GREEN LANTERN And 9 Other Disliked Superhero Films That Aren't Actually That Bad

GREEN LANTERN And 9 Other Disliked Superhero Films That Aren't Actually That Bad

There have been a lot of unpopular superhero films over the years, but are all of them all that bad? Here, we list 10 disliked comic-book films that may warrant a second viewing from fans.

Feature Opinion
By DanielKlissmman - Sep 01, 2021 05:09 AM EST
Filed Under: Green Lantern

The comic book movie genre is thriving. We are getting more superhero films than ever before, and at times, it feels like almost anything with a comic-book branding is a shoo-in for success. With so many superhero movies out there, however, there are bound to be some projects that either don’t live up to expectations (be it critically or commercially) or outright fail in the eyes of audiences.

Over the past two decades, there have been quite a few films that have unfortunately fallen into the latter category. The thing is, not all superhero films that have disappointed critically to that extent are actually that bad. In fact, a fair amount of them are quite good. So, we thought it appropriate to look at 10 unpopular superhero movies that may not be as bad as we remember them being.

10. Venom

10-venom

Does Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” also take you back to Venom’s closing scene whenever you listen to it? No? Okay. Venom had been in development for years until it finally materialized in 2018 with Tom Hardy in the title role. The film was a financial juggernaut, but it disappointed critically, and audiences were let down by its tone, plot and action. Here’s the thing, though: Venom was quite enjoyable.

Perhaps one of the biggest complaints about the film was its comedic tone. However, it was that relatively lighthearted approach that made Eddie Brock’s big-screen adventure stand out. By now, we’ve seen plenty of dark superhero stories, both in animation and live-action. We know Venom is a dark character, but the film boldly used the anti-hero’s somberness to imbue comedy into the story, resulting in a pleasant action-comedy hybrid that featured the excitement we’ve come to expect from comic-book films while paying homage to the body-horror elements that have become synonymous with Venom.

Yes, the film had plenty of moments that could be considered off-kilter (such as Eddie jumping into a lobster tank), but they perfectly meshed with Venom’s twisted nature.

9. Green Lantern

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The funny thing about this movie is, it’s so infamous that even its star, Ryan Reynolds, has taken every chance to criticize it. Now, we are not ones to disagree with Mr. Reynolds, but to be frank, Green Lantern was actually a pleasant superhero film. Introducing something as massive as the Green Lantern Corps to general audiences is no easy task.

The film did that in a smart way by establishing the grand concept on its own at the very beginning of the story. After that, it showed Oa and its inhabitants once again from the perspective of Hal Jordan, whose sarcasm and screwed-up life made for a relatable point of entry into the outlandish world. The story was also interesting, as we got to see Hal become a better person and embrace the hero us comic-book readers knew he was destined to be.

Now, we are aware that this was one of the most controversial aspects of the film, but Hal’s superhero suit was also a great take on his comic-book garb. It felt like what a real-life Green Lantern ring would create for its wearer, and the fact that the uniform’s design was based on the wearer’s musculature was a nice touch.

8. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

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When it was announced that Wolverine would be getting his own film after starring in three X-Men movies, fans were excited. Unfortunately, when the film arrived, it disappointed audiences, and it went down in history as one of the most disliked superhero adaptations ever.

The criticisms directed at the film were understandable, but there was a lot to love about it. For starters, it had a memorable opening sequence, which went over Wolverine’s younger years. Logan’s traumatic past is a staple of the character, and the depiction of a young Wolverine killing his biological father properly captured the character’s darkness. Then, there was the opening-credits montage, which showed Logan and Victor Creed fighting in various conflicts throughout history. This successfully established the two brothers as wandering souls looking for something to do as essentially immortal beings. Speaking of brothers, it was also smart to make Wolverine and Victor related, as it made their rivalry all the more engaging.

As mentioned, the complaints audiences had about the movie were fair, but X-Men Origins: Wolverine still worked as an interesting “What if?” story for the mutant anti-hero.

7. Daredevil (2003)

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Right around the time that superhero films were taking off thanks to Spider-Man and X-Men, Mark Steven Johnson brought Matt Murdock to the big screen with Daredevil. There are two cuts of the film: the theatrical and the director’s cut. While it’s been argued that the latter is a better version of the film, both cuts are special on their own. There’s no denying that the extra material in the director’s version made the story more well-rounded, but both versions are enjoyable adaptations of Daredevil’s mythos.

Daredevil is gritty, but not unrealistically so. The movie’s version of Hell’s Kitchen feels real, which is a hard thing to accomplish when adapting famously gritty comic books like “Daredevil.” Ben Affleck successfully portrayed Matt Murdock as a man who, while damaged, was inherently good. Jennifer Garner also gave a compelling performance as Elektra, establishing her as a good-natured person who would still be willing to kill you if you crossed her. Colin Farrell’s Bullseye was another highlight of the film. Yes, he was a heightened version of the assassin from the comics, but his interpretation was both scary (never eat peanuts around this man) and hilarious.

