Warner Bros.
The IMDb Top 250 is a dynamic list, constantly updating based on audience ratings. Every film listed on IMDb can be rated on a scale of one to 10, and the Top 250 consists of the highest-rated movies across the entire site. This is different from Rotten Tomatoes, which incorporates both critic and audience scores; IMDb’s list solely reflects audience ratings. The more viewers a film attracts and the higher those viewers rate the film, the higher it climbs on the Top 250.
The film with the lowest rating on the list, “Cool Hand Luke,” has a score of 8.0, while the film with the highest rating, “The Shawshank Redemption,” boasts a score of 9.3. In earlier times when IMDb was more community-focused and had message boards, the Top 250 was a subject of fervent debate. There were constant disputes over which films deserved a spot on the list, which didn’t, and which should claim the coveted number one position.
With a multitude of movie franchises in existence, it’s a challenge for a franchise to maintain its quality and watchability, let alone have a unanimous consensus that any sequels, spin-offs, or other additions also warrant a high rating. While Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” films may be considered magical masterpieces, his “Hobbit” trilogy is widely regarded as a disaster. Similarly, Kenji Kamiyama’s animated “Lord of the Rings” prequel, “War of the Rohirrim,” received a lukewarm critical response before tanking at the box office. On the other hand, both “Alien” and “Aliens” have found a place on the IMDb Top 250, despite the franchise’s decline following the release of Ridley Scott’s divisive films “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant.” The recent “Alien: Romulus” did breathe some financial life back into the franchise, even though many critics felt Fede Álvarez’s “Alien” sequel relied heavily on nostalgia.
So, which franchise holds the most spots on the IMDB Top 250? The answer lies within a collection of superhero films and comic book adaptations, which isn’t surprising considering their dominance in the movie industry over the past two decades.
DC’s Batman franchise dominates the IMDb Top 250
Warner Bros.
Although several “Spider-Man” films (“Into the Spider-Verse,” “Across the Spider-Verse,” “No Way Home”) and “Avengers” movies (“Infinity War” and “Endgame”) have made their way onto IMDb’s top 250 at the time of writing, this particular Marvel vs. DC battle goes to the latter. Specifically, DC’s “Batman” franchise currently has the most films on the Top 250. Christopher Nolan’s thrilling “The Dark Knight,” in particular, sits right at number three on the Top 250 list. If you were part of the IMDb message boards when that movie was released in 2008, you might recall a campaign to make it number one on the Top 250. This exemplifies how user-generated ratings can be manipulated, as many IMDb users would rate a movie a 10 or a one in an effort to influence its position on or off the Top 250.
Following the success of “The Dark Knight,” it seemed nearly impossible to match its impact, but 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises” proved to be an ambitious conclusion to Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and now holds the #73 spot on the IMDb Top 250. Nolan’s 2005 trilogy opener “Batman Begins” also made the list at #130, but arguably should rank lower due to its lack of action-packed grandeur in comparison to its sequels (not to mention its antagonist, Ra’s al Ghul, is perhaps a less compelling villain than his successors). As suggested by its title, “Batman Begins” is more focused on Bruce Wayne’s backstory, gradually building up to his transformation into the Caped Crusader.
Will other Batman movies make it to the top?
Warner Bros.
Accompanying Christopher Nolan’s Batman films on the list is Todd Phillips’ 2019 film “Joker,” currently holding the #85 spot on the IMDb Top 250. The key attraction of Phillips’ dark, incel-targeting, and disconcerting “Joker” movie is Joaquin Phoenix’s performance. After Heath Ledger’s legendary, Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker in “The Dark Knight,” it was difficult to envision anyone else stepping into the role. However, Phoenix managed to secure an Oscar himself for his depiction of a desperate, grovelling, and mentally ill man that, while unsettling, is captivating to watch. Phillips’ 2024 sequel, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” took a daring leap with its musical sequences, but this alienated many viewers and the film’s actual storyline was painfully dull.
Other “Batman” film adaptations, such as Joel Schumacher’s cheesy “Batman Forever” and “Batman & Robin,” Tim Burton’s Gothic fantasias “Batman” and “Batman Returns,” and Zack Snyder’s grim rendition of the character with “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” are not on the IMDb Top 250. It seems that the more realistic and gritty depiction of the Batman universe from Nolan and Phillips resonates most with audiences. Despite Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” sharing a similar aesthetic and receiving critical and box office success, it didn’t manage to surpass a 7.9 rating on IMDb. It will be intriguing to see the future of the Batman franchise, as Nolan, in particular, has set a high bar that’s challenging to surpass.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
