Although it was 1978’s Superman: The Movie that first proved that comic book movies could be a viable venue for blockbuster storytelling, Batman was the first superhero to become truly fixated within American cinema. The notion of Bob Kane’s legendary masked vigilante coming to the silver screen was one that invited both anticipation and skepticism, and Warner Brothers certainly took advantage of the vastness of the character’s history on the page. The Batman film franchise is one of the most diverse within cinematic history; although some entries are dark, moody noir thrillers with existentialist themes, others are campy guilty pleasures that engage in some of the more humorous interpretations of the character.
The 20th century Batman films previewed how blockbuster cinema would evolve within the next several decades, as it was a series that spawned both critically acclaimed hits and disastrous box office flops. Given that Marvel did not truly take off until the release of Blade in 1998, Batman was the only true cinematic superhero for well over a decade, and inspired a resurgence within the character’s comic book history. Here is every live-action Batman movie of the 20th century, ranked.
5
‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Batman & Robin is one of the most legendary disasters in comic book history, as the film was so reviled upon its initial release that it temporarily destroyed plans for the future of the franchise; in many ways, the darker approach that Christopher Nolan took to the material when he made Batman Begins was a response to how wildly Batman & Robin had gone off the rails.
Batman & Robin was an obvious attempt to return to the campiness of the 1960s television show, but the film’s garish visual design, inane screenplay, and poorly calculated performances didn’t give the impression that it was self-aware. While George Clooney was a perfect fit to play the charismatic, womanizing Bruce Wayne, he looked completely ridiculous when he was in the Batsuit. Chris O’Donnell and Alicia Silverstone, two talented actors that had proven themselves in several coming-of-age films, were given such poor material to work with that their characterizations of Robin and Batgirl, respectively, came off as incredibly obnoxious.
Batman & Robin
- Runtime
-
125minutes
- Writers
-
Peter Tomasi
- Franchise(s)
-
Batman
4
‘Batman Forever’ (1995)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Batman Forever is certainly not the disaster that Batman & Robin was, as Joel Schumacher clearly had a very specific vision for what he wanted Gotham City to look like. While Clooney was completely unfit for the role of the titular Dark Knight of Gotham, Val Kilmer did do a good job at showing how trauma and self-loathing turned Bruce Wayne into a reclusive, emotionally distant character; unfortunately, Kilmer’s approach to the material may have been better suited for a film that was more willing to engage with the complex psychology of the source material. O’Donnell isn’t necessarily bad as Dick Grayson, but his lack of chemistry with Kilmer makes their dynamic very underwhelming as the centerpiece of an action film.
Batman Forever is a brilliant work of craftsmanship, as the film earned Academy Award nominations for its incredible production design and cinematography. Unfortunately, there was a major miscalculation within the depiction of the villains; Jim Carrey’s interpretation of The Riddler was far too silly, even for a more comical Batman film, and Tommy Lee Jones’ version of Harvey Dent lacked the gravity that was apparent in some of the better literary stories centering on Two-Face. Although the film certainly works better than many of its critics would have ever been willing to admit at the time, the greatest issue that Batman Forever faced was being compared to its two direct predecessors. Still, rumors have circulated for years that there is a secret “Schuamcher cut” that includes darker material cut from the theatrical release, and may have been a more accurate representation about what the talented director of The Lost Boys and St. Elmo’s Fire could have brought to the DC Universe.
Batman Forever
- Release Date
-
June 9, 1995
- Runtime
-
117 Minutes
- Writers
-
Bob Kane, Lee Batchler, Janet Scott Batchler, Akiva Goldsman
3
‘Batman: The Movie’ (1966)
Directed by Leslie H. Martinson
Batman: The Movie is the epitome of what a goofy Batman film should look like, as unlike Schumacher’s films, it is entirely self-aware. Although the television series had first introduced Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, respectively, the film set them on an even more exciting adventure that saw them facing off with four of the most dastardly villains in Gotham City. Although there is a lot of fun to be found in the villains and their evil plans, Batman: The Movie works best when it recognizes that the character is the “World’s Greatest Detective;” showing West’s Batman solving impossible mysteries as he tires to protect innocent people has made the film age very well, as it is less reliant on spectacle. Although some would point to Deadpool or Guardians of the Galaxy as examples of how comic book films could succeed by embracing satire and silliness, it is worth remembering that Batman: The Movie did it first.
Batman: The Movie embraces all of the supporting characters within the DC Universe, and is able to show what Gotham City’s infrastructure looks like in a compelling way. It also does a great job at showcasing the various gadgets and vehicles that Batman has at his disposal, which makes it feel somewhat like a spy movie. While some fans may have purposefully ignored this iteration of the character because they felt that it didn’t respect the source material, it is evident that Batman: The Movie had more affinity for the character’s inherent heroism than nearly any other adaptation. Although there was a time in which the film was deemed as a failure by some hardest comic book fans, the tide has turned so that Batman: The Movie has been appreciated; this is certainly due to the fact that West was often willing to satirize his role, having appeared as himself in Family Guy and returned to voice Batman in several critically acclaimed animated projects.
2
‘Batman’ (1989)
Directed by Tim Burton
Batman is one of the best films of Tim Burton’s career, as it is still unbelievable that Warner Brothers was willing to stake the future of one of their most important characters in the hands of an artist that was so interested in transgressive material. Burton is able to use the inherent mystique of Batman to his advantage, as the backstory of Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) is only briefly hinted at. Instead, Burton chooses to examine the rise of the Joker, played by Jack Nicholson in one of the most gleefully over-the-top roles of his entire career. The vast disparity between the two characters could have very easily felt tonally incongruous, but Burton was able to create a dynamic two-hander that played into the dramatic extravagance of the noir genre.
Batman is an extraordinary feat of visual storytelling, as Burton was able to craft a completely unique version of Gotham City that had the same off-kilter, mysterious feel of his work in Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. Although there is humor, as one would expect from Burton, Batman was able to get surprisingly grim at times, proving that the film was aware of the darker direction that the comics had taken in the aftermath of Frank Miller’s involvement. Given how many superhero films today feel like they were made by committee, it’s impressive to see a superhero adventure in which the filmmaker did not appear to have made any compromises.
Batman
- Release Date
-
June 23, 1989
- Runtime
-
126 Minutes
1
‘Batman Returns’ (1992)
Directed by Tim Burton
Batman Returns is one of the greatest superhero films ever made, and has managed to become a cult classic for those that appreciate Burton’s wildly experimental sequel. In what proved to be a far darker and more psychologically ambitious project, Batman Returns examined the duality of its characters as the dealt with their receptive mental health issues; Bruce is forced to stay Batman because he does not feel entirely responsible in her own skin, and Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) is able to gain the confidence and aggressive sexuality as Catwoman that she was afraid to showcase before her dramatic transformation.
Batman Returns is a grim story about societal outsiders, and manages to interweave a complex message about childhood trauma; even The Penguin (Danny DeVito), one of the most terrifying villains in the history of comic book cinema, was shaped into a monster as the result of being abandoned. Ironically, none of the costumed characters in the film are quite as disturbing as the corrupt politician Max Schrek (Christopher Walken), whose capitalistic cruelty adds a touch of satire to Burton’s action-packed tapestry. While it’s unclear why Warner Brothers would allow Buron to turn a highly-anticipated blockbuster sequel into a disturbing, flagrantly sexual character study set during Christmas, it is to the benefit of both Batman fans and cinephiles everywhere that he was given free reign to make one of his most definitive masterpieces. There hasn’t quite been a comic book film like Batman Returns released since 1992, and given the direction that the industry is currently headed in, it is unlikely that there ever will be.
