(Photo by Warner Bros/courtesy Everett Collection)
Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. These are some of the staple titans of DC Comics the world has come to adore over the past 80 years, especially as they made the leap from page panel to silver screen and TV in the ’50s and ’60s. (And well before those upstart punks Marvel Comics to boot!) You’ll find them all in in our guide to every DC Comics movie ranked by Tomatometer, along with other significant greats like Swamp Thing, Green Lantern, and Shazam.
But the world of comic book publishing is nothing if not vast, a constellation of multiverses, retcons, annuals, and imprints. Moving beyond the strictly superhero element of DC Comics, this guide will also feature the adapted works from DC imprints Vertigo (V for Vendetta, The Losers), Paradox Press (Road to Perdition, A History of Violence), and WildStorm (Red, Red 2).
We’ve limited the movies to theatrical releases only, which does keep out the home animated fare that’s been giving DC adaptations a good name whenever the DCEU stumbled. But to that end, you will find The Killing Joke and Return of the Caped Crusaders here, both of which got a one-day theatrical release.
Great leaping catfish! This introduction is now over! Hurry, to Rotten Tomatoes and the list of every DC movie ranked by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 107375%
Critics Consensus: Dark, complex, and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga.
#2
Adjusted Score: 99718%
Critics Consensus: Superman deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Christopher Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon.
#3
Adjusted Score: 126737%
Critics Consensus: Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot’s charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion.
#4
Adjusted Score: 97108%
Critics Consensus: Teen Titans Go! To the Movies distills the enduring appeal of its colorful characters into a charmingly light-hearted adventure whose wacky humor fuels its infectious fun — and belies a surprising level of intelligence.
#5
Adjusted Score: 113822%
Critics Consensus: An effortlessly entertaining blend of humor and heart, Shazam! is a superhero movie that never forgets the genre’s real power: joyous wish fulfillment.
#6
Adjusted Score: 107866%
Critics Consensus: Enlivened by writer-director James Gunn’s singularly skewed vision, The Suicide Squad marks a funny, fast-paced rebound that plays to the source material’s violent, anarchic strengths.
#7
Adjusted Score: 111930%
Critics Consensus: The Lego Batman Movie continues its block-buster franchise’s winning streak with another round of dizzyingly funny — and beautifully animated — family-friendly mayhem.
#8
Adjusted Score: 102143%
Critics Consensus: The Dark Knight Rises is an ambitious, thoughtful, and potent action film that concludes Christopher Nolan’s franchise in spectacular fashion.
#9
Adjusted Score: 94923%
Critics Consensus: A History of Violence raises compelling and thoughtful questions about the nature of violence, while representing a return to form for director David Cronenberg in one of his more uncharacteristic pieces.
#10
Adjusted Score: 108291%
Critics Consensus: A grim, gritty, and gripping super-noir, The Batman ranks among the Dark Knight’s bleakest — and most thrillingly ambitious — live-action outings.
#11
Adjusted Score: 94912%
Critics Consensus: Brooding and dark, but also exciting and smart, Batman Begins is a film that understands the essence of one of the definitive superheroes.
#12
Adjusted Score: 87260%
Critics Consensus: The humor occasionally stumbles into slapstick territory, and the special effects are dated, but Superman II meets, if not exceeds, the standard set by its predecessor.
#13
Adjusted Score: 87822%
Critics Consensus: Somber, stately, and beautifully mounted, Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition is a well-crafted mob movie that explores the ties between fathers and sons.
#14
Adjusted Score: 87707%
Critics Consensus: Director Tim Burton’s dark, brooding atmosphere, Michael Keaton’s work as the tormented hero, and the flawless casting of Danny DeVito as The Penguin and Christopher Walken as, well, Christopher Walken make the sequel better than the first.
#15
Adjusted Score: 106720%
Critics Consensus: With a fresh perspective, some new friends, and loads of fast-paced action, Birds of Prey captures the colorfully anarchic spirit of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
#16
Adjusted Score: 83748%
Critics Consensus: Bryan Singer’s reverent and visually decadent adaptation gives the Man of Steel welcome emotional complexity. The result: a satisfying stick-to-your-ribs adaptation.
#17
Adjusted Score: 82433%
Critics Consensus: Visually stunning and thought-provoking, V For Vendetta‘s political pronouncements may rile some, but its story and impressive set pieces will nevertheless entertain.
#18
Adjusted Score: 79720%
Critics Consensus: It may not be the killer thrill ride you’d expect from an action movie with a cast of this caliber, but Red still thoroughly outshines most of its big-budget counterparts with its wit and style.
#19
Adjusted Score: 94074%
Critics Consensus: Adam West’s groovy interpretation of the The Caped Crusader returns in a new medium, popping in the realm of animation with the irascible energy of an exclamation-accented onomatopoeia.
#20
Adjusted Score: 88092%
Critics Consensus: Stylish and admirably respectful of the source material, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm succeeds where many of the live-action Batman adaptations have failed.
#21
Adjusted Score: 84530%
Critics Consensus: Batman: The Movie elevates camp to an art form — and has a blast doing it, every gloriously tongue-in-cheek inch of the way.
#22
Adjusted Score: 78821%
Critics Consensus: An eerie, haunting spectacle, Batman succeeds as dark entertainment, even if Jack Nicholson’s Joker too often overshadows the title character.
#23
Adjusted Score: 79063%
Critics Consensus: Although it never quite soars, DC League of Super-Pets is a more than satisfactory diversion for families in search of four-legged fun.
#24
Adjusted Score: 85248%
Critics Consensus: Zack Snyder’s Justice League lives up to its title with a sprawling cut that expands to fit the director’s vision — and should satisfy the fans who willed it into existence.
#25
Adjusted Score: 103306%
Critics Consensus: Joker gives its infamous central character a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star — and a dark evolution for comics-inspired cinema.
#26
Adjusted Score: 85628%
Critics Consensus: Aquaman swims with its entertainingly ludicrous tide, offering up CGI superhero spectacle that delivers energetic action with an emphasis on good old-fashioned fun.
#27
Adjusted Score: 76976%
Critics Consensus: Gritty and visually striking, Watchmen is a faithful adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel, but its complex narrative structure may make it difficult for it to appeal to viewers not already familiar with the source material.
#28
Adjusted Score: 60660%
Critics Consensus: Unabashedly campy — often to its detriment — Swamp Thing is not without its charms, among them Adrienne Barbeau as the damsel in distress.
#29
Adjusted Score: 87189%
Critics Consensus: Wonder Woman 1984 struggles with sequel overload, but still offers enough vibrant escapism to satisfy fans of the franchise and its classic central character.
#30
Adjusted Score: 69329%
Critics Consensus: Man of Steel‘s exhilarating action and spectacle can’t fully overcome its detours into generic blockbuster territory.
#31
Adjusted Score: 63709%
Critics Consensus: More unfocused and less satisfying than its predecessor, Shazam! Fury of the Gods still retains almost enough of the source material’s silly charm to save the day.
#32
Adjusted Score: 43366%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#33
Adjusted Score: 53811%
Critics Consensus: The Losers is loud, fast, and unrelentingly violent — but it’s also funny and well-acted, which will make all the difference for some action fans.
#34
Adjusted Score: 54463%
Critics Consensus: Despite solid production values and an intriguing premise, Constantine lacks the focus of another spiritual shoot-em-up: The Matrix.
#35
Adjusted Score: 49518%
Critics Consensus: While it’s still hard to argue with its impeccable cast or the fun they often seem to be having, Red 2 replaces much of the goofy fun of its predecessor with empty, over-the-top bombast.
#36
Adjusted Score: 34053%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#37
Adjusted Score: 67660%
Critics Consensus: Justice League leaps over a number of DC movies, but its single bound isn’t enough to shed the murky aesthetic, thin characters, and chaotic action that continue to dog the franchise.
#38
Adjusted Score: 52149%
Critics Consensus: Black Adam may end up pointing the way to an exciting future for DC films, but as a standalone experience, it’s a wildly uneven letdown.
#39
Adjusted Score: 42683%
Critics Consensus: Loud, excessively busy, and often boring, Batman Forever nonetheless has the charisma of Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones to offer mild relief.
#40
Adjusted Score: 37687%
Critics Consensus: This stilted retelling of the Joker’s origin adds little to its iconic source material, further diminished by some questionable story additions that will have fans demanding justice for Barbara Gordon.
#41
Adjusted Score: 31263%
Critics Consensus: When not overusing sight gags, slapstick, and Richard Pryor, Superman III resorts to plot points rehashed from the previous Superman flicks.
#42
Adjusted Score: 54086%
Critics Consensus: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story — and some of America’s most iconic superheroes — in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action.
#43
Adjusted Score: 48349%
Critics Consensus: Suicide Squad boasts a talented cast and a little more humor than previous DCEU efforts, but they aren’t enough to save the disappointing end result from a muddled plot, thinly written characters, and choppy directing.
#44
Adjusted Score: 34940%
Critics Consensus: Noisy, overproduced, and thinly written, Green Lantern squanders an impressive budget and decades of comics mythology.
#45
Adjusted Score: 35830%
Critics Consensus: With three talented leads struggling to prop up a sagging story, The Kitchen is a jumbled crime thriller in urgent need of some heavy-duty renovation.
#46
Adjusted Score: 17239%
Critics Consensus: Josh Brolin gives it his best shot, but he can’t keep the short, unfocused Jonah Hex from collapsing on the screen.
#47
Adjusted Score: 17183%
Critics Consensus: Joel Schumacher’s tongue-in-cheek attitude hits an unbearable limit in Batman & Robin resulting in a frantic and mindless movie that’s too jokey to care much for.
#48
Adjusted Score: 12693%
Critics Consensus: Steel is a badly-acted movie that indulges not only in superhero cliches, but also the sappy TV-movie-of-the-week ones.
#49
Adjusted Score: 10978%
Critics Consensus: The Superman series bottoms out here: the action is boring, the special effects look cheaper, and none of the actors appear interested in where the plot’s going.
#50
Adjusted Score: 14782%
Critics Consensus: Halle Berry is the lone bright spot, but even she can’t save this laughable action thriller.
#51
Adjusted Score: 8456%
Critics Consensus: The effects are cheesy and Supergirl’s wide-eyed, cheery heroine simply isn’t interesting to watch for an hour and a half.