What is the iRankMovies score for Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1?

Name: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1
Director: Jay Oliva
Genre: action, animation, mystery, science-fiction
Released: 2012
Duration: 1 h 16 min
Rating: 8

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 has an iRankMovies score of 86.2/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)

Old heroes never die. They just get darker.

Release:2012

Runtime:1h 16m

Country:United States

Director:Jay Oliva

Language:English

Genre

ActionAnimationMystery

See the best action movies →

Keywords

futuredystopiaBased On Graphic NovelSuper PowerDreary

iRank86

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb8/10· 54K votes

Rotten Tomatoes100%

TMDb7.734/10· 2K votes

With 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 8/10 on IMDb, critical reception of this film has been very positive.

About Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1

Batman has not been seen for ten years. A new breed of criminal ravages Gotham City, forcing 55-year-old Bruce Wayne back into the cape and cowl. But, does he still have what it takes to fight crime in a new era?

Cast of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1

Peter Weller
as Batman / Bruce Wayne (voice)
Ariel Winter
as Robin / Carrie Kelley (voice)
David Selby
as James Gordon (voice)
Wade Williams
as Harvey Dent / Two-Face (voice)
Michael McKean
as Dr. Bartholomew Wolper (voice)
Rob Paulsen
as Jeff Adams (voice)
Gary Anthony Williams
as Mutant Leader / Anchor Bill (voice)
Gary Anthony Sturgis
as Silk / Other Spike / Young Mutant (voice)
Paget Brewster
as Lana Lang (voice)
Carlos Alazraqui
as Hernando / TV Host (voice)
Dee Bradley Baker
as Don / Fat Mutant / Additional Voices (voice)
Maria Canals-Barrera
as Yindel (voice)

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 facts

Budget: $3.5M
Collection: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Collection

Our take on Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1

This 2012 animated film adapts Frank Miller's seminal comic: a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne dons the cape again to face a Gotham overrun by a new breed of criminal. Grim, weighty and faithful to its dark source, it's superhero storytelling for grown-ups. If its mature tone and moral heft gripped you, seek out adult animated comic-book films that treat heroes as scarred, complicated people.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

•Jay Oliva adapts graphic novel source with visual dynamism and brutal action sequences
•Dystopian future and superhero mythology explore morality through violence and power
•Animation captures dreary atmosphere while maintaining comic-book visual language effectively

What the audience disliked

•Graphic novel adaptation feels somewhat cluttered trying to fit expansive source material
•Bleak tone pervades entire runtime with minimal moments of levity or hope

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