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(#1) The Batman was a 15-chapter serial released in 1943 by Columbia Pictures.

The serial starred Lewis Wilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as Robin.

J. Carrol Naish played the villain, an original character named Dr. Daka. Rounding out the cast were Shirley Patterson as Linda Page (Bruce Wayne's love interest), and William Austin as Alfred.

The film is notable for being the first filmed appearance of Batman. Also, the film introduced "The Bat's Cave". The name was altered to the Batcave for use in the comic books as well as the Grandfather's clock entrance. The comic Alfred was overweight and clean-shaven prior to the serial's release. Austin was trim and sported a thin moustache. The comic Alfred's appearance was altered to match that of Austin's, and remains the same to this day.

The film's plot dealt with Batman and Robin's struggle against Dr. Daka, a Japanese spy who invented a device that turns people into pseudo-zombies.
 
(#2) Batman and Robin was 15-chapter serial released in 1949 by Columbia Pictures.

Robert Lowery played Batman and Johnny Duncan played Robin. Supporting players included Lyle Talbot as Commissioner Gordon and Jane Adams as Vicki Vale.

The plot had the Dynamic Duo facing off against the Wizard, a hooded villain whose identity remained a mystery until the end of the serial. The film's budget was even lower than the first one, and as a result, Batman drove an inexpensive Mercury convertible. However, the acting was regarded as better than the first serial. In particular, Lowery is regarded as portraying a much tougher Batman than his predecessor Lewis Wilson. The serial was released on DVD in 2005.

Big thanks to Steve Mollett for telling us about this serial and filling in the gap in our movie list. Steve also pointed out that Lowery had previously played the college student hero in The Mummy's Ghost (Universal, 1944). Later Lowery acted in many movies and TV shows, including 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, Rawhide, Hawaiian Eye, Wagon Train, Disneyland, and even The Adventures of Superman. He may be the only actor to have appeared in both Batman and Superman adventures.
 
(#3) Batman, also known as Batman: The Movie, is a 1966 film spin-off of the television series, and was the first full-length theatrical adaptation of the character. The 20th Century Fox release starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. Though Julie Newmar played the Catwoman to great acclaim in the TV series, she suffered a back injury and was replaced by Lee Meriwether in this movie.

Filmed at the end of the first season the TV series, this movie featured four main criminals from the show, including the The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), and the The Catwoman (Lee Meriwether). It was written by series writer Lorenzo Semple Jr. and directed by series director Leslie H. Martinson, who won a Golden Gryphon for his efforts. The movie was moderately successful at the box office.

Like the television series, the movie featured saturated colors, campy dialogue and special effects, and over-exaggeration in acting performances, effectively being a tongue-in-cheek parody.

When Batman and Robin get a tip that Commodore Schmidlapp (the final role of actor Reginald Denny) is in danger aboard his yacht, they launch a rescue mission using the Batcopter. After a tangle with an exploding shark, Batman and Robin head back to Commissioner Gordon's office where, through deduction and wisdom, they figure out that the tip was a set-up by Joker, Penguin, Riddler and Catwoman, who have united to defeat the Dynamic Duo once and for all.

Armed with a dehydrator that can turn humans into dust, a Navy surplus submarine, and their three pirate henchmen (Bluebeard, Morgan and Quetch), the "fearsome foursome" intends to take over the world, and Batman and Robin must stop them. Catwoman romantically lures Bruce Wayne into a trap, unaware that Wayne is Batman's alter-ego, and Penguin even schemes his way into the Batcave, leaving the Duo unable to prevent the kidnapping of the dehydrated United World Security Council.

After giving chase in the Batboat, the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder use a sonic charge weapon to disable Penguin's submarine and bring it to the surface, where a fistfight ensues. Although the powdered members of the dehydrated Council are mixed together – which would normally spell their doom – Batman constructs an elaborate filter to return each of them to life.
 
(#4) Batman is a 1989 film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Batman, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger and Robert Wuhl. The film is the first installment of Warner Brothers' Batman film series, and tells the story of Bruce Wayne romancing with Vicki Vale (played by Basinger). He also deals with the rise of The Joker (Nicholson).
  
Michael Uslan and Benjamin Melniker acquired the Batman film rights from DC Comics in 1979, and hired Tom Mankiewicz to write. Before Burton was hired as director, Steve Englehart and Julie Hickson contributed with story treatments. The role of Batman was considered for numerous A-list actors.

Batman was a critical and financial success. It was the highest grossing film based on a DC comic book, until it was surpassed by 2008's The Dark Knight. Batman received numerous nominations at the 62nd Academy Awards, 47th Golden Globe Awards and The Saturn Awards. The film inspired Batman: The Animated Series and a series of films.

With a 200 year anniversary parade approaching, Gotham City is in the grip of crime boss Carl Grissom. Despite the best efforts of newly-elected district attorney Harvey Dent and police commissioner James Gordon, the police department remains corrupted. Reporter Alexander Knox and photo-journalist Vicki Vale begin investigating rumors of a shadowy vigilante figure dressed as a bat, who has been terrifying criminals.

