CBMs That Depreciate When Compared to Newer and/or Better CBMs

CBMs That Depreciate When Compared to Newer and/or Better CBMs

This is a list of CBMs I feel are good films, but are often under-praised when compared with movies such as Iron Man, The Dark Knight or others.

NOTE: I have only included films that I have seen. This is it a "top 10" list. It was just easier to keep track of the titles by numbering them.

Editorial Opinion
By ImNoSuperMan - Jun 25, 2012 03:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Other

#10.)The Incredible Hulk

IMDb Rating: 7.0
Personal Rating: 8.2



I'm not sure how this film gets passed over so much when people consider CBMs, but to me it is one of the better CBMs ever made. It depicts Banner as a confused, hurt, loner just trying to keep those he loves safe, without going insane from the isolation. And while most people say The Other Guy had image consistency problems I still say he is far better than the previous incarnation's growth spurt problem:



And even despite Liv Tyler's crappy excuse for acting, I think the film was well made and was in line with the comic character. Plus, it has some of the most kick-@$$ brutal fight scenes depicted in a CBM. HULK SMASH!





#9.) The Men In Black trilogy

IMDb Rating (overall trilogy): 6.6
Personal Rating (overall trilogy): 7.8



Originally a miniseries put out by Aircel comics and later (when Aircel was bought out) by Marvel, the Men In Black of the comics are largely different than the films we have today. They are actually somewhat of the bad guys and are much more aggressive in their fight to keep the paranormal hidden. These movies are well recieved, but the fact few know they are based on comic books and many dismise them as corny and adolescent is why they make the list. A fun, comedic take on what was originally a gritty piece of fiction as produced a timeless trilogy filled with great characters.





#8.) RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous)

IMDb Rating: 7.0
Personal Rating: 8.5



Again, a low profile film based on a low profile comic equals a underrated CBM. RED is just that. With Bruce Willis' cool collectiveness, Morgan Freeman's sultry lovability and John Malcovich's off-the-wall performance makes this film a delight. Karl Urban, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker also make up a fantastic supporting cast. The premise is great, the plot better and you don't want it to end. It is a sensual experience for any movie-goer.





#7.) Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3

IMDb Rating (overall trilogy): 7.1
Personal Rating: 8.2



Many people are down on Raimi's Spider-Man franchise, especially in light of the new Amazing Spider-Man film and the abomination that was Spider-Man 3. Overall, though the films did quite successfully and to be honest, I do not think we would be at the level of CBM we are at today without them. They were visually entertaining, true to the comics while attempting to be more realistic and operating in a modern world. The acting could be a bit much at times, especially by Kristen Dunst and Toby Maguire, but in all fairness I think Parker's annoying pubescent whining was largely due to Raimi's writing, not Maguire's acting prowess. These films have fallen from grace a little since their debut, but they are still excellent CBMs in my opinion.





#6.) Watchmen

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Personal Rating: 9.5



This film greatly surprised me when I watched it. It was brutal and real. The sense of character was very strong, especially from Rorschach, Nite Owl and the Comedian. The grandness of the film was great as was the visual aspect of the film. Snyder accomplished telling a deep and interesting story in the time our relatively short-attention spans allow. The climax of the film is stunning and really makes one question the idea of heroics as they have been presented to us since the Golden Age.





#5.) Superman: The Movie

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Personal Rating: 8.5



Ok, yes the special effects (if you can call it that) were lame, overall character writing was corny, the "villain" was a cheeseball, the sequels sucked and what about that gosh-awful suit? Still, we ate it up. This was the first CBM I ever saw and I was amazed. I thought Superman was real! This film is imaginative and grand. It takes you out of reality and into the DC Universe. Christopher Reeves, a real superman, was amazing as Superman and almost better as Clark Kent! It is a classic that has (and will continue to) greatly influenced CBMs.





#4.) Tim Burton's Batman

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Personal Rating: 8.5



Alright guys, let's be real. Are we REALLY as down on Burton's first Batman as we claim to be? Despite it's above-average rating on IMDb, Burton's Batman is highly regarded as a joke. Full of bad puns, over-the-top gags and costumes, unrealistic setting and occasionally shoddy acting, Batman has lost some of the flare it once held in the mind of audiences. Personally, I rather enjoy it (and I even liked Schumacher's Batman Forever, but that's my own thing) and realize it is a product of it's time. As the characters where depicted at that time in the comics and the way Burton interpreted the character, led to an iconic film that stands out among CMBs.





#3.) Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

IMDb Rating: 5.8
Personal Rating: 7.5



While not an epic CBM, FF:RotSS was a good film. Despite the fact they turned Galactus into a fluffy dark cloud, threw the abduction of the Surfer's powers by Doom into the mix and decided we needed the idea of Super-Skrull, the film was a good movie. The characters were developed more, Silver Surfer was present, there was more tension in the Baxter Building than before, and the flight chase scene between the Surfer and Human Torch is magnificently done and truly a joy to behold. Overall, the film has been buried by a lot of other great films, but this one should not be forgotten.





#2.) The Rocketeer

IMDb Rating: 6.2
Personal Rating: 8.2



The Rocketeer...you ether love him or you hate him. Peronally I like the idea of the Rocketeer and I like the style of the film even more. It is a very noir and pulp fiction type of film set with great actors and actresses alike. It is a grand tale of a pilot who discovers a jet pack, becomes a costumed flying hero who fights off Nazi spies on the homefront. You have action, drama, suspense, and patriotism at it's basic level. If you are looking for a spectical that will entertain the senses then this is a good film to start with.





