GOTHAM CITY — The much anticipated (both good or bad anticipation) “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is about to hit theaters, and we get to see Batfleck for the first time. People love to argue about whom the best Batman is and what the best Batman flick is. Well, that’s why I’m here.

In honor of the new Batman movie, here is a list of Batman movies from worst to best.

I have to mention that I do not have all of the animated films here. Some of them were actually released theatrically, but there are so many and I don’t have that kind of time people.

So here it goes, the worst and best Batman movies in order. Let the anger and fighting begin:

'Batman & Robin' (1997)

Did we really think anything else was going to be here? Honestly.

I like a good George Clooney movie, but this is an atrocity to all things superhero and Batman. Clooney was grossly miscast, the movie is way too campy, and it’s painful to watch at times. I was 14 years old when I saw this movie, and even at that age, I knew this was a pile of garbage.

I don’t mean to offend anyone involved, but this was truly a terrible movie. This movie alone nearly killed Batman. I mean Batman had his own credit card and ice skates in his boots.

Let’s move on. It’s time to move on and pretend like this never happened.

'Batman: The Movie' (1966)

Adam West will forever be Batman, or at least campy-dancing Batman. The 1966 flick “Batman: The Movie” is hard to hate because it doesn’t take itself seriously and knows it’s not very good. But with all that said, it’s not very good. While this movie is all sorts of awful, it did give us absolute gems like a shark attacking Batman in midair and the line, “Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb.”

'Batman Returns' (1992)

The “bad” ones and the “best” ones on this list were easy for me; it was this middle part that got tricky for me. I’m sure that this decision to put “Batman Returns” right here is going to be the first one that really upsets people.

I don’t think Tim Burton’s second Bat-flick was a bad one, but it feels like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be. It was incredibly dark, but also tried to throw in the classic camp. We knew that Burton would give us a weird film because, well, it’s Burton, but this got a little too weird at times.

Michael Keaton is great as the Caped Crusader, much like he was in the first “Batman” from 1989, but even with Keaton under the cape and cowl this movie had too many issues to elevate it as one of the best.

'Batman Forever' (1995)

I’m sure a lot of you are scratching your heads at this one, but here we are. “Batman Forever” is not a great movie, and Val Kilmer was not the best choice, but what can I say, I had fun with this one.

I was only 12 when it released, and I remember anticipating this movie for months. There was an Entertainment Weekly issue that was all about “Batman Forever,” and we had a copy because my dad subscribed to the magazine. I poured over every word of that issue more than once because I was so excited.

In the eyes of 12-year-old John this was a fun movie. Even then I knew it wasn’t great, but it was fun. It embraced the camp of the Adam West versions, but didn’t lose its mind over it like “Batman & Robin.” Adult John agrees that “Batman Forever” hasn’t aged as well as we’d like, but it still has some fun moments and off of tone alone it edges out “Batman Returns.”

'The Dark Knight Rises' (2012)

Audiences were polarized by Christopher Nolan’s final installment of his Dark Knight Trilogy. While the movie had some real issues, I still thought it was a good film capped by a moving and emotional final five minutes.

We had all hoped that “The Dark Knight Rises” would be the pinnacle of Batman movies, but it fell short. When I first saw the film I was singing its praises, but now that some time has passed and after multiple viewings it’s not as strong as I originally thought. But that doesn’t mean I think it’s a bad film or don’t still enjoy it.

“The Dark Knight Rises” deserves a spot toward the top of the list, but the top three are a level above TDKR.

'Batman' (1989)

This is the movie that changed superhero movies. “Batman” made a killing at the box office in 1989, but turned off a lot of audiences with its dark tone and violent nature. This has now become a standard with superhero movies and TV shows these days, and they have Tim Burton and “Batman” to thank for that.

This movie is a breath of fresh air and finally gave us the complicated and tortured Bruce Wayne and Batman that we knew from the comics. The movie hasn’t aged as well as we’d hoped, but it still is a standard for superhero movies and should be considered one of the best in the Batman canon.

'Batman Begins' (2005)

When “Batman & Robin” sent audiences into fits of rage in 1998 no one thought they’d see another Batman movie for years. Well, it took seven years and you know what, it was worth the wait.

Coming off the success of his indie hit “Memento” and his first studio film “Insomnia,” director Christopher Nolan was handed the reins of the Batman franchise and the world will be forever grateful.

People weren’t sure what to think of yet another Batman film, but “Batman Begins” changed the entire genre and still stands as one of the best superhero movies of all time.

If you ever want a class on how to tell an original story, just watch “Batman Begins.” Nolan based “Batman Begins” in reality and it made it that much stronger and relatable. For the most part the casting was spot on and the story was strong and intriguing.

This is a movie I’ve seen dozens of times and will likely watch dozens more.

'The Dark Knight' (2008)

I have no doubt many of you don’t agree with the film I have here in the top spot, but I also don’t think anyone is surprised to see it here.

The follow-up to 2005’s “Batman Begins” will go down in history as one of the best, if not the best, superhero movies of all time.

“The Dark Knight” is buoyed up by the phenomenal performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker, as well as strong story, mesmerizing set pieces, and a grandeur and spectacle that will be hard to ever match again.

“The Dark Knight” proved that a superhero movie could not only entertain, but also tell a strong story with deep character development. I love “Batman Begins,” and it stands as one of my all-time favorite superhero movies, but “The Dark Knight” isn’t just my favorite superhero movie, it’s one of my favorite movies.

It’s not often you can say that a superhero flick is not only an amazing superhero movie but an incredible film, and that’s exactly what “The Dark Knight” did.

Conclusion

No doubt you do not agree with the list, so let’s hear it, what does your list look like? Also, where does “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” land? I know for me, but you can wait until tomorrow to see my take on that one.

About the Author: John Clyde

John has been writing about movies, news, sports and pretty much anything awesome for more than five years. John is the co-host of the Flix Junkies podcast and will always entertain you with his stories.

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