Vale and Knox attend a benefit at the mansion of Bruce Wayne, who attracted to Vicki. That same night, Grissom's second in command, Jack Napier, attempts to raid a chemical factory. When the police arrive, Napier realizes he's been set-up by his boss, angered by his affair with Grissom's mistress. In the the shoot-out, Batman arrives and Napier falls into a vat of toxic waste. He survives, his body deformed by chemicals that leaves his face frozen in a permanent smile. He becomes The Joker.

After killing Grissom, The Joker takes over his empire and holds the city at his mercy by chemically altering hygiene products to kill people. Batman attempts to track down The Joker, who has become romantically interested in Vicki.

The Joker holds a parade through Gotham, luring people by dispensing money, intending to kill them with a lethal gas. Batman foils his plan, but The Joker kidnaps Vicki. After a fight with Batman, The Joker falls to his death. When police officers surround The Joker's body, they hear a sound of laughing. It turns out to be a laughing sound machine in his pocket. At the film's end, Commissioner Gordon unveils the Bat-Signal along with a note from Batman, promising to defend Gotham whenever crime strikes again.

Batman opened on June 23, 1989, grossing $40.49 million in 2,194 theaters during its opening weekend. The film would eventually gross $251.2 million in North America and $160,160,000 in foreign countries, for a total of $411.35 million. Batman was the first film to earn $100 million in its first ten days of release. Batman was the highest grossing film based on a DC comic book series, until 2008's The Dark Knight.
 
(#5) Batman Returns is a 1992 film directed by Tim Burton, with Michael Keaton reprising the role of Batman, as well as Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken. The film's plot primarily concerns Bruce Wayne/Batman struggling to maintain order in Gotham City after the appearance of the villainous Penguin (DeVito) and the mysterious, equally deadly Catwoman (Pfeiffer).

Around Christmas time in Gotham City, the aristocratic Cobblepots give birth to a baby boy. Because the child is deformed, they lock him in a box, where he shows his first sign of homicidal tendencies when he kills the family cat. They drop their deformed infant baby in the sewer because of his disturbing look.

Thirty-three years later, it is Christmas time again as the city is being run by the mayor, who deals with the ambitious but ruthless business tycoon, Max Shreck. Gotham comes under attack by the "Red Triangle Circus Gang" although the heist is disrupted by Batman. Shreck is kidnapped by the Red Triangles and is brought to their leader, a short, deformed man known as "The Penguin." Penguin blackmails Shreck with incriminating evidence of his more dubious activities, prompting Shreck to agree to help Penguin run for mayor.

Shreck arranges for the Penguin to "rescue" the mayor's infant child from his own gang members. The plan works, and Penguin becomes a hero to all except Bruce Wayne. After finding out his original birthname of Oswald Cobblepot, Penguin eventually wins the approval of citizens of Gotham and intends to run for Mayor. Shreck, however, is soon troubled by  his secretary Selina's discovery of a dark secret behind his new power plant. Shreck tries to murder her by pushing her out of a skyscraper, but Selina miraculously survives the attempt, and is revived on the ground by a group of cats. However, the incident leaves Selina mentally unstable and she develops multiple personality syndrome.

She goes berserk, destroys her apartment and makes a costume disguise, becoming "Catwoman." Carrying a whip as her weapon of defense, she battles Batman on a rooftop. As a more assertive Selina, she then forms a romantic relationship with Bruce Wayne (each unaware of the other's alter-ego), while as Catwoman she allies herself with Penguin in order to get back at Batman for trying to kill her.

When the subsequent plan is put into action, Batman is framed for kidnapping and murder and finds himself trapped in the Batmobile under Penguin's control. Catwoman and Penguin's alliance falls apart when she rebuffs a sexual advance from him, and Penguin tries to kill Catwoman himself. However, she once again miraculously survives the attempt, using her third of nine lives. The Penguin's campaign to oust the current mayor is quickly destroyed when Bruce Wayne plays selected comments he made insulting the people of Gotham. The people of Gotham get angry, forcing Penguin to defend himself with his gun umbrella. The police chase after him, but Penguin flees into the sewers.

Bruce meets Selina at a ball hosted by Shreck, where she reveals to him her intentions to kill him. While dancing, the two discover the other's secret identity, but Penguin storms the hall with a shout of "You didn't invite me, so I crashed!" and tries to take Max's beloved son, Chip. Max successfully pleads with Penguin to take him instead. Batman attacks Penguin's goons and  stops the kidnappings. Penguin then dispatches an army of rocket-armed Penguins to bomb Gotham. Batman manages to jam the birds' control signals and turn them around so that they attack Penguin's base instead, apparently killing the Penguin and what is left of his gang.

