Batman is the best superhero, but one dark knight movie reigns supreme. We ranked them all

Wait, there’s a Batman Day?

There is, on Saturday, Sept. 16. This is surprising only because I thought every day was Batman Day.

Batman is, without question, the greatest of all superheroes. He has no super powers and is incredibly flawed, full of doubt and self-loathing — he’s not just relatable. He’s basically me.

And maybe you.

“I’m Batman” and all that.

I’ve compiled a list of the best Batman movies. A word of explanation: These are pure Batman films, not some DC mash-up of Zack Snyder overkill or the (excellent) animated television versions. These are movies with Batman as the central character.

Also, a good Batman movie is as dependent on the portrayal of Bruce Wayne as it is the Caped Crusader. Maybe more so. And yes, I am a fan of Michael Keaton.

Here's your power ranking of every Batman movie, worst to best.

10. ‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)

Known as the one where the Batsuit had nipples. Also known as the one that stinks. George Clooney used to joke that he killed the franchise. And it wasn’t entirely untrue. It’s a mess. The cast included Clooney as Batman, as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone and Chris O’Donnell. And it didn’t matter.

How to watch: Stream on Max and Prime Video.

9. ‘Batman: The Movie’ (1966)

Everyone loves to talk about the campy joys of the TV series with Adam West and Burt Ward. And it was fun — in TV-show-sized doses. Here it’s stretched out. The villains are present: Cesar Romero’s Joker, Burgess Meredith’s Penguin and Frank Gorshin’s Riddler. But the whole “BAM! POW!” thing wears a little thin at feature length.

How to watch: Stream on Max.

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8. ‘Batman Forever’ (1995)

Val Kilmer makes a surprisingly good Bruce Wayne/Batman. Jim Carrey was riding high at the time and plays the Joker. (He has one of the best lines in any Batman film: “Don't kill him! If you kill him, he won't learn nothin’!”) Tommy Lee Jones plays Two-Face (and supposedly hated Carrey); Nicole Kidman is also on board. This is peak mid-‘90s casting. But it doesn’t gel. And it certainly hasn’t aged well.

How to watch: Stream on Max and Prime Video.

7. ‘The Batman’ (2022)

This is the part where it’s not that the movie is bad. The ones that follow are just better. Robert Pattinson makes a fine Batman. Paul Dano is so deranged as the most psychopathic Riddler ever that he’s hard to watch. Colin Farrell is unrecognizable as the man who becomes Penguin. Zoë Kravitz is a moody, mean Selina Kyle, and so on. There’s a ton of talent here, and it’s good — but it is so unrelentingly dark that it becomes almost comical. Bonus points, though for good use of “Something in the Way” by Nirvana, one of their most-underrated songs.

How to watch: Stream on Max and Prime Video.

6. ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ (2017)

This seems a little low, because it’s so good. Will Arnett’s voice portrayal of a literal Lego Batman was a breakout bit in “The Lego Movie,” thus this sort-of sequel. Bruce Wayne, an arrogant jerk, discovers that he accidentally adopted Robin (Michael Cera), which is the vibe of the whole film. Silly, absurd and hilarious.

How to watch: Stream on Max.

5. ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

The last of Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy is the weakest, but that doesn’t mean it’s weak. It does, however, suffer from a meandering plot and a misuse of Tom Hardy as Bane, whose mush mouth delivery (he wears a mask) makes it hard to follow what he’s saying. But it wraps up everything Nolan wanted to do with the franchise, and Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman is intense, to say the least.

How to watch: Stream on Max and Netflix.

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4. ‘Batman’ (1989)

Before Nolan came along, Tim Burton’s “Batman” movies were considered the dark ones. People scoffed at the casting of Keaton, who had mostly done comedies. He turned out to be the best Bruce/Batman combo of them all. And, of course, Jack Nicholson has his way with the scenery every time he's on screen. The story is tight and it really is darker than you remember.

How to watch: Stream on Max and Prime Video.

3. ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Criminally neglected in the wake of the Nolan films that came before it, this completely reinvents the Batman ethos while retaining its legacy. Bale stakes his claim as the second-best Batman, and Michael Caine is Alfred — c’mon, what’s better than that? The next couple of movies, actually.

How to watch: Stream on Max and Netflix.

2. ‘Batman Returns’ (1992)

OK this one of Burton’s Batmans really is dark. Keaton is back as Batman, still brooding, and he’s joined by a great Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. Danny DeVito’s Penguin is genuinely disgusting. Christopher Walken is appropriately menacing as the boss of a heartless company. Burton infuses the whole thing with a sense of melancholy; the fact that it’s set at Christmas just makes the whole thing colder and creepier.

How to watch: Stream on Max and Prime Video.

1. ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

Heath Ledger as the Joker is one of the best marriages of actor and character I’ve ever seen. Maybe the best. He is magnetic; it’s impossible to take your eyes off him. (His posthumous Oscar was well-deserved.) And Bale is good enough that you still root for Batman. This is the apex of what Nolan was after — a wounded, broken vigilante who is desperate for some kind of redemption. And that’s the good guy. A great film.

How to watch: Stream on Max and Netflix.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X, formerly known as Twitter: @goodyk.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Batman movies ranked: From 'The Batman' to 'Batman and Robin'