Every Batman Movie Ranked Worst To Best
How does Justice League rank?
There may be certain things that every Batman film-maker (and indeed every Batman comic writer) must adhere to - conventions, mythology, back-story pillars - but one of the most telling reasons for his enduring appeal as a film character is his adaptability. While not all of the approaches have yielded perfect results, five wildly different film-makers with five wildly different visions have used the Dark Knight as a character in feature length movies, and he's fit in all organically.
He endures because of the story elements that define him, and which have passed into received, collective knowledge. He's an orphan, driven to correcting moral imbalance by shocking trauma, hidden under a cowl for effect and forced to repeatedly take down the most famous and starry rogue's gallery in the history of fiction. That much will continue even if the next three Batman movie appearances are driven mercilessly into the ground.
Now that the franchise has taken its most unconventional swerve - into the realms of animated LEGO - and new possibilities are open. it actually now feels like even better a time to be a Batman fan.
But which of the films released in the Dark Knight's name deserves to be considered the best?
Honourable Mention
The LEGO Movie
Though he's a principle cast member of the exceptional LEGO Movie, it's absolutely not his story and it could probably have worked just as well without him. He has some sway on the plot, obviously, but he's basically dropped in without his mythology and he could probably be replaced by any macho superhero or movie hero without the cut really showing.
Still, his supporting role is hilarious nonetheless, and it was Will Arnett's performance here and the exceptionally funny writing that really unpacked the idea of Batman's persona being a construct to hilarious effect. And without it, we wouldn't have the genius of the LEGO Batman Movie.
14. Suicide Squad
To give Suicide Squad pretty much the only praise it's due (other than the incredible feat of making Jai Courtney happen), it did show a fundamental understanding of the symbolism of fear and its importance to Batman's characterisation. And for once we got to see how Batman appears to his villains... Or that was the idea anyway.
Unfortunately, the film failed to deliver on the promise that we'd really see Batman as a ghost out of the shadows, and instead we got a blunted version that made him look like an idiot. An idiot who somehow managed to let the Joker swim away from a wreck despite following his car into the water immediately. And an idiot who allowed the Squad to exist (and destroy so much) despite apparently knowing about them. An idiot who failed to catch Deadshot until he was handed to him on a plate...
The film generally was a case of what could have been: edited poorly, written awfully (in a lot of places) and badly imbalanced, it felt like the archetypal product of too many cooks and not enough good ingredients. Sure, it made money and sure, it has its fans, but it was completely awful.