All Batman Movies Ranked

(NOTE: This post has been updated from 2022) To tie a neat little bow on my Batman month, here is a quick ranking of all the current theatrical Batman movies, from my own personal feelings of least favorite, to my absolute favorite. Sense I’ve reviewed these movies in full, I’ll keep the explanations short.

#12 Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) 

While there are undeniably worthwhile highlights, this clash between two titan superheroes is unfortunately bogged down by an unfocused narrative, too many dangling plot threads, a noticeable lack of villains, and a formidable length.

#11 Batman & Robin (1997) 

What once had character depth and darkly stylish atmosphere is now replaced with childish puns, a bombastic color scheme, and some painfully over the top gimmicks ... and yet ... by sinking to such lows, it somehow achieves it's own highs as one of the greatest terrible movies ever made, and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze can be very amusing in his own loony way.

#10 Batman: The Movie (1966) 

Campy comic book storytelling and silly hummer is taken to an artistic level, although weather you find it appealing or not depends on how much of the silliness makes you smile or cringe.

#9 Batman Returns (1992) 

While this entry in the Batman cannon struggles with a boring plot, dower tone, and lead hero who gets side-lined in favor of three villains, the film still remains a truly haunting spectacle, is well acted, and offers just enough to appeal to fans. 

#8 Batman Forever (1995) 

"Batman Forever" may be just a little too loud and bombastic for some viewers, but with just enough kernels of character depth, a talented ensemble cast, and no shortage of eye candy, this is one entertaining comic-book movie that literally leaps from page to screen, and I'll always look back on this one fondly as the most special Batman movie of my childhood ... as it's the one that jumpstarted my fandom for the character in the first place.

#7 The Batman (2022) 

After a decade of being in the shadows, Batman finally returned to the theater, and this time is putting more focus on being a gritty crime mystery, as opposed to flashy summer action, and adventure. Needless to say, it was a welcome change-up, and delivers the best of both worlds ... its a grounded story, yet complemented with an eye for comic-book flair, and absorbing atmosphere. While it's slow-burning narrative, and grim tone won’t be for everyone, Matt Rives brilliant direction, as well as the strong cast keep things engaging, and the end result is arguably one of the most respectful in capturing the essence of Batman’s source material. 

#6 The Lego Batman Movie (2017) 

Bursting with delightfully colorful mayhem, and no shortage of comedy, “The Lego Batman Movie” celebrates everything that is “BATMAN”, and surprisingly understands the deeper humanity of the hero more than most other incarnations.

#5 The Dark Knight Rises (2012) 

While some plot details could have been touched up on, Batman's closing arc is still strong, and “Rises” is without a doubt a powerful, action packed, and poignant finale to this epic superhero trilogy.

#4 Batman (1989)  

The story may be second rate, but Tim Burton’s artistic direction, memorable visuals, captivating comic-book atmosphere, and Michal Keaton's performance as the struggling hero make this a great classic of the Superhero genera in it’s own right.

#3 Batman Begins (2005) 

Character driven, expertly crafted, and thrilling to the end, "Batman Begins" brought life back to a franchise that was dead and buried, then suggested a bright new future for one of cinemas most iconic hero’s ... and it absolutely sored as a starting point for one of the great modern trilogies. 

#2 Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) 

A dark and stylish spectacle that combines an effectively Gothic love story along with the hero’s origin, resulting in an exciting action mystery. Throw in a first rate voice cast, the late Shirly Walkers electrifying music score, and this animated picture ultimately succeeds where many live action Batman movies have failed.

#1 The Dark Knight (2008) 

Dark, riveting, compelling, powerfully acted, and unforgettable, "The Dark Knight" takes the comic book genera to immaculate new heights, while infusing it’s thrilling crime story with themes, ideas, morality, and captivating character arcs.

Thanks for reading my countdown ... and continue to enjoy whichever Batman movie you Love! 

All Batman Movie Opening Titles Ranked

Sometimes one of the most important things to get right is the opening to a movie, it's what gets the ball rolling, and it's what gets us excited for the experience to come. When it comes to the Batman series, they've had there high's and lows. So, as a little add on to my Batman marathon this month, here's a quick ranking of all the opening Batman title sequences ... in my own personal opinion.   

