Batman has some of the best and most celebrated DC Universe movies 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 many Batman movies, and featuring so many great villains, it is strange to think that one of his animated films might be even better than films like The Dark Knight. Still, taking the Rotten Tomatoes score as a defining metric, this may be the case.

Batman has also featured in many animated films over the years. Movies like Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and The Lego Batman Movie received 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 like The Batman to 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

A Rotten Tomatoes editorial has ranked all the Batman films, and they have mostly been well-received. While a few have been criticized, like Batman & Robin, many Batman films have received incredibly high ratings. This has included Batman Returns, which holds an 82% critic approval score, and The 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.

The Dark Knight trilogy has been celebrated in all kinds of circles, ranking often in IMDB’s top 25 films of all time, as well as with other insтιтutions. 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 Batman is an animated movie that was released straight to Prime Video in 2023. It featured a Christmas story that saw DC’s newest Batman fighting 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 its Rotten Tomatoes score. At the time of writing, the film has an astonishing 97% score with critics, outpacing even such celebrated films as The Dark Knight.

I’m shocked that Merry Little Batman has a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than almost any other Batman film. Even Oscar-nominated projects like Joker were 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 how Merry Little Batman and its charming cast could 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 Batman is 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 Knight has 343 reviews, and even 1989’s Batman, which was released before Rotten Tomatoes was 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 from Merry Little Batman‘s success, but instead works to help understand what Batman Rotten Tomatoes scores do and do not mean. Merry Little Batman’s 97% rating doesn’t mean it’s better than The 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.

I was not expecting Merry Little Batman to score higher with critics on Rotten Tomatoes than 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.

Upcoming DC Movie Releases

• 
  
  

  
  

  Superman

  Release Date

  
  July 11, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

  Release Date

  
  June 26, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  The Batman Part II

  Release Date

  
  October 1, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse