F
53) Catwoman-The film took so many liberties, it shouldn’t even really be called cat woman.
52) The Kitchen-Boring movie unfaithfully adapting a DC/Vertigo limited series.
51) Steel (1997)-It was watchable in 1997, but is too dated these days to offer anything that stands up well by todays standards.
50) Jonah Hex (2010)- He looked like Jonah, at least that.
49) Return of the Swamp Thing (1989)- A huge step-down from the first “actually decent during it’s time” Wes Craven one.
48) Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn- why would you cast SO many iconic DC characters and NOT put them in superhero costumes. WTF, is this 2002?
47) Batman and Robin (1997)-Batnipples, among other disastrous elements prevent this from being better than trash. Sure, there are some great campy elements but there are also some cringey outdated ones too. Hey, Arnold is fun at least!
46) Justice League (2017-Theatrical)-One of the most hyped movies of all time ended up being a cluster fuck that was so poorly handled that it should have honestly just been cancelled.
D
45) The Losers (2010)-Solid, not quite “fun” nor is it accurate to the comics, but Chris Evans is a standout and predating his Cap role (much like his role in FF as Johnny Storm)
44) Batman Forever (1995)-Underrated, but only slightly. It’s definitely better than Clooney’s turn but I wouldn’t quite call it good either.
43) Supergirl (1984)-Even by 1984 standards, it was a let down. Though, it is to this day, the only live action Supergirl movie. It is a part of the Reeve-verse, so it’s watchable but only if you are interested enough to do so.
42) Green Lantern-Started strong, so it’s not F tier, but somewhere along the way before the credits role it becomes obvious that it’s a clunker after all. The best part is the post credits scene.
41) Superman 4 and the Quest for Peace (1987)-Christopher Reeves overstayed his welcome with this one. A bit campy and not as engaging as the first two.
40) Superman 3 (1983)-Christopher Reeves himself stated that he hated how the film turned out and vowed to never play the character again (he tried one more time obviously), if that tells you anything about how this film is.
39) Suicide Squad (2016)-A disaster of a film through and through, though not quite as disastrous as Justice League 2017. There are some decent elements, especially Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn as well as the soundtrack. Will Smith is fine as Deadshot at best, and the rest are pretty forgettable. Leto’s Joker was the antithesis to forgettable, so bad that we remember it. Personally, I enjoyed his take, but I can’t ignore the mountains of shit he received for the creative choices he enacted with his Joker.
38) Stardust-Based on a Neil Gaiman book/comic printed under DC’s Vertigo imprint. A unique role for quite a few actors (Henry Cavill and Charlie Cox, to name a few relevant cases), and good production value, but overall if this isn’t your niche it’s not that great.
C
37) Constantine (2005)-Honestly it’s a good movie taken as its own thing. The problem is that they wanted to make Constantine their own thing a bit too much (Keanu Reeves is great and all but he isn’t my John Constantine). Hopefully DC does it right next time. Though the movie is watchable and has a cult following.
36) Swamp Thing-A surprise gem from acclaimed horror filmmaker Wes Craven. Worth a watch if you either A) like Swamp thing or B) like classic horror movies. If you don’t fall under those categories, which I’m sure the majority of you don’t, then move along.
35) Superman Returns (2006)-This movie gets hated on, and that’s ok, because it’s not great, but I do think it’s better than you remember. It has a cult following, but some hollow performances and some generic cgi/fighting/action prevent this from being included in discussions on relevant Superman movies. Ironically, Brandon Routh’s best portrayal of Superman wasn’t from this movie (it was in Legends of Tomorrow).
34) The Road to Perdition-It’s a bit generic and boring, but it does somewhat faithfully adapt the comics.
33) Wonder Woman 1984- A huge step-down from the predecessor, but not as bad as everyone says. It’s average and watchable. Wonder Woman does get a decent character arc, Chris Pine is a bit cringey this time, and it’s often intentionally cheesy. It’s definitely about as average as it gets.
32) Shazam Fury of the Gods-I have seen this twice now, and both times it occurred to me that there is nothing that stands out in this movie. A shame, considering how great the first is.
31) Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom- No where near as good as the first. Nothing of note stands out, maybe besides Mamoas portrayal is as good as it always has been. He technically acts more like himself than how aquamna actually acts, but I won’t hold it against him since general audiences have grown somewhat fond of it. The CGI is about as good as the first, and so is the action, but the movie offers up nothing new or interesting about any of the characters. As the true final DCEU movie, it goes out pretty bad.
30) League of Super Pets-It’s a generic plot, with generic voice acting from Kevin Hart and The Rock. With that said, the film is certainly watchable despite its averageness. The enjoyment will mostly come from jokes about the DC characters and easter eggs more than anything else.
