Top 10 Best Batman Movies

A list of the best Batman movies, both animated and live action.
The Top Ten
The Dark Knight

They say the only way to fight darkness is with light. Not in this movie.

In most comic-based movies, the hero is the light. Not in this movie, in my opinion. We saw Batman, Bruce Wayne's dark alter ego, the source of his power. The dark side of his mind made him who Batman is. He uses it to understand and beat darkness. The way Nolan crushed the crusader image of Batman was something I can't describe with words.

Light in its pure form was represented by Morgan Freeman as Fox, Michael Caine as Alfred, Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel, and Gary Oldman as Gordon. And then there was Heath Ledger. He was nothing like the old Jokers, not even in the comic books. He was the most villainous character I've ever seen in a movie, to the point that even Darth Vader can't match him.

Batman (1989)

Batman doesn't have a stupid voice. What more could you need? Well, I'll give you more anyway. Gotham is Gotham, a hell-like city straight out of a nightmare. It's not Chicago. Bruce Wayne is a standard-looking weirdo, a reclusive rich guy who could easily blend in with a room of Gotham's elite. You would never guess he's Batman. It works perfectly. He's not some eccentric pretty boy.

The Joker is a fun-loving and funny Clown Prince of Crime, not an anarchistic psycho killer. The vehicles and gadgets Batman has make him look like a force of nature to criminals, an actual bat flying around the city putting scumbags six feet under. Not some guy in a tank. I love this movie. The characters, music, atmosphere, and story are perfect for a comic book hero, not a costumed CSI episode that tries hard to make things realistic.

The Dark Knight Rises

In my opinion, this is not just the greatest Batman film, but the greatest superhero movie of ALL TIME! It's the darkest of Nolan's trilogy, with a great cast: Bale, Freeman, Oldman, Caine, Hathaway, and, of course, the best performance of the film - Tom Hardy's Bane. It's a great finale to one of the greatest trilogies ever. Unexpected twist, just everything. I can't say the film is a masterpiece, but it is great. All the comments are in MY OPINION, don't take it personally.

Awesome. I personally prefer this to The Dark Knight and Batman Begins (which I still love). This one offers more to me. The villain overall did more damage, the scale was larger, there was more to talk about after the movie, it was WAY more emotionally powerful, the score was amazing, they fully developed the character of Bruce Wayne rather than concentrating on Batman the entire movie, and Bane was awesome.

Batman Begins

Greatly written and directed, it had the perfect tone. The Dark Knight was too serious, and while Heath Ledger was the best Joker actor, I felt they didn't know what to do with him, and that's why I prefer Mark Hamill. The movie was okay written.

The weakest film in the Dark Knight trilogy, but only because the other two are so great. This is a new take on Batman, giving us a truly gritty and real version of the Caped Crusader. The storylines for Ra's and Scarecrow are awesome.

Ra's Al Ghul is one of the best Batman villains ever and is portrayed perfectly by Liam Neeson. Amazing origin story, and great performance by Christian Bale. This was the start of what I believe is the greatest trilogy of all time.

Batman Returns

This is such an amazing film. Penguin is absolutely haunting. His backstory is fascinating. I love when a film gives you a little more insight into the villain. The imagery, the depth, and darkness of this film top all other Batman films.

I loved The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises is a close second to Batman Returns, but this film will always be my favorite. Michelle Pfeiffer plays a great Selina Kyle/Catwoman. When she walks into her apartment after the change happens, it is so eerie when compared to her previously seen regular mundane routine. The contrast and character development are exquisite. I don't know about you, Miss Kitty, but I feel so much better.

Batman - Mask of the Phantasm

While perhaps not as daring as Batman 1989 or the Nolan trilogy, it uses this to its advantage and has very few flaws. The performances are phenomenal, absolutely stellar. It's like a really high-budget episode, but it's not stretched out.

The story is great and really enthralling. It's scored masterfully. The characters are well-defined and interesting. The writing is really smart, and the writers navigate the twists and turns of the story incredibly well. I don't think it's just the best Batman movie. It's a top-notch animated film. It's absolutely incredible, and I encourage everyone who hasn't seen it to watch it. It is Batman.

Batman: Under the Red Hood

I think it's a really good movie, and John DiMaggio's Joker is very different and successfully so. My biggest problems with it are a problem as a whole and just personal taste: the biggest problem is that the story is a tad contrived, although it's a different case than the comic, which is a great topic for discussion. My other problem is the art style, which is unappealing to me, but it's just my taste. Overall, still quite good.

