Every Batman Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

There are of course few superheroes more popular or inherently cinematic than Batman, whose tendency to prowl around punching criminals at night has made him an alluring figure for filmmakers and audiences alike over the last few decades.

Though Batman's first major theatrical film was 1966's Batman: The Movie, the Caped Crusader wasn't truly outed as a mega-budget commercial entity until Tim Burton's ground-breaking 1989 blockbuster, cementing the character as an immovable Hollywood mainstay.

To date Batman has starred in twelve major theatrical films - not including cameos or ensemble appearances - yet there's no denying that Bats' cinematic tenure has been defined by its share of ups and downs.

The superhero has been reinvented on the big screen screen more than just about any other, continually being re-shaped as a reaction to how the prior portrayal of the character has been received.

And so, how do Batman's various cinematic forays shake out? There are some obvious fan favourites and one near-universally despised Batman film, but in-between there's a lot of room for debate.

And of course, where exactly does Matt Reeves' The Batman land? It's time to find out...

You won't find many willing to argue the toss on this one - Joel Schumacher's follow-up to the divisive Batman Forever was a Razzie-winning critical and commercial failure.

Where to even start? George Clooney may be a great actor, but an inspired replacement for Val Kilmer he wasn't, and Alicia Silverstone's casting as Batgirl similarly felt like a cynical calculation above all else.

In an effort to appeal to children and sell as many action figures as possible, Batman & Robin cranks the saturation knob past breaking point, along with an overdose of camp and outrageous homoeroticism.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman give more knowing, fun performances as villains Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, but a toilet paper-worthy script from future Oscar-winner (!) Akiva Goldsman renders so much of the runtime shockingly boring.

To make such an energetic, colourful film so dull takes concerted effort - Schumacher was channelling all of his energies in the wrong direction here, and the result is a film as fascinating as it is terrible.

On the plus side, without Batman & Robin's failure Warner Bros. wouldn't have greenlit Christopher Nolan's gritty reimagining, Batman Begins. A necessary evil it is, then.