29) Joker- A bit of a cultural phenomenon. Very overrated. It was decent for one watch, but the movie does not feel enough like the Joker I know to be considered good. Sure, Pheonix’s performance is great on a technical level, but the movie is too much of a Scorsese homage and not enough of a DC homage.
28) Red 2- Not as entertaining as the first. Which is a shame because that one is a gem.
27) The Dark Knight Rises-Repetitive fight scenes, corny moments that are meant to feel epic (but come off as stupid), terrible acting from some of our leads to the point that it’s been meme’d, and an overall disrespect for the Batman lore. Questionable choices abound. Why isn’t it trash? Nolan’s directing even at his worst carries it a bit.
B
26) Teen Titans Go! to the Movies-A fun enjoyable Teen Titans movie that isn’t as good as the cartoons but is perfectly serviceable if you enjoy this interpretation of the characters.
25) V for Vendetta-A surprisingly decent adaptation of Alan Moore’s comics. He famously distanced himself from the movie, which is a shame, because while it’s not perfect it is quite enjoyable.
24) Black Adam-The worst part of the movie is the Rock. Everything else rocks.
23) Batman: The Movie (1966)-Arguably the most comic accurate Batman? Jokes aside, you could argue that Adam West is quite accurate to the golden age version of the hero. If you enjoy old school Batman, this one is a real treat.
22) Aquaman- Mamoa proved that Aquaman is badass. There is a lot to like here, though it is quite CGI heavy. The story isn’t phenomenal, and the performances aren’t anything to write home about, but the movie is epic in scope and decently adapts Aquaman to the big screen.
21) A History of Violence- A surprisingly faithful adaption of the comics, though the comics aren’t anything to write home about.
20) Superman 2 (Richard Donner Cut)- The Donner Cut is the superior version of the film, bar none. Not as good as the legendary first Superman film, but it still retains most of the spirit and elements that made that one great. It’s a bit dated but still a solid Superman movie which upped the action and production value.
19) Shazam!-A delightful surprise of a good time. The leads are charismatic, the plot is great with some nice twists, excellent production value. At times it slogs and it can be a little generic especially with it’s themes (not to mention the disappointing Superman cameo), so its not A tier but its still a grand time at the movies.
18) Red-An excellent adaptation of a fine comic book. Thrilling, fun, unique, over the top, and with great dialogue to boot-everything a comic book movie should have.
17) Blue Beetle- This is the most “marvel” movie dc has ever put out-but that’s a good thing. I think the formula fits the character well. Good humor, memorable characters, good action, and decent cgi. Gunn as said this is the pseudo start to his DCU and if it fits tonally I’m fine with it because it was pretty dang good for what it is. Is it perfect? far from it. But DC finally delivered just a simply entertaining movie for once and I’m here for more.
16) The Flash-No where near deserving of the hate it gets, the Flash indeed has some questionable CGI but does its characters justice. Some people critique the cameos, but in reality they’re all pretty fun for longtime fans. The action was great, the plot was good, the acting got better as the film trudged along, and Keaton stole the entire show.
A
15) Lego Batman- Any one who is a big Batman fan must see this. No questions asked. If you love Batman so much that you can laugh at all the ridiculousness surrounding the character, then this will be enjoyable. It’s a shame we will never get a sequel, because it’s definitely a hoot through and through.
14) Man of Steel- This one is just now starting to get the love it deserves. An excellent adaptation of the Superman origin with some minor filming flaws. Great casting choices all around, an edge of your seat script, and next level action. Finally the power of Superman was accurately depicted on the big screen. Say what you will about Snyder’s decision to have Superman kill Zod, it was clearly meant to be a character development plot point. Despite that controversy, Man of Steel is the best modern Superman (movie) story available.
13) Watchmen- A panel for panel adaptation of the legendary comic book. Essential viewing for anyone who considers themselves a DC fan. It SHOULD be #1, but unfortunately, a few minor creative choices (a common theme with Snyder’s work) prevent it from being as good as it should be. Also, a movie is nowhere near long enough to do justice to the comics. Despite this fact, the movie is impressively accurate in both tone, feel and look to the source.
