Welcome to another DKN Top 5. We continue to observe Batman’s 75th Anniversary by picking what we feel are the five best live action Batman movies. This is undoubtedly the medium that most people are familiar with the character through – they don’t call him the Billion Dollar Batman for nothing! It’s probably safe to say that most peoples’ first exposure to the Dark Knight came by seeing one of his silver screen outings.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen all seven films produced by Warner Bros. in theaters in my lifetime. No matter how young I may have been, I can attest that the releases of Batman, Batman Returns, and Batman Forever weren’t just movies – they were events. They were THE biggest thing going on that summer. If you were like me, seeing the movie wasn’t enough. You also got the comic book adaptation, action figures, or even some cool mugs from your favorite fast food restaurant. Every Batman movie is its own slice of nostalgia. It’s important to remember that every one of these movies means something to somebody… even if they won’t admit it. There’s a very good chance that a Poison Ivy cosplayer around the age of 20 first saw her in Batman and Robin.
The Batman film franchise is arguably responsible for changing what we know the summer tentpole blockbuster to be and one of the first major steps in legitimizing superheroes on film. Batman catches on with the mainstream because he’s a flesh and blood human that looks pretty damn cool when he saves the day. Something I love about not only Batman but the superhero genre as a whole is that it shows people that being the good guy can be cool. It also doesn’t hurt that his gallery of villains have cult followings of their own. The Joker seemingly moves nearly as much merchandise as the Caped Crusader himself.
Before we proceed with our top picks, I just want to address those who may say that there wasn’t much to choose from in this particular category. We considered all seven films from WB, Batman: The Movie (1966), both serials from the 1940’s, and even Catwoman (which nobody voted for).
5. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)
This had to be one of the most divisive films in the franchise. While I personally like the film despite its questionable portrayal of Batman (Christian Bale), I can understand arguments people have on both sides of the fence. Complaints aside, we were treated to a rather inspirational tale and saw some rather iconic depictions of Bane (Tom Hardy) and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway). I applaud Christopher Nolan for making his trilogy feel like one complete story, rather than three films in succession. This outing may also have featured Hans Zimmer’s greatest score in the trilogy, at least in my opinion.
4. BATMAN RETURNS (1992)
It’s amazing how many people cite this as their favorite Batman movie to this day. Though I prefer Tim Burton’s first effort by a narrow margin, I really do love this film. Yes, I admit that it reinterpreted Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), but it gave us one of the most unique films in the franchise. The Batman/ Catwoman dynamic was presented extremely well and Danny Elfman’s score for this particular outing may be the finest in the franchise overall.
3. BATMAN (1989)
This is the one that really changed everything. A young director named Tim Burton showed everyone that a guy in a cape could be taken seriously and presented in a dark manner. An atypically cast Michael Keaton brought much gravitas to the role of Batman and remains the favorite of many a Batfan. Jack Nicholson was a fantastic Joker and production designer Anton Furst made Gotham City a character in its own right and in such a way that it has yet to be surpassed. I can honestly say this is one movie I have never tired of. And who knew that The Joker was the world’s biggest Prince fan?
2. BATMAN BEGINS (2005)
When Batman and Robin crashed and burned, it took eight years to get the franchise back on the big screen. Not only did Nolan give us a complete series reboot, but he also redeemed the franchise in the eyes of moviegoers. This began a trilogy of a more realistic interpretation of Batman and gave us a detailed origin when origins weren’t yet a tired concept. Christian Bale brought such weight to the role of Batman and is my personal favorite actor to don the cowl (though I have a strong feeling that Ben Affleck will change my opinion). Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul was a real highlight and ultimately became a cornerstone of the series.
1. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
Boy, was this film ever a box office and merchandising monster. It became the first superhero movie to pass the billion dollar mark and saw Heath Ledger win a posthumous Oscar for his riveting performance as The Joker. This wasn’t just a superhero movie – it was a sophisticated crime drama that also happened to be one heck of a great Batman movie. Bale returned as a Batman who is at the top of his game and endured a really emotional character arc. We could talk about this movie all day, but I will end on this bold statement: no superhero movie since has surpassed it in terms of quality.
Do you agree with our list? Did any of your favorites not make the cut?