Guys, please, we're talking about the Red Hood here. How is this not number 1? Nolan's films were good and all, but come on! Jensen Ackles did an amazing job portraying the Red Hood. It's almost as iconic as Mark Hamill's and Kevin Conroy's voices. He was born to do it!

The film also has a great story. It deserves a lot more recognition.

Batman Forever

Honestly, I wanted to like Batman and Robin more than this because Val Kilmer is the absolute worst Batman ever. Plus, it's too cheesy, with weird moments. But now, looking at Batman and Robin, it's pretty much the same costume, but the plot of Batman and Robin is a mess. And it's just so bad. So yeah, this one may have been better than Batman and Robin, but it has the worst actor to play Batman. I give this movie 1/10. At least with this movie, it's kind of dark compared to the last sequel.

It was okay. I mean, it's Batman! I felt like in this movie the Riddler should have been better. After all, there is only one non-animated version of the Riddler besides Gotham, which was awesome. It felt like Two-Face was another version of the Joker, and this was practically a whole different series than the old ones, which were great. Tim Burton would have done better.

On my list, I would have it in 7th because I feel bad for this movie, and it was okay. It would have been better without Robin.

Batman: The Movie

What? Obviously, this is the greatest Batman film ever made. Adam West portrays a dark Batman and must make life-or-death decisions around every corner. Does he throw the bomb into the water with the family of ducks to save others, but kill the ducks instantly? It's a thrill ride.

I said the same thing for Mask of the Phantasm. This movie is responsible for everything you love about Batman.

This is the only Batman movie with Bat Shark Repellent Spray, so that's enough to put it in the top 5, right?

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Put your animation versus real-life action biases aside, and you'll see that not only is the graphic novel the best comic book ever written, but this movie is also the best Batman flick ever.

Best movie featuring Batman. A whole new level of story. The best part is the legendary fighting scene between Batman and Superman.

Awesome possible ending of the Batman universe. Very good! If you like Batman, you must see this!

The Newcomers

? The Batman

This is how the myth of the Batman should exist. This movie, in the truest sense, is an experience. You feel like Gotham really exists. You feel like the myth of the Batman is actually true. A legendary movie.

Gotta get the newest addition up to where it belongs!

This is lower than Batman and Robin? What's wrong with this site?

? Batman Ninja

This film needs to be higher. It combines my two favorite genres: anime and Batman.

I'm excited for this. I love anime and Batman.

The Contenders
Batman Beyond - Return of the Joker
Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice

I think Affleck was easily the most badass Batman, but The Dark Knight was the best story for Batman.

Ben Affleck was great as Batman, better than Christian Bale.

The four best Batman actors are: 1. Ben Affleck, 2. Kevin Conroy, 3. Christian Bale, 4. Michael Keaton.

A cult movie with memorable scenes. Batman saving Martha has more value than The Dark Knight.

The Lego Batman Movie

This is my 7th favorite, behind Keaton's two, Kilmer's one, and Bale's three. Batman and Robin was horrible, dead last behind every cartoon.

I know there have been a few LEGO Batman short films, but in this instance, I'm referring to the 2017 LEGO Batman movie! This movie takes everything everybody loves about Batman and makes it better. It's like the Dark Knight Trilogy on steroids, yet somehow they keep it family-friendly and a movie everybody, even non-Batman or LEGO fans, can enjoy.

A great character study of Batman while still being hilarious.

Batman: The Killing Joke

Great movie. As much as I hated BVS, this movie is fantastic. A great film adaptation with Mark and Kevin. But which film adaptation is next? Death of the Family? Knightfall? The Long Halloween?

Why is this under BVS and Batman and Robin? These suck more than this one. Put this on top of them because this movie rocks.

Batman: Year One

I have no idea how this ended up below Batman and Robin. This film has great action, a solid story, and Cranston nails it as Gordon. And yet somehow, Batman and Robin is better. Don't know if anyone realizes, but ice puns and bat nipples don't make a good flick.

Batman: Year One retells perfectly the tale of how Bruce became Batman.

Justice League
Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero

I like this one. It is the best one. Far, far better than The Dark Knight. Best movie ever. Better than Star Wars. So good. Mr. Freeze is so funny and awesome, as is Batman. Truly Batman at his greatest. The best thing about this world, even.

Batman vs. Two-Face

A really good film. It should be much higher on the list.

The Batman vs. Dracula

This is a great crossover between the great superhero Batman and the horror icon Dracula.

Batman: Assault on Arkham

Basically a film to go alongside the Arkham Games. The original Suicide Squad movie.

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
Batman Gotham Knight
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part II
Alyas Batman En Robin
Scooby-Doo Meets Batman
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