#12 The lead-in to “The Lego Batman Movie” 

Once “The Dark Knight Trilogy” wrapped up, I was so hopping the Batman movies would return to featuring their opening title cards again. Sadly, that just isn’t the case, as yet again another Batman movie begins without a title card. The one good thing is that we get a narration comedically mocking the clichés of multiple logos in the intros these days.

#11 The lead-in to “The Dark Knight Rises” 

I knew going in that once again, this movie would start without a title card, but this one was at least semi-effective, as the slow build up of the bruised and cracked Bat logo was quiet chilling ... but not a very cool design.

#10 The lead-in to “Batman Begins” 

One little detail I’ve admittedly hatted about Nolan’s trilogy is that we don’t have any opening credit sequences, or even title cards. One of my favorite charms from all the previous films were those lengthy credit sequences, with their riveting music, and those awesome title cards, which always got me excited to start a new Batman venture. I will admit, I at least liked seeing the new Bat logo before each film, which did help tie this trilogy together.

#9 The lead-in to “The Dark Knight” 

After the previous film, I was hoping that the bat logo, and zero title card was a one-time thing. Unfortunately, this film made it clear that it was going to be a tradition. At least the blue-smoke Bat logo is a cooler effect then before, but it’s still not the same.

#8 The lead-in to "The Batman" 

I was so happy to see this movie open with a title card, especially after Nolan’s trilogy neglected them. Not only that, this was a huge title card that took-up the whole screen with bright-red text … as if to say “This is what your watching!”. Granted, I would have liked an opening credit sequence to go along with this card, but I’m also grateful for what I’ve got.  

#7 The lead-in to “Batman: The Movie” 

The movie begins with a colorful, comic book style opening, in which Batman and Robin are stepping into the spot light, a random guy in a trench coat is running through alleyways, the villains are sneaking in and out of different colored locations, and it perfectly sets the tone for a film that’s not meant to be taken seriously.

#6 The lead-in to “Batman Returns” 

This opening credit sequence follows a baby carriage floating through Gotham’s elaborately designed underground sewer channels. It’s certainly not the best opening credit sequences of the series, but it is still something to savor as it’s the last time we’ll get a title opening matched to Danny Elfman’s iconic Batman score.

#5 The lead-in to “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice” 

This movie kicks off on a high note with an opening credit sequence that’s paired with two flashbacks, the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents, and him as a boy discovering the bat cave. While it’s exhausting for us fans to see these same flashbacks on film again, they were undeniably shot and scored beautifully, and I loved that they were intertwined with the opening credits. Seriously, a Batman movie with an opening credit sequence is a special treat I thought I’d never have the privilege of seeing again.

#4 The lead-in to “Batman Forever” 

This movie begins with a very fun opening credit sequence, in which the WB logo dissolves into the Batman symbol, the colorful cast names fly out in a cheesy, yet awesome 3D effect, the music builds, the title comes up, and it perfectly sets the tone for a superhero movie that’s more fun in design.

#3 The lead-in to “Batman” 

This opening credit sequence is one of the best of the series as a whole. The camera travels through a lot of dark tunnels, the music builds and then in a big pull back shot it’s revealed to be the Batman logo. It gives me chills every time, and the classic score by Danny Elfman is one of the greatest music themes ever composed for a superhero movie. It fits the character perfectly, and it’s one of Elfman’s greatest achievements.

#2 The lead-in to “Batman & Robin” 

One small but noteworthy highlight in “Batman & Robin” is that it features my favorite opening title card of the whole franchise, which is an appeal that future Batman movies would noticeably lack. In this opening we see the WB logo dissolve into a frozen Batman-logo, (effectively highlighting Mr. Freeze as the villain) the cast cards roll out paired with character-based sound effects, then the music builds, both the Batman and Robin logos cling together to form the title, and I honestly get hyped as hell every time I see this. It’s just unfortunate that the rest of the movie can’t live up to the epic-ness of that opening title screen.

