Those who have been following my 100 Days of Superheroes will know what this is all about. I’m currently reviewing and ranking 100 superhero films over the course of a year, building up to the release of Amazing Spider-Man, Dark Knight Rises, and Avengers.
Here is how it works. The ranking is determined by two factors; the average audience ranking (by poll votes) combined with my own score for the films in the reviews I wrote. These rankings will be posted every ten reviews so be sure to vote. As more votes and movies are added to the ranking, films will slide up and down on the scale.
You can also go back and vote on previous films already ranked as it could change their score in future updates. So if you don't like the ranking GO VOTE!!! Just click the 100 Days Logo to the Fansite to both vote and read the reviews. So let's get started!
NEWLY RANKED:
#60- Zoom:
Disney’s childish and lackluster attempt to regurgitate Sky High becomes a movie with potty humor, near no action or plot, and a general sloppy mess. It might be “just a kids film” but readers also expressed their dislike with a 37.14% rating.
Ranked At: 28.57%
#53- My Super Ex-Girlfriend:
A superhero comedy that unfortunately isn’t very funny. Rather it just plays off of clichés of both the rom com and comic book genre for little positive effect while creating female characters for the sole reason of being sexist embodiments of female stereotypes. Readers were a little kinder to it than I was with a 43.33% rating.
Ranked At: 36.67%
#51- Ghost Rider:
A property with so much potential squanders it on a sloppy script that features unthreatening villains. The casting of Nick Cage as the title character can be seen as a major misstep. Readers didn’t show much love for it but still didn’t come down as hard as I did. Readers voted it up with a 45.58% score.
Ranked At: 37.79%
#53- Spider-Man 3
Hot off of the second film, hopes were high for this final installment. But Spider-Man 3 is crippled by too many villains and subplots and not enough of a central narrative. This leaves the film a convoluted and messy installment only good for a few slick fight scenes. Readers voted it at a 47.6%
Ranked At: 38.8%
#39- Rise of the Silver Surfer:
Most comic book films follow the trend of creating a sequel better than the original origin film. Such is the case with Rise of the Silver Surfer which vastly improves on the original in all areas from plot to character to action. Yet it still has many of the same flaws and it’s overall sillyness and bad directional choices yet again bring it down. Readers opinion on the film seemed split with a 50.29% rating.
Ranked At: 45.24%
#27- TMNT:
Speaking of split opinion TMNT got mixed reaction. Once again I have a different opinion on a Turtles film than my readers who voted it up with a 56.92%. While I found this to be superior to the live action films, most readers found the story and animation lacking. Yet TMNT is true to the spirit of the characters and that alone makes it worth the look.
Ranked At: 58.46%
#24- Special:
Judging by the lack of votes, here is a film almost no one saw. It’s no surprise as it’s just a small name indie film that visually even looks cheap. Yet the acting is commendable and the story well rounded. It’s a unique spin on the genre and worth the watch. Readers for once EXACTLY agreed with me giving it a 60% score.
Ranked At: 60%
THE TOP TEN COUNTDOWN!!!!
#10- V for Vendetta
Barely making it into the top 10, yet well deserving of the placement is the action-mystery-drama that is probably one of the best graphic novel adaption’s to date. It may not have a lot of action like the trailers advertise but the story, mystery and good ol’ fashion actor charisma carries this forward. Readers agreed with me, rating is at a strong 81.9%
Ranked At: 80.95%
#9- The Rocketeer
Disappointingly falling quickly out of the top ten is the WWII superhero film that has had a good run here. The Rocketeer provides a lot of campy fun with a good hearted, family friendly story at it’s core.
Ranked At: 82.3%
#8- Superman: The Movie
A film that never says die. This is one of the first films reviewed for the series and it has stayed in the Top Ten since the first ranking. Starting at #1 it has now fallen all the way down to #8, making the chance of it staying all the way to the end seems increasingly unlikely.
Ranked At: 85.32%
#7- The Mask of Zorro
A film that cleverly expanded on the mythos rather than rebooting it. The Mask of Zorro is a great blend of the classic and the new, featuring a great revenge storyline and top notch performances. It’s Batman in the wild wild west and it’s as good as in Gotham.
Ranked At: 88%
#6- Spider-Man 2
I honestly expected this to be far higher on the list. Yet Spider-Man 2 still holds a solid position in the Top Ten and doesn’t seem to be leaving any time soon. This film decreases the problems in the first film and expands on what worked creating a fun summer blockbuster with emotional resonance.
Ranked At: 88.33%
#5- Robocop
After sitting on the #2 spot for so long, this classic is finally starting to move it’s way down the list. Robocop is a rated R superhero film done right. It has the blood and gore but also is brave enough to take a stab a social commentary.
Ranked At: 89.4%
#4- Iron Man
There was no doubt that this one would end up high on this list. Considered by many to be one of the best- if not THE best- Marvel film to date, Iron Man is a blast of action, comedy, and outright fun. It features a great character arc pulled along by Robert Downey Jr's spectacular performance. Readers were ecstatic about the movie with a 94.91% rating.
Ranked At: 92.45%
#3- Batman Begins
I fully anticipated this too be outdone by Iron Man but the many fans have spoken! Batman Begins is a fantastic origin that knows how to introduce a characters motivation as well as develop a strong story along the way.
