Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of the highly anticipated The Batman, we’re naturally choosing to count down our favorite movies about the famed Caped Crusader! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
At a brisk 64 minutes, Batman: Year One is one of the shortest Batman movies created, but this film proves that good things can often come in small packages. Its fluid animation, engaging plot, and impressive action sequences make for one of the best portrayals of Batman’s origins. That being said, the film is arguably more about the origins of Gordon (portrayed perfectly by Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston) than it is about Batman, but that’s what makes it so good. Through Gordon’s eyes, we get a ground-level perspective of what Gotham looks is like to its average citizen. We see how the city’s corruption tests Gordon in every way possible and his trials to keep his moral center in an immoral world. Because of the short runtime, the movie runs at an insanely fast pace, yet the tone still manages to make the viewer feel like they’re watching a slow-burn crime drama. It may not have been a theatrical release, but this movie is a must-watch for any Batman fan, and might even give new fans a great place to start. (Jeffery Rahming)
Looking at all the different Batman titles for this list, one stands out among them all and oddly enough that one is Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero. Made as part of the run for Batman: The Animated Series, this film is frequently overshadowed by the other film Mask of the Phantasm, but I declare that Subzero is the better of the two films, and quite possibly even the best Batman animated film! Why? Because this film emphasizes one thing that no other Batman film does: heart. In the Batman world, we see the emotional resonance with the secondary characters, typically Alfred and/or Gordon. Batman himself is always seen as someone who cares about his city, but is rather cold and callous as a person. The villains in the stories always have to outdo that by being downright sinister. So, when you come across a film like this that Batman has personal stakes in and the villain is more sympathetic than anything, it really becomes something special. Mr. Freeze will do anything to save his wife no matter who he hurts in the process. There is a sense with this character that he wants to do good, but he is skewed in how he wants to achieve good. Villains like this are always the most memorable, and while Joker is Batman’s greatest foe, I just want more Mr. Freeze stories; because damn near every time he appears outside of Batman and Robin, it brings me to tears. (Aaron Schweitzer)
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is the first feature-length adventure set in the streets of Neo-Gotham, featuring what is perhaps the most sinister portrayal of the titular Joker in animated canon when it was released in December 2000. Set approximately 40 years after the now-iconic originating show, Batman: The Animated Series, the direct-to-video nature of the film allows the narrative to be darker than the made-for-television adaptation of these characters. It illustrates the Joker as a genuine threat, finally managing to rattle Bruce Wayne’s Batman with an unsettling abduction and torture of his latest Robin, Tim Drake, as told through a flashback that unravels the dark underpinnings of the story. The moment Batman chose to recruit a child soldier for his war on the criminal underbelly of Gotham, he put that child at undeniable risk, and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker underscores why teenage sidekicks aren’t necessarily the best idea for the Caped Crusader. It harkens back to the series premiere of Batman Beyond itself, and finally brings to light the reason behind Bruce Wayne’s tortured apprehension to allow yet another young ward, Terry McGinnis, under his batwing to possibly befall a similar fate. There are certainly some elements of the story that push the envelope of dark content in children’s programming, but the choices are never gratuitous, and always serve to tell the story of this new Batman’s vow to avenge his mentor and put the seemingly immortal Clown Prince of Crime to rest once and for all. (Jonathan Fedee)
When The Lego Movie became a surprise hit, it was obvious that in addition to a sequel, spinoffs would follow. The obvious place to start was with Will Arnett’s scene-stealing Batman. Cinema graveyards are littered with terrible spinoffs that attempted to flesh out a beloved side character with their own film. It makes it even more impressive then that The Lego Batman Movie not only surpasses the original The Lego Movie, but unironically cements Arnett’s take on the Caped Crusader as one of the best. A lot of that credit has to go to writers Seth Grahme-Smith, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers for a script bursting with wit. This thing is chocked full of references and Easter eggs, but in a way that enhances the experience and doesn’t distract from it. As previously stated, Arnett is fantastic as Batman and Zach Galifianakis’ version of the Joker works perfectly with what this movie is. Villain overcrowding can be an issue in both other Batman films and comic book movies at large, but somehow this film manages to pull off the chaos of being able to call on villains from across the Lego-verse. It’s also where some fun casting comes into play, like Billy Dee Williams finally getting to play Two-Face and that Ralph Fiennes doesn’t voice Voldemort here (he’s Alfred), Eddie Izzard does. While being a great send-up of other Batmanfilms, The Lego Batman Movie simultaneously earns its place as one of the best. (Jake Bourgeois)
Throughout his crime fighting career, Batman has had several missteps, but none as costly as the loss of one of his wards. In Batman: Under the Red Hood, the Caped Crusader is tasked with stopping a mad vigilante dawning the infamous Red Hood persona. The film is a largely faithful interpretation of the comic book source material, while taking some brilliant liberties when need be. This is largely considered one of the best entries out of all of the DC Animated Films. The likes of Bruce Greenwood (Batman / Bruce Wayned), Jensen Ackles (Red Hood), John DiMaggio (Joker), Neil Patrick Harris (Nightwing / Dick Grayson), and Jason Isaacs (Ra’s al Ghul) lend their voice talents to this feature. An excellent mix of action, mystery, drama and at times hints of humor help push the narrative, as well as the character motivations, superbly. The standout voice performance is Ackles; his layered performance brings this character from the page to screen perfectly. The push and pull he has with Batman is intriguing, especially given the fact that Red Hood continuously breaks a pivotal rule that Batman follows — he kills his adversaries indiscriminately. Greenwood and DiMaggio are welcome additions to voice these iconic characters. They lend something different to the roles and are memorable interpretations. Batman: Under the Red Hood is one of Dark Knight’s most challenging times and overall one of the best Batman tales ever told. (Joe Vargas)
Back before the days of epic comic book movies and multiple people playing Batman, we were treated with Batman, Michael Keaton’s first outing as the Caped Crusader (and we will soon see him reprise this role 30 years later). Batman tells the early story of Batman where he tries to start cleaning up the streets of Gotham from the mob bosses that run them. One particular night, Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) falls into a vat of chemicals and becomes The Joker. As Keaton was Batman for many people, for a while, Nicholson was The Joker. He was able to relate the craziness and insanity of The Joker in ways we haven’t seen. Tim Burton helmed this project and brought a truly gothic appearance to his Gotham. Batman still holds up well today and explains why many still hold Michael Keaton as one who truly grasped both characters — Bruce Wayne and Batman. If you haven’t seen the Batman movies from ’89 to ’97, they are all a good watch, but I highly recommend Batman.(Austen Terry)
Do you remember the days when a superhero movie didn’t need to connect to an expanding universe or didn’t have a post-credit scene teasing the next adventure? Yeah, I don’t either. That’s what I encountered when I watched Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. This extension of Batman: The Animated Series is a top-notch addition to an already legendary TV show. Kevin Conroy cements himself firmly in the conversation as the greatest Batman ever with this addition to an already impressive resume as the Dark Knight. Mask of the Phantasm is a great original story that is self-contained and a deeply personal story for Bruce Wayne. The animation is beautiful and it’s surprisingly violent for an animated movie in the 1990s. I was surprised at the emotional heft for the story, but that’s what makes it so effective. The stakes are high for all parties involved, and it shows the torment that Bruce goes through in order to be Batman. This is the next best thing since we can’t nominate Batman: The Animated Series for this best ever challenge. (Mike Hilty)
Often discussed as one of DC’s greatest animated offerings, The Dark Knight Returns is a faithful adaptation of Frank Miller’s beloved graphic novel. Featuring an aging Bruce Wayne and a fascinating portrayal of The Joker from Michael Emerson, this is considered one of the all-time great Batman stories for a reason. It is impossible to ignore the influence Miller’s writing in The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One had on the various live-action depictions of Batman and Gotham City we have today. Part 2, in particular, features countless memorable scenes, including a deadly talk show appearance from the Joker and a highly ambitious finale. The animation style fits within the DC Animated Universe’s typical aesthetic, though the iconic imagery, intriguing voice work, and a massively underrated musical score from Christopher Drake puts The Dark Knight Returns a cut above the rest. (Foster Harlfinger)
I remember when I watched Batman Begins for the first time and I liked it, but didn’t love it. And it had nothing to do with the story or the way it was filmed, but it was more due to the fact I was used to certain standard by Christopher Nolan. So to me, this was merely “upholding” that. When I re-watched it some time ago, now with the knowledge of seeing the other Batman films that came prior to this one, I still think he doesn’t get enough credit. Yes, The Dark Knight is the undoubted masterpiece of his Dark Knight trilogy, but without Batman Begins, where Nolan sets up many things (including Joker at the very end) we would have never gotten The Dark Knight, if this movie didn’t deliver as well as it had. This movie has only two tiny flaws — Maggie Gyllenhaal isn’t Rachel (nothing against Katie Holmes, but I prefer Maggie) and knowing what came next (aka The Dark Knight) we all know where the “peak” is. But as they say, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And what a step (up) this was, compared to the Batman films before. (Luke Burian)
