is a pretty good Batman. Out of all the portrayals, he looks and acts the most like Bruce Wayne from the comics, and many of the action scenes with just Batman are pretty good. I wish Zach Snyder had made his own Batman movie before trying to do this mess.
8. BATMAN: THE MOVIE (1966)
We can’t forget about Adam West, can we? The first time many remember Batman was in the popular 1960s television series which then had its own film. It’s challenging to compare BATMAN: THE MOVIE to later installments. It’s a product of its time not just because the television show was meant for children but even the comic books at that time were much different. It's a campy fun movie and for me my introduction to Batman and all the great villains.
7. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)
Christopher Nolan’s finale to his trilogy is satisfying and very memorable…but does have its issues. It’s a difficult task to create another sequel after accomplishing so much with THE DARK KNIGHT. Tom Hardy (Bane) had the impossible task of being compared to Heath Ledger’s Joker. Hardy does give a great performance and brings to life a lesser-known villain, making it his own. A big “what if” when looking back at this film is what could have been if the Joker was included, but sadly the world lost Heath Ledger. Also, this may be the Batman movie with not much of the character in costume fighting crime. It’s more of a depressing story where most of the characters we love lose—which is realistic but not fun to watch. There are plot holes (Bruce Wayne disappears to Europe???) and the length of the film drags more than the previous two installments. Despite these issues, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy is one of the best sagas ever.
6. BATMAN FOREVER (1995)
Here is a hot take: BATMAN FOREVER is pretty good. As a kid, this used to be my favorite Batman movie. It was flashy, funny, fun, and has an awesome soundtrack. It introduces Chris O’Donnell as Robin and Jim Carrey at the peak of his popularity as the Riddler. Val Kilmer is not as good as Michael Keaton, but still solid and a little more believable as Bruce Wayne. As an adult watching it, however, the film has its issues. Joel Schumacher had the challenge of taking over for Tim Burton and making it more family-friendly which he does with some success. But the dialogue and tone of the film are all over the place, while it does drag at times. That being said, BATMAN FOREVER still has the greatest ballad of the ‘90s—“Kiss from a Rose” by Seal.
5. THE BATMAN (2022)
It’s challenging to rank the newest reboot by Matt Reeves because it came out only nine months ago. Once you’ve seen a movie a few times over the years, then you can truly get a sense of where it ranks. With that caveat, the start of this new saga is impressive. Similar to Nolan’s trilogy, Reeves creates a darker, grounded interpretation of Batman but also Gotham City itself. The film is much more of a gritty detective story with a more nihilistic and “horror movie” approach. Many also may have been apprehensive of Robert Pattinson being cast as Batman, but not me. He gives a fantastic performance as a younger Batman trying to make a difference but also having to deal with his family’s past and trauma. The pacing of the story, however, is still a little too long. At nearly three hours, the film feels like it has two or three endings and, like other installments, there are maybe too many villains introduced. One thing is for sure, I would love to see more of Paul Dano as The Riddler.
4. BATMAN BEGINS (2005)
Christopher Nolan’s first entry in his Batman saga is arguably the best reboot of a character we have seen on screen. BATMAN BEGINS finally gives audiences a satisfying origin of our hero with a story that concentrates on the duality of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Unlike its predecessors, the focus is not on the colorful villains in a world Nolan has created. Christian Bale is perfectly cast as a conflicted and complicated Bruce Wayne, and in costume is more of a “creature of the night” than in previous interpretations. Of course, his Batman voice is still over the top, and the action in the film can be clunky, but BATMAN BEGINS is the textbook example of how you reboot a character.
3. BATMAN RETURNS (1992)
Yes, it’s a Christmas movie, and yes, it’s awesome. This is the first Batman movie I ever saw in theaters and it blew my mind as a kid. Firstly, Tim Burton takes up a notch from the first installment and everything is darker. The atmosphere, the humor, the violence, and much more sexuality. As a six-year-old watching, a lot of it amazed but confused me; but as an adult, it holds up a lot better. One criticism is the plot is a little all over the place, and not much with Batman himself—which is fair. However, Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer as Penguin and Catwoman (respectively) give tremendous performances as sympathetic monsters. Also, a hot take—Keaton gives a better performance as Batman than in his first outing. Speaking of…
2. BATMAN (1989)
Tim Burton’s blockbuster first installment BATMAN created the modern-day superhero movie. Sorry, SUPERMAN (1978) but BATMAN started a trend of comic movies we still see today while cementing the character in pop culture like we had not seen before. Aside from the phenomenal gothic tone and Danny Elman’s iconic theme (also the best Batman theme), what cements this adaptation nearly at the top of the list is Michael Keaton’s Batman versus Jack Nicholson’s Joker. Two actors at the top of their game in a story as simple as good vs evil. “You want to get nuts? C’mon! Let’s get nuts!”
1. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
What else can one say about Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece? THE DARK KNIGHT is not just the best Batman movie, it is arguably the best sequel and superhero comic adaptation ever in film history. The film is technically flawless but, unlike many previous installments, the crime story is as captivating as the colorful characters. Of course, when one discusses ‘colorful characters’ there is the Heath Ledger’s game-changing Joker. I will always remember both the stress and awe of watching his performance for the first time because you have no idea what this version was capable of or where the character was going. But what makes this film stand above the rest are the themes of vigilantism and morality. How would the world react if there really was a masked vigilante?
