3. Batman Begins (2005)
One could certainly argue that
Batman Begins, the first entry in Christopher Nolan's
Dark Knight trilogy, is the most accomplished movie in the entire series - after all, here's the flick that successfully transported Batman into our own world and attempted to convince audiences that such a thing were entirely plausible. Nolan's decision to remove all supernatural aspects from his own series paid off in droves: this was the movie that would put Batman back on the map (even if it wasn't until the follow-up that the entire world stood up to pay attention).
Batman Begins is the most fantasy-inclined of all three movies in the trilogy, far more embracing of its comic book origins than the movies that followed. Still, Nolan seeks to find "realistic" ways for his Bruce Wayne to have honed his skills as Batman, and establishes believable scientific means for the character's associated gadgets, including his iconic Batmobile. All this seemed fresh and perfect for the time when the film was made, and helped audiences to forget the mess that was
Batman & Robin and consider a character that might well have existed in our own world.