C.C.C. Issue #27: Top Ten Superhero Films

Top Ten Superhero Films

With the uncanny X-Men returning to theaters this weekend in X-Men: Days of Future Past—their biggest film to date—I’m counting down ten of my favourite superhero movies of all time. Instead of simply picking a bunch of Marvel movies, I’m looking at a wider range of super-powered adventures, though there were many good ones I had to leave out.

Criteria: Must feature character(s) in the main role(s) saving either the world, humanity, or certain individuals from evil

Honourable Mentions: Superman (1978), Chronicle (2010), Spider-Man (2002), X2: X-Men United (2003), and V for Vendetta (2005)

10. X-Men (2000)

A lot of critics and filmgoers—fans and non-fans alike—seem to favour the X-Men sequel X2: X-Men United as being slightly better than the first film. While I must agree that it’s one of the best superhero sequels ever, I still prefer the original X-Men, which was the one that started it all. Back in 2000, it was a major advancement in terms of how huge superhero movies could be. Not all of the special effects hold up to today’s standards, but for the time X-Men had incredible visuals. What I like better about it over X2 is the quicker pacing and greater number of scenes with Professor X (played by Sir Patrick Stewart). While X2 did add depth to the characters and tell a grander story, X-Men succeeded in establishing the X-Men film universe and proved to be an exciting, fun, and groundbreaking superhero film, which reignited an interest in the sub-genre and set the bar for how a superhero film was done.

9. Watchmen (2009)

This Zack Snyder-directed epic, based on the sweeping graphic novel, has been seen in two ways by critics and fans alike: either as a masterpiece, or a piece of crap. My opinion falls somewhere in the middle, but more toward the positive side. Having never read the graphic novel, I can’t say how accurate or inaccurate the film is compared to the source material, but that aspect also doesn’t influence my opinion. Watchmen is unlike any other superhero movie I’ve seen. It combines characters without superpowers and characters with powers, gritty Batman-style vigilantism with Marvel beat-em-up action, but most of all it tells a compelling and intricate narrative rich with back-story and complex characters. It may get a little derivative at times, and the movie’s length proves a test of endurance even for a hardened superhero film fan like me, but the effects and visual style are the real highlight here. It’s not perfect, but compared to other superhero films, it’s unique, mature, and very ambitious.

8. The Crow (1994)

This cult classic is often overlooked compared to other larger scale superhero films, but The Crow is a great gothic, supernatural comic book tale about revenge and resurrection. It’s infamous for being actor Brandon Lee’s final film, who was accidently shot and killed on set during filming. It was a tragic loss, especially considered how brilliant Lee was in the role of Eric Draven, a rocker who gets killed by thugs and comes back to avenge the death of his girlfriend. There isn’t a huge amount of action, and cgi effects were still in their infancy here, but Lee’s performance drives the film, and the haunting atmosphere makes it all the more eerie. It’s dark, but it also has some light moments, which makes for a nice balance. Even looking at the film without knowing the tragedy of Brandon Lee’s death, it’s an impressive superhero tale, and a fine piece of entertainment.

7. Batman (1989)

There will always be a place for Adam West and Burt Ward’s campy sixties classic, but Tim Burton’s brooding Batman was the first serious take on the character filmgoers had seen, and it still remains a favourite to this day. Michael Keaton surprised everyone with his turn as Bruce Wayne/Batman, having been previously known as a comedic actor. Jack Nicholson as The Joker is even more impressive, with his unnerving balance of mischief and mayhem. Though some comic book fans were dismayed by alterations made to the story, I actually enjoyed liberties taken with the plot, especially having The Joker be the one who killed Bruce Wayne’s parents when he was a boy. Tim Burton absolutely nailed the look of the film, and made Gotham feel like the city was ripped right from the comic pages. The musical score by Danny Elfman is also brilliant. It perfectly complements the combination of action and drama. It may feel like more style than substance at times (a problem I detect with many Tim Burton films), but Batman was a great film then, and it’s still a great film now.

6. Hellboy (2004)/Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

I can’t really pick one Hellboy over the other, because I think they’re both excellent. The visual effects are every bit as great the second time around, as are the characters, the plot, and practically everything else. The one thing I could say that’s better about Hellboy II is that the obligatory character introductions from the first film were over with, and the sequel was able to hone in on the new story faster and easier. Having said that, I enjoyed the story behind the first Hellboy, and not knowing much about the character prior to seeing the movie, I was surprised and excited to learn about this unusual superhero. Hellboy, a red skinned brute with a big ass pistol and wicked right hook, fights against supernatural and super powered enemies alongside his knowledgeable pal Abe Sapien and on-again-off-again pyrotechnic girlfriend Liz Sherman. There are numerous interesting and bizarre creatures, but Hellboy proves to be a relatable main character despite a fearsome appearance (contributable to Ron Perlman’s great performance). Thanks to director Guillermo del Toro’s signature balance of fright and fun, both Hellboy adventures are a blast.

5. X-men: First Class (2011)

Many critics and fans may think X2 is better than X-Men, but I think the explosive prequel X-Men: First Class is the best X-Men film so far, as well as one of my favourite superhero movies ever. I didn’t love the original X-Men trilogy at first, but First Class blew me away upon first viewing and actually made me like the other films even more somehow. It covers a lot of ground in two hours, and proves to be the quickest paced X-Men film yet. That’s one of the only negative aspects I can think of for this movie: it’s so fast, it almost feels like its rushing through the material at times and not taking enough time to show us quieter, slower scenes. Having said that, I didn’t mind the rapid scene to scene pace as it kept the story moving and didn’t leave any characters (or mutants) behind. The visual effects were better than ever, the younger cast delivered, and it has one of the best (and funniest) superhero cameos of all time. You can’t go wrong with X-Men: First Class.

4. The Avengers (2012)

When I first heard they were bringing together some of Marvel’s biggest heroes in a gigantic blockbuster, I was highly skeptical. How could all those characters be balanced properly, how could it deliver enough action while also establishing new heroes and still showing enough of the ones we had come to know in earlier films? How could such a big movie be done well? Leave it up to writer/director Joss Whedon to deliver an unprecedented superhero epic. The Avengers packs in Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Nick Fury, plus brings back Loki as the villain leading an alien army to destroy New York City! Thanks to Whedon’s clever script, every hero gets the appropriate amount of screen time, and there’s lots of action (I loved that the main heroes fought each other before being able to team up and take on Loki), plus a healthy dose of signature Whedon comedy. Not only did it set the bar higher than ever for superhero movies, it was the ultimate culmination of heroes thanks to Marvel cleverly setting up each hero with their own solo films beforehand. Even if you haven’t seen any of the Iron Man movies or the Thor or Captain America films, you can still have a blast with The Avengers.

3. Iron Man (2008)

Before The Avengers, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever expanded, there was Iron Man. I had zero expectations for this movie going into it, and it blew my mind. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man is brilliant. The character feels as grounded in reality as Batman, and that’s no coincidence, as Tony Stark is often seen as the Bruce Wayne of Marvel. This is the film that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in my opinion, no film since has been able to trump its excellence and pure entertainment value. It’s not as grandiose as The Avengers, but it doesn’t have to be to be better. As far as a superhero origins film, it’s by far the greatest. We get to see who Tony Stark is, what makes him change his mind set on weapons and heroes, and the action that ensues from him donning that high tech suit. The visual effects are top notch, the music enhances the thrills, and the pacing is perfect. Not only is it one of my favourite superhero movies, but one of my favourite movies ever in recent memory.

2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

If Iron Man is the best superhero origins film, then Spider-Man 2 is the best Marvel movie sequel to date (Even if you classify The Avengers as a sequel). Not only does it improve on many aspects that were okay-to-questionable in Spider-Man, such as visual effects and the villain, but it tells a more personable story than its predecessor and cements Peter Parker as a character we really want to see succeed. Doc Ock is a cool yet creepy villain, and the tension with Harry Osbourne creates even more suspense. Having Peter juggle his Spider-Man powers and love for Mary Jane are very well handled, with him forced to lose one or the other at every turn. The ending, although somewhat tainted by the events in Spider-Man 3, is still chilling and thrilling. I doubt there will ever be another Spider-Man movie that dethrones Spider-Man 2 as my personal favourite.

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

Depending on your generation, the Adam West Batman might be your favourite Batman film, or the Michael Keaton one may be, but for me it’s Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins sequel that stands out as the greatest Batman film ever. While fans back in the late eighties were unsure of Tim Burton’s alterations to the character and plot, more people were pleased than pissed when Nolan completely revamped the hero. The Dark Knight has received every bit of praise it deserves. It almost seems to have become cool to hate this movie just because so many people love it. Not only is that beyond stupid, there’s not a whole lot you could point out as being flawed about it. It’s as much an epic superhero film as it is a crime drama. Heath Ledger gets the most attention as far as acting (rightfully so), but the entire cast is excellent. The action feels realer than any superhero movie ever. The music is incredible. From beginning to end there is something to like about this movie throughout the entire two and a half hours. The Dark Knight holds a distinct position as my favourite superhero film, one of my favourite movie sequels, and one of my all-time favourite films ever.  

All movie posters from www.wikipedia.org

Hellboy image from www.geeklegacy.com