For over 50 years, Batman has patrolled the silver screen in live action across multiple eras and iterations. The Bat symbol has been worn by stars ranging from Adam West to Christian Bale to Robert Pattinson, portraying The Dark Knight Detective in tales light and dark.
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We’ve seen the over-the-top lows of the 60s, the vintage cool of Burton’s gothic vision, the mastery of Nolan’s grounded trilogy, and new beginnings with grittier reboots. But which take on the Caped Crusader truly rules the screen? We’re counting down every Batman live-action film to declare definitively which soared highest and which collapsed into box office chaos.
The franchise killer.
Cast
Batman and Robin attempt to thwart a punny Mr. Freeze, eco-terrorist Poison Ivy, and the monstrously steroidal Bane from enacting a catastrophic plot to freeze Gotham City.
Director Joel Schumacher steering the Batman franchise into a neon-soaked nightmare led to one of the most ridiculed sequels ever in Batman & Robin. Protagonists George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell wear goofy costumes with anatomical perplexities, and Arnold Schwarzenegger hams it up nonstop withcorny ice puns as Mr. Freeze. It was also disappointing to watch Uma Thurman play Poison Ivy like an obnoxious cartoon, given her brilliant performance in Pulp Fiction.
Everything about Batman & Robin just feels like a desperate attempt to sell toys to kids. There’s no real storytelling or characters, only a noisy mess of gaudy visuals as stale as flat soda. It’s definitely the worst Batman movie, caring nothing for integrity. Both fans and critics hated it alike, and the movie scored so terribly at the box office that it ended up killing the series for years.
Now don’t get us wrong, George Clooney is a decent actor, but unfortunately, he makes for the most mismatched Batman under Joel Schumacher’s clueless direction. We’d honestly take Adam West’s intentionally silly old show over this brainless mess any day of the week.
West’s Bright Knight.
When Batman and Robin face off against a quartet of their most notorious foes who unite to take them down using a dehydration device, Batman must deploy his “Shark Repellent Bat-Spray” among other gadgets to prevail.
Emerging from the playful 60s TV series, this film encapsulated the irresistible lightweight charm of Adam West’s Caped Crusader. West delivered his trademarks deadpan wit and alliterative dialogue as a guilelessly earnest Batman, remaining unfazed no matter the ridiculous death traps thrown his way.
Clearly not made to the same standards as today’s comic book epics, Batman: The Movie delivered precisely the goofy popcorn thrills it aimed for. The flimsy plot involves all four of the show’s core villains, Joker, Penguin, Riddler and Catwoman, uniting to defeat the Dynamic Duo through a comically convoluted dehydration device.
The storyline takes a backseat to zany gags and cheeseball cliffhangers that epitomized the show’s brand of harmless all-ages absurdity. While not in the upper echelon, Batman: The Movie still occupies an important place in Bat-history for its pop art aesthetic and nods to the character’s Golden Age comic roots.
Batfleck cameo for the win.
Suicide Squad focuses on a team of criminals and supervillains, brought together in the wake of Superman’s death to combat metahumans under the control of US government official Amanda Waller.
Suicide Squad criminally squandered its potential, yet deserves an honorable mention for Batman’s minor but entertaining role. Margot Robbie shines as Harley Quinn, though Leto’s Joker sorely disappoints with none of the character’s menace. But Batman himself provides a bright spot amidst the messy production.
His screen time is brief, limited to acar chase confrontation with Harley, and a tinyshowdown with Deadshot. We see Batman’s imposing physicality on display as he pursues her and Joker through Gotham, along with his signature grappling skills and tactical use of his vehicles. Turns out Affleck captures Batman’s intimidating presence better than Leto does the Clown Prince of Crime.
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Batman fans ultimately got a short yet sweet highlight reel reminding us how commanding Bale and Affleck’s incarnations could be in action. It’s barely a cameo, but Affleck makes more impact in one Batmobile sequence than essentially anything in the abysmal Batman & Robin. However, we do mourn Suicide Squad’s failure to fully realize its potential, particularly regarding Leto’s Joker.
Multiverse spectacle, two Batmen?
The Flash accidentally time travels between parallel realities, meeting an older grizzled Batman played by Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s returning classic Caped Crusader.
