I’m going to be honest. I’ve never been a car guy. However, there is one car that has struck my fancy – the Batmobile. It is arguably pop culture’s most iconic vehicle. Although I and many people reading this article would probably say there is no argument to be had.
Well, maybe some arguing would ensue. Which version of the Batmobile is the best? There have been countless variations across all forms of media, but we’re here to rank the ones that have appeared in live action cinema. The staff at Dark Knight News was recently polled and this is the list we came up with.
Before we kick off the list, I just want to make it clear that the cars from the 1940’s movie serials weren’t considered. Although Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has yet to hit theaters, its car qualifies since we already know what it looks like despite not having seen all of its applications.
6. Batman and Robin (1997)
One choice that the DKN staff was unanimous regarding was our least favorite Batmobile: the one that appeared in Batman and Robin. Perhaps some may not favor it due to the widely panned movie that it appeared in. Personally, I don’t think it’s an altogether bad looking car – it’s just my least favorite of the lot. It looks like a toy because, well, it was meant to sell toys. Having Batman drive around with his head sticking out so thugs can shoot at his pointy ears doesn’t seem like the smartest idea. I think a big part of its look had to do with the eventual ease of kids simply sliding their Batman action figure into the top of this thing. Analysis aside, it’ll forever be the Batmobile I say looks like it’s powered by crystal meth.
5. Batman Forever (1995)
Here we have another one that looks like a toy, although not as much as the above. Director Joel Schumacher was actually inspired by something he saw in a fetish magazine when coming up with the concept for this one. I’m not sure exactly what that was, though I have an inkling – it’s not pretty and likely too adult for me to talk about on this website. If you see me at a bar, I’ll tell you. Even though this ultimately didn’t place rather high on our list, several members of our staff are rather fond of it and I bet a percentage of our readers are as well.
4. Batman (1966)
We’re now getting to the point where people will shout “how the hell wasn’t that number one?!” The Batmobile used in Batman: The Television series and the subsequent movie that tied into it was the first to put The Caped Crusader’s ride on the pop culture map. It had such style and looked so bad ass that it could make you forget about anything James Bond drove during the 1960’s. Sure, it had no top to it, but I’m sure a Bullet Repellent Spray would keep our heroes safe.
3. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
As stated earlier, we’ve yet to see all of the applications of this baby, but we can’t deny how cool it looks. What’s funny is that paparazzi shots actually do this vehicle better just and we at DKN prefer to use officially released shots only. This entry has the qualities of the Batmobile I’ve been waiting for since Burton was at the helm: contemporary, effective, and very “Bat.”
2. The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012)
Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a cool car. I just don’t see much that is “Bat” about it, if you know what I mean. For an incarnation of Batman who was very “real world” and had the inability to create his own gadgets, it was very believable that he would drive this. It’s what I have always described as “the utilitarian Batmobile.”
1. Batman, Batman Returns (1989-1992)
This wasn’t my personal top choice, but maybe it should have been. When I think of what a car that Batman drives should look like, this pretty much comes to mind. Come to think of it, it kind of has served as the template for many Batmobiles we have seen in comics and animation since. Being sleek, fast, and (less than) lethal, it’s no wonder chicks dig the car.
Do you agree with our list? Let us know!