Batman then discovers that Catwoman intends to kill Shreck. Shreck tries to bribe Batman, but Batman ignores him, and tries to talk Catwoman out of her planned murder. He promises they could live happily together, but Catwoman refuses to listen, and scratches him on the cheek. During this argument, Shreck fires a gun at Batman. Catwoman then starts to approach Shreck, who shoots her, knocking off four more lives, leaving Catwoman wounded. Catwoman then exacts her revenge of Shreck by inserting the stolen stun gun into her mouth, activating the spark, and pressing her lips to Shreck's, while also ripping a cable out of Penguin's electrical generator with her free hand, sending the electricity everywhere. A huge explosion follows, and as the smoke clears away, Batman finds the charred corpse of Shreck. However, Selina/Catwoman is nowhere to be found. So preoccupied with finding her, he doesn't notice a gravely injured Penguin emerging from the water, ready to kill him. Ultimately though, he collapses and dies, and six large Penguins emerge from the shadows and pull his body back into the water which becomes his grave.

Some time later, Bruce is driving around the city at night with Alfred, when he thinks he sees Selina's shadow on a wall. Alfred stops the car and Bruce searches for Selina in vain. He does find Selina's cat, however, which he takes with him and leaves. The camera then pans up to the top of the city, amidst the skyscrapers. As the Bat-Signal lights up the night sky, the audience see the back of a dark shadowy figure that looks exactly like the presumed-dead Catwoman, which implies that the explosion simply knocked off one of her two remaining lives.

Batman Returns opened in the United States on June 19, 1992 and surpassed its predecessor's record for the most successful three-day opening in history, with receipts totaling $47.7 million; it would eventually gross $266 million worldwide, $145 million less than the original. Even though the film was considered by many to be "too dark," Burton thinks otherwise, feeling that Batman was far darker than Batman Returns. To this day, he favors Batman Returns between the two.
 
(#6) Batman Forever is an Academy Award-nominated 1995 film directed by Joel Schumacher, who replaced Tim Burton, the director of the first two films in the franchise, Batman and Batman Returns. It is also the only film in the series to star Val Kilmer as Batman, who replaced Michael Keaton from the first two films. The film also marked the series debut of Robin. The film's cast included Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Chris O'Donnell, Nicole Kidman, Drew Barrymore and Debi Mazar. However, Michael Gough and Pat Hingle, who featured in the first two films, returned to reprise the respective characters Alfred and Commissioner James Gordon in this film.

The film served as a major departure from its predecessor Batman Returns, whose dark tone was rejected in favor of a lighter tone designed to appeal to younger audiences. This included dramatic changes to the cast, design, and Danny Elfman's score, whose themes were not carried into this film. Batman Forever was commercially successful at the box office. However, it received mixed reviews from critics.

The film opens with Batman preparing for action. Two-Face, alter ego of former District Attorney Harvey Dent (Tommy Lee Jones), is holding a hostage in a bank vault. He connects the bank vault by chain to a helicopter, intending to fly it out of the bank. Batman arrives, rescuing the hostage and foiling the robbery by cutting the chain. Two-Face tries to escape but Batman hangs on to the chopper by the chain and is dragged through the City until he climbs slowly on top of the chopper. Two-Face aims at Batman but accidentally shoots the pilot and is forced to take his place at the controls. Batman bashes his way into the cockpit, but not before Two-Face aims to crash the chopper into the "Our Lady of Gotham" statue and locks the wheel. Two-Face escapes using the only parachute on board, but Batman luckily manages to dive out of the cockpit and into the river in the nick of time.

Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey), a researcher at Wayne Enterprises, has developed a device to beam television directly to a person's brain, and offers his idea to Bruce Wayne. Wayne, convinced that mind manipulation would be too controversial, turns it down; feeling offended, Nygma continues to work on it after hours. When Fred Stickley, the head of the research department, discovers Nygma's clandestine overtime, Nygma knocks out Stickley, then uses him to test his device, discovering that he can use it to absorb people's knowledge. Realizing Wayne was right about it being mind manipulation, Stickley fires Nygma only to be murdered by him. Nygma doctors the security tapes to make Stickley's death look like a suicide, and resigns from Wayne Enterprises.

After having met clinical psychiatrist Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman) at the robbery, Bruce Wayne invites her to a charity circus event. Two-Face and his cohorts storm the event, bringing a bomb with a two-minute timer. Two-Face, who blames Batman for the attack which left him disfigured, will detonate the bomb unless Batman reveals himself. Wayne attempts to reveal his alter ego to Two-Face, but is unheard over the screams of the audience. Meanwhile, the acrobatic family The Flying Graysons work to remove the bomb via an opening at the summit of the circus tent. The youngest member, Dick (Chris O'Donnell), goes ahead of his family and succeeds in pushing the bomb through the hole and out into the surrounding water, but Two-Face fires at the rafters holding the Graysons in the air, causing the rest of his family to fall to their deaths, and Two-Face escapes. Wayne assumes responsibility for Dick and allows him to stay at his home, Wayne Manor. Dick declares his intention to avenge his family's deaths by killing Two-Face, and when he discovers Wayne's secret identity as Batman, he insists on becoming the crime fighter's partner in order to achieve his goal. Wayne is reluctant at first, telling Dick that killing Two-Face won't make the pain go away, but Dick is undeterred, and names his alter-ego "Robin" at the suggestion of butler Alfred (Michael Gough).