The Dark Knight will always be my favorite out of the Nolan trilogy. I don’t know if it has to do with Heath Ledger (RIP) being Joker… Okay, it really does have to do with Ledger playing the iconic role, because he honestly smashed it and won an Oscar posthumously from the beginning to the end. As much as I enjoyed Nicholson’s portrayal, Ledger’s is the icing on the cake. But it’s not about Joker; it’s about Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), who’s been the caped crusader for years now while trying to balance his life as the bachelor billionaire and being Batman. While trying to take on Joker, he’s also caught in a love triangle with his old friend Rachel (now Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is now with District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart with his amazing, deranged portrayal). Bruce’s struggles against Joker become personal as he’s forced to confront everything he believes — the cat and mouse game between Joker and Batman, Gotham being thrown into pure chaos, Bruce Wayne treading a fine line of vigilantism and heroism. As lieutenant-turned-commissioner James Gordon says, “Because he’s not our hero. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A Dark Knight.” (Chantal Ashford)
The Dark Knight Rises
Arguably the leasteffective of this particular trilogy of films, The Dark Knight Rises still provides lots of fun and entertaining visuals along with its… questionable politics. Bruce Wayne has become a hermit in the eight years since the death of Harvey Dent, and coincidentally, so has Batman. Huh. Interesting. I guess we’ll just never know who was Batman for all those years… Anyway, when Bane (Tom Hardy) comes to threaten the people of Gotham, only Batman can save him. This is the definition of a turn-your-brain-off movie, because if you don’t think about the logic of what’s going on, it’s a heck of a lot of fun. Bruce gets put in a pit prison in the middle of the desert, Bane blows up the Pittsburgh Steelers— I mean, Gotham Rogues’ football stadium, and there’s an epic, all-out war under threat of the explosion of a nuke. It’s pretty cool! The Dark Knight Rises is a mess, but when I saw it as a teenager, my mind was blown and it was one of my favorite movies at the time. Now, I just think about how even though it might have limped to the finish line, it tied up the story of this version of Batman in an immensely satisfying way. (Robert Bouffard)
Batman: The Long Halloween
Do you love The Dark Knight? Of course you do; you’re a Batman fan! Do you ever want to know more about the source material that was used to make The Dark Knight? That’s The Long Halloween! Heralded as one of the greatest Batman comic stories of all time, this roughly encompasses the second year of Batman’s tenure as the Caped Crusader. It’s more often referred to as the origin of Two-Face, as we see Harvey Dent transform from the lovable Gotham District Attorney to the menacing terrorist with a split personality. In this year-long struggle, we see Batman interact with a plethora of villains from his rogues gallery, while also trying to take on the mob and find a deranged serial killer. Simply put, this movie has it all: Batman kicking butt, being a detective, and a dissection of what makes Batman, Batman. Released in two parts because the story is so big that it can’t be contained in a normal feature length film, Batman: The Long Halloween is truly one of the greats and is worth your time. (Heath Lynch)
Batman Returns
What is the darkest of all the cinematic ventures of the Dark Knight? Batman Returns. Tim Burton created a great rebirth of this iconic character with Batman. But with his sequel, Burton went full blown German Expressionism and gothic. This is a starkly beautiful film full of black, white, and gray with a pitch perfect wintery setting in Gotham City. Michael Keaton returns as his steely Batman, but this time he is met by Catwoman and the Penguin. Michelle Pfeiffer is seductive and intense in her endlessly charming portrayal of this femme fatale. Danny DeVito is sick and grotesque, bringing a performance to this criminal mastermind that only he can. This film may indeed be the darkest knight of them all, but this iconic Burton sequel is beloved by so many. (Shane Conto)
Batman: The Movie
“Biff!” “Wham!” “Zowwy!” Batman has a long history of being dark, dreary, and serious, but if you ask my dad who is the real Batman, he would unequivocally proclaim Adam West. This flick shows Batman in a much lighter campy and portrayal in all the fantastic technicolor of the 1960s. Joined by his sidekick Robin (Burt Ward), the Caped Crusaders have their hands full with Catwoman, The Riddler, The Penguin, and The Joker all joining forces for a world scale scheme. This film has so many memorable and hilarious moments and has the greatest fun making all of them. You want Bat-Gadgets? He’s got them all. You want quips and infinitely quotable lines? Look no further. Its amazing to to realize that this film is nearly 60 years old! But it ages like a great bottle of Bat-Wine from the Bat-cellar, so “POP!” this bottle open and savor every moment of it. [insert onomatopoeia!] (Evan Lucken)
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