#1.) Fantastic Four

IMDb Rating: 5.7
Personal Rating: 7.7



I know I am gonna catch a lot of flack for this, but while many view this film as a let down, I actually really enjoy Fantastic Four. The main complaint is that there is not a lot of action in the film. However, any reader of the Marvel comics will know that the Fantastic Four are not superheroes. They are super-powered scientists and adventurers. They just so happen to get caught up in cataclysmic events from time to time. The movie adaptation depicts the origin story and character development very well. The special effects are visually entertaining and the characters are the kind you root for. The acting was a little off base at times, but overall it is an enjoyable comic book movie romp!

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HavocPrime
HavocPrime - 6/25/2012, 4:12 PM
I agree with you except for FF2 with the Gigantic Fart cloud that was supposed to be Galactus, who was defeated by the Surfer who did an even bigger fart blowing him away.
Supes17
Supes17 - 6/25/2012, 5:16 PM
You lost me at Fantastic Four 2...lol

But I have to admit, i enjoyed the first one
jojofmd
jojofmd - 6/25/2012, 5:32 PM
I thoroughly agree about "The Rocketeer", it's a part of the reason why Joe Johnston directed "Captain America". Very underrated movie and honestly one of my favorite childhood movies that still holds well under viewing as an adult.
Gamma022
Gamma022 - 6/25/2012, 5:44 PM
I think Thomas Jane's Punisher should be on this list
jessepostal
jessepostal - 6/25/2012, 7:36 PM
i think the only one that belongs on this list is the rocketeer. how are the watchmen and spiderman 2 anywhere near underrated?
Ghostt
Ghostt - 6/25/2012, 7:45 PM
by underrated you literally mean the rating that was given to the movie by IMDb? Otherwise, most of these are respected CBMs (excluding FF). I am actually a little baffled by your article.

I was glad that you mentioned the chase scene with Silver Surfer and Human Torch which is a great CBM scene that people forget about due to the overall hate of the movie.
ImNoSuperMan
ImNoSuperMan - 6/25/2012, 8:00 PM
@ all commenters in general: Underrated is not the correct term I should use. Movies that usually get a lot of crap thrown their way, despite the fact they are indeed decent CBMs, when compared to newer CBMs. I will adjust the article.

@Gamma: I have not seen Punisher, therefore I did not include it.

@Marshal: Thanks for your opinion, though I did not ask for it.

@Ghostt: Maybe that is the talk in your circles, but the CBMers I deal with generally look down on the films in my list.
RobGrizzly
RobGrizzly - 6/25/2012, 8:47 PM
I like the Fantastic Four movies too.

Mixed on Watchmen. When he stuck to the book it was great. When he Zack Snyder'ed it up (matrix slo-mo fighting, the ending) not so much.

I don't think Spiderman, Batman and Superman the Movie are considered underrated at all. All CBMs today owe their debt to those films. (just like regular comics do to those characters :)

I can't agree on RED which I just didn't like. Check out "The Losers" with Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, and Jeffery Dean Morgan. Another CBM based on a little-known comic about a covert ops team, but much better done.
RobGrizzly
RobGrizzly - 6/25/2012, 8:49 PM
Also, Men in Black is an interesting choice. It seems like people really only dislike the second one. I've never heard about much hate towards this series.
Caedus137
Caedus137 - 6/26/2012, 3:23 AM
Yeah, I agree with both Fantastic 4's and also Incredible Hulk - but if your criteria for inclusion is basically films which pretty good in their own right, but just dont stand up alongside Iron Man, Dark Knight, Thor etc, then I'd also put Xmen3, Wolverine, and Green Lantern in there too. Personally I really like these 3, but I'm starting to think that maybe Im the only one who does....
dezdigi
dezdigi - 6/26/2012, 9:44 AM
So, the point of this article is that you give all these CBMs a higher rating than the average IMDB rating.
I think it would be more interesting to know if the average CBM site user rating is statistically higher (outside of the standard deviation) than the average IMDB rating.
writerguy1976
writerguy1976 - 6/26/2012, 1:56 PM
Some good points in this article. Really agree with you about Incredible Hulk, I really liked that movie, my only wish is we get a directors cut at some point that puts the deleted scenes back in the movie. The original Superman was cheesy, corny......and fantastic. I love that movie. Tim Burton's Batman is one of my all time favorites, and I still think Spiderman 2 may have been the perfect super hero film.

As for the other movies people are mentioning even the FFour movies, I think they all had their moments. Even Superman Returns overall I didn't care for the movie, but the scene with him chasing down the crashing jet was fantastic. But a scene doesn't make a movie. The marvel movies have been able to hold it together the whole time, and produce good to great films. Good food for thought!
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 6/26/2012, 9:25 PM
Im with you man. I love Burton's original Batman film.and always will. I still think that first costume is the best looking one we've gotten onscreen.
BrotherQStark
BrotherQStark - 7/13/2012, 2:56 PM
It's really the fact that superhero movies like The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Avengers, Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2, get overhyped by the critics because they honestly on story and it's impact on the audience, who in term eat up the film because of its significance. Some films on your list are underrated others just bad, but to each his own, you put in a great article

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