"Batman Begins" Turns 20, Let's Rank Our Favorite Cinematic Batmen

Yesterday marked the 20-year anniversary of Batman Begins being released in theaters, and if that doesn't make you feel old as hell, then you're probably too young to be reading this site anyway.

The first film in the classic Christopher Nolan trilogy, Begins represented a sort of tonal shift back to the grittier version of Batman that was sorely lacking throughout much of the 90's, thanks to campy turns as the caped crusader from actors like George Clooney and Val Kilmer.

It also introduced the world to Christian Bale's iconic interpretation of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and his masked alter ego.

With Batman Begins hitting the two-decade mark, it made me realize a couple of things: for starters, I should probably seriously consider scheduling a prostate exam sometime in the future, because I'm getting old, and also that I should rank my favorite versions of Batman.

Just a bit of housekeeping before we get started: These are cinematic versions of Batman only.

Adam West's Batman has a movie, as does the animated Batman with voice actor Kevin Conroy, but those two are better known for their TV shows.

But enough small talk, let's start this list off with a dud.

6. George Clooney (Batman and Robin)

American actors Alicia Silverstone, George Clooney and Chris O'Donnell on the set of Batman and Robin. (Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

What a giant turd this movie was and still is!

Let me start off by saying George Clooney is a phenomenal actor and a very charming and handsome dude to boot, so casting him as Batman - especially at the height of his powers in 1997 - probably felt like a no-brainer.

But the script is so bad and the plot is so cheesy that even Clooney at his best wouldn't save this pile of garbage.

And to be sure, Clooney is certainly not at his best.

His line delivery is so wooden it's almost as if he's tanking the performance of the movie on purpose.

George Clooney is far and away my least favorite Batman, and you know what, he would probably agree with me.

5. Val Kilmer (Batman Forever)

Val Kilmer and Chris O'Donnell (Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

We are taking a massive step-up in terms of performances with Val Kilmer's time in the cape and cowl.

Batman Forever was a movie I admittedly had a pretty low opinion of all throughout my life until a few years ago when I sat down and re-watched it.

I'm not trying to convince you it's Citizen Kane by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a pretty passable and often times entertaining Batman movie, especially when compared to its immediate predecessor, Batman and Robin.

Kilmer does a really solid job of straddling the line between cocky, arrogant playboy and tortured orphan that every great portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman does as well.

There is still plenty of cheese in this movie, and Kilmer is by no means perfect (see: above Gif), but we are starting to move from awful to decent Batman performances.

4. Ben Affleck (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League)

At the risk of sounding like an absolute nerd, Ben Affleck does a fantastic job at portraying a grizzled, comics-accurate, veteran Batman, particularly from Frank Miller's 1986 comic book opus, The Dark Knight Returns.

Affleck's portrayal as an older, more cynical Batman in Batman v. Superman is incredibly slept on, in my opinion.

His version of Bruce Wayne, one that is openly obsessed with being a necessary check to a God-like entity in Superman, is also wonderfully done.

The first half of that movie is carried almost entirely by Affleck alone, and up until the infamous "save Martha" scene, I was intensely invested in the plot.

What ranks Affleck lower than the top three on this list is the combination of the movies he appears in being subpar, and his character's insatiable bloodlust.

Affleck's Batman is a legitimate psychopath, both directly and indirectly murdering dozens of criminals in Batman v. Superman.

Our favorite pointy-eared hero has a pretty famous "no killing" rule, so I had to ding Affleck's version on a matter of principle.

3. Michael Keaton (Batman, Batman Returns)

Michael Keaton on the set of Batman Returns. Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

I know I am going to get skewered for not putting Michael Keaton's Batman in the top two, but I just can't get over his portrayal of Bruce Wayne.

The English professor's turtlenecks, the awkward interactions with women, and the "you wanna get nuts" scene, do just enough to knock Keaton a rung below the pantheon of Batman portrayals.

I still really like Keaton's Batman as a no-nonsense crime fighter, though, and his serious nature juxtaposed with some of the more zany members of his rogues' gallery makes for great entertainment.

I also have to ding Keaton in a similar fashion to Affleck, as his version of Batman has committed multiple acts of murder.

Killing is bad, kids!

2. Robert Pattinson (The Batman)

Robert Pattinson attends "The Batman" World Premiere on March 01, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

I still remember the very public and vocal outcry from every corner of the internet when Robert Pattinson was announced as the next Batman.

Hand up: I was one of those haters.

But, to paraphrase the great Shaquille O'Neal, "I apologize, Robert, I was unfamiliar with your game."

Pattinson absolutely crushes it as Batman in his inaugural movie.

He does such a great job of playing a competent crime fighter and detective - something that really gets glossed over in a lot of previous Batman films - while still displaying some "wet-behind-the-ears" moments that let the audience know this is still a fairly young and inexperienced Dark Knight.

Pattinson's performance, in my opinion, has one fatal flaw though: his portrayal as Bruce Wayne.

Unlike Keaton's bumbling, bespectacled nerd of a Bruce Wayne, Pattinson swings way too hard in the opposite direction, making the supposed billionaire playboy come off like the lead singer of an emo band.

I understand Bruce Wayne's whole reason for being Batman is the intense pain and guilt he feels from the loss of his parents, but one of his best qualities is being able to internalize that by wearing the "mask" of a hedonistic trust fund baby.

When he shuts himself in and acts like a mope in public, people will start to get suspicious.

Just my two cents of advice for an otherwise fantastic version of Batman.

1. Christian Bale (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises)

Christian Bale takes on Tom Hardy as Bane on the set of "The Dark Knight Rises."  (Photo by Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic)

The reason for the list: Was it ever going to be anyone else?

You can knock the gravelly voice all you want, but Christian Bale's portrayal as both Bruce Wayne and Batman is the cream of the crop.

From his origin story, to how he became Batman through his experiences in both Gotham and in other parts of the world, this version of the caped crusader has the gravity and believability that every Batman who came before him on the silver screen sorely lacks.

He is capable but also human at the same time, and does a really great job as Bruce Wayne, playing the carefree billionaire role in public to throw everyone off the scent.

I often hear people criticize Bale for having his villains upstage him in his movies, but I would honestly say that's one of his strengths, where, much like Keaton, he plays the perfect "straight man" foil to villains like Scarecrow and The Joker.

Bonus points to Bale for being one of the first actors to truly commit to the role physically and get into "superhuman" shape.

Anyway you slice it, in my opinion, Christian Bale is the quintessential Batman, a mantle I doubt he will be dethroned from for a very long time.

Did you agree with my list? Let me know by emailing me at austin.perry@outkick.com and voicing your support or displeasure.