All 13 Batman movies ranked from worst to best

8. Batman Forever

Arguably the most underrated Batman movie in existence, Batman Forever normally finds itself no higher on fans’ movie rankings than at the top of the low half. That essentially sums up its place in the franchise’s history because it is by no means the worst of the Caped Crusader’s silver screen showdowns but it did bridge the gap between greatness and ghastly so that the most notorious of them could emerge.

So, yes, Batman Forever might have a lot to answer for. Does that make it any less of an entertaining movie? Absolutely not. Much is the case with its successor, if you can get over what the light-hearted and campier direction did to the franchise, you can enjoy the Joel Schumacher spectacle. Unlike Batman & Robin, however, this one actually has the makings of a great movie.

There is something of a disconnect as the script attempts to give us a serious story but the final product forsakes that for a loud, in-your-face production complete with neon lights and fluorescent face paint. It’s a case of trying to be two interesting things at once but being unable to reconcile those two elements with each other, leaving you to wonder what the film could have looked like if it had chosen to go down either one of its two paths.

Nonetheless, Batman Forever has a lot going for it as Val Kilmer is a highly underrated Bruce Wayne and he gives us a Batman that is so good, he would have been totally at home in a darker movie. He is joined by the deliciously cartoonish duo of Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face and Jim Carrey’s Riddler – both of whom commit to the madness fully and often steal the show whenever they’re on screen. Moreover, we also get a competent adaptation of Robin’s origins, with Chris O’Donnell proving to be a solid Boy Wonder.