If you ask me, there are no “bad” Batman movies. Sure, I think Batman Forever is the “worst” of the bunch, and yes, I know, you think it's Batman & Robin. I disagree with you. When it comes right down to it, I think Batman has an overall pretty good track record when it comes to films.
That said, when I ranked the Batman movies a while back, I put Matt Reeves’ The Batman at number 3. However, after a rewatch, I'm now comfortable putting it at number 1. Here's why.
I Know Everybody's Favorite Batman Movie Is The Dark Knight, But I Think This Is The Most Compelling Batman Movie Yet
It's safe to say that everybody and their mama thinks Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is the greatest Batman movie of all time, and hey, I once thought that, too. When it came to The New York Times list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century, The Dark Knight landed at number 28. It’s considered by many to be the greatest superhero movie ever made, and it deserves every accolade that it’s ever received. I am taking nothing away from it.
And yet…I think Matt Reeves’ The Batman is the most compelling version of the Caped Crusader to date. I mainly think it's because the villains don't overshadow Batman for a change (which I'll get into more detail a bit later). The reason everybody adores The Dark Knight is because of Heath Ledger's electric performance as The Joker. Sure, Christian Bale is a serviceable enough Batman, but he doesn't even feel like the most important character in his own movie. Also, like many, I'm a massive fan of Michael Keaton as Batman, but with the Tim Burton movies, the main star is really Gotham City itself.
Matt Reeves puts Batman front and center in his movie, and he's a Batman unlike any other we've ever seen. Unlike most Batmen who are a version of Bruce Wayne moonlighting as Batman, Robert Pattinson's version feels like the inverse, as this is a Batman who takes off his mask only to reveal another mask, that being Bruce Wayne, who seems totally uninterested in being a playboy. It's a fascinating approach to a Batman movie, and one that is even better with a second viewing.
This Is Also My Favorite Version Of Gotham City, By Far
Gotham City has so much personality that it's always a character in itself. As I mentioned earlier, Tim Burton's films really just felt like an invitation into his creative mind, as the strangeness, colors, and darkness really did feel like they took center stage in his Batman movies. In other words, it’s Tim Burton’s world, and Batman and his rogue’s gallery were just living in it. And that’s cool.
I love the Tim Burton movies (Especially his version of The Joker). That said, his Gotham City kind of takes my focus away from the stories of his two films, as I’m so enraptured by his world that I sometimes lose sight of the narratives. Joel Schumacher’s Gotham City is like a kaleidoscope of colors, which worked for his heightened (and often silly) approach, but it’s probably my least favorite version of Gotham City. Christopher Nolan’s take was pretty much just Chicago and Pittsburgh, which really added to his more realistic approach.
Matt Reeves’ Gotham? Well, it feels like the world is trapped in a perpetual nighttime, even when it’s not. I love this aspect because it’s always, always unsettling, and the kind of place where you really do feel like some terrible stuff goes on both in plain view and behind closed doors. I think it’s the perfect Gotham City, and I like it even more on a subsequent viewing.
I Also Adore How The Bad Guys Are The Most Grounded They've Ever Been In A Batman Film
Now, here might be a strike AGAINST The Batman for many people, but I really like how normal the villains feel. We’ve gotten three live-action versions of The Riddler thus far: Frank Gorshin, Jim Carrey, and Paul Dano, and out of those three, only one of them has managed to feel scary, and that’s Dano.
Gorshin was silly, of course, because the ‘60s Batman was silly. Jim Carrey (whom I LOVED as a child) was probably the most annoying part about Batman Forever for me. However, I love how Paul Dano’s Riddler just feels like a terrorist who likes to play games with his targets. It reminds me of the Zodiac Killer, which is no coincidence, as that was intentional. I really love that.
This is a different Batman movie, one where the Caped Crusader is a detective (as Batman is), and what better villain to have him go against than a terroristic version of The Riddler? It’s the most grounded Batman villain we’ve ever gotten in a film, which is great. I also love Colin Farrell’s version of The Penguin, who isn't in the film long (Though, he’s arguably in the best part of the entire movie with that car chase), but he leaves a memorable impression all the same. He doesn’t look like a penguin like Danny DeVito, but that’s what makes him even better.
Same for Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman and John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone. They both feel grounded, which is good, since they never overshadow Batman. They inhabit his world, but they don’t overtake it like Heath Ledger’s Joker or Danny DeVito’s Penguin. Oh, and speaking of The Penguin...
Plus, We Got My Favorite Batman Thing Ever From This Film, That Being The Penguin
I don’t think I’ve ever loved anything Batman-related as much as I loved the HBO series, The Penguin starring Colin Farrell in the title role. I loved everything about it! I loved how much I detested Oz Cobb. I loved how much it leaned into feminism. I loved its side characters. Seriously, there’s nothing I don't love about the series.
We wouldn’t have gotten it if not for Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The Penguin is kind of like the cherry on top of an already stellar movie. I don’t know if The Penguin would even work if not for all of the things I mentioned earlier. The show never features Batman, but that’s okay since The Riddler flooded Gotham City, so you get a sense that Robert Pattison’s Batman has bigger issues to worry about than an on-the-rise Oz Cobb.
Gotham City is a mess, but it’s a realistic mess that’s full of dread, and it works in the show’s favor, since you always feel unsettled. And the bad guys on the show also feel grounded, as you never get a sense that these characters are more than just drug lords or gangsters, so it’s all consistent with the film.
Seriously, it’s for all of these reasons and more that I cannot WAIT for The Batman II. Hopefully, it will actually make its current February 18, 2028 release date. Because Lord knows how long we’ve been waiting for this sequel.
