Batmanhas some of the best and most celebratedDC Universemovies of all time, but I am genuinely shocked to discover that one animated Batman movie actually has a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than any of his live-action films. Appearing in so manyBatman movies, and featuring so many great villains,it is strange to think that one of his animated films might be even better than films likeThe Dark Knight.Still, taking the Rotten Tomatoes score as a defining metric, this may be the case.
Batman has also featured in many animated filmsover the years.Movies likeBatman: Mask of the PhantasmandThe Lego Batman Moviereceived theatrical releases,and each of these movies continues to receive acclaim. Despite this, neither of these films are generally as well-received or remembered as the live-action installments. With great films likeThe Batmanto contend with, it is difficult to reach those same highs in animation. However, based on this score, one strange animated film may have done just that.
Batman Has Some Of The Most Well-Respected Superhero Movies Of All Time
From Batman (1989) To The Batman, Batman’s Movies Have Been Well-Recieved
ARotten Tomatoeseditorial has ranked all the Batman films, and they have mostly been well-received.While a few have been criticized, likeBatman & Robin, many Batman films have received incredibly high ratings.This has includedBatman Returns, which holds an 82% critic approval score, andThe Dark Knight, which sits at 94%. Both of these are excellent ratings, but it is worth realizing that the popularity of these films goes even beyond this metric.
97%
94%
89%
87%
85%
83%
82%
77%
80%
71%
41%
39%
35%
29%
Batman & Robin
12%
The Dark Knighttrilogyhas been celebrated in all kinds of circles,ranking often in IMDB’s top 25 films of all time, as well as with other institutions. The fact is that Batman films are not just celebrated, but are routinely considered to be some of the best movies of each year that they are released. With this in mind, it is shocking that one of these films that is much lesser known than the rest could score such an exceptional Rotten Tomatoes score.
Merry Little Batman Is A Fun Movie, But Not The Film I Expected To Be The Dark Knight’s Highest Rated
The Animated Film Is Good, But Hardly Seems On The Same Level As Any Of Batman’s Big-Screen Films
Merry Little Batmanis an animated movie that was released straight to Prime Video in 2023. It featured a Christmas story that sawDC’s newest Batmanfighting crime alongside his son, Damian Wayne. While the streaming movie was a success upon debut, the most shocking part of its reception is actually in itsRotten Tomatoesscore. At the time of writing,the film has an astonishing 97% score with critics,outpacing even such celebrated films asThe Dark Knight.
I’m shocked thatMerry Little Batmanhas a higherRotten Tomatoesscore than almost any other Batman film.Even Oscar-nominated projects likeJokerwere only able to achieve a 68% score.This incredible achievement is truly something to behold, and sets the importance of this animated project as much higher than it previously seemed. However, there are several details to be aware of that may help to understand howMerry Little Batmanand its charming castcould score so high.
Why Merry Little Batman’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Makes Sense
A Rotten Tomatoes Score Can Be Affected By Many Things
Merry Little Batmanis a streaming movie, and those kinds of films do not receive the same kind of scrutiny from nearly as many critics and boards.97% is an excellent score, but this is based on only 29 reviews.For comparison,The Dark Knighthas 343 reviews, and even 1989’sBatman, which was released beforeRotten Tomatoeswas established, still has a total of 141 reviews. These major films live in the culture for longer and receive scrutiny from more voices throughout the years.
None of this is to take away fromMerry Little Batman’s success, but instead works to help understand whatBatmanRotten Tomatoesscores do and do not mean.Merry Little Batman’s97% rating doesn’t mean it’s better thanThe Dark Knight.Rather, it is a smaller-scale project for a family audience, and per its reviews, the movie is perfect for that demographic.Merry Little Batman’s score makes sense because it is being reviewed as a smaller, made-for-streaming movie for children and families, not a summer tentpole to be seen in cinemas.
Don’t Believe The Movies, They Fail To Capture One of Batman’s Most Important Traits
It’s shocking, but there hasn’t been a single Batman movie that captures one of the Dark Knight’s most important and character-defining traits.
I was not expectingMerry Little Batmanto score higher with critics onRotten Tomatoesthan so many of Batman’s films, and at first, I was shocked by this. However, examining things more closely, it is clear why this film HAS such an excellent rating. Still, achieving this incredible score does not make it the greatest Batman film of all time—which is no doubt subjective. It remains a special holiday watch, and will likely continue to be so for many audiences for many more years.