#1 The lead-in to “Batman Mask of the Phantasm” 

Here's honestly one of my favorite scenes in the whole Batman movie franchise, and it's just a simple opening credit sequence. To call this my favorite opening of the Batman franchise is an understatement, as I’d honestly rank this opening credit sequence among my top 10 absolute favorites. The camera travels through a digital Gotham City, while a Latin Quire sings into the night, and it just sends chills down my spine every time I watch this. Granted the CG animation in this opening is dated by today’s standards, but it’s still a unique visual design, and the red-tint lighting is awesome.

Thanks for reading my countdown ... and continue to enjoy the movies you love! 

All Batman’s Theatrical Actors ranked

It’s been an all-out Batman month, I’ve reviewed all the movies, and ranked certain high marks from each film. This time, it’s going to be a ranking of all the actors that have played Batman in the theatrical movies. This is just my personal opinion on them, and aside from the performances, I’ll also be looking at them as characters in of themselves.

#9 George Clooney’s Batman from “Batman & Robin”

     Before I get lost in the details of what either does or doesn’t (mostly doesn’t) work with this set-up, lets first look at the characters as is. Following right after 1995’s “Batman Forever”, Val Kilmer didn’t return to his signature role. Instead, we now have George Clooney fresh off his hit TV series “ER”, in the role of Batman. Now I hate to pick on a talented actor, especially one who’s frequently admitted that the film was terrible, but man oh man, his portrayal of Batman and Bruce Wayne was as boring and generic as they get. Every other talent that’s brought Batman life has always made the character feel real in some form, even in the movies I didn’t like. With George Clooney however, it really does feel like I’m just watching the actor in a Batman costume. That silly outfit didn’t help much either, as most other actors look like they could be one with the costume, but Clooney just looks like he’s having trouble moving around in it. The suit also has too much enfaces on a light blue color scheme, and need I even mention the nipples? Now Clooney dose have a natural charm that can just barely be felt when he’s portraying Bruce Wayne, but it doesn’t carry over as well with Batman as he smiles way too much, and never once looks imposing. Worst of all is that the movie makes no attempt to highlight our hero as an interesting character, he really is just there to go through to motions, fight the villain and save the day.

#8 Ben Affleck’s Batman from “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice”

      Next is one of the more recent portrayals of Batman, and this was one of the most divisive elements of the film for me. This is arguably the darkest, and most dangerous Batman we’ve ever seen in a movie thus far.  He has no moral code, he kills people without mercy or regret, his methods of fighting are intensely brutal and he even brands his victims, which we later learn is an invitation for other prisoners to kill the guy. In short, this version of Batman isn’t a “hero”, he’s just really messed up. Now I’m all for a different interpretation of Batman, but I feel this approach robs the character of his greatest strengths. Personally, I always saw Batman as a guy so skillful, he could take out a room full of criminals through stealth tactics, and not brute force. Also, seeing Batman use a gun felt very off putting, not just because of the moral implications, but because Batman was always skillful enough to take out his enemies without using something as basic as a fire arm. I also didn’t care for the design of the costume, as it just felt very plain and generic. Having said all that, Ben Affleck surpassed my wildest expectations in the role, not so much as Batman, but his Bruce Wayne was outstanding. It’s hard to describe, but Ben Affleck brought so much wait, grit and even a charm to Bruce Wayne. I actually think this is the very first time I was more engaged by Bruce Wayne’s presence then Batman’s.

#7 Adam West’s Batman from “Batman the Movie”  

     The original theatrical Batman is played by the late Adam West, and while I can’t say with a straight face that I’ve ever been a fan, he’s still undeniably an icon in the role. His voice is great, and he has this charm that’s all his own. However, his performance is less energetic then those around him, which makes his line delivery feel tired. Now to be fair, he must have used a lot of energy running around, doing all his physical actions. While his line delivery may seem a little dull, he certainly displayed a great deal of energy when doing the physical action. It should be noted that in this movie, Batman spends more time in costume than just about any other film in the franchise. We hardly ever see him as Bruce Wane, which is fine, I prefer watching him as Batman anyway. Having said that, Adam West dose turn up the charm when playing Bruce Wane, and actually delivers a more credible performance. 

