Every Batman Movie Ranked and Where to Stream Them

Love DC or hate it, you possibly can’t deny that they know methods to make an excellent Batman film. For practically 100 years, the Caped Crusader has remained one of the in style superheroes in popular culture.

There are a lot of causes that may clarify Batman’s endearing recognition in the present day — the now-classic comedian books written by comedian legends like Frank Miller (The Darkish Knight Returns), Alan Moore (Batman: The Killing Joke), or Neil Gaiman (Batman: No matter Occurred to the Caped Crusader?), his fixed relevancy by varied TV reveals and video video games (together with The Batman starring Adam West, Batman: The Animated Collection, and the award-winning Arkham Asylum franchise), or his equally iconic rogues gallery of villains.

Each Batman Film Ranked and The place to Stream Them

A key essential rationalization for Batman’s persevering with recognition in the present day, nevertheless, can extra straight be tied to the Darkish Knight’s quite a few big-budget films, a lot of them beloved by followers worldwide. For followers of Batman, we ranked each live-action Batman film from worst to greatest, together with details about the place you’re at present capable of stream them.

Checklist standards: Sadly, we seemed solely at live-action Batman films, in addition to these the place Batman himself is the primary featured hero. This implies you received’t discover Justice League, Batman v. Superman: Daybreak of Justice, or, sadly, The Lego Batman Film on this checklist.

Batman & Robin

A film so dangerous George Clooney himself reportedly nonetheless provides followers who noticed it in theaters a refund, Batman & Robin was accountable for single-handedly derailing the unique Batman franchise. The film, a direct sequel to Batman Ceaselessly, stars Clooney because the Darkish Knight in his first and solely Batman film, assisted by a returning Chris O’Donnell as Robin and Alicia Silverstone as a younger Batgirl. When the villainous Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) groups up with Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) and her henchman Bane, it’s as much as the three heroes to forestall the evil duo from freezing Gotham.

This film was laughably dangerous — stuffed with ice puns (27 in whole) and over-the-top cartoonish dialogue, motion, characters, and set items, making it one of many strangest Batman films ever, and by far the worst.

Presently streaming on: HBO Max

Batman Ceaselessly

After a felony mastermind often known as The Riddler seems in Gotham, partnering with the unstable crime boss Two-Face, Batman reluctantly joins forces with a younger hero named Robin on this underwhelming, uneven superhero film. Almost as bizarre as Batman & Robin however not fairly as dangerous, this film’s primary situation is its hopeless miscasting. Val Kilmer provides a really wood, robotic efficiency as Batman, and Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face and Jim Carrey as The Riddler seem like in some form of contest attempting to over-act the opposite, leading to among the most hamfisted performing you’ll ever see.

Abandoning the darker method Tim Burton took along with his earlier Batman films, director Joel Schumacher tried to infuse some lighthearted silliness into this film paying homage to the unique Batman sequence. As you’ll see in Batman Ceaselessly, the choice was … questionable to say the least.

Presently streaming on: HBO Max

Batman: The Film

Contemporary off the heels of the primary season of the favored 1966 TV sequence starring Adam West comes this family-friendly superhero film, Batman: The Film. That includes a lot of the primary solid from the unique sequence, the film focuses on Batman and Robin (Burt Ward) battling the villainous group of The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), Joker (Cesar Romero), Penguin (Burgess Meredith), and Catwoman (Lee Meriwether), all of whom have banded collectively in a plot maintain the world hostage with an invention that quickly dehydrates individuals.

Batman: The Film is about as lighthearted a Batman film you’ll discover, stuffed with wacky dialogue, zany motion, and loads of “Swoosh,” “Kapow,” and “Ouch!” sound results throughout struggle sequences.

Presently streaming on: Hulu (requires premium subscription)

Batman Returns

This sequel to the wildly in style 1989 Batman stars a returning Michael Keaton as soon as once more because the Darkish Knight — darker than ever this time round. When the mysterious Penguin (Danny DeVito) emerges from the underground sewers of Gotham with a plan to kill all the metropolis’s firstborn sons, Batman should attempt to cease him, all of the whereas taking part in a recreation of cat and mouse with the equally enigmatic Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).

Director Tim Burton could have gone just a little too darkish in some facets of the story, however that is nonetheless a really entertaining (if barely disturbing) film with nice performances by the three primary leads.

Presently streaming on: HBO Max

The Darkish Knight Rises

The third and ultimate entry in Christopher Nolan’s unbelievable trilogy, The Darkish Knight Rises had so much to dwell as much as with the overwhelming success of The Darkish Knight. Whereas it might not have measured up fully to its predecessor, The Darkish Knight Rises continues to be an extremely sturdy entry to Nolan’s trilogy, providing a satisfying conclusion to the sequence.

When the now just about crime-free Gotham Metropolis is threatened by the presence of a masked mercenary named Bane (Tom Hardy), Batman should return to crime-fighting after an almost decade-long absence with a purpose to save the individuals of Gotham from positive destruction.

Presently streaming on: HBO Max

Batman Begins

The film accountable for reigniting a complete technology’s curiosity in Batman, the primary film in Christopher Nolan’s Darkish Knight trilogy stays an unbelievable superhero film to at the present time. Loosely primarily based on Frank Miller’s traditional Batman: Yr One, Batman Begins focuses on the origin story of Batman, explaining how Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) got here to struggle towards organized crime in Gotham Metropolis.

That includes fan-favorite villains Ra’s al Ghul (whose identification I’ll preserve a thriller for individuals who haven’t seen this film) and Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), Batman Begins was praised by followers and critics alike for Bale’s efficiency and the emotional and psychological facets of Bruce Wayne’s character — one thing that had by no means earlier than been extensively explored in a film centered round Batman.

Presently streaming on: HBO Max

Batman

The primary “severe” Batman film and the movie that helped launch three subsequent sequels, this 1989 traditional is thought for setting the usual for the superhero style. Starring Michael Keaton towards sort as Batman (he was identified for his extra comedic roles on the time), the film focuses on the Caped Crusader’s battle towards the psychopathic gangster, the Joker (performed by the legendary Jack Nicholson in one in every of his most well-known roles).

There’s a lot to like about this film — from the good performances to the darkish, twisted imaginative and prescient of Gotham Metropolis that director Tim Burton brings to the Massive Display screen. Batman was so successful, it even impressed the now-beloved Batman: The Animated Collection, which in flip resulted in DC realizing the potential of animated tasks and creating the equally in style DC Animated Universe.

Presently streaming on: HBO Max

The Darkish Knight

Simply one in every of director Christopher Nolan’s greatest films as properly one of many biggest superhero films of all time, The Darkish Knight is just about flawless. The performing, motion, pacing, music, dialogue, and the darker, extra mature themes all earned the film notable acclaim, to not point out the truth that Heath Ledger provides the definitively greatest efficiency of the Joker as of but, successful him a posthumous Academy Award within the course of.

Not solely an excellent superhero film, but additionally a improbable film generally, this can be a must-watch movie that ought to completely be seen by everybody, whether or not you’re a fan of Batman or not.

Presently streaming on: HBO Max

Closing Ideas

Batman is, doubtless, one of the beloved and iconic superheroes in all of comedian fandom. His persevering with recognition makes him one in every of DC’s most immediately recognizable characters, and has resulted in numerous portrayals and iterations by varied comics, TV reveals, and flicks over time. Like everybody, we’re excited to see what the long run holds for the Darkish Knight (particularly the upcoming Matt Reeves film, The Batman).

For followers of DC’s animated films, we additionally beloved Batman: Masks of the Illusion and The Lego Batman Film, each of that are at present streaming on HBO Max.