The Flash graced big screens earlier this year, pairing Ezra Miller’s Scarlet Speedster with dual generations of Batman. Director Andy Muschietti nailed homages to Burton’s gothic aesthetic that should delight fans. But the convoluted reality-altering plot left coherence near the popcorn machines.
The idea of two Batmen potentially colliding brought major nostalgic appeal to fans. Too sad it never actually happened. No sir, instead, we got maybe a self-deprecating Batfleck cameo (courtesy of Wonder Woman) and an overstuffed multiverse storytelling thatcame at the cost of depth. Also, a brief look at what would happen if Bruce Wayne decided to abandon crime fighting and turn into a spaghetti-loving hermit.
The Flash clearly aims more for frenetic comic book spectacle than dramatic weight. Miller’s jittery charm meshes well with Keaton’s gravitas to provide lively chemistry, enhanced by propulsive action scenes. But messy plotting, an over-reliance on fan service, and the worst possible choice for a third Batman cameo (you guessed it, Clooney) hampers the film from reaching its full potential.
Kilmer’s decent sequel.
Batman and his new sidekick Robin strive to stop the flamboyantly sinister Riddler and Two-Face from using brain manipulation to learn the secret identities of Gotham’s heroes.
Joel Schumacher took the Batman franchise in a radically different direction for 1995’s Batman Forever, ditching Tim Burton’s gothic vibe for a more comic book look. While it was a breath of fresh air, Val Kilmer’s performance ultimately lacked the quirky charm of predecessor Michael Keaton brought to the franchise.
However, we absolutely cannot ignore Jim Carrey’s manically over-the-top antics as the Riddler, which gave the film some truly demented energy. Tommy Lee Jones camped it up to rival Carrey’s hyena-esque giggling as vengeful Two-Face. Even the Bat-suits and production design gleamed it up a bit, delivering a visual treat.
While it was no masterwork, Batman Forever showcased enjoyable rollercoaster entertainment, and scored at the box office, thanks to Batman’s marketing dominance.
Rushed cinematic universe builder.
Batman joins forces with Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash to revive Superman and defend Earth together against the invading forces of the evil cosmic tyrant Steppenwolf.
It’s obvious that DC aimed to craft an Avengers-style crossover with 2017’s Justice League. But directorZack Snyder stepping down mid-production(very understandably so) meant extensive reshoots overseen by Joss Whedon. The clashing visions resulted in a blenderized concoction lacking focus.
Ben Affleck’s world-weary Batman found himself marginalized amidst the haphazard world-building and weak villain. Surprisingly enough, Gal Gadot’s earnest Wonder Woman and Jason Momoa’s gruff Aquaman outpaced Batman’s shallow presence. Aside from a touching heart-to-heart with Wonder Woman about loss, Batman lacked standout displays of his detective skills or hand-to-hand mastery.
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The audience could easily tell that Whedon aimed for Marvel-style quips that felt jarringly out of character from BvS’s grimness. Lackluster action scenes against a forgettable CGI villain Steppenwolf failed to showcase Batman’s strategic leadership or abilities. The competing directorial visions underserved Affleck’s Batman, missing the opportunity to portray his hard-won wisdom mentoring the team.
Snyder’s Batfleck showcase.
Batman takes on a mentor role assembling the Justice League to fight Steppenwolf’s invasion of Earth, while grappling with the world-changing consequences of Superman’s death.
Zack Snyder’s 4-hour director’s cut of Justice League aimed to fulfill his original vision after stepping down during initial filming. The sprawling runtime spotlighted Ben Affleck’s weary, Frank Miller-esque Batman mentoring the fledgling Justice League as a grizzled general. Deeper dives into his tragic backstory finally added a shade of humanity to the character.
The expanded scope brought Batman more centrally into the team dynamic, with Affleck giving an outstanding late career performance as an aging hero passing the torch. But even his gravitas couldn’t fully overcome Snyder’s signature leaden pacing and oppressively gray gloomy aesthetic.
The film arguably improved upon Joss Whedon’s scattershot theatrical cut via focused world-building. However, critics still derided the bloated four-hour runtime, chemical color palette, and thinly sketched characters. Even Batfleck’s boosted presence couldn’t save the League from feeling like a dour CGI spectacle. While Snyder Cut was undoubtedly a step-up, the flaws inherent in Snyder’s DC universe kept Batman and the Justice League from truly taking flight.
Creepy-good Burton sequel.