To top things off, Daredevil also gave us arguably one of the best casting choices of the 2000s in Michael Clarke Duncan’s Kingpin. His charm and imposing presence made us believe that he was, in fact, a powerful crime boss who was able to go toe-to-toe with the Man Without Fear.

6. Fantastic Four (2005)

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Fans are excited to see Marvel’s First Family return to the big screen under the watchful eye of Marvel Studios. Fortunately, while we wait for that to arrive, we have this 2005 classic revisit. The movie had its issues, but it also had a lot of good in it that made it a genuinely enjoyable watch.

One of the film’s best aspects is its cast. Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans embodied their respective heroes, remaining faithful to the personalities that had been established in the comics while still adding their own spin to them. In fact, Chris Evans gave such a convincing performance as the reckless and immature Johnny Storm, that many comic-book fans had trouble picturing the actor as Captain America when he was cast in the role.

Of course, we can’t forget about Julian McMahon’s Doctor Doom. The man was menacing and unstable, and felt like a threat to our group of crime-fighters. Granted, the movie’s plot may be considered “silly” by some nowadays, but Fantastic Four is still a fun comic-book adventure.

5. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

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Rise of the Silver Surfer is similar in tone to its predecessor, and generally wasn’t afraid to embrace its comic-book roots. Much has been criticized about the film, including its use of Doom and Galactus’ infamous appearance. While it was admittedly disappointing to see one of Marvel Comics’ most recognizable villains portrayed as a space cloud, Rise of the Silver Surfer was still, overall, an enjoyable live-action take on the Fantastic Four.

The story was entertaining, the drama among the team was engaging, and the Silver Surfer was a compelling character with franchise potential. Just like in 2005’s Fantastic Four, Alba, Gruffudd, Chiklis and Evans gave great performances as Marvel’s First Family, and it was easy to buy them as a dysfunctional team of superheroes who loved each other despite their differences. Plus, the hero’s costumes were, once again, on-point.

4. The Punisher (2004)

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“This is not vengeance. Revenge is not a valid motive, it’s an emotional response. No, not vengeance. Punishment.”

Did you hear that? That was the sound of a million fist bumps happening at once. With that awesome piece of dialogue, we trust we don't need to explain this entry. All kidding aside, The Punisher is a true superhero-movie gem. While it isn’t necessarily as disliked as other entries on this list, the film has unfortunately not gotten much recognition since its release.

Somber, tense and exciting, The Punisher did what most successful superhero movies do: Took a character and their lore, improved upon it, and delivered a film that honored its source material while at the same time adding new layers of complexity and excitement to it.

The entire cast delivered remarkable performances to bring Frank Castle’s twisted world to life.Thomas Jane and John Travolta were particular standouts. Jane oozed charisma as The Punisher, creating a character that was tortured and twisted, yet still had something in him that audiences could connect with emotionally. John Travolta, meanwhile, delivered an engaging performance as Howard Saint, a mobster with a soft voice and an unsettling penchant for violence.

The film never got a sequel, but going by what was established in this movie, a franchise based around its version of Frank Castle could have been unique.

3. Spider-Man 3

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The struggles that Spider-Man 3 faced during its development have been well-documented by this point. Sam Raimi and the rest of the people involved in the film dealt with an incredible amount of pressure to deliver one of the most anticipated superhero films of its era. And while the finished product was not embraced by audiences, what the movie ended up being was still impressive.

Much like every other film on this list, we can’t deny that Spider-Man 3 had its weaknesses — many of which were significant. However, it still delivered a comic-book adventure that was engaging, fun and, at times, heartbreaking (Flint Marko visiting his daughter after breaking out of prison, anyone?).

Plus, we can’t omit the fact that Spider-Man 3 gave us sequences that, at the time of the film’s release, seemed far-away dreams for comic-book fans, such as Spidey fighting Venom and Sandman alongside Harry Osborn’s Green Goblin.

2. Ghost Rider (2007)

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Another Mark Steven Johnson comic-book adventure, Ghost Rider brought everyone’s favorite, perpetually on-fire superhero to the big screen for the first time. While not entirely faithful to its comic book lore, the film delivered a dynamic origin story for its titular character.

Nicolas Cage was a standout as Johnny Blaze. Even though his take on the character was, admittedly, a significant departure from the hero’s characterization on the page, his performance was, for lack of a better word, mesmerizing. What made his performance so unique was the different facets he gave to Jonny’s personality. He could act unstable and reckless one moment, and be courageous and trustworthy the next.

