The classic Detective Comics character Batman has a storied history on the silver screen. The 1960s Adam West and Burt Ward-starring TV show spun-off into a campy film. In the contemporary film era, a number of prominent filmmakers have taken on the task of putting their own spin on the so-called Caped Crusader and—sometimes—his trusty sidekick, Robin. From Tim Burton (the man behind Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands) to Joel Schumacher (Flatliners and St. Elmo’s Fire) and from Christopher Nolan (Memento and Inception) to Zack Snyder (300 and the Dawn of the Dead remake), many a director have sought to make the Dark Knight and his many supporting characters their own.
Each of these series is representative of the era it comes from. Burton and Schumacher’s films come from a pre-digital era with big fake sets and matte paintings. Nolan’s films, on the other hand, are a grittier, more serious response to the rising tide of comic book movies like Spider-Man and Daredevil. Snyder, for his part, will serve as a reminder of the current era, where superhero movies have become king of the box office, with Marvel at the forefront and the DCEU trying to keep up while also differentiating itself. At this very moment, a new Batman franchise is on its way. With Matt Reeves (Cloverfield and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) in the director’s chair and Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne himself, we can only wonder what this film may look like. Until then, here are the five best Batman films yet, ranked.
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batman ranking
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5. ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
It is easy to remember The Dark Knight with rose-colored glasses because it is a solid picture for what it is. It is undeniable that people flocked to Heath Ledger’s transformative performance. More than a decade later, however, Christopher Nolan’s sequel and its unrelentingly bleak nature continues to have a stranglehold on the DCEU and it has become rather tiresome.
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4. ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
Nolan’s Batman origin story film starring Christian Bale was something of a surprise hit. Only three years removed from Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film, this mostly practical and grounded film feels like something of a response to Raimi’s own more outlandish comic book entries.
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3. ‘Batman Forever’ (1995)
Schumacher’s first attempt to step into Tim Burton’s shoes has gotten a resurgence of late. Rightfully so, it is an undeniable romp with Val Kilmer stepping into the role of Batman and Jim Carrey giving one of the most pitch-perfect performances of his career as the Riddler.
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2. ‘Batman Returns’ (1992)
Sure, Burton’s Batman Returns doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, but it is well worth watching nonetheless. Michael Keaton is pure fun as the Dark Knight while Michelle Pfeiffer kills as Catwoman and Danny Devito is perfectly cast in his role as The Penguin.
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1. ’Batman’ (1989)
The first live-action Batman movie of the contemporary era continues to be the pinnacle. Burton’s take on the Caped Crusader at the height of his skill is a joy to watch, with a classic performance from Jack Nicholson and original songs from Prince.
