When most people think of the animated Batman films, they probably think of the greats like Under The Red Hood or Mask Of The Phantasm. That being said, that doesn't exactly mean they're all that good. There really aren't any that are terrible or anything, since all of them rank at least a 5.0/10 on IMDb.
There are definitely some more average and less spectacular entries in the usually stellar and critically acclaimed franchise, but one would most likely be better off watching one of the better live-action films than these. While there's no need to steer clear of what's to follow, probably save these for when you've watched the rest, and if you still haven't had your fill, they'll be here.
Batman Ninja (2018) - 5.6
Junpei Mizusaki's no stranger to directing graphic novel material, including a producer role on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure under his belt. Kazuki Nakashima, the writer of Batman Ninja, is also pretty accomplished in his role, having worked on Gurren Lagann.
This movie really had no reason not to have been a lot better than it was but with a 5.6, it's really nothing to write home about. The art style is absolutely beautiful but that being said, the story was pretty lackluster. It basically just consists of exactly what you'd expect, a bunch of Batman characters tossed back in time to feudal Japan. The final clash between feudal giant mechs -- the complete antithesis of a ninja -- didn't really help its case, too.
Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem (2015) - 5.7
As is the usual turn of events when the Batman Unlimited title is involved, Monster Mayhem is pretty okay, but not really anything to write home about. It's decent, but it feels more like a really long episode of just another half-remembered Batman cartoon which got buried back in the collective mind somewhere.
It's the same old routine, where there's a seemingly random team-up of villains from Batman's rogues' gallery, only this time in a futuristic setting to spice it up just a little bit. It's good for sitting down with a kid for viewing, but don't expect a masterpiece.
Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015) - 5.8
This is another Batman Unlimited entry that's not even the last one on this list. Instead of doing the villain team-up thing, we get a big crossover between multiple DC heroes. The Flash, Green Arrow, Nightwing, and Red Robin all team up with Batman to figure out who's unleashed a plague of giant mechanical robots in the shape of animals upon Gotham.
This one is probably the one that's going to appeal to kids most, like some sort of Power Rangers series where they're all dinosaurs or something. It's fun, but it doesn't particularly feel like Batman.
Batman Unlimited: Mechs Vs. Mutants (2016) - 5.9
This is probably the weirdest expanded universe adaptation of Ultraman to date. The crew at Batman Unlimited decided that they were gonna try their hand at doing a Tokusatsu feature, using the plot device of a new invention from Mr. Freeze that can turn any one of Batman's villains into gigantic mutants. He ends up using it on two villains who are already pretty beefy: Killer Croc and Bane.
Since there are two giants now stomping around Gotham, Batman has the bright idea of whipping up a few mech suits, and he and his allies do their best to thwart Mr. Freeze's plan. This one isn't bad; just a really weird entry and not really where it needs to be tonally.
Batman & Harley Quinn (2017) - 5.9
Poison Ivy (who Harley Quinn later ends up pursuing a relationship with) and the Floronic Man are up to no good in Batman And Harley Quinn, which is kind of but not really in the same universe as Batman: The Animated Series. Most of the creators have said they don't necessarily consider it to be part of the series' canon, even if it shares the same art style, feel, and even voices.
The plot revolves around the two villains hatching a plan to try and replicate the process which created Swamp Thing to turn the human race into plants. The biggest issue with the film is how anti-climactic it ends up being, since Harley just cries at Poison Ivy who then changes her mind. They then set the Floronic Man on fire just because.
Batman Vs. Two-Face (2017) - 6.1
Done almost in the style of the lovably campy '60s Batman show, Batman Vs. Two-Face stars Adam West, reprising his role as Batman one last time, with Burt Ward as Robin. The plot takes place early into the existence of Two-Face; so early in fact that no one knows who he is or where he came from just yet.
The movie then focuses on the mystery of his identity and how to defeat him, all the while dealing with pretty much Batman's whole array of major villains of th era. It's not bad and it's nice to see Adam West working on Batman again but at the same time, it's rated PG, kind of heavy on comedy, and the number of villains makes it feel a little cluttered.
Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) - 6.4
The Killing Joke is an absolutely groundbreaking comic, written by Alan Moore back in 1988, which then became pretty much a classic Batman comic. It was important because despite how gritty it was, there was also a very deep emotional core to it. Unfortunately in this animated adaptation, a lot of this was lost.
It seemed like the film didn't know whether it wanted to be extremely graphic despite an R-rating, or if they wanted it to be halfway lighthearted. At the end of the day, The Killing Joke is tonally confused and inconsistent. Not only that, but a few of the scenes in the comics that merely implied some pretty graphic situations (specifically regarding Barbara Gordon) were rendered in much more detail than they should have been.
Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave & The Bold (2018) - 6.6
Perhaps a bit of a weird mashup at first if one doesn't take but a moment to think about it, Scooby-Doo and The Scooby Gang team up with the defenders of Gotham to defeat some of both of their villains. While it seems pretty odd, both of these groups are detectives while only one of the groups are crimefighters in the way we'd generally think of it.
A lot of the voice actors perform multiple characters and it works for the most part, but the most important ingredient is also here which is very important (Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers, of course). While this movie is more of a Brave And The Bold and Scooby-Doo movie than a Batman movie, it's a pretty good time and there are plenty of Easter Eggs for hardcore fans.
The Batman Vs. Dracula (2005) - 6.6
This one is a little insane. Here, The Penguin has unwittingly resurrected the most notorious vampire of them all, the famed Count Dracula.
Even though this one seems just a little bit corny in concept, it's a pretty good way to mesh the spookier side of a lot of Batman comics with something that children and adults will both be able to enjoy, with incredible voice acting from the likes of Tara Strong and Tom Kenny in some of the supporting characters. It was also nominated for a few smaller awards, mostly in the sound mixing category.
Batman: Mystery Of The Batwoman (2003) - 6.7
Batman: Mystery Of The Batman is probably one of the grittiest films on this list, and it actually does pretty well for itself as a result. Batman's general outings are interrupted when he catches wind of a mysterious woman who's tried to pick up the mantle of Batwoman, but not in a way that really does any honor to the name.
She's much more brutal and ruthless than anyone Batman would normally consider working with, so in the middle of fighting with The Penguin and others, he does his best to unmask her and figure out the truth. He must do this as soon as possible before the cops who fully believe that she's his accomplice.