Edward Nygma, who has been stalking Wayne and leaving riddles for him, is inspired and delighted by watching Two-Face's raid at the circus on live television and creates his own alter-ego in the form of The Riddler, a master of puzzles and quizzes. He perfects his brain-manipulation device into a system which beams signals to and from the human brain in order to simulate an immersive television viewing experience. This has the side effect of allowing the Riddler to read viewers' minds, as well as augmenting his own intelligence. Making a deal to use his brain-manipulation device to discover Batman's true identity, he becomes partner-in-crime with Two-Face in order to fund mass-production of the device, promising to help Two-Face discover Batman's secret identity. Successful, he readopts his Nygma persona and hosts a launch event for a set-top version of his device. Nygma convinces an unwitting Wayne to try it, resulting in Nygma and Two-Face discovering Wayne's alter ego. Two-Face attempts to kill Wayne/Batman, but the appearance of Dick (disguised as Robin) at the end helps to foil the plan. Armed with the knowledge of Batman's true identity, the villains later converge upon Wayne Manor. Unwilling to have Two-Face kill his idol, Nygma (as the Riddler) blows up the Batcave, destroying everything inside, and leaves a final riddle for his nemesis, while Two-Face kidnaps Doctor Meridian.

Bruce and Alfred eventually solve the riddles, each one having a number in it. Each number corresponds to a letter in the alphabet, with 1 and 8 being digits for the number 18. 13 being "M", 18 for "R" and 5 for "E", M-R-E, or "Mr. E"- mystery, or enigma- Mr. E. Nygma. As Batman dons a prototype Batsuit and ponders whether he should use the Batboat or the Batwing to infiltrate the Riddler's lair, Dick enters the Batcave, now dressed in a "Robin" costume of Alfred's design. Bruce decides two against two are better odds, and finally agrees to Dick becoming a partner.

Batman and Robin use both vehicles to enter the aquatic lair; however, the machines are destroyed by the Riddler and Two Face. The heroes end up swimming to an island made of metal, where they are separated. Batman fights his way through the Riddler's deadly traps, while Robin finally fights Two-Face. He manages to send the villain over the edge of a ledge, where he clings to dear life. Realizing that he cannot kill Two Face, Robin helps him up instead. The villain is less than grateful and captures Robin. Meanwhile, Batman finally reaches the Riddler, who sits in a large throne beneath the glass chamber that collects the brainwaves of Gotham's citizens. He reveals Dr. Chase and Robin, imprisoned in large containers over a large, deadly pit.

Riddler, challenging Batman with the greatest riddle of all ("Can Batman and Bruce Wayne actually co-exist?"), gives him the choice of rescuing only one of them. Batman distracts Nygma with a riddle of his own; unable to resist, the Riddler takes his hand off of the control that would drop the two. Batman uses this distraction to hurl a Batarang at the brain-wave hub, shattering both it and the Riddler's massive intelligence. Before Nygma collapses, he springs the trap doors in Robin's and Doctor Meridian's cages, sending them plummeting to their apparent doom. Batman rescues both of them, only to be drawn on again by Two-Face perched on a nearby plank. Before he can shoot them, though, Batman acts on a suggestion of Dr. Chase, who had theorized that Two-Face's coin is his Achilles' heel. He tells Two-Face that he must flip the coin to determine their fates. Two-Face agrees and flips his coin-but Batman hurls a handful of similar coins into the air. Frantic, Two-Face grabs at the coins, but loses his footing and falls to his death.

Batman returns to the now-destroyed Riddler's lair and finds Edward, his mind now enfeebled by the brainwave reversal. He answers Nygma's riddle saying "I had to save them both. You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be, but because I choose to be." But one wonders if The Riddler even heard or understood the answer - just after Batman tells him the answer, the Riddler is screaming in terror as he sees a bat flying towards him.

The Riddler is later committed to Arkham Asylum, and Doctor Chase is asked to consult on his case. She is told that he has been screaming for hours that he knows who Batman is. Wondering if The Riddler has indeed remembered the information taken from Bruce Wayne's brain concerning Batman's identity, she goes to Nygma's cell. She identifies herself and then asks Riddler if he remembers her. When he answers yes, Riddler offers to reveal the identity of Batman to her if she says please. She does so, and The Riddler responds by telling her that he thinks he himself is Batman, and as if to prove his point, he starts flapping his arms as if to imitate a bat. Doctor Chase then meets Bruce Wayne outside and tells him his secret is safe. Kissing him, she tells him "don't work too late". The film ends with the image of a Bat-signal, with Batman and Robin running as if appearing from the signal itself towards the camera. As their flowing capes come together, the screen fades to black and goes to the closing credits.

Batman Forever was nominated for three Academy Awards, the most out of any Batman film to date (3 August 2008)
 
(#7) Batman & Robin is a 1997 film starring George Clooney as Batman, Chris O'Donnell returning as Robin and introducing Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone), a niece of Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred (Michael Gough). Gough and Pat Hingle (Commissioner Gordon) are the only two actors to feature in all four of the original Batman films. The villains in this movie are Poison Ivy, played by Uma Thurman; Mr. Freeze, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger (who received top billing); and Bane, played by Jeep Swenson. This is the final film continuity-wise in the original Batman movie franchise (1989–1997), as the franchise's story was re-imagined with 2005's Batman Begins directed by Christopher Nolan.

Batman & Robin was made on a budget of $125 million and had a worldwide gross of $238 million. The film also opened at #1 at the box office. Despite its box office successes, the film was met with near universal criticism from fans of the comic books, critics and the general public.

Batman & Robin had an opening weekend of $42,872,605 in 2,934 theaters averaging $14,612 per venue, which were two of its very few successes. However, over time, its popularity slipped, (possibly when put in competition with The Lost World: Jurassic Park, another summer film, which became a huge financial success) and the film collected only $107,325,195 domestically — less than any other Batman film.

Author Mark S. Reinhart said, "The combination of Batman & Robin's terrible script, ridiculous costuming, garish sets, uninspired direction, etc. made the film into the appalling dump heap that it is". Critic Leonard Maltin found that "the 'story' often makes no sense" and the "action and effects are loud, gargantuan, and ultimately numbing".

The film was derisively dubbed "Batman on Ice" by critics for a scene in which Batman and Robin have retractable ice skates in their boots while battling Mr. Freeze's henchmen on an icy floor in the opening sequence. George Clooney was embarrassed by the film, saying "I think we might have killed the franchise." In the featurette entitled "Batman Unbound" (contained in the special edition DVD of Batman & Robin), Chris O'Donnell compared his experiences on making Batman Forever to his experiences on making Batman & Robin by saying "When I made Batman Forever, I felt like I was making a movie. When I made Batman & Robin, I felt like I was making a toy commercial."

The film opens with Batman and Robin preparing for action. Batman and Robin arrive at a museum and encounter Mr. Freeze and his henchmen. They steal a diamond, but Batman stops him. To escape from Batman's watch, Freeze covers Robin in ice, and Batman has only eleven minutes to defrost him or he will die. Batman lets Freeze escape in order to save his sidekick.

The scene shifts to South America, where botanist Pamela Isely (Uma Thurman) is working under Dr. Jason Woodrue (John Glover). Woodrue refuses to tell her who he is working for, exactly what they are trying to achieve, or how it relates to Venom, the formula she has developed to give plants the ability to defend themselves. Snooping, she witnesses Woodrue use her formula to turn a diminutive convict into a hulking monstrosity dubbed "Bane."  Woodrue discovers her and tries to sway her to his side. When she rebuffs him, he tries to silence her permanently by toppling a shelving unit of poisons on her. This does not kill her, but it does change her physically and mentally. She emerges, to Woodrue’s surprise, as a beautiful seductress who proceeds to list off her other changes, the last being that her "lips are filled with 'Venom'." To prove this, she kisses Woodrue, killing him instantly. She devotes her new life to destroying humanity and recreating the environment, with plants dominating the ecosystem. She proceeds to destroy the lab, taking Bane as her sidekick. She decides to visit Wayne Labs in Gotham City, in hopes of sharing her plans with Bruce Wayne.

Back in Gotham, Alfred Pennyworth's niece, Barbara Wilson, makes a surprise visit and is invited by Bruce Wayne to stay until she goes back to school.

Wayne Enterprises is unveiling a new telescope at a press conference interrupted by Isley. She proposes a project that could help the environment to Bruce Wayne, but he declines her offer, as it would kill millions of people. That night, a charity event is held by Wayne Enterprises with special guests, Batman and Robin. At the event, someone dressed up as an ape starts dancing seductively, and strips until revealing itself to be Poison Ivy wearing a sexy outfit. She spreads her pheromone dust that makes all of the men at the event, including Batman and Robin, drool over her gorgeous body. She puts herself up for the date auction being held. Batman and Robin immediately start bidding competitively while she offers them sexual favors, leading to Batman being the victor. However, he cannot enjoy it for long as Freeze crashes the party and steals the diamond from the event. Freeze is then caught by Batman, who forbids Robin to come with him as he had his mind on Poison Ivy.

Freeze, who has been imprisoned in a chamber within Arkham Asylum, is rescued by Ivy as she disposes of two police guards by giving them her deadly kiss and they escape from the prison. Hearing the news, Batman and Robin rush to Freeze's hideout, only to find that he's no longer there. They enter a room where Freeze's wife is being held and learn about her disease. During a confrontation with Bane, Ivy uses the distraction to attempt to seduce both Batman and Robin. Though Ivy comes close to seducing Robin and kissing him, Batman reveals Ivy's deadly ability. Robin then becomes frustrated with Batman and starts a fight with him. During their argument, Ivy and Bane manage to escape. Before escaping from the factory, Ivy, after being asked by Freeze to rescue his wife, disconnects the cryogenic chamber because she believes she is the dominant woman in Freeze's life. At Ivy's hideout, she is confronted by Freeze concerning the whereabouts of his wife. Ivy informs him that Batman killed her by shutting off her life-supporting chamber, thus resulting in Ivy and Freeze combining forces and planning to destroy Gotham along with the rest of the world.

