Ranking every live-action Batman movie from worst to best

Photo: Batman Begins Courtesy DC Universe PR

3. Batman Begins (2005)

In Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan brought a version of Batman we’d never seen with the film putting Batman in a world that didn’t feel like a comic book.

Instead, it asked the question, “What if Batman existed in the real world?” with Superman 1978 inspiring Nolan’s style  – a style which has since unquestionably inspired other comic book movies and shows.

The uniqueness of Christian Bale’s Batman was that he wasn’t a creation of his villain. Nor was he a one-dimensional hero. On the contrary, he was a man of many faces who wanted to inspire good.

The opening scene illustrated the hellacious lengths Bruce Wayne went to, in the pursuit of self-discovery. While away, he’s trained by a member of a radical terrorist group, The League of Shadows. Their leader, Ra’s al Ghul (Ken Watanabe) plans to destroy Gotham City.

Upon his return home, Bruce finds allies in Commissioner Gordon, ADA Rachel, Luscious Fox, and of course Alfred. Together they take on the corrupt Falcone family and try to stop Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) from a releasing a toxin that will force the citizens to turn on one another.

Batman Forever, while financially successful, left the Batman franchise in a bad spot. Thankfully, Nolan was able to help a hero emerge from the stigma. Having an all-star cast of elite actors that included Michael Cain, Morgan Freeman, Katie Holmes, and Gary Oldman didn’t hurt. Batman Begins birthed a trilogy that has yet to be topped by any other comic book franchise.