Ranked At: 93.23%
#2- The Incredibles
Pixar proves its mettle and flexes it’s story crafting muscles. Amongst such darker films at the top, the fact that this family film is so high is a testament to what high quality animation and higher quality storytelling is capable of. This family of superheroes are a blast and shows The Fantastic Four how it’s done.
Ranked At: 95.34%
#1- The Crow
A dark, art house stylized film. The Crow continues it’s unbeatable run in the Top Ten, having held the place of #1 since its arrival. The Crow is a monument to big budget art films that tells a well knitted revenge tale.
Ranked At: 96.13%
THE BOTTOM FIVE!!!!
#66- Underdog:
Joining the league of losers is the children action comedy, Underdog. Tacky, cliché and just a general rip off of everything. This movie fails on the level that the original cartoon is far superior and that leaves no excuse for watching this junk. Readers agreed with a 25.83% rating.
Ranked At: 22.92%
#67- Steel
I almost forgot this film existed. A good thing too because the less remembered about it the better. Save your money, don’t ever rent it and put Iron Man in for the 100th time.
Ranked At: 22.73%
#68- Captain America
Less of a film and more of an idea of a film. It was so bad and so low budget that the studio didn’t even have the balls to release it in theaters. Even they knew that they had a true abomination on their hands.
Ranked At: 22.42
#69- Batman and Robin
Largely and widely critiqued as “worst superhero film of all time”. This is the all-time low bar that a film has to pass to be considered truly horrific. As of yet there is only one other movie that has managed it.
Ranked At: 16.85%
#70- Catwoman
That movie is Catwoman, a film that is not only the worse superhero film ever made but also one of the worst films ever made in general. It is the first film in a long time that has made me want to cut my wrists while watching it. True fact. Death is preferable to seeing this film. Readers hated it as well with a 19.6% score. This brings it down to the first film in single digits for this review series.
Ranked At: 9.8%
CURRENT RANKINGS LIST:
1. The Crow…………………………………….96.13%
2. The Incredibles……………………………95.34%
3. Batman Begins…………………………….93.23%
4. Iron Man……………………………………..92.45%
5. Robocop………………………………………89.4%
6. Spider-Man 2……………………………….88.33%
7. The Mask of Zorro………………………..88%
8. Superman: The Movie…………………..85.24%
9. The Rocketeer……………………………...82.3%
10. V for Vendetta………………………………80.95%
11. X-Men United……………………………….80.88%
12. Batman Returns…………………………...76.8%
13. Batman (1989)…………………………….75.7%
14. Unbreakable………………………………...75.42%
15. Darkman……………………………………...74.7%
16. Hellboy………………………………………..74%
17. X-Men…………………………………………..73.25%
18. Spider-Man…………………………………..73.13%
19. The Mask……………………………………...72.25%
20. Blade 2…………………………………………71.71%
21. Blade……………………………………………71.32%
22. Superman 2…………………………………..69.12%
23. Swamp Thing………………………………...65.25%
24. Special…………………………………………..60%
25. Sky High………………………………………..58.9%
26. Mystery Men………………………………….58.77%
27. TMNT…………………………………………….56.48%
28. Hero at Large…………………………………58.01%
29. The Phantom…………………………………57.65
30. Toxic Avenger………………………………..56.54%
31. Robocop 2……………………………………..56.08%
32. Superman Returns…………………………52.72%
33. The League…………………………………….51.35%
34. Danger Diabolik……………………………..49.28%
35. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…………48.8%
36. The Punisher (2004)……………………….46.57%
37. Daredevil……………………………………….46.44%
38. Condorman…………………………………….46.15%
39. Rise of the Silver Surfer…………………..45.24%
40. Blade Trinity…………………………………..44.83%
41. Batman (1966)……………………………….43.4%
42. Superman and the Mole Men…………...43.12%
43. The Specials……………………………………40.83%
44. Howard the Duck…………………………….40.25%
45. Fantastic Four (2005)……………………...39.48%
46. Batman Forever………………………………39.3%
47. Superfuzz………………………………………..39.23%
48. Spider-Man 3…………………………………...38.8%
49. The Shadow…………………………………….38.6%
50. X-Men The Last Stand………………………37.98%
51. Ghost Rider……………………………………..37.8%
52. Spawn……………………………………………..37.13%
53. My Super ExGirlfriend……………………...36.67%
54. Legend of Zorro………………………………..34.75%
55. Superman: Quest for Peace………………32.4%
56. Punisher (1989)………………………………31.85%
57. Superman 3……………………………………..30.65%
58. The Fantastic Four (1994)………………..29.7%
59. Hulk………………………………………………...28.8%
60. Zoom……………………………………………….27.58%
61. Inspector Gadget………………………………26.8%
62. Supergirl…………………………………………..26.3%
63. Elektra……………………………………………..24.24%
64. Nick Fury Agent of Shield………………….23.55%
65. Underdog…………………………………………22.92%
66. Steel…………………………………………………22.73%
67. Captain America………………………………..22.42%
68. Batman and Robin…………………………….16.85%
69. Sharkboy and Lavagirl………………………13.57%
70. Catwoman………………………………………...9.8%
What do you all think of the results so far? Sound off below. Don't like them? GO VOTE!
Previous DAY 70- Iron Man
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/100superherodays/news/?a=62181
Previous RANKINGS #6- http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/100superherodays/news/?a=59070