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Batman (1966)
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The goofy 1960s Batman TV series came to the big screen with this villain team-up, pitting Adam West’s Batman and Burt Ward’s Robin against a whole crew of bad guys from the TV show. Calling themselves the United Underworld, the Joker (Cesar Romero), the Penguin (Burgess Meredith), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin), and Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) hatch a ridiculous plot to dehydrate a council of world diplomats, and then abduct them in powder form.
Batman (1989)
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Director Tim Burton ushered in a new era of Batman and superhero movies in general with this moody, Gothic-influenced take on the Caped Crusader. Michael Keaton stars as Bruce Wayne, with Jack Nicholson as the villainous Joker and Kim Basinger as Bruce’s love interest, reporter Vicki Vale. As Batman, Bruce must save Gotham City from the Joker’s plan to turn every citizen into grotesque reflections of himself.
Batman (1989) is streaming on HBO Max ($9.99+ per month).
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Batman Returns
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Tim Burton and Michael Keaton return to Batman with an even darker, more brooding adventure. This time, Batman faces off against the Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), while romancing Catwoman’s alter ego Selina Kyle in his own guise as Bruce Wayne. After being abandoned to the sewers as a child, the Penguin seeks revenge by killing all of the firstborn sons in Gotham City—which, of course, includes Bruce Wayne.
Batman Returns is streaming on HBO Max ($9.99+ per month).
Batman Forever
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Director Joel Schumacher takes over the Batman movie franchise following Tim Burton’s departure, casting Val Kilmer to replace Michael Keaton. Kilmer’s Batman faces villains the Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones), while taking in young Dick Grayson (Chris O’Donnell) to become his sidekick Robin. Schumacher abandons Burton’s gloomy aesthetic for something more colorful and closer to the 1960s Batman TV series.
Batman Forever is streaming on HBO Max ($9.99+ per month).
Batman & Robin
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Joel Schumacher returns for an even sillier, more over-the-top adventure, this time starring George Clooney as Batman, with Chris O’Donnell back as Robin. The Caped Crusaders attempt to stop villains Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) from taking over the world. The broad, campy tone and jokey writing have given Batman & Robin a reputation as one of the worst superhero movies ever made, although it has built a cult following.
Batman & Robin is streaming on HBO Max ($9.99+ per month).
Batman Begins
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Bruce Wayne’s story is rebooted in this origin movie from director Christopher Nolan. Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne, who undergoes intensive training following the murder of his parents, to eventually become the protector of Gotham City. The grittier, more grounded story finds Batman taking on villains Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), in an acclaimed film that launched a trilogy from Nolan and Bale.
Batman Begins is streaming on HBO Max ($9.99+ per month).
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The Dark Knight
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The second film in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy is often regarded as the best depiction of Batman onscreen, including an Oscar-winning performance from the late Heath Ledger as villain the Joker. The Dark Knight was nominated for seven other Oscars and has become one of the most influential superhero movies of all time, with its depiction of a dangerous, unhinged villain and its serious, epic scope.
The Dark Knight is streaming on HBO Max ($9.99+ per month).
The Dark Knight Rises
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Christopher Nolan concludes his Christian Bale-starring trilogy with this ambitious final chapter, even more epic than the one preceding it. Megalomaniacal villain Bane (Tom Hardy) succeeds in taking over Gotham City, leaving Batman as a freedom fighter attempting to restore order. Nolan also casts Anne Hathaway as the latest Catwoman, an antihero who once again romances Batman even as she battles with him.
The Dark Knight Rises is streaming on HBO Max ($9.99+ per month).
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
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Director Zack Snyder introduces an older, wearier version of Batman (played by Ben Affleck) as an adversary for his version of Superman (played by Henry Cavill). Both a sequel to Superman movie Man of Steel and a set-up for superhero team-up extravaganza Justice League, Batman v Superman finds Bruce Wayne determined to neutralize the perceived threat of an all-powerful Superman. Eventually, both heroes fight the real threat from power-hungry villain Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg).
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is streaming on HBO Max ($9.99+ per month).
The Batman
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Freed from the continuity of other recent DC Comics-based movies, director Matt Reeves sets his reimagining of Batman in a world of its own: a dingy, corrupt Gotham City influenced by movies like David Fincher’s Seven. Robert Pattinson takes over the role of Bruce Wayne, playing him as an awkward recluse who only comes alive when he dons the Batman costume. Batman tracks the Riddler (Paul Dano), who’s been made over into a menacing, sadistic serial killer.
The Batman is streaming on HBO Max ($9.99+ per month).
