 |
| It's not an "S". It's actually a $. |
But that was then, and this is now. Much has changed, including my opinion of several of those "top" films. Looking back, I can't believe I ever liked Superman Returns as much as I did. So here's a brand-new list of the Top 11 Super-Hero Movies. There's also been an onslaught of new super-flicks in the last five years, and that makes the competition even stronger.
*I think it's important to point out that I'm reflecting specifically on super-heroes here and not comic books in general. For instance, V For Vendetta should surely be on the Top 11 Comic Book Movies list but it's not a super-hero flick.
Here we go.
11. The Incredible Hulk
No, no, no. Not the one directed by Ang Lee. This is the one with Edward Norton. You know, Edward "Everything I Do Is Fucking Awesome" Norton. Norton is such a good actor that he legitimately made us care about his Bruce Banner and the beast inside. And that's really the first rule of story telling. Make us care. The fight scene at the end between the Hulk and that monster was really cool too. This was just an all-around enjoyable superhero film.
10. The Amazing Spider-Man
It only took four movies for them to finally get it right. I'm a big fan of the first Tobey Maguire movie, and I sincerely did enjoy the third one with Venom, but Spider-Man 2 bored the pants off me. And then just a couple years ago they restarted the franchise. The Lizard was awesome, Emma Stone is great in anything she does, and Peter Parker was actually a character you could relate with - which is what he always was in the comics anyway. I really hope they make more to this series.
 |
| Why so serious? |
You can pretty much thank this film noir from the early 90s for the gained interest in comics by independent publishers. The Crow, often overshadowed by the on-screen death of star Brandon Lee, was the alternative superhero movie. You can also say that because of the Crow we were also forced to sit through Judge Dredd, Tank Girl, and Spawn during the 90s. At it's heart The Crow is a love story in a very grim world. And that's the beauty of it. Budding rock star Eric Draven and his new bride are murdered (she's raped too) and he returns from the dead to hunt down the gang members that caused their demise. Amid all the drugs, gangs, violence, and rain, a dark hero emerges for vengeance. Along the way of claiming vengeance, he makes friends with a little girl and Ernie Hudson. Who wouldn't want to be friends with Ernie Hudson? Nobody, that's who.
8. Superman: The Movie
It's the movie that defined a genre. Really, every other superhero movie owes their existence to Richard Donner's Superman. You can talk at lengths about Christopher Reeve's performance, and you can rave about John Williams' musical score, but there isn't just one piece to this puzzle. Superman succeeds purely on charm, delivered by the ensemble cast. The flick chronicles Superman's life, from Krypton through Smallville, and into Metropolis where he does battle with the land-hungry Lex Luthor.
 |
| We are family! |
I really wanted to avoid putting any animated features into this list (it pains me deeply to omit Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm), but there's simply no denying just how wonderful Pixar's The Incredibles is. If you've ever been a fan of superheroes, there's something in this movie for you. It's cheesy and often tongue-in-cheek and doesn't take itself overly seriously, but at the same time treats the medium and subject matter with the utmost respect. I'd love to see a live action version. That would be unstoppable.
6. Marvel's The Avengers
There's not much else to say about a movie that made a butt-load of money at the box office and on DVD. Oh wait, they did it with a bunch of second-string Marvel characters. Just goes to show that if you make a superhero movie aimed at children, you'll hit the nail on the head.
5. Man Of Steel
It's still relatively new, but what Man Of Steel has done is make Superman accessible and relevant to modern day audiences. This is hands down the most intelligent Superman film made yet. Looking at Kal-El as an alien on Earth from the perspective of humans is what makes this film so believable. You want to see Kal win and save the day, just so he can fit in with the rest of us... even if he never truly will.
 |
| Act now and get these steak knives! |
4. X2: X-Men United
You might think topping the first X-Men flick would be pretty tough, but Bryan Singer managed to make one of the best action movies I've ever seen with X2. Sure, it's mostly a Wolverine story, but it's way better than any of his own films. And Rogue is pretty sexy, let's not forget that. What Singer did with this movie was pretty simple: stick to the source material and give the fans what they want to see on the big screen. I'm actually disappointed in myself for waiting for this one on DVD for a first viewing.
3. The Dark Knight
It was the best of the Nolan trilogy, riding completely on the performances of the Joker, Commissioner Gordon, and Harvey Dent. People often say that there wasn't enough Batman in Batman Returns, but with The Dark Knight our hero doesn't even really need to be in the movie. This is a Joker movie, and admit it to yourself, he's the reason you went to see it. The Joker has never been quite as menacing, or even frightening, as he is in The Dark Knight and it's a darn shame we didn't get him in the third movie.
 |
| It's not an "S". Where I'm from it's saran wrap. |
I might be a little biased because it's my favorite movie of all-time, but what premise could be better than Superman going toe-to-toe with three Kyrptonian baddies who all have the same powers (and some new ones invented for the movie) that he does? They throw a bus at the Man of Steel for Christ's sake. That was awesome in 1981 and it still is today. I'm not going to say which version of the movie is better - there was also a director's cut released about five years ago - but neither of them are the same movie. So many other super-hero movies have followed the format of Superman II. A few years back, Spider-Man 2 was regarded as the greatest super-hero movie ever made and yet few people mentioned how it was pretty much a clone of Superman II. Think about it: The hero wants to be with a girl he loves, loses his powers, the bad guys take over, and the hero has to get his powers back to save the day and then ultimately choose the rest of the world over the one person he loves more than any other.
1. Batman Returns
 |
| Robin eats yellow snow. |
And there you have it! Who's to say what my opinion will be in another five years. Maybe I'll pick Batman & Robin as the number one movie of all-time.
- ryan
No comments:
Post a Comment