#6 Christian Bale’s Batman from “Batman Begins”, “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises”

    Perhaps the most important thing with these films portrayals of the character is that it establishes Batman’s moral codes. While he’s still dark and maybe a little dangerous, he still has his limits. He will never use a gun, and he will never take someone’s life, as that's the line which separates him from his enemies. My favorite scene of the whole movie is near the end of his training with the League of Shadows, he surpasses their expectations and proves to be their greatest student, but there’s one last test … he has to take the life of a criminal. This is the moment when Bruce Wayne became a hero, not by dressing up like a Bat, but by refusing to kill, and turning on those who would do so without hesitation. When Bruce betrays the League of Shadows, I was cheering for him, and I knew this was going to be the film that got the character right. While he isn’t as mysterious as Tim Burton’s version, we can still get excited from the reactions of everyone else in the film who just have no clue of either who or what he is. Christian Bale is also excellent in the role, and while perhaps not the absolute best portrayal of Batman, this is my favorite performance of Bruce Wayne. He just feels the most human in this film, and its Bales devotion to the role that makes it work. Now as for the costume, well, I don’t hate it, but it’s far from classic. I think the head piece is to balky, the ears aren't sharp enough and the bat symbol on his chest isn't as noticeable, but that’s just me nitpicking.

#5 Val Kilmer’s Batman from “Batman Forever”  

   Batman in this film is played by Val Kilmer, and personally, I think he’s very under-appreciated in the role. He manages to bring some dimension to both Batman and Bruce Wane in his own unique way, and while he’s stuck with some really corny lines, he still delivers a perfectly passable performance. At face value, of all the actors to play Batman, Val Kilmer has a real-life personality that feels closest to the character, so you can almost make the argument that he really is Batman. With Kilmer, you can clearly see the two faces at work, one being the cool superhero, and the other being a tormented man who just wants a normal life. Also, ignoring the infamous nipples on the chest plate, I actually love how the costume looks in this film. It might honestly be my favorite looking Batman on film, as it keeps the classic image intact, but it also looks like a tougher, meaner skin. This is also the first time we see more technical details with the suit, like how his cape his resistant to heat, and how he can also use it as a parachute when leaping from great heights.

#4 Will Arnett’s Batman from “The Lego Batman Movie”

   Will Arnett returns to voice Batman, and he’s actually very credible in the role. Truthfully, this might just be one of my top 3 favorite portrayals of the character. Will Arnett once again has great charisma in the role, but also looking at this character from a writing perspective, this film really nails the character better than most live action films. He’s still broody, like any version of the character, has his own internal conflicts, as well as a good reformation story, but he’s also exploding with personality at the same time, and it’s just a perfect fusion. Truthfully, I never thought a Batman, that’s basically just an animated brick, could be this entertaining and multilayered all at once. Then it hit me, these are two of my favorite child hood things coming together, it’s Lego and Batman coming together … of course it’s going to be special. On a side note, we don’t see too much of Bruce Wayne, yet we can still feel the presence of his alter ego under the mask.

#3 Robert Pattinson as Batman from "The Batman" 

     Following after a string of top tear performances in hit films like “The Lighthouse”, “The King” and “Tenet”, I had high-hopes for Robert Pattinson in the lead role of Batman ... and he didn’t disappoint! While he’s plays a young, emo Bruce Wayne effectively, it’s his Batman portrayal that gave me chills. It’s a very visual performance, in that his spoken lines are brief, and most of the portrayal is conveyed through his movement, his expressions, and how he carries himself. It’s hard to explain, but he just has this presence, like he’s a real creature of the night, with just a thread of humanity holding him together. The costume design is also top-notch, as his mask allows for more expressions around the jaw-line, and the suit resembles body armor, without being too heavy for the actor to move around in. I also love the new accessories that come with his costume, like his chest-plated Bat-logo coming out as a switch blade knife, and I love his new contact lenses that record everything he sees. It’s also nice to finally have consistent continuity with his eye make-up remaining after he removes the helmet. It’s just a solid portrayal of the iconic character, and one that I’d place among my favorites.     

 

#2 Michael Keaton’s Batman from “Batman” and “Batman Returns” 

     Michael Keaton previously stared in Tim Burton's “BeetleJuice” and has a great range of acting talents. Fans where very upset with this decision because he was an actor who did comedies like “Mr. Mom”. People wanted action stars like Sylvester Stallone, but Burton wanted someone unassuming for the role, and it works very well. As far as casting goes, Keaton is hands down my favorite live-action Batman. As Bruce Wayne he was sly, unassuming, but you can always see that little twitch, like he's hiding some personal pain. As Batman he was intimidating, and just plain cool. The costume also looked really good, fitting the classic image of Batman, while still looking very threatening. I also feel that this portrayal of Batman is truer to the source of the character than any other rendition. When he goes out fighting crime, he's really battling his own personal daemons, and when he inters a room ... the fights instantly over, he just hasn’t done anything yet. There's also a confidence and mystique to the character that thrills me every time he's on screen. I will admit that the actual "story" of the characters journey isn't nearly as multilayered as in other works like either the animated 90's series or the Dark Knight film trilogy. Because of this, I think this movies version of Batman has the most exciting screen presence, but doesn't have quiet as much under the surface ... at least when compared to other really compelling tales of a hero's journey. I'll admit I prefer my superhero movies to center around the journey of the hero, but I have four other Batman films that accomplish that. So, let’s just enjoy this stunning portrayal of the character, just for different reasons.

#1 Kevin Conroy’s Batman from “Batman Mask of the Phantasm”

     Truthfully, despite being an animated movie, I think this is the most multilayered the hero has ever been represented on film. Everything that is Batman is on full display here. We see his humanity, his heroism, as well as his dark side, his pathos, his regrets, and finally we see him as a detective, slowly putting together a larger puzzle. Being a detective is actually one of Batman’s defining character traits, but it’s barely seen in the live action movies. In this film, it’s thrilling to see Batman as a crime fighter, but it’s equally engaging to see him solve a relatively challenging mystery, one that we the audience have to solve along with him. It’s also great to finally see the more tragic side of what it means to be Batman. There’s a powerful moment during an early flashback in which Bruce is happy about his current relationship and debates weather he really wants to be a crime fighter. Then he goes to his parents grave and begins to grieve, thinking that maybe his current happiness and new direction is betraying their memories. It’s an interesting exploration on what his life might have been like if he found happiness, and it adds another layer of tragedy to his eventual transformation into Batman. 

This is also the first time in which I felt that Batman and Bruce Wayne were one and the same. There are moments in which we feel Bruce’s compassion under Batman’s imposing look, and in reverse we have scenes with Bruce out of costume, yet he still leaps into action without hesitation to protect someone from being mugged. Our hero by the way is voiced by Kevin Conroy, and in my opinion, he’s all around the best actor to ever portray the character. He has an incredible voice that carries so much wait, yet he also sounds both intimidating and heroic all at once. I don’t mean to bash the other great talents that have played Batman in the past, as they all have their own strengths they bring to the character. It’s just that for me, Kevin Conroy is so memorized in the role that it’s impossible for me to separate the actor from the character.

Thanks for reading my countdown ... and continue to enjoy the star performances you Love! 

All Batman Movie Climaxes Ranked

When it comes to superhero movies, it’s the climax that usually hits the biggest action highlight. Batman has had his share of worthwhile final battles, and here’s my own personal ranking from least favorite to absolute favorite of every single climax from Batman’s theatrical movies.

#12 The Climax to “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice” 

Now, it’s hard to decide when the climax for this movie officially starts, as the whole hour long third act is just a string of fight sequences. We have the much-anticipated throw-down between Batman and Superman, which in my opinion was very mediocre. Then things do get good once they both calm down and work together. Lex Luthor now realizing he has to contend with two superheroes, moves onto his second phase, which is unleashes a giant cave troll monster on the city. Both Batman and Superman are soon aided by Wonder Woman, who all lead the beast to the abandoned Wear-house district to make a final stand. 

I’ll admit, seeing Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman on screen together for the very first time, and fighting in this big epic showdown is any comic book fans dream come true. Granted, this fight has nothing to do with anything that came before hand, and the monster is also kind of stupid looking, but I’m not going to pretend like I didn’t have a blast watching this battle go down. I loved seeing Wonder Woman use her lasso, and it was really cool to see Superman punch the creature into outer space. The only thing I didn’t like was Superman’s supposed death, which was annoying because even without the knowledge of the upcoming “Justice League” film, I knew he wasn’t really dead for good. 

#11 The Climax to “Batman The Movie” 

As we start this films third act, the villains succeed in kidnapping the leaders of the united nations (or at least Gotham’s version of the UN), and they take to the sea in a submarine. Batman and Robin draw them to the surface, and the climax takes the form of a silly little fight on the top of the submerging. It's actually very amusing, and a rare case in which we see Batman fighting out in the day time. Another famous trade mark that came into play here are the comic book style words like “BAM” and “POW” that would show up whenever Batman hits someone. 

This is also the only time we see Batman fighting with a sword, as he and the penguin get into a swashbuckling dual that closes the battle. One major downside is that Robin of all people is the one battling the Joker, whom Batman has no interaction with during the whole fight. Batman also learns that Cat-Woman was never really in love with him, and was just playing him the whole time. This leads to an awkward moment where Batman stairs off and quietly laments what could have been, only to snap out of it and say … whatever, it’s no big deal.

#10 The Climax to “Batman & Robin” 

This climax begins with Mr. Freeze using a giant cold gun to blanket the city in ice. Like many action set-pieces in this film, it’s trying to be a larger scale spectacle then the final battles of the previous films, but it just doesn’t succeed with the delivery. Right from the start, we see our hero’s drive off to save the day while riding these new vehicles meant for traversing icy-terrain, and they look hilarious. Seriously, it looks just like something from out of “Power Rangers”, and it begs the question as to how and where our heroes acquired these things. The ensuing battle plays out just as you’d expect, it’s a circus of flashy effects, there’s an onslaught of ludicrous techno babble solving problems, and there's people falling from blinding heights … yet are never in any danger. I will say that there’s some really good practical effects on display, and it was one of the last superhero movies to feature model buildings that get destroyed. 

It all builds to the big showdown between Batman and Mr. Freeze, which is a very clumsily choreographed fight, and features a hilarious send off line from Batman, in which he over powers his enemy with this line … “The Heat is On!” The only reason this climax ranks higher than the one’s previously mentioned is because of the aftermath. Once the action is done, and the city saved, we come to my personal favorite scene of the whole movie, in which Batman has a heart to heart with the defeated Mr. Freeze, leading to the villain’s reformation. This one little scene alone honestly highlights what a good film this could have been, but ultimately failed to be.

#9 The Climax to "The Batman" 

After the films lengthy slow-burning mystery reaches finality, we segue into the climax, in which the Riddler floods all of Gotham City, and sends his goons to take out the mayor candidate. While I’d absolute place this movie overall among one of Batman’s best, this climax unfortunately is one of my least favorite of the whole franchise. Batman’s brawl with the goons isn’t on par with his other fights, and we don’t even have the satisfaction of seeing the hero face-off with the villain. This is actually the very fist final battle in a Batman movie that doesn’t feature a main villain of any sort. 

There are at least two stand-out moments, one of which is Batman crashing through an exploding skyline, and the other is one of the goons repeating Batman’s "vengeance quote" in the opening. I’ll admit, while the final battle did little for me, the resolution at the end is one of the best of any film in the series, as our hero learns that he needs to fight for the people as opposed to himself, and we get a very powerful image of him leading survivors out of the rubble and into the light.

#8 The Climax to “Batman Returns” 

In my review on the first “Batman” movie from 1989, I talked about how even though the climax was very simple, it still felt very epic and awesome. This movie somehow is the exact opposite, as there’s far more spectacle and explosions on display, but it just doesn’t feel all that grand or special. Once the Penguin fails to kidnap all the first sons of Gotham, he moves onto phase two, which is easily the goofiest threat to ever be unleashed on the city. Where some villains attack Gotham with toxic gas or a giant Freezing gun, this guy unleashes an army of cute little penguins in battle suits, and rockets strapped to their backs. Seeing this army of cute little penguin’s march on the city has got to be the most surreal finale a superhero film could possibly have. The final showdown between Batman and Penguin is nothing special either, as the Penguin just doesn’t make for an exciting foe for our hero to battle. 

Although, I do at least like the banter, especially when Penguin says to Batman “Your just jellies because I’m a genuine freak, while you have to wear a mask”. Things do get really good once Cat-Woman emerges on the scene. I love when Batman tries winning her over, and he even goes so far as to rip off his mask in front of her. It’s great stuff, but also very tragic as Cat-Woman is too far gone to reform. We then get two of the franchise’s best villain deaths right back to back with each other. I may not care for Max Shreck, but his death is as epic as they get. Cat-woman basically takes her revenge by electrocuting him, but he doesn't just get fried, Max Shrek gets freaking nuked in this big electrical explosion, and is reduced to a grilled corps … it's awesome. The Penguins death follows next, and this is a very quiet, somber death that’s beautifully shot, and always left an impression.

#7 The Climax to “The Lego Batman Movie” 

Despite only coming in at number seven on my list, this final battle truthfully is one of the most awesome things I’ve experienced at the cinema in years. It’s something special that made me feel like a six-year-old in a twenty-five-year-old man’s body, and I just embraced it. Here’s the set up for this mega finale, the Joker leaves Batman’s Lego universe, and recruits various iconic villains from other franchises to concur the city. Then Batman rallies his family, and even recruits his own army of all his iconic foes, who were all betrayed by the Joker earlier. 

Thus, a massive battle takes place between classic Batman villains, and other classic movie villains … which is about as epic as they get. Ever sense I was a child, I always wanted to see something like this, in fact that’s what I did with all my toys. I only wish they spent a little more time on individual characters here, and a little more banter between the two different groups of villains. As the battle comes to a close, we see the city split apart, and the only way to save it is for some decisive people to connect together, and thus bring the city back together. It's actually kind of a touching statement that's meaningful for our time, but isn't preachy in the delivery.

#6 The Climax to “Batman Forever” 

This film comes to a close in a climax where the Riddler baits Batman to his island base, and it’s full of death traps. I have to admit, seeing Batman and Robin take-off in both the Bat-Wing and Bat-Boat to the island gets my hyped every time I watch this. Surprisingly, for a film that's been extremely over the top to this point, it resolves with a rather subdued final battle. Batman doesn’t even fight the villains physically, instead the Riddler forces him to choose between saving the lives of someone that Bruce Wayne loves, and someone Batman loves, raising the question of which ego will win out. 

While this concept will be done more effectively again in both “The Dark Knight” and the first “Spider-Man” movie, this was still a very original concept for the time, and a legitimate challenge for our hero to face. My only problem with this finale is the rushed confrontation between Robin and Two-Face. This could have been a really exciting showdown, but it’s awkwardly staged, poorly lit, and ends way too quickly. The death of Two-Face is at least satisfying, and a nice visual callback to the Jokers death from the first film.

#5 The Climax to “Batman” 

This finale is less about action, and more about building a strong mood and atmosphere. After the Joker fails to kill Gotham's people with his toxic gas, he takes Vicky Vale to the top of Gotham’s cathedral, and an injured Batman follows close behind. Even though this finale is short on fighting, it still feels like a spectacle, with a heavy atmosphere, and growing tension as each scene gradually builds on top of the other. In many ways, this climax is like a classic medieval adventure finale. Batman is a metaphorical Knight climbing a tall tower to rescue a girl, Vicky Vale in her white dress resembles a princess, and the Joker is the evil that needs to be slayed. 

My only real issue with this ending is that the actual showdown between Batman and Joker isn’t that riveting. In fact, Batman never once feels like he's rising against a challenging adversary. It all builds to one of the most memorable villain deaths in the Batman series, with the Joker falling from a helicopter, and dropping to his death. Obviously it’s one of the most common clichés to have a villain die from dropping like that, but the Batman movies actually make a tradition of it.

#4 The Climax to “Batman Mask of the Phantasm” 

This climax takes place in a theme park dedicated to the future of Gotham city, but to avoid spoilers, I won’t go into the major details. Basically, it’s a deeply thrilling confrontation between our main characters, and the theme park setting leads to some riveting action set pieces. A stand out moment is when Batman and Joker fight their way into a room where their surrounded by giant city models. 

