In the modern age of films superhero flicks come out in what seems like every two seconds. Every new film has essentially the same story and they all suffer from the same faults. However, as much as I despise this genre I will admit there have been some pretty awesome creations that have made it through the red tape, and this is a list of my top ten favorites in recent memory.
#10 Spider-Man 2 (2004) (7/10)
No this is not the 'Amazing Spider-Man' since those films have ironically made this superhero seem anything but amazing. But there was a time when I did enjoy a good superhuman spider slingshoting around a crowded city. On the surface that's a concept I should really hate. I should despise the soppy romance and pointless life story of Peter Parker, and something so preposterous would usually draw me away from any film, but yet I find that none of that really matters when you have 'Spider-Man' facing off against 'Dock Ock'. The evil octopus guy is one hell of a villain, and must be the main reason why I regard this film so highly. The script must also be praised as not only is it actually pretty good, but it was put together at the last minute. It never feels that way, and although it suffers from the usual superhero failings, there is nothing to suggest that it's anything other than a polished product. The extensive special effects might be the reason for that, and certainly other areas of the production have had no expense spared, but I still can't see through the solid directing. The final product looks good, better than good, enough to make you believe that Spider-Man does exist. And that's what comic books are all about.
I'll even praise the action sequences which I was honestly not expecting to be so good. In the first film they were all a little lackluster, but here the excellent shooting and special effects come together to rival that of the top movies on this list. Having said that the film does start to fall apart when you consider the pretty terrible pacing. In short it just gets it all wrong. The only reason we get these fast paced action sequences is because the opening half is dull throughout. The second half tries to save the whole plot, but the damage had already been done. I understand that the film was trying to highlight Spider-Man's troubled social life, but that doesn't fly with me in a superhero film. I might enjoy these personal aspects a lot more if they were better handled, but my disappointment may have something to do with the acting, which is not spectacular in any way. In particular Kirsten Dunst looks wooden in ever scene, and somehow manages to make the romantic scenes as awkward as they can possibly be. It is perhaps the stellar production that elevates this film to high levels; after all Spider-Man is a pretty shit superhero. That's a fact that's become evident in the more recent films of the franchise that have been lacking anything remotely interesting.
#9 Kick-Ass (2010) (7/10)
'Kick-Ass' was a nice take on an already crowded market, and really stood out for me as being a unique take on the superhero genre. This was a primarily a charming film that felt that way for its ability to not charm you at any point during the rather puerile and shocking plot. That's a huge juxtaposition from the average premise that took this far away from any comic books and created a film that stands up to real life and originality. Hell this film even made Nicholas Cage look good, so you know it's something pretty special. The standout feature is the intense action sequences that convey a mature film that aims to provide gory violence and excessive swearing at every opportunity. It certainly hits the target market, and I must say that I wish more comic book films were like this, as surely you can't make a serious crime fighting film by pandering to the PG market. That's not to say this is tame, in fact it's the complete opposite, but I like how it went for the eighteen year old market, and it becomes stronger as a result.
My favorite part is the scenes that managed to send the 'Daily Mail' into overdrive mode for apparently glorifying violence in children. Obviously they had never seen an action film before, as then they might have discovered some violent scenes in them too. The most bizarre criticism came from the fact that the dialogue of the young girl contains frequent strong language, which is an absurd comment considering she's an actor. maybe the 'Daily Mail' need a reality check by visiting a school and discovering that the themes in this film do actually convey real life, which is more than can be said for their retched paper. I like that the film glamorizes death. Isn't it time for all serious superhero movies to contain a strong message? I thought the strong message in this was handled very well, and couple with the humour this is a very enjoyable film. These two things provided great focal points, and it excels at both of these tropes. Even if technically it might not be the best film of all time, it's still a great piece of satire that begs the question why all superhero movies aren't rated eighteen. Seriously, this film proves they're just better this way.
#8 Marvel's The Avengers (2012) (7/10)
I'm sorry, I just don't get the hype. To me this was always about lumping together various superheroes so that people might actually care about more than one. That tactic did work for 'Marvel', and this became one of the highest grossing films of all time, but I still think it's criminally overrated. It says a lot about the character development when the villain becomes the best character, and Tom Hiddlestone's performance of Loki was right out the top draw. His performance monopolises the other average faces on display, but I suppose the cast do enough to keep the plot interesting without becoming an unnecessary annoyance. I think people got a bit distracted by the amazing production value to realise the many faults, but you can't really blame them when a film looks this good. This is seriously one of the best looking films of all time, and you can instantly tell this had a monumental budget to play around with. I still don't think that makes it feel epic; it's more style over substance. It's easy to become carried away with the huge explosions and the epic action sequences, but I can't forgive a plot where characters are just jostling for positions to try and make me give a single shit.
