Every Batman Movie, Ranked According to Letterboxd
DC Comics’ Caped Crusader, Batman, is an incredibly iconic fictional character for a plethora of reasons. The character traits that make him who he is make him a super compelling character to most. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t at least like Batman. There’s a reason that one can’t go to the store without seeing some Batman merchandise somewhere.
This has led to his movies being extremely popular over the years, with most of them being loved by most. What do the fans and audiences think of these movies, though? Those wondering can take to Letterboxd to find out the general thoughts of the film and comic book communities. From worst to greatest, Letterboxd has the answer to this question. Batman’s theatrical films are proof that everyone has ups and downs sometimes.
11
‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)
1.9/5.0 (380 Fans)
While Batman has some of the best superhero films out there, it’s hard to deny that when the Caped Crusader hit lows, they were extremely low—hilariously so. This does wonders for Bats’ rough patches, making them super enjoyable watches nonetheless. User Logan Kenny said, “glorious camp nonsense, batman is reduced to a glamour icon, with ripped muscles and nipples on his suit, a credit card in his own image…” about Batman & Robin. It’s an unabashedly fun and campy movie that people find so much fun in.
Batman & Robin doesn’t care what people think of it. It owns the goofiness of comic books from the ’80s and ’90s and thrives on it. A lot of people give it a lot of flak for its ridiculousness, but over time, it’s really grown on people. It’s by no means good, but boy, is it an absolutely hilarious film to rewatch with friends on the weekend.
10
‘Batman Forever’ (1995)
2.5/5.0 (634 Fans)
Just before the horrific Batman & Robin released, another flick, almost just as bad, came out: Batman Forever. Just like the movie that would come two years after this, Batman Forever is unconcerned with telling a serious story and is more interested in just being a boatload of fun. However, unlike Batman & Robin, there was far more potential for Batman Forever. There’s a better movie underneath what came out, and that is pretty much confirmed, thanks to the illustrious Schumacher Cut existing, which people may very well never see, unfortunately.
Chloe Ann puts it very well in their Letterboxd review, “Filled with some questionable acting choices and many whacky cartoonish moments. Can’t say I didn’t have a fun time watching though.” It’s a funny time that can be enjoyed by most, especially because of the hilarious performances from the likes of Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones.
9
‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)
2.5/5.0 (2.2k Fans)
The “Snyderverse” franchise of superhero films is very divisive when it comes to general opinions on it. A group of fans absolutely adore the films within it, and many others simply don’t enjoy them at all. So, when trying to deduce a general audience’s opinion on a film like this, Letterboxd is definitely helpful, given how many people have such different thoughts.
“… Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice tries to be another Batman reboot, a Man of Steel sequel, and a Justice League set-up all at once…” is what’s said by Dawson Joyce on Letterboxd, and it’s very accurate. With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice feeling like it was trying to play catch-up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the time, rather than just trying to be the best movie it could be, people were pretty unhappy with this flick, for the most part.
8
‘Batman Returns’ (1992)
3.6/5.0 (2.5k Fans)
Before it all went downhill after being taken over by Joel Schumacher, the Tim Burton Batman franchise was pretty well-liked by everyone. After the success that was Batman in 1989, everyone was wondering how Burton would follow it up. When Batman Returns came out, it may not have been as good as the original, but there was a ton of enjoyment to be found in it.
On Letterboxd, a user named Harvey states one of the better parts of the movie, “Literally every side character was fairly interesting, and Gotham as a whole felt a lot more flushed out.” This is a fairly correct statement, as even the goofier character, Penguin (Danny DeVito), is an incredibly enjoyable character. The biggest highlight, though, is none other than the ever-lovable Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. While it’s not a perfect movie, Batman Returns is a pretty good watch.
7
‘Batman’ (1989)
3.6/5.0 (3k Fans)
Tim Burton’s first superhero outing, Batman, is one of the cornerstone superhero films in Hollywood cinema. The foundations that it laid for where superhero movies have gotten to today are groundbreaking and essential to the success the genre sees in the modern age. Franchises like the MCU wouldn’t be nearly where they are now without movies like Batman.