This artfully, represents how both characters are viewed as larger than life titans wagging war with each other in the city of Gotham. It’s also worth noting that all the stakes are internal ones, as the Joker isn’t launching any large-scale schemes against the city. It’s all about what’s going on between our three principle characters, and it gives the fighting more weight. As the battle rages on, they cover a lot of ground, even fly through the air on jet packs, explosions are erupting everywhere, and it’s just a sheer animated spectacle to behold. Another one of my favorite moments is when the climax comes to it’s exciting conclusion, everything is blowing up, and the Joker gives the most epic final evil laugh ever. Now the fate of the Joker is left extremely vague, as it suggests he was killed, but he also continues to appear in the TV show after this … so, just what happened to him? Truthfully, putting that detail of Jokers demise to the side, I think this is one of the better finale’s in the whole Batman film series.

#3 The Climax to “The Dark Knight” 

Here’s a unique final battle that is both a non-stop thrill ride, and in my opinion highlights our hero at his absolute best. There are Two boats, one with convicts, and the other with civilians that are trapped in Gotham harbor. Thanks to the Joker, both ships are on the verge of blowing each other up. Now Batman has to get the detonator before Joker can force their hands, but to make matters worse, the Joker is also holding hostages dressed like his clown goons, which have become the target for a swat team. Thus, our hero has to use all his skills to prevent the troops from killing the wrong people, and stop the Joker all at once. Seeing Batman use his quick intellect, strategy, stealth and an awesome new sonar devise is simply the dark knight at his greatest, and it’s absolutely riveting to see him pull all this off without taking a single life. 

It’s like a big puzzle for him to solve, which is why this is my favorite portrayal of Batman in any climax. It’s highlighting him as both a superhero and a detective all at once. Also, I absolutely loved that new sonar device, as it’s very original and fits right in with our heroes Bat-themed persona. The final showdown between Batman and the Joker is short on fighting, but extremely satisfying, and their verbal confrontation is equally exciting. The real finale is Batman’s final confrontation with Two-Face, and once again it’s not an over blown fight, but a nail-biting situation with Commissioner Gordon’s family being held hostage. Again, it’s the verbal confrontation between our hero and villain that has me riveted. 

#2 The Climax to “Batman Begins” 

Talk about a real roller-coaster of a climax, as this finale features one of my favorite action set-pieces of the whole franchise. Batman battles Ra’s Al Ghul on a runaway train, which our hero needs to stop before it reaches a crucial destination, and it’s just a wild ride of a final battle. 

As the chase is on, Scarecrow has unleashed his fear toxin, and has also released all the criminals from prison. So, there’s lots of high stakes and excitement going on. The fighting then builds to one of Batman’s most epic closing lines, “I won’t kill you, but I don’t have to save you”, and Ra’s Al Ghul gets an explosive death. This climax would have ranked higher on my list if Batman had any kind of confrontation with Scarecrow, but unfortunately, he’s taken out of the fight way to soon … although I do like the girl friend playing an active role in taking out a main villain.   

#1 The Climax to “The Dark Knight Rises” 

Now, let’s finally talk about final battle that closed Nolan’s trilogy, and is personally my favorite climax of the entire Batman film franchise. Batman makes his triumphant return to the city, and leads Gotham in an all-out war against Bane and his troops. There are large scale battles wagging in the streets, the Bat wing is flying through the city, lots of explosions, lots of battle vehicles, car chases, and it’s just one big cinematic feast for the eyes. The main highlight is when Batman rematches Bane amidst all the fighting. 

I love how the two are walking through the crowds looking for each other, then they finally stare down, exchange their lines, and the rematch of the century is on. There’s a great visual call back to their first fight in which Batman stands on top of a flank of stairs, and looks down at Bane. In their first dual, this marked the moment in which Batman lost his cool, and got caress. Now during this second fight we see him stand on those stairs, but he’s calm, collected and we just know he’s got this match in his hand. The only down side in all of this is that Banes death is very rushed, with lots of battle still remaining, and it just feels disappointing to have such a power house villain get taken out so quickly. What’s worse is that it’s all in favor of making Talia Al Ghul the final threat to the city, which is extremely annoying considering the long line up of superior villains that have come before her. Thankfully, the resolution to this climax is excellent, and closes things on a strong note. 

Thanks for reading my countdown ... and continue to enjoy the action you love!