As for the film itself, the plot has a good balance of comedy, action and horror. Some of the movie’s gags are genuinely funny (such as Johnny Blaze’s candy addiction), but such levity rarely overshadows the exciting action and frightening moments. Such a balance is hard to accomplish, but Mark Steven Johnson pulled it off in this film.

1. Catwoman

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Look… We know, we know. We ask for forgiveness in advance from the comic-book movie gods. Catwoman is perhaps one of the most disliked superhero films in existence, and it’s understandable why. However, upon watching it again… well, it’s not that terrible. Please don’t get us wrong. The movie is not a masterpiece by any means, nor is it a shining example of what superhero movies can be. In fact, it’s not even what we could call “good.” Having said that, it does have a few redeeming qualities.

As puzzling as it can sometimes be, for example, the plot is entertaining, and it’s so “out-there” that it keeps you wanting to know how things are going to unfold for Catwoman. Now, whether the entertainment value of the film comes from it being so bad it’s good, or because it’s genuinely engaging, we’ll leave it up to you, dear readers, to decide.

Aside from the odd catnip-smelling and basketball sequences, Halle Berry also delivered a good performance as Catwoman (by “good,” we mean that it fit this movie’s tone and plot), having created a clear separation between Patience Phillips and her vigilante persona.

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Pigdango
Pigdango - 9/1/2021, 5:29 AM
I liked the two FF movies. The rest of this list…no.

Catwoman?!?!
BritishMonkey
BritishMonkey - 9/3/2021, 6:12 PM
@Pigdango - The FF films are way more comic accurate than people will ever like to admit.
Aside from Doctor Doom's character of course and Galactus cloud.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 9/1/2021, 5:31 AM
As the BIGGEST Daredevil fan, Daredevil 2003 is still HOT GARBAGE and painful to sit through.

However, Michael Clarke Duncan is a SHINING GEM in a piece of shit.
bcom
bcom - 9/1/2021, 5:31 AM
I fully agree with Green Lantern. It honestly is no where near as bad as it’s made out to be. The look and design of the characters are arguably some of the most comic accurate we’ve had yet and the effects still look great today.
KWilly
KWilly - 9/1/2021, 5:36 AM
"However, upon watching it (Catwoman) again… well, it’s not that terrible"

Tpo81
Tpo81 - 9/1/2021, 6:41 AM
@KWilly - that basketball scene is embarrassing to even watch
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 9/1/2021, 8:12 AM
@KWilly - Placing that at #1 was most definitely placed with the intention of rustling the feathers.
Tpo81
Tpo81 - 9/1/2021, 10:40 AM
@Waddles - imagine being Halle Berry or Benjamin Bratt must feel walking into a room with that on a television set.Lol I’d be mortified
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 9/1/2021, 5:36 AM
The only reason the punisher should be on this list is because it shouldn’t be on this list. And yet it shouldn’t be on this list because it should be on this list. Because it’s wrong about all the other movies and nobody ever said that punisher movie was bad, maybe John travolta went extra ham, but that’s it.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 9/1/2021, 6:16 AM
@TheWalkingCuban - While I liked the Punisher, it still wasn't what it should have been. And Tom Jane didn't do it for me. He wasn't intimidating enough. It didn't feel like the Punisher was as threatening as he should be.

But hey, I hated Warzone, but liked the actor that played Punisher a lot more in that.
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 9/1/2021, 6:22 AM
@CorndogBurglar - I totally understand that. I think Tom Jane is a great actor so if somehow you could put his acting into old boy what’s his name, you would have a perfect punisher. I did like the Netflix punisher, name not coming to mind right this second, but man he moves his head a lot. I get it, you agree with me, wait you you disagree? Wait you agree? I never know where I stand with this guy! Back to war zone, it certainly had its moments. But if John Travolta hammed up the other one, Then the jigsaw guy on Warzone was just terrible. And yet he was better than the jigsaw on Netflix, oh my goodness, I have some acne scars, maybe I can be jigsaw.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 9/1/2021, 6:29 AM
@TheWalkingCuban - Yeah, I liked the Netflix show but they didn't take the war on crime approach. He was just hunting people in the government.

I just want to see some grounded, brutal Punisher taking on the wors5 forms of criminals. The mob. Human traffickers. Drug dealers. That's the Punisher at his best. Once they've done all that they can always end the series with him taking on government corruption or corrupted military generals. But save that stuff for the finale. Until then, I want some good old fashioned, One Man War on crime stuff. Which I don't feel like has ever been interpreted correctly in any Punisher adaptation.
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 9/1/2021, 6:54 AM
@CorndogBurglar - For me, I liked the approach, I just thought Billy fell off big time on season two. Other than that and Bernthal’s head giving me double vision and vertigo I was good
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 9/1/2021, 8:38 AM
@TheWalkingCuban - Haha. Yeah, I still liked it better than the movies
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