This movie is also a pinnacle of Burton’s live-action filmmaking style. It feels like he really peaked here, as best put by Reece on Letterboxd, “MR. BURTON. PLEASE GO BACK TO MAKING WEIRD MOVIES WITH ORNATE SETS, TEXTURED DESIGNS, AND PRACTICAL EFFECTS. I BEG OF YOU…” There’s a certain vibe that Batman has that has yet to be recreated by any other live-action Batman project, and most likely never will.
6
‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
3.8/5.0 (6.3k Fans)
The Christopher Nolan The Dark Knight trilogy is quite easily one of the most popular superhero trilogies ever made. With an alright third movie, and a second film that some consider one of the best superhero sequels ever made, The Dark Knight trilogy’s first outing, Batman Begins, is extremely underrated. This opinion is shared by Letterboxd user, noirnamhar616, as stated in their review: “Very good film of past and underrated today. Nolan brought Batman alive…” The film is about as close as Nolan gets to the comic book source material in his trilogy, as he moves to a much more realistic Gotham City from the second film onward.
The cast in Batman Begins is one of the strongest Batman casts in the franchise, with Christian Bale leading the charge, the legendary Michael Caine as Alfred, Liam Neeson as the big bad from Bats’ past, Cillian Murphy as the iconic Scarecrow, and so many more. Coming together, this cast brings Batman Begins to life in a way that makes for the perfect introduction to the Nolan DC world.
5
‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)
3.8/5.0 (7.9k Fans)
With an underrated first outing and a spectacular sequel, Nolan needed to go big or go home with The Dark Knight Rises. The movie wasn’t nearly as good as it could have been, though, despite still being an entertaining film at the end of the day. Sure, it’s not the greatest thing that’s hit superhero cinema, but The Dark Knight Rises isn’t too bad, either.
While people may make jokes about Bane (Tom Hardy) and his voice—”Bane’s voice was a choice,” joked Lucina_ in her review—the movie as a whole is overall a good time. It’s not easy to conclude a trilogy, and The Dark Knight Rises is proof of that. However, it tries its best, and still delivers some very compelling cinema at the end of its runtime.
4
‘The Lego Batman Movie’ (2017)
3.9/5.0 (23k Fans)
It’s pretty funny and awesome that one of the best DC Comics movies ever made is titled none other than The Lego Batman Movie. Letterboxd user guilherme even jokes, “how does zack snyder sleep at night knowing a lego movie ended all his movies”. No one would have ever expected this satirical flick to be as amazing as it ended up being. Despite being a parody of sorts, The Lego Batman Movie captures the heart and soul of the character unlike any other film starring the Caped Crusader.
Being a comedy doesn’t stop The Lego Batman Movie from having the emotional complexity needed to make this film so much more than just a funny romp to watch with friends over the weekend. It is a story about finding family, moving past trauma, and trying to be your best self, despite your past actions. It’s honestly a beautiful movie.
3
‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)
4.0/5.0 (1.7k Fans)
Something many people may not know is that The Lego Batman Movie is not the only Batman animated project to hit theaters in film history. On Christmas Day of 1993, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm released to the world and blew everyone away by being one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. Based in the same continuity as the ever-beloved Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm tells a story unlike anything the series had told prior.
This 1993 movie puts Batman (Kevin Conroy) against a conflict that is different from anything he’s ever faced before, and it truly tests him as a hero. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the perfect example of why animated movies should be taken more seriously than they typically are, best described by Emil on Letterboxd: “if anyone ever tells you animated movies aren’t as good as live action movies, show them this one”. The story told here is extremely complex and compelling—more than most Batman films, to be honest.
2
‘The Batman’ (2022)
4.0/5.0 (86k Fans)
Someone would have to be living under a rock to not see how much The Batman took over the world when it released in 2022. After years and years of a more action-hero-oriented Batman, Matt Reeves‘ take on the hero leans far more into the “World’s Greatest Detective” title for the character than any other theatrical project prior to it has. Being what is essentially just a neo-noir flick with Batman (Robert Pattinson) in it, The Batman captured the hearts of Batman fans and general audiences alike.
Nero Omar describes one of the major highlights of the film in his Letterboxd review: “robert pattinson and zoe kravitz yall gotta calm down,” as the cast is absolutely phenomenal and sells these characters better than anyone could have imagined. Everyone doubted Robert Pattinson when he was originally cast, but he proved every single person who doubted him wrong when The Batman released. He, alongside the rest of the cast, proved to audiences immediately why they needed to be invested in this new universe.