In the sky, a Robin signal appears, made by Ivy when she and Bane stole the Batsignal from the police headquarters. Witnessing this, Wayne informs Dick about Ivy's true intentions and asks him to trust him. Robin locates the signal and asks Ivy about Freeze's plans. Ivy reveals Freeze's plans and finally manages to kiss Robin. Robin reveals that he is wearing rubber lips, making him immune to the toxic effects of her kiss which enrages Ivy. She angrily traps Robin, followed by Batman, who appears shortly thereafter. As Ivy tries to run-off, she is confronted by a young, costumed girl who appears and begins a fight with Ivy. The fight ultimately ends with Ivy getting kicked into a giant flower and trapped by it's petals. Batman and Robin both escape from their traps. The girl, dressed in a female version of the Batsuit, informs them that she is Batgirl and reveals that she is Barbara and knows the location of the Batcave. The three of them decide to go after Freeze together. By the time they get to the lab where Freeze and Bane are, Gotham is completely frozen. Batgirl and Robin have a confrontation with Bane, which ends with Robin pulling the tube off Bane's mask and releasing the venom, turning him back to the scrawny man that he was.

Batman and Freeze begin to fight each other, with Freeze still thinking that Batman was the one who killed his wife. Batman wins the fight, as Batgirl and Robin unfreeze Gotham. Batman shows Freeze a recording of Ivy during her fight with Batgirl; it shows Ivy telling Batgirl that she was the one who pulled the plug. Freeze is angered by the betrayal and is informed by Batman that his wife is not dead; she is restored in cryogenic slumber and has been moved to Arkham waiting for him to finish his research. Batman proceeds to ask Freeze for the cure Freeze has created for the first stage of MacGregor's Syndrome, the disease that Freeze's wife is suffering from, for a friend (Alfred) who is dying. Freeze essentially atones for his misunderstanding by giving him medicine he had developed. At the manor, Batman attaches the tubes to Alfred's life support, and he, Dick, and Barbara watch. Ivy is shown imprisoned in Arkham and Freeze walks in, informing her that he is her new cellmate and intends to make her life a living hell for almost killing his wife. The next morning, Alfred wakes up, alive and well. Everyone agrees to let Barbara stay at the mansion, and the three of them decide to work together fighting crime.
 
(#8) Batman Begins is a 2005 film directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson, and Rutger Hauer. The film tells the origin story of the character and begins with Bruce Wayne's initial fear of bats, the death of his parents, and his journey to becoming Batman. It draws inspiration from classic comic book storylines such as Batman: The Man Who Falls, Batman: Year One, and Batman: The Long Halloween.

After a series of unsuccessful projects to resurrect Batman on screen following the 1997 critical and commercial failure of Batman & Robin, Nolan and David S. Goyer began work on the film in early 2003 and aimed for a darker and more realistic tone, with humanity and realism being the basis of the film. The goal was to get the audience to care for both Batman and Bruce Wayne. The film was primarily shot in England and Chicago, and relied on traditional stunts and miniatures — computer-generated imagery was used minimally. A new Batmobile, called the Tumbler, along with a new, more mobile Batsuit were both created specifically for the film.

Batman Begins was critically and commercially successful. The film opened on June 15, 2005 in the United States and Canada in 3,858 theaters. It grossed US$48 million in its opening weekend, eventually grossing $370 million worldwide. A DVD was released on October 18, 2005, containing featurettes and other bonus materials. Critics noted that fear was a common theme throughout the film, and remarked its darker tone compared to previous Batman films. A sequel titled The Dark Knight was released in July 2008 and also sees the return of both Nolan and Bale.

Eight-year-old Bruce Wayne falls into a cave, where he encounters a swarm of bats. Having developed a fear of bats, he urges his parents to leave an opera featuring bat-like creatures. Outside the theater, they are mugged by Joe Chill, who proceeds to kill the parents. Bruce blames himself for his parents' murders.

Years later, Bruce returns to Gotham City from Princeton University, intent on killing Chill, whose prison sentence is being suspended in exchange for testifying against mob boss Carmine Falcone. Before the hesitant Bruce can act, one of Falcone's henchmen kills Chill. Bruce tells his childhood friend Rachel Dawes about his foiled plan, and she expresses disgust for his blind vengeance without regard for justice. Bruce confronts Falcone, who tells him that he is ignorant of the nature of crime, so Bruce decides to travel the world to understand the criminal mind. After nearly seven years, he is eventually detained for theft in a Bhutanese prison, where he meets Henri Ducard. Ducard invites Bruce to join an elite vigilante group, the League of Shadows, led by Ra's al Ghul. Wayne is freed, and travels to a mountaintop to begin his combat training with the League, who secretly intend to use him to destroy Gotham. Bruce completes his training with the League, overcoming his childhood fear of bats in the process. However, when he is ordered to execute a criminal, he disobeys the order and instead initiates a chaotic scene by lighting the building on fire to escape, destroying the League's headquarters and killing Ra's in the process. Bruce rescues an unconscious Ducard from the wreckage, and leaves his mentor at a nearby village.

