Superhero movie fatigue has yet to set in, despite predictions aplenty that it would by now, so that means we’ll be seeing a whole bunch of new ones over the course of the next year. There’s the Marvel movies, of course, including Captain America: Civil War (a.k.a. “Basically Avengers 3”) and Doctor Strange. Then there’s
Batmobiles are a big deal, not only because Batman drives them and he’s a pretty big deal, but also because they sell millions upon millions of toys around the world every time one of these movies hits theaters. That’s a lot of money, a lot of toys, and a lot of people wondering, “How would I rank these mobiles if someone put a gun to my head and said I had to?” Fortunately for them, I’ve already gone to the trouble.
7. Batman Forever (The Kilmer Mobile), 1995
Ah, the Kilmer Mobile. This was the first departure in the ‘90s movies from the Batmobile design of Batman ’89 and Batman Returns, and it’s also hands down the ugliest. It’s flashier and more colorful than its predecessors - much like the movie itself - but that’s actually not my problem with it. (In fact, I’d say the weird coloring was generally one of the more interesting things about Batman Forever.) For me, this Batmobile is the worst of the worst because it’s just a poorly designed, garish monstrosity. Basically, it looks exactly like a plastic toy, and that’s probably because it was designed to be a plastic toy, first and foremost.
6. Batman and Robin (The Clooney Mobile), 1997
Despite being the worst of the movies, Batman and Robin’s Batmobile was a big improvement over the Kilmer Mobile. While it’s a bit busy in some areas - I have no idea what’s going on under the hood there - and there are certainly elements of toyification, its overall old-fashioned design is pretty solid.
5. Batman Begins & The Dark Knight (The Tumbler), 2005 & 2008
There’s no denying how ugly the Tumbler is, but what it lacks in beauty, it more than makes up for in general usefulness. In fact, The Tumbler is probably the most active/useful of all the Batmobiles (so far). It’s basically a tank with more mobility, and it can “boost into a rampless jump” - across rivers, onto rooftops, etc. In The Dark Knight, after the Joker severely damages the Tumbler with an RPG, we see Batman eject from it on the Batpod (“a motorcycle formed by the front wheels and struts of the Tumbler”), which goes on to feature prominently in The Dark Knight Rises.
4. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice & Suicide Squad (The Batfleck Mobile), 2016
Obviously, we have no idea how much this Batmobile will factor into the upcoming movies - since they’re not out yet and all - but purely on the basis of appearance, it’s a definite improvement over the Tumbler. Firstly, it actually looks like a car instead of a grumpy Transformer face, so major points for that. I also really dig the almost futuristic aesthetic it has going on. That said, I’m not a huge fan of the giant machine gun front and center, rubber bullets or not, and the look still hews a bit too closely to the Tumbler for my tastes.
3. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (The Animated Mobile), 1993
The animated Batmobile vaguely resembles the one from the Tim Burton movies, although it’s simpler and removed of any of the weirdness. That lack of weirdness puts it a bit lower on this list for me, but it’s still a fantastic Art Deco design overall.
2. Batman ’66 Batmobile (The Original), 1966
The Batmobile driven by Adam West in the 1966 Batman movie is truly a thing of beauty, with great coloring and a general, um, car-like appearance. It's also decked out with great pun-tastic gadgets like the "Bat-tering Ram" (and slightly less pun-tastic gadgets like the "Emergency Tire Inflator"). But while it's perfectly suited for the wacky world in which it was created, it doesn't quite reach the iconic heights of number one on this list.
1. Batman ’89 & Batman Returns (The Keaton Mobile), 1989 & 1992
This thing is just so wonderfully weird-looking and I love it. It’s fairly sleek and simple, so far as big screen Batmobiles go, with an incredibly cool Art Deco design to reflect the overall aesthetic of Tim Burton’s Gotham City. Although it makes no sense as an actual vehicle - there’s no way you could maneuver around the city in that thing - it does have some impressive amenities, including grappling hook launchers, an after-burner, voice-activated shields, and more. Be honest - when someone says Batmobile, this is the one you picture in your head, isn't it?