A DC animated movie that I’m surprised to see is lower on most “best of” lists than it is on mine is Batman: Gotham by Gaslight. This “elseworlds” tale is exactly the type of alternate universe fun that I love. It’s perfect for the animated medium, but it’s my hope that one day this type of movie could be made live action. I really love the animation style of this one; it feels like a polished version of Batman: The Animated Series, and the voice work for the most part is great. Bruce Greenwood especially has made a solid quasi-replacement for Kevin Conroy in many of these DC movies and shows. My favorite part is how they made the “Robins” a gang of orphan kids who pick pockets to survive. I am still holding out hope that we get a sequel to see more of them in the future. Finally, the reveal of Jack the Ripper’s identity is bold and should take most viewers by surprise, which may be why this one isn’t as beloved among Batman fans. I appreciate it when they take risks in a story that’s clearly not meant to be a strict adherence to canon. I highly recommend you check out Gotham by Gaslight, if you haven’t already. It’s an old-fashioned good time! (Nick Ferro)
Son of Batman
As the live action DCEU is in a constant state of disarray, the DCAU (with the “A” standing for “Animated”) has been chugging along well for the better part of a decade. Not all of the entries are hits, but some really are quite good, and Son of Batman is one of my favorites. There’s more swordplay in this movie than you’d expect from a typical Batman flick, and that’s probably one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. Bruce Wayne is told he has a son name Damian with Talia al Ghul, and because of this, both he and Damian need to learn to understand someone else a little bit better. It’s a classic odd couple setup with a Batman twist. And through this pairing, we get to see some interesting questions and debates about Batman’s no-kill rule, as that is something that Damian, who was raised as a ninja, does not agree with to any extent. Featuring entertaining action, interesting characters, and some good philosophical questions, Son of Batman is a quite solid entry into the Batman film canon. (Robert Bouffard)
Batman: The Killing Joke
After dancing around the origins of the Joker for decades, Batman fans all over the world finally got a movie based on the classic graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke. It is a violent journey following the Joker as he tries to prove to Batman that anyone is “one bad day” away from being just like him. Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy return to lend their iconic voices as the Clown Prince of Crime and the Caped Crusader. While Batman ultimately thwarts his nemesis’ plan, a conversation held on a rooftop at the end of the movie between the two enemies points us to the ultimate truth about the dynamic between the Dark Knight and Joker. They are not that different from one another, and nothing will stop their unending war until one of them is dead. (I am of course talking about the last 45 minutes of this movie, which actually follows the plot of the original comic. Anything involving a love story between Batman and Batgirl can and will be dismissed with prejudice in my opinion.) (Samuel Nichols)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
I have been a staunch defender of Batman v Superman ever since I saw it in theaters, and even then, my “writer brain” hadn’t really developed. Years later, I revisited it, prepared for the fact that my favorite DC movie of 2016 (to be fair, not exactly a high bar) was actually bad. To my delight, it remains a great movie, filled to the brim with the darkness and bleak stylism that people will either criticize about or use to defend Snyder. I tend to like his films, and though it’s not without its flaws –- most movies are –- Batman v Superman is definitely one of his best. Though the so-called “DC Extended Universe” was tentative at the time (and it still is) Batman v Superman remains a fun and exciting union between two of the most iconic superheroes ever created, with awesome action sequences and truly excellent performances from Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Jeremy Irons. Its world-building may be for naught, but this crossover/sequel still works very well on its own merits. (Rowan Wood)
Batman Forever
Hear me out on this? Are you listening? Are you ready? Batman Forever isn’t as bad as you remember. I barely remember seeing Batman and Batman Returns in theaters because I was so young. The first live action Batman I saw and loved in theaters was Batman Forever. Val Kilmer does an admirable job at the Dark Knight. He had already a tall order but he did a great job with what he was given. The real reason why this was so memorable was Jim Carrey’s turn as the Riddler. I wonder if Joel Schumacher would just let Carrey ad-lib some of his lines for comic relief. Between the riddles, his physical comedy, and his delivery, Carrey nearly steals the show. Batman Forever may go down as a superhero movie “what if,” wondering if Billy Dee Williams would have made a great Two-Face. I remember watching Batman Forever in theaters and thinking it was so cool that they added Robin into the mix. Let’s not forget that soundtrack. It’s the best Batman movie soundtrack out there. Kiss From A Rose is a banger. Change my mind. (Mike Hilty)
Also See: Batman and Robin, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, The Batman vs. Dracula, Batman vs. Robin, Batman: Bad Blood, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Batman: Assault on Arkham, Batman: Hush, Batman: Ninja
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