10. Hellboy (2004)
The opening sequence in this movie is almost worth the price of admission alone. Hellboy is a classic example of smart producing. Guillermo Del Toro was an avowed fan of Mignola before snagging the director’s chair for this adaptation. [Note: The opening sequence of Hellboy convinced me that Del Toro would be the perfect director for a Captain America Film.] Ron Perlman is canon as the gruff, blue collar demigod / demon & would be hero.
09. Blade II (2002)
Del Toro again firing on all cylinders as he took the BLADE franchise in a different direction, infusing it with a keen comic book feel. So far this movie has one of the best END FIGHTS in comic book movie history as Wesley Snipes and Luke Goss tear up the place in spectacular fashion. With BLADE II, Del Toro proves that he understands crisp story telling, vivid imagery and proper framing of action sequences. A lot of future directors in this genre could do worse when searching for a template to use as reference for future projects.
08. The Crow (1994)
This movie is just a treat to watch as it makes perfect use of a small contained simple plot to tell a dark gothic tinged tale of vengeance. The movie feels almost magical in some respects with its German expressionistic blended with urban decay production design. Brandon Lee makes this movie what it is …. A CLASSIC.
07. Batman Returns (1992)
Tim Burton’s sequel to his franchise opening and record making (40 Million opening weekend) Batman Series. Here I got more of a sense of the director as Tim was allowed to indulge his vision more fully and the sequel benefits greatly because of this. You can feel Burton just under the skin of a lot of the onscreen characters (i.e.; The Penguin, Catwoman & Max Schrek). The gothic set dressings, double entendres and graphic violence are dialed WAY up to Hard R levels. On the plus side also, Michelle Piefer definitively captures the role of Catwoman much in the same way Jake Nicholson had with Joker in the previous film. Every time I watch this film, I wish Burton had been fully allowed to indulge his vision with the first Batman film.
06. Blade (1998)
I really like this film for a lot of reasons, but chief among them would be that it really feels like it takes place in the MARVEL UNIVERSE. Stephen Norrington succeeds at creating a self contained universe and the reason this film succeeds is because of that creative vision and attention to detail. Funny, but I have to mention the first X-Men movie (2000) because if you play these two back to back, it definitely feels like Blade could exist in their world. These movies have somewhat of a similar esthetic of heightened reality.
05. The Watchmen (2009)
Zack Snyder was under an intense amount of scrutiny and pressure to deliver a DECENT ADAPTATION of Alan Moore’s industry defining graphic novel “The Watchmen”. You know what? He SUCCEEDS on all levels delivering a film that has endless watch ability. I honestly never get tired of looking at this film as it has all the things “REAL” fanboys piss and moan about there not being enough of in other comic book movies.
There are brightly colored costumes that aren’t purposely made to look silly, astonishing visuals, and enough decently shot action to please any comic book movie aficionado. This movie is like a superhero version of Pulp Fiction or
Gone with the Wind.
[Because of this film, I am heartened that Snyder can deliver at least a decent Superman film.]
04. Superman II (1980)
One word … “Zod!!”
Terrence Stamp is featured in this sequel as the BIG BAD, and he makes the most of the opportunity while behaving totally somnambulistic for most of the proceedings. Along with Sarah Douglas and Jack O’Halloran, Stamp menaces the world as no other. When not busy rubbing out small town USA or defacing Mount Rushmore, these extraterrestrial criminals are casually taking control of the earth. Where is Superman during all of this? He’s taking a sick day so that he can loose his virtue to Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).
My favorite scene involves the de-powered Superman, now completely Clark Kent watching a newscast after receiving his first REAL ass beating from a thug like trucker. During the special bulletin, the president (E.G. Marshall) breaks character while reading the planet’s written surrender and pleads for Superman’s help. The following p.o.v shot reveals Zod who becomes enraged and also implores Superman to try and stop him before the screen gives way to an emergency test code.)
And last but not least, my next favorite scene involves a humbled and contrite Superman apologizing to the president for basically screwing up.
Note: Sometimes looking back on this sequel, I feel like it screwed up the rest of the franchise. I mean, what kind of credible threat could you logically follow Zod with at that time?
03. Batman Begins (2005)
Finally, a movie about “Batman” … David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan combined to make what feels like a truly personal and epic piece of filmmaking. This movie finally places the Dark Knight center stage in the proceedings. I hadn’t seen anything as good as this since the first Superman movie by Richard Donner.
This movie comes tricked out with A-list actors like Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Liam Neeson, a Blade Runner-esque Gotham City and finally (there’s that word again) a Batman (Christian Bale)that actually looks like he can take somebody’s head off.
Its BIGGEST asset and conceit is that it is world’s different from the earlier franchise begun by Tim Burton and destroyed by Joel Schumacher.
I felt that the movie was so good that I actually wished that there would be no sequel.
02. The Dark Knight (2008)
“I felt that the movie was so good that I actually wished that there would be no sequel.”
Boy was I wrong!!
Nolan showed me that he definitely had more in the tank when it came to the caped crusader. This movie is shot for shot-PERFECTION!! I actually have no complaints or quips regarding any facet of this production.
Now that being said ….
I wish there were no sequel to this film.
(Note: We all know the third movie curse of most superhero franchises i.e.; Spiderman 3.)
01. SUPERMAN the movie (1978)
The One that stated it all (For me at least.). Let’s face it, Superman has always been around in one form or another, but Richard Donner’s 1978 opus is the POP CULTURE personified. This movie is epic and a great piece of Americana.
Donner realized early on during the preproduction of this film that a number of elements central to the comic could possibly appear cheesy and campy. So he made “verisimilitude” a driving force while shooting this Iconic origin story.
Consider this … Superman the movie is completely entertaining and engrossing even before the title character appears and that’s well at the halfway point in the movie.
This grounds the rest of the movie which plays like a 1930’s pulp serial without the inclusion of the Superman’s origin and time in Smallville.
CHRISTOPHER REEVES IS SUPERMAN!!
There you have it … my TOP 10 FAVORITE SUPERHERO MOVIES OF ALL TIME!!
Question:
What are your top ten superhero movies of all time?
Note: Before you answer, consider watch ability …. Can you look at this film indefinitely and enjoy it in the same manner time and time again?
How strongly do you feel about the film? Would you be upset if it were re-booted?
Place your lists in the comments section of this article.
…. Shadowgeek10 returns to the shadows once more ….