Saving the world has just become a bit to samey now. I'm just fed up of generic characters overcoming adversity in similar ways. Here there's just too much going on for any serious art to be made, and that leaves some of the characters feeling very shallow. The best way to sum it up would be by combining 'Thunderbirds' and 'Superman'. Linear 'good guy versus bad guy' worlds are just not up to scratch anymore, and as a viewer I want to make that judgment between right and wrong, and not the director. Speaking of the director, Joss Whedon does his best to get the most out of a star studded cast, and it almost pays off. There are no noticeable rough edges, so I guess you could say he succeeded. Central to this success is his desire for the genre. When watching this film I can tell that he cares about superheroes, and he crafted this work with the passion of a twelve year old boy, and that really becomes prevalent when you consider the target audience. It was no wonder this was a big hit, and when you consider how many things could go wrong with such a high profile film you have to take your hat off to Whedon. It's easy to see why people do like it, and I have to include myself as one of those people. It has blockbuster written all over it, and as an experience it's up there with the best of them. It's an epic film that's quite rightly gained the poster boy status it warranted.
#7 Superman (1978) (7/10)
So this is where this obsession with comic book heroes begins. I ask myself if any one film has had such a great effect on modern cinema, and in terms of marking down a genre I can't think of any other film. The success of this film is quite easy to decipher; the reason is we have an awesome superhero who people love because of performances from Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando. They may not be at their peak in terms of acting, but in terms of charisma it was never going to go wrong. Their irresistible personalities and crappy 1970's style made this franchise come to life, and it's easy to see why Reeve's performance has become the template to what a superhero should be like in our childhood imaginations. The film just oozes nostalgic charm in every scene, and although I'm sure cinema purists will hate every minute of it, that doesn't matter in any way. For a casual watch this just keeps getting better and better with age despite it's many flaws.
My main issue with the film is just how stupid it is. The narrative is full of plot holes and treats you like a three year old child. The script is also needing a lot of work as some of the dialogue is laughably bad. Lois Lane for example is fucking irritating in every scene, but you just end up not caring because watching men in red capes saving women is just so fucking awesome when you feel about eight years old. It's so obvious that the only purpose was to make a fuck load of money, and that it did, but when it all comes together the effect is epic. I can't stop myself from getting an erection every time I hear that iconic John Williams score accompanied by the arrival of the greatest superhero of them all. It's an absolute classic every single step of the way, and possesses charm and wonder that modern films can only dream of having. It takes a lot for a film this old to heavily influence the cinema of today, but when you have a film like this it's easy to see why it had such a huge effect.
#6 Iron Man (2008) (8/10)
Well there I was thinking this was going to be the usual superhero bollocks repeated in a slightly different format, but to my surprise it was actually very good. For starters the plot is miles better than I expected it to be. This was sophisticated and had a lot of character. It does leave protagonist Tony Stark looking a bit pretentious, but I stopped caring about that after the almost perfectly paced opening half of the film. I wasn't let down by the second half either, and the villainous twist is executed very well. All in all it's a very well written film, and the way it's all integrated makes Iron Man seem like an awesome superhero. I have to give credit to director John Favreau who does a very good job at taking this film to places that most superhero films are scared to go. He was quoted as saying he wanted the film to have a 'naturalistic' feel, and I feel that focus shows in the stronger first half with a much more deep and interesting storyline that can still be applied to reality. The opening half is not about things blowing up for no reason, and I appreciate that effort and care.
I do keep banging on about this opening half, but if you only enjoy this film for one reason it would be that very thing. I just love how it's set away from huge cities, and actually takes place in a subtle cave setting away from the usual cliches. That's not to say the film doesn't have that childish thrill of watching a man in a robot costume flying, which is really what it's all about, and Favreau understands his target market for this to happen. This culminates in a great action packed climax that I personally enjoyed every minute of. It's a fitting end to what has become an fast paced extravaganza of a second half, and although that's the weaker portion it still has its share of breathtaking moments. I'm sure however everyone will remember it for setting up 'The Avengers', as that moment did seem to rekindle modern audience's love for men in costumes blowing things up. I still prefer it when it's just Robert Downey Jr. doing the blowing up as he's rather good at it. Gwyneth Paltrow isn't though, so less of her appalling performances and more charm and charisma from Downey Jr. He turns a good film into a great superhero film.
#5 V For Vendetta (2005) (8/10)
A bit debatable whether this should be included on this list, but I decided I like 'V' enough as a character to warrant a nice entry in my well contested countdown. I found this film unique from the others on the list, and I know I've probably said that about every entry so far, but this one really is. For one it's set in dystopian Britain, which is a nice change from the endless patriotic messages of Hollywood films. Secondly, it's got Natalie Portman in it, who is usually quite good. She unfortunately isn't in this, but you can still mock her rather poor attempt at a British accent that sums up the film's lack of acting talent. That's all saved by protagonist 'V', who thankfully hides behind a mask, and so is the only person to actually produce a good performance. That probably leaves you wondering why this gets so high on the list when I've just slated some key aspects, but the thing that I love about this film is the narrative. For once a superhero movie actually makes you think with a very topical and powerful underlying message. Totalitarian regimes are hot on people's conspiracy lists and so the timing of this release was almost perfect. To then put a superhero in it was a brave move, but I think as a plot device it totally works.
I admit that this wasn't the cup of tea for most critics who didn't like the political storyline, but I'm not one of them. I like how the plot requires you to think and makes rational judgments. You might not enjoy the narrative, but at least it engages the political ideas of the audience and makes you question your surroundings. As a film it sacrifices a lot for that serious message to work, but to criticise the storytelling because of some social commentaries is just bullshit. There were some other good points as well; the music for example is