When Adam West and Bruce Ward donned the costumes of Batman and Robin for the original 1960s live-action series, there was no way of knowing that a flood of Batman films would follow. Many a famous face has helped lift Bruce Wayne from the pages of comic books, instilling him with the kind of presence and authenticity that only live-action films can.
In the decades since, viewers have been treated to many incarnations of Batman. Some are comedic and tongue-in-cheek, others serious and gritty. Some are emotionally nuanced, others focused on explosions and punches. None would exist without the combined efforts of directors, cinematographers, actors, and costume and set designers, all of whom contribute their talents to the formation of a unique Caped Crusader. Here are the best, and worst, introductions that audiences have had to the World's Greatest Detective in film.
8 Batman & Robin (1997)
Joel Schumacher's second foray into the Batman canon gives audiences the weakest live-action Batman opening of all time. Schumacher is fond of hero preparation montages, and Batman & Robin's opening is an obvious homage to Schumacher's first film: Batman and Robin suit up in a series of quick cuts highlighting their equipment and armor, with close-ups of various body parts.
The main problem is that the scene has no dramatic tension, no narrative thread to encourage viewers to keep watching. It's just two superheroes getting dressed, which isn't too exciting no matter how cool the outfits are.
7 Batman Forever (1995)
There are only two significant differences between the opening of Schumacher's first Batman film and the opening of his second: Batman Forever doesn't include Robin, but it does include a joke that mostly lands. Alfred's offer of a sandwich, followed by Bruce's quip about getting drive-through, isn't comedic genius, but at least it's funnier than the painful banter from the second film.
If a dress-up montage must be included, having Batman go through the motions solo is better, because at least then it harkens back to his time as the lonely shadow of justice on Gotham's rooftops. The Boy Wonder tends to deflate the drama in that.
6 Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)
Young Bruce Wayne flees his parents' funeral procession outside Wayne manor. His flight into the woods is intercut with flashbacks to his parents' murder by Joe Chill. The cold, clean cinematography and directorial vision that defined Zach Snyder's Watchmen is evident here, but unlike that film, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice doesn't grip the audience as tightly.
The main problem holding this film's opening back is that it's a highly polished version of an origin story viewers have seen time and again. The presentation is not innovative enough to truly create tension, however beautiful it might be.
5 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Following Heath Ledger's iconic portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan's previous film, The Dark Knight Rises has the challenge of giving audiences a villain as compelling as the Clown Prince of Crime.
Tom Hardy's Bane may not be as iconic a foe, but his chilling dialogue and unveiling give the opening of this film immediate tension. The scene leans a little too heavily on action movie tropes to be Nolan's best, but watching Bane go from blind and kneeling prisoner to master criminal soaring away is still a sight to behold.
4 Batman Begins (2005)
This film opens in medias res, with a young Bruce chasing Rachel through the gardens of Wayne Manor, only to fall into a well where he is then swarmed by bats. A match cut brings the story into the present, with Bruce, now middle-aged, lying on a prison cot.
The ensuing dialogue and fight scene are fun and engaging, but by that point the scene's real purpose — to hook the audience — has already been accomplished. Though Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises share an affection for action-packed openings, Batman Begins imbues its opening with greater heart and context.
3 Batman Returns (1992)
As Batman Returns demonstrates, some of the best opening Batman scenes don't include Batman. Tim Burton's dark, whimsical style is as recognizable here as it is in Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, this time showing audiences the Penguin's tragic origin.
Shots that linger over the Cobblepot's lavish manor are juxtaposed with those of the infant Penguin rattling the bars of his black cage and killing the family cat. From understated moments like the look shared between the Penguin's parents to the couple's feverish rush through the snow to rid themselves of their baby, Burton's vision is as dark and cheeky as one would expect. Few Batman films set a mood better than this one.
2 Batman (1989)
Gotham City is as much a character in the Batman canon as any villain from the Caped Crusader's Rogues Gallery, so it's fitting that Burton's first Batman film opens with shots of the city, its gothic architecture and bustling streets. What Batman captures in a handful of shots is the grimness of the city that Bruce calls home and has vowed to save from itself.
Transitioning from this to a pair of common crooks counting their ill-gotten gains on a rooftop only to be confronted by the Bat himself, the film checks every cinematic box there it. To cap it off, Keaton delivers a line of dialog that's memed to this day: "I'm Batman."
1 The Dark Knight (2008)
Having established Batman's origins with the previous film, Christopher Nolan is free to turn his full attention to Batman's antagonist with The Dark Knight. It's arguable that no superhero villain has ever had a better film introduction than the Joker does here. Hans Zimmer's score cranks the tension of the bank heist to the nth degree. The clown robbers are perfect, disposable crooks. The camerawork is meticulous as it moves in on the Joker, standing with his mask in hand on the street corner.
By the time the Joker rips off his mask, viewers cannot look away. Superhero films often get a bad reputation as being extravagant but ultimately soulless, seeking nothing more than to cash in on a popular brand. The Dark Knight, however, shows that superhero films can be as complete and devastating as any other art.