Bruce Wayne returns to a Gotham City ruled by Falcone, and decides to plot a one-man war against the city's corrupt system. He seeks the help of Rachel, now an assistant district attorney, and police sergeant Jim Gordon, who consoled him in the aftermath of his parents' murder. After reestablishing his connections to his father's company, Wayne Enterprises (under the control of the unscrupulous William Earle), Bruce is able to acquire, with the help of former board member Lucius Fox, a prototype armored car and an experimental armored suit. In his new Batman costume, he disrupts a drug shipment by Falcone, and leaves the mob boss tied to a searchlight, forming a makeshift Bat-Signal. He also disrupts an assassination attempt on Rachel, leaving her with evidence against a judge on Falcone's payroll. While investigating the "unusual" drugs in the shipment, Batman is stunned by sinister psychopharmacologist Dr. Jonathan Crane, who sprays him with a powerful hallucinogen. Bruce's butler Alfred Pennyworth rescues Bruce, who uses an anti-toxin developed by Fox to save him. Crane later poisons Rachel after showing her that the toxin, which is harmful only in vapor form, is being piped into Gotham's water supply. Batman saves her and attacks Crane with his own poison. The police enter Arkham Asylum and arrest Crane while Batman escapes with Rachel. After administering the antidote to Rachel in the Batcave, he gives her two vials of it for Gordon – one to inoculate himself, and another to mass-produce for the city's general population.

During his 30th birthday celebration in Wayne Manor, Bruce is confronted by a group of League of Shadows ninjas led by Ducard, who reveals himself to be the real Ra's al Ghul, and that the man killed earlier was a decoy. Ra's, who had been conspiring with Crane the entire time, plans to destroy Gotham by distributing the toxin undetected via Gotham's water supply, and then vaporizing it with a microwave-emitter stolen from Wayne Enterprises. Bruce insultingly dismisses his guests under the guise of being belligerently drunk, and fights briefly with Ra's while the League of Shadows set fire to Wayne Manor. Bruce escapes the inferno with Alfred's help just as the manor is destroyed. Batman arrives at the "Narrows" section of Gotham to aid the police in battling psychotic criminals, including Crane, now calling himself "Scarecrow", whom the League set free from the asylum. Rachel is briefly confronted by Crane, but quickly wards him off; she is rescued by Batman when more criminals go after her. Batman intimates his identity to her, and leaves Gordon in control of the Batmobile to stop the elevated train used to transport the microwave-emitter to the city's central water-hub. Batman battles Ra's aboard the train, then escapes just as Gordon topples the elevated line using the Batmobile's missiles, leaving Ra's to crash to the ground with the train and perish in the resulting explosion.

Following the battle, Batman becomes a public hero. Bruce gains control of Wayne Enterprises and installs Fox as CEO, firing Earle. However, he is unable to hold onto Rachel, who cannot reconcile her love for Bruce Wayne with his dual life as Batman. Gordon, now a lieutenant, unveils a Bat-Signal for Batman. Gordon mentions a criminal who, like Batman, has "a taste for the theatrical", and who leaves Joker playing cards at his crime scenes. Batman promises to investigate it. As Batman is leaving, Gordon mentions that he has not thanked Batman for his help in cleaning up the city. Batman replies that Gordon will never have to, and flies off into the night.
 
(#9) The Dark Knight is a 2008 film co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the lead role. Batman's primary conflicts in the film include his fight against his arch-nemesis the Joker (Heath Ledger) and his rivalry with district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) for the affections of assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

For his conception of the film, Nolan was inspired by the Joker's first two appearances in the comics and Batman: The Long Halloween. The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago, as well as in several other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. The director used an IMAX camera to film six major action sequences, including the Joker's first appearance in the film.

The film was released on July 16, 2008 in Australia, on July 18, 2008 in North America, and on July 24, 2008 in the United Kingdom. Prior to its box office debut in North America, record numbers of advance tickets were sold. The film has broken multiple box office records

The film begins with the Joker robbing a mob-owned bank with several other accomplices, whom he tricks into killing each other. That night, Batman impersonators attempt to interrupt a meeting of various mobsters and the Scarecrow. The real Batman appears and apprehends all of the criminals, but suffers injuries which lead him to re-design the Batsuit.

Batman and Lieutenant James Gordon contemplate including new district attorney Harvey Dent in their plan to eradicate the mob, as he could be the public hero Batman cannot be. Bruce discovers that Dent is dating Rachel Dawes. Dent is initially distrustful of Batman and Gordon, particularly as he considers the police department corrupt.

