It wasn't long after Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Batman that Hollywood began to produce live-action adaptations of the superhero property, beginning with two live-action serials that aired during the 1940s, both of which helped to establish classic details of the Batman mythos, such as the secret entrance to the Batcave, for example.
Since then, we've seen numerous films, each one reflecting a different era in their tone and depictions of the Dark Knight and his world to varying degrees of success.
We've decided to measure that success by ranking each live-action film by its critical reception according to review aggregates, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. Unfortunately, because the 1940s serials Batman and Batman and Robin have no recorded scores, we won't be including them. (Although reviews indicate neither was received particularly well.) You can decide for yourself how they might have compared to these live-action depictions of the Dark Knight.
BATMAN & ROBIN: 19.5
In 1997, Warner Bros. Pictures released Batman & Robin, directed by Joel Schumacher, which was undoubtedly one of the goofiest depictions of Batman, complete with a Bat-credit card and a suit that featured the Caped Crusader's Bat-nipples -- an odd stylistic decision for any costume. That alone would turn fans off from the film, but there was so much more, like Mister Freeze's endless ice-based puns, some of which barely made sense.
The campy mise-en-scene, dialogue and overly-theatrical performances led to a poor critical reception. Batman & Robin has a critic score of just 11% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 28. Audiences were no more kind to it, as evidenced by its audience score of 16% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's no wonder that Schumacher and actor George Clooney continue to apologize for the film.
BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE: 36
Zack Snyder brought his signature grittiness to the DCEU and while the Dark Knight has become quite a serious character in the last thirty years, the dark tone of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice took it to an extreme. The film depicted Batman as being a murderous vigilante, unafraid of using guns to deal with his opponents. Of course, the critical failure of the film wasn't simply due to the one superhero. It was a combination of different things.
The film holds a critic score of 28% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 44. Critics generally agree that the biggest problem is that Dawn of Justice is a superhero film that takes itself far too seriously, a mistake that the DCEU has since learned from. What's interesting to note about the film is that it was performed significantly better among regular movie-goers if its audience score of 63% is any indication.
JUSTICE LEAGUE: 42.5
Ben Affleck returned as Bruce Wayne in 2017's Justice League, in which he and Wonder Woman formed the titular superhero team and brought Clark Kent back from the grave. Affleck reportedly tried to reinvent his portrayal of the character, bringing it closer to the kind of hero that fans recognized. It showed. Unfortunately, there were several other issues behind-the-scenes, such as a last-minute change in director, that arguably kept the film from reaching its potential.
Critics cited the screenplay and over-reliance on CGI as points for criticism. Justice League currently holds a critic score of 40% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 45. A large number of fans continue to debate Justice League, complaining that it wasn't given a fair reception, leading to numerous petitions for Warner Bros. to release the mythic "Snyder-cut." For comparison, the film currently holds an audience score of 72% on Rotten Tomatoes.
BATMAN FOREVER: 44.5
The Burton-Schumacher Batman films of the '90s gradually diverged from the established tone that captured the spirit of Batman. That was clear in Schumacher's 1995 film, Batman Forever. It wasn't the worst in the franchise but still displayed a growing misunderstanding of why the franchise succeeded in the first place. The 'toon-like depictions of The Riddler and Two-Face were barely offset by the relative somberness of the titular hero.
Judging by its critical reception, the franchise was clearly losing its charm. Batman Forever currently holds a critic score of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 51. Critics cited the film's decidedly confused tone as well as Val Kilmer's bland performance as Bruce Wayne. Audiences evidently enjoyed the film even less than critics did. The film holds an audience score of 32% on Rotten Tomatoes.
BATMAN: 70
Tim Burton proved himself as a unique filmmaker, one whose style seemed to suit the recently darkened superhero, Batman, in a time when the superhero was falling in popularity. In 1989, Warner Bros. released Batman, a tragic take on the Detective, one that proved that actor Michael Keaton was more than capable of perfectly playing serious roles. Batman also introduced Jack Nicholson's famous portrayal of the Joker.
Burton's Batman proved that a superhero film could be both dark and successful in a time when comic book films weren't taken seriously. The film holds a critic score of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 69. It should be noted that many critics weren't initially impressed when the film was released with many claiming it was too dark for what it was. Keaton continues to be a favorite. Batman currently holds an audience score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.
BATMAN RETURNS: 73
Michael Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel to Tim Burton's largely successful Batman. Batman Returns saw the introduction of Michelle Pfeiffer's classic portrayal of Catwoman and Danny Devito's terrifying portrayal of Penguin. Once again, Burton presented a fittingly dark take on Gotham's billionaire vigilante, one that continued to shock audiences and critics alike.
Still, reviews praised the performances of the film's stars and the overall tone that Burton created. Batman Returns holds a critic score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes with a Metacritic score of 68. It was one of the last largely successful films in the franchise before Warner Bros. decided to push it in a different direction. For comparison, the film has an audience score of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes.
BATMAN: THE MOVIE: 74.5
Holy Hollywood oldie, Batman! After one season of Batman, starring the late Adam West, 20th Century Fox released Batman: The Movie in 1966 with most of the stars of the television series returning. The film followed an incredibly well-equipped Batman and Robin as the dynamic duo thwarted The Riddler, The Penguin, Joker and Catwoman in their evil schemes.
The film was a financial success and continues to earn praise from critics. Batman: The Movie holds a critic score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 71. Its famous campy tone was a combination of both the prevalent style of the 1960s and stylistic elements taken from the comic books, something appreciated by audiences. The film holds an audience score of 62% on Rotten Tomatoes.
BATMAN BEGINS: 77
After several years without a live-action adaptation, Warner Bros. returned with a rebooted franchise headed by director Christopher Nolan. In 2005, Batman Begins was released -- a darker, more serious adaptation of Batman, steeped in realism and free from from the whimsical qualities of Burton and Schumacher's film series. Nolan focused less on the action and more on the exploration of Bruce Wayne as a character, which made for a captivating film.
While many had their doubts, largely due to the casting of Christian Bale, the film went on to be a critical and financial success. Batman Begins currently holds a critic score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 70. Many critics praised Bale's performance as well as Nolan's direction and by the looks of it, audiences agreed. The film holds an audience score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES: 82.5
This was the culmination of seven years worth of storytelling. Christopher Nolan brought Batman's story full circle with 2012's The Dark Knight Rises, which followed Bruce Wayne as he came out of retirement to save Gotham from the League of Shadows and their new leader, Bane. Much like its predecessors, the film centered on its characters, a quality made abundantly clear by the fact that Bruce Wayne appears as Batman just a handful of times.
The Dark Knight Rises was a financial success, going on to gross more than a $1 billion at the box office. It also earned a critic score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 78. Critics praised the performances of Tom Hardy as Bane as well as the film's ambition in concluding the Dark Knight trilogy. The film holds an audience score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
THE DARK KNIGHT: 89
The second instalment in the Dark Knight trilogy arrived in theaters in 2008 and immediately astonished everyone, in no small part thanks to the widely-praised performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker. The Dark Knight pitted the anarchist Clown Prince of Crime against the Detective and tested the latter's resolve in ways that other live-action films hadn't been able to do and haven't really done since.
It's no wonder that audiences -- and occasionally critics -- continue to compare adaptations of Batman to this particular film. The Dark Knight currently holds a critic score of 94% and a Metacritic score of 84. The film holds an audience score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, even its undeniable critical success cannot adequately capture the impact of this film on the superhero genre and Hollywood's willingness to take comic book films seriously.