Top Ten DC Movies of all Time

As you well know, we give DC a lot of crap. And, to our defense, most DC movies have been downright awful lately. However, today we want to be a bit more positive! Today, instead of dumping on DC, we’ll look at the top ten DC movies of all time! Believe it or not, some really awesome movies starring DC characters have come out over the years. Let’s look at the best that the House of Batman has to offer!

Top Ten DC Movies of all Time

10. Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

Photo Credit: Fandom

We start with this animation, based on the excellent JLA: Earth 2 graphic novel by Grant Morrison. This straight-to-video animation set the bar for DC’s animated outings. In the tale, the JLA we know and love is faced with the Crime Syndicate, an alternate-reality corruption of themselves. Supervillains like Owlman, Power Ring and Ultraman oppose Batman, Green Lantern and Superman. The fun premise is further uplifted by excellent voice work and great animation.

9. Superman 2

Photo Credit: IMDb

This awesome blockbuster is emblematic of everything that works about Superman. In the tale, General Zod, along with criminals Ursa and Non, break free of the Phantom Zone. The three are the last remaining Kryptonians, aside from Superman. Superman, who has recently given up his powers in order to live a normal life with Lois Lane, has to rise to stop them. A climactic battle in the Fortress of Solitude sees the Zod gang defeated. Hopeful, uplifting and downright awesome, this movie is Superman done right.

8. Batman

Photo Credit: YouTube

Tim Burton’s dark masterpiece brought Batman back from campy obscurity in the late 80’s. In a lot of ways, this movie laid the foundation for big-budget superhero blockbusters. Michael Keaton is excellent in the title role, bringing a lot of emotion and depth to Bruce Wayne. Meanwhile, Jack Nicholson’s manic Joker steals the show.

7. Flashpoint Paradox

Photo Credit: Fandom

Another animated DC outing, the Flashpoint Paradox is a fantastic Flash story. This one revolves around Barry Allen’s attempts to save his mother from her grisly fate. When Barry was a child, his mom was killed by an unknown assailant. Traveling back in time to save her, however, causes a huge rift in time. The resulting ripples in reality have huge effects on the DC Universe!

6. Justice League: Doom

Photo Credit: The Consulting Detective

In an adaptation of the excellent Tower of Babel arc, this story sees the Justice League nearly undone. Time-traveling warlord Vandal Savage finds Batman’s plans to incapacitate every member of the JLA. As a result, each of them is brought low by a scheme concocted just for them. Batman then must rush to save his friends and save the world from Savage.

5. The Dark Knight Rises

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Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy really opened eyes as to what a superhero film could be. The excellent, dark and brooding series came to a conclusion in this 2012 adventure. Gotham, faced with the threat of Bane, begins to unravel. Batman must face a man trained by his own mentor and conquer his own demons to save his city.

4. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Photo Credit: Slash Film

A film based on the 1990’s Batman Animated Series, Mask of the Phantasm largely defined what an animated DC film could do. Equal parts fun and moody, this film is a great example of a neo-noir movie. The core of the character of Batman is brought out by Kevin Conroy, who provides his awesome voice to the character. Meanwhile, Mark Hamill’s Joker has a manic, hysteric edge that makes him oh-so-menacing.

3. V for Vendetta

Photo Credit: Moviefone

Alan Moore’s anarchist opus translated beautifully to film. Focusing on an Orwellian, dystopian England in a near-future world, this tale is dark. The world is under the thumb (er, finger) of a totalitarian regime. The only hope for true freedom is the cleansing fire of anarchy, embodied by masked vigilante V. V, who was horribly tortured at the hands of this government, brings the full force of his anguish and pain to bear in his one-man crusade. If you haven’t seen this movie, go see it. It’s awesome, and it’s “freedom at any cost” message is meaningful in the modern era.

2. Wonder Woman

Photo Credit: Polygon

Patty Jenkins did two pretty massive things with Wonder Woman. The first was direct an excellent female-led superhero movie, making this a feminist triumph. The second was make a good movie in the stifling DCEU framework. As of the time of this writing, Wonder Woman stands head and shoulders above anything else in the DCEU. While that’s not saying much, as the competition is pretty flimsy, don’t let that take away from how awesome Wonder Woman is. It’s easily one of the best superhero movies of all time.

The Best DC Film of All Time: The Dark Knight

Photo Credit: The Atlantic

If you didn’t see this one coming, then you probably haven’t been into superhero movies for very long. Where do you start with a film this fawned-over and lauded? Of course, Heath Ledger gives the performance of a lifetime as the Joker. Of course, Christian Bale plays the tortured Wayne to perfection. Every single piece of this movie fires off just right: Gary Oldman kills it as Gordon, Michael Cain was born to play Alfred. Don’t even get us started on Lucius Fox, played by the always-awesome Morgan Freeman.

But what really brings it all together is the film’s overwhelming belief in justice and good. The film takes some dark, violent turns that really test Batman’s convictions. However, he never wavers, and shows us why he’s such an enduring comic book character.