11) The Dark Knight-Now that it’s 2024, I can safely say that The Dark Knight is both overrated and not the best Christian Bale movie. Sure, Heath Ledger’s Joker is the center piece of the entire trilogy, but overall it’s just not as good of a Batman movie than its fantastic predecessor. It became a cultural phenomenon, but it arguably damaged the industry more than it helped it at this point. To this day, DC movies still struggle with their tone being too serious, dark or realistic thanks to Bale’s movie’s. No it’s not terrible, this is a Christopher Nolan movie after all, it’s quite engaging, possibly more so than the first. Bale’s performances isn’t as good, is bordering on cheesy, the fighting is repetitive, the costume is a huge downgrade that barely resembles a batman costume. The dialogue is a little too stone cold and not natural. It’s like everyone was speaking as if they were being interviewed, like they were saying something profound at every corner. Without question the most interesting portions of the movie rightfully surround the legendary Heath Ledger Joker, so much so that anytime Batman is on screen it just makes you wish it was the Joker instead. Ledger’s performance and Nolan’s directing carry this film big time.
12) Zack Snyder’s Justice League- A huge step up from the first theatrical version. Everyone gets their dues, great cgi and action, good character arcs. Too long is a valid critique, but for fans it still isn’t long enough.
10) Batman Returns-If the first wasn’t so culturally relevant this would be ranked higher than that one possibly. Burton’s second outing really honed in on the gothic angle of the Batman mythos. Catwoman and the Penguin shine bright.
9) Batman Begins-The best Bale movie by a mile. A fantastic telling of the origin with excellent pacing, dialogue and action. The costume is great as are the performances. Not much criticism here. A Borderline perfect Batman movie, though there is some flaw if you look close enough.
8) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Directors Cut) The theatrical cut is admittedly a disaster, but like most Snyder movies, it shines with the release of the completed vision. The directors cut eliminates nearly all the issues of the theatrical released movie, especially regarding plot and characterization. Adapting the most legendary Batman comic book story of all time, Snyder brilliantly taps Ben Affleck as an aged Batman who finds the presence of Superman unsettling. Both Superman and Batman’s arcs are fantastic, though it does end a little strange and possibly too ambitious. Affleck’s portrayal of the caped crusader here is legendary, despite what some of the critical response will have you believe. To date, this is arguably the most comic accurate Batman of all time (yes, including the scenes where he murders people).
S
7) Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker- Hardly a flaw back when it released, and still holds up today. The best of the best of Terry McGuinness.
6) The Suicide Squad/Peacemaker- What a breath of fresh air. All the dour, dark, realistic has FINALLY evolved into something better and truer to DC comics in general. With cameos, easter eggs GALORE (sorry Flash, but this movie destroys you in those departments). The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker are among the finest live action DC projects of all time.
5) The Batman (2022)-Part loose adaptation of legendary Batman comic book The Long Halloween and part homage to Batman Returns. 2022’s Batman is inching closer to a live action caped crusader that actually feels like comic book Batman. Excellent dialogue, monologues, acting, tone, feel, action, cinematography, soundtrack, costumes and definitely the best Batmobile sequence of all time. Batman finally feels simultaneously lived in AND amateur, positioning Pattinson in a uniquely satisfying corner of the Batman movie catalogue.
4) Wonder Woman- A film with very few flaws. Everyone doubted Gal but she turned the world into fans over night. The movie is excellent in so many ways, but without question the “No Man’s Land” scene is going down in history as the most iconic DC movie moment of all time.
3) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm – The creme of the crop in regards to Kevin Conroy’s animated Batman. To this day, the movie is still highly regarded. Conroy will always be Batman no matter what, and here he solidified his take as something almost as legendary as the comics themselves.
2) Superman The Movie (1978)- Perhaps one of the most influential movies for the entire superhero genre. Christopher Reeve is, and will always be, the one true Man of Steel thanks to his iconic portrayal that, to paraphrase, made you believe that a man could fly.
SS
- Batman (1989)- The best and most influential Superhero movie of all time. Without this movie, there would be no modern superhero craze, there would be no Marvel movies, there would be no Batman the Animated series, there would be no animated DC movies. Batman would never have been the success he has been in todays world without Michael Keaton selling tickets around the block in 1989. Arguably, there would be no DC comics without this movie, because Batman’s widespread popularity was heavily attributed to this movie at the time, catapulting Batman to hold the title of “greatest superhero of all time”. DC comic (and movie) sales are VASTLY weighted toward the caped crusader’s popularity, with the publisher often siting that it’s his and only his comics that actually sell well, all thanks to this movie. Whether this is your favorite movie or not, is irrelevant frankly, and doesn’t change the fact that everything that you love about the genre on the big screen stems from this very place. Though the movie took inspiration from the mid to late 80s Batman comic book reinvention Frank Miller ushered in with The Dark Knight Returns and Batman Year One, the movie subsequently changed everything that followed it to this very day. Batman 1989 is the not only the crowning achievement in the DC library, but also the greatest superhero movie of all time. No matter how dated this movie gets, it likely will never be outshined.