Mob bosses meet to discuss Batman, Gordon, and Dent, while a Chinese mobster accountant, Lau, informs the gang leaders he has hidden their money to preempt a plan Gordon has hatched to seize the mobsters' funds. Lau unexpectedly terminates merger negotiations (via his dummy corporation) with Wayne Enterprises, so CEO Lucius Fox and Bruce confirm that Lau is fleeing to Hong Kong where he cannot be extradited for laundering money. The Joker arrives unexpectedly, offering to kill Batman for half of their money, but the offer is rebuffed and one of the mob bosses puts a bounty on the Joker.

Batman successfully abducts Lau in Hong Kong and delivers him to the Gotham City police. As a result of Lau's arrest, Dent prosecutes many lower-level mobsters, while also developing a working relationship with Batman and Gordon. With approximately half of the mob now imprisoned, Bruce helps to secure Dent's political future by hosting a fundraiser.

With their funds in jeopardy, the mobsters agree to hire the Joker. The Joker tells all of Gotham that if Batman does not turn himself in to the police, people will die each day. Public officials, including Commissioner Loeb and the judge presiding over the mob trials, are murdered. During the commissioner's funeral procession, Joker attempts to assassinate the mayor, but Gordon successfully intervenes, but was wounded in the process. Wayne eventually decides to comply. Before he can do so, Dent announces that he is actually Batman, to draw the Joker out of hiding. The Joker attempts to ambush the police convoy carrying Dent, but Batman intervenes, though Batman crashes his motorcycle and gets knocked out. As Joker attempts to unmask Batman, he gets arrested by Gordon.

Batman interrogates the Joker, who reveals that Dawes and Dent have been taken to opposite sides of the city, far enough apart that Batman does not have time to save both of them, and placed in warehouses rigged with explosives. Batman speeds off to save Dawes, while Gordon and the police head after Dent. However, the Joker lied, sending Batman after Dent and Gordon after Dawes. With the help of a bomb planted at the police station, the Joker escapes with Lau in tow. Batman arrives at Dent's location in time to save him, but Dent sustains burns to the left side of his face. Gordon does not arrive in time to save Dawes; she is killed in the explosion. In the hospital, Dent is driven to madness over the loss of Dawes. The Joker frees Dent from the hospital and convinces him to exact revenge on the police, mobsters, Gordon, and Batman.

Harvey "Two-Face" Dent goes on a personal vendetta, confronting the corrupt cops and the mobsters one by one, deciding their fates with the flip of a coin, as they were responsible for having Rachel abducted. The Joker burns Lau along with his half of the mob's money. He announces to the public that anyone left in Gotham at nightfall will be subject to his rule. With the bridges and tunnels out of the city closed due to the Joker's bomb threat, the authorities begin evacuating people by ferry. The Joker places explosives on two of the ferries — one ferry with convicts, the other with civilians — telling all the passengers the only way to save themselves is to trigger the explosives on the other ferry; otherwise, he will destroy both remotely at midnight. The civilian ferry puts the matter to the vote, with the majority voting to destroy the other boat; despite this, no member of the passengers is capable of committing the act. On the other ferry, a single convict threatens the guard holding the Joker's detonator and takes it before throwing it out of the window. Midnight arrives and both boats remain intact.

Batman locates the Joker and prevents him from destroying the ferries. The Joker acknowledges Batman as truly incorruptible, but that Dent is not, and his madness has been unleashed upon the city. A SWAT team captures the Joker, and Batman leaves in search of Dent. At the remains of the building where Dawes died, Batman finds Dent holding Gordon and Gordon's family at gunpoint. Dent proceeds to judge the innocence of Batman, himself, and Gordon's son through coin tosses. Dent shoots Batman in the abdomen, but before Dent can determine the boy's fate, Batman tackles him over the side of the building. As Dent lies motionless on the ground, Batman restores Gordon's son to him. The pair realize the loss of morale the city would suffer if Dent's acts of madness were to become known. Batman convinces Gordon to preserve Dent's image by blaming Batman for the murders. As Gordon destroys the Bat-Signal, a manhunt for Batman ensues.

In the United States and Canada, The Dark Knight was distributed to 4,366 theaters, breaking the previous record for the highest number of theaters held by Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007). The number of theaters also included 94 IMAX theaters, with the film estimated to be played on 9,200 screens in the United States and Canada. Online, ticketing services sold enormous numbers of tickets for approximately 3,000 midnight showtimes as well as unusually early showtimes for the film's opening day. All IMAX theaters showing The Dark Knight were sold out for the opening weekend.

The Dark Knight set a new midnight record on the opening day of July 18, 2008 with $18.5 million, beating the $16.9 million record set by Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). $640,000 of the record gross came from IMAX screenings. The Dark Knight ultimately grossed $67,165,092 on its opening day, beating the previous record of $59.8 million held by Spider-Man 3 (2007). For its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, The Dark Knight accumulated $158,411,483, topping the previous record of $151.1 million also held by Spider-Man 3. The Dark Knight also set a new record for opening weekend gross in IMAX theaters, accumulating $6.2 million to beat Spider-Man 3's previous record of $4.7 million.

(info from Wikipedia)