CBM user, PaulRomano, recently gave his "Top 6 Underrated Comic Book Movies", which inspired me to share mine (although I will be giving 5). Many CBM's have split fans before and will continue to as long as they are made. However, many of these films have a silver lining to them that can let people enjoy these movies. Even Batman and Robin had a silver lining because it showed what not to do in a comic movie and gave us a cool, Nightwing-inspired Robin costume (minus the bat nipples of course). So, without further ado, here are my Top 5 Underrated Comic Book Movies.
Blade 2 (2002)
Rating: 9/10
Although the film was more well received that it's predecessor, Blade, and was a box office success, I still think it did not receive the credit it deserves. Wesley Snipes was fantastic as Blade and the action was kicked up a notch for this sequel. The script was pretty good, with many of the jokes adding to the coolness of many characters. Was the main villain a little corny? Yes, but it was still great to see Blade somewhat get his ass kicked and then come back as the vampire-slaying badass that fans all know and love.
Daredevil (2003)
Rating: 7.5/10
When talking about a comic movie that split fans and critics alike, this is one of the first that I think of. Released to mediocre reviews, this movie was still a box-office success and actually pretty fun to watch. Was the plot a bit choppy? Yes. The wire work completely noticeable? Absolutely! However, it still provided cool action sequences and had a much more redeeming, R-rated directors cut that mostly fixed the plot and helped flesh out characters. I would, however, prefer if we got a reboot instead of sequel a-la MIB 3 style.
Batman Begins
Rating: 9/10
Once again, even though it was well received and a box office success, I don't think it received the credit it deserved. This not only kicked off one of the best cinematic trilogy's ever, but also set the bar for reboots and superhero origins. Many people however stated that it was choppy at times and/or debated weather the first or second half was slow. It is also overlooked due to it's brilliant sequel: The Dark knight. However, I still think this is one of the best batman films I have ever seen and I hope that the reboot for Batman will continue the dark tone that this movie perfectly executed.
Watchmen
Rating: 10/10
Many may be wondering why I consider this underrated due to it's positive reception from fans and critics alike. First off, the box-office results were pretty underwhelming and this definitely deserved to make more. Second, many people usually regard it as somewhat boring. Lastly, the main thing people complain about is the decision to change the ending from the graphic novel. However, I don't think this is necessarily bad. Sure there were many sub plots that were not included (if they were, we would have a Watchmen trilogy), but it still projected a lot of the undertones and meanings that the graphic novel shows to the audience, while including great acting and visuals. If there is one film I don't think should ever be remade, it's this one.
The Losers
Rating: 8.5/10
Apparently I'm a minority on this one, but I thought The Losers was a great film! However, it was released to average reviews and made less than 30 million (barely making it's budget). Being someone who never read the comics, I watched this knowing nothing about any of the characters or the plot. I will admit that although the villain is a bit 1 dimensional, the plot is a little confusing at times, and there are some corny moments; it kind of helps the film. If anything, it's a popcorn film: even if you don't care for the story, it is still filled with action, humor, and pretty cool characters. It's definitely on my top 10 favorite CBM's, even though many don't like it.
Well, that's all for now. Until next time, this is Hal Jordan signing off!