Just ranking the theatrical releases in an order based on how much they entertain me and not necessarily their quality in comparison to others.
MOTP - 8/10
The Dark Knight - 8/10
Batman Returns - 8/10
BATMAN - 7.5/10
Batman Forever - 7/10
Batman Begins - 7/10
Batman The Movie - 7/10
Batman & Robin - 2/10
Ok now time for a more elaborate quality ranking this time around as opposed to entertainment; well for the top 2 anyway for now cause I can't be on here all day
t:
Mask of the Phantasm 9/10 - It's ironic that one of the most mature scripts in terms of juggling psychology of romance and duality for any Bat film to date was for an animated feature. I think it was a good experiment even though it flopped. It was very operatic and epic in scope. It wasn't just another TV episode which is something the subsequent animated features suffered from.
I think it is the most balanced in it's presentation of Batman. If that's what you want to watch a Batman feature for then look no further. There is a great characterization for Batman in it that is very honorable to who the character had been at that point for over 50 yrs. This is why it works the most for me and it has one of the most honest performances ever from Kevin Conroy. Acting is more than just physically emoting and Conroy as Batman in this film proved it.
Batman Begins 8/10 - I've been very critical of this movie in the past (well more so when it was still fresh) but a lot of the initial disappointment was as much my fault (Ie: reading the leaked script) as it was the finished product's.
This movie personally has a lot of flaws (pee colored camera tint, Rachel Dawes, miscasting for IMO key supporting players like Alfred, the score, Falcone, Thomas Wayne and Flass, the third act, the ****** fight scenes, Rachel Dawes, this version of the Scarecrow). I honestly think you could make a way better Batman origin movie then this. Maybe someday somebody will; who knows?
However it also has the most heartfelt live action performance of Batman/Bruce Wayne to date. That makes it the best. It took it's central character and finally made him the glue that all contrivances aside ties the threads together.
It was no longer "Gotham: The Movie" like it had been in the past. This was more so a personal look at the classic Batman tropes. Duality, discipline, rage, loneliness, fear, fear, fear and fear. It took all of those themes from the Batman mythos and used Batman himself as opposed to Batman and friends/rogues to filter it all through.
You see Bale much like Chris Reeve grow as a character from point A to Z. You see Bruce go from being a self centered angry kid into a more centered heroic figure. You get a young Bruce Wayne, a young angry Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne in training
You also get a brilliant Liam Neeson as an interesting more grounded take on Ra's Al Ghul. Owning this movie every time he was in; just great presence and Gary Oldman kicking butt as Jim Gordon all over the place. It's a very interesting movie and overall well done superhero film. Primarily cause despite it's faults it packs a lot of heart cause of Bale carrying it. It's the movie where he proved to the world that he could be a leading man and Nolan did a great job directing him.