Batman clashes with the sinister Penguin, who seeks power over Gotham, and shares a complex bond with the dangerous Catwoman.
Tim Burton cranked up the macabre with 1992’s Batman Returns, a worthy, if imperfect sequel that took risks in portraying more adult themes of corruption and duality. Danny DeVito startled as the grotesque yet oddly sympathetic Penguin, developing political aspirations that masked his criminal intent.
But the provocative feline chemistry between Michael Keaton’s Batman and Michelle Pfeiffer’s leather-clad Catwoman dominated the film. Their morally complex bond transcended hero and villain dynamism, showing two conflicted kindred spirits beneath the masks.
The villains' twisted carnival-inspired designs encapsulated Burton’s delight in showcasing flamboyantly abnormal outcasts. Batman himself had a dreamier, more softly-lit look contrasting the harsh urban shadows. Returns embraced edgier themes than its predecessor, from Penguin’s implied incestuous origins to Catwoman’s liberating sexuality. The movie shook up expectations, but Burton’s vision did maintain a stylistic continuity of sorts.
Flawed epic trilogy finale.
Broken and reclusive after years in seclusion, Batman must rise again to save Gotham City from Bane and Talia Al Ghul’s reign of brutality and terror that culminates in a nuclear bomb attack.
Christopher Nolan brought the all-encompassing, extra-awesome Dark Knight trilogy to an epic conclusion with 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, a sprawling spectacle that fell short of its beloved predecessors for some fans and critics. This movie saw Tom Hardy’s hulking terrorist Bane pushing Christian Bale’s aging Bruce Wayne and Batman to their physical and psychological breaking point in a very…brutal fashion.
Full props to Anne Hathaway, who brought electric flair to antiheroine Catwoman, clashing and bonding with Bale’s increasingly ravaged protagonist. However, inevitable complaints emerged around pacing issues, lackluster plotting, and empty bombast outweighing substance. After the masterful character focus of The Dark Knight, it seemed like even the tiniest of flaws hampered the trilogy finale’s impact.
But then again, these criticisms could have also stemmed from the impossibly high expectations for the antagonist following Heath Ledger’s stunning Joker performance. In a way, the audiences were almost primed for disappointment. Honestly, awe-inspiring set pieces like the midair plane hijacking showcased Nolan’s ambitious scope.
The Dark Knight Rises still highlighted the self-sacrificing nature of Bale’s Batman as a tragic hero who inspires Gothamites to rise up themselves. No Batman fan is going to forget the impact that the final scene brought, when he steps out of the shadows andinto the daylight to fight Bane.Minor Shortcomings aside, Nolan’s finale honored the character’s cinematic legacy with certified grandeur.
DC’s ultimate clash.
Batman prepares to battle Superman, seeing him as an unchecked threat, but the two iconic heroes eventually unite against the monstrous Doomsday and Lex Luthor’s manipulations.
Zack Snyder’s showdown Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice clashed DC’s two biggest icons in mythic fashion, although Batman’s ruthless characterization deeply divided fans. Ben Affleck embodied Frank Miller’s aged Dark Knight Returns interpretation, portraying Batman as an obsessive, paranoid vigilante wrestling with Superman’s status as an unchecked alien godlike power threatening humanity.
Their ferocious dueling worldviews fueled explosive battles where Batman employed shockingly vicious measures like branding criminals and agonizingly fighting Superman with the intent to kill. Jesse Eisenberg’s twitchy Lex Luthor, in true fashion, manipulated their ideological distrust, while Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman grounded their rivalry with reason.
While Snyder’s visual grandeur andHans Zimmer’s apocalyptic scorebrought a godlike vibe to the movie, many fans were surprised at this harsh take on Batman’s moral code. His severe methods provoked debates around Batman possibly violating his no-killing rule and substituting thoughtful detective work for unchecked brutality. This grimmer, crueler Batman felt to some an inaccurate betrayal of the character’s legacy.
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Yet Affleck’s outstanding performance as a grizzled veteran crime-fighter contrasted with Cavill’s messianic Superman to inject the mythic fight with emotion. Batman’s armor, tactical genius and gritty determination still shone, particularly in the epicwarehouse brawl scenespotlighting his hand-to-hand mastery, and an affinity for guns. For better or worse, Batman v Superman depicted DC’s icons as an operatic spectacle. But we can’t deny that the liberties taken with Batman’s morality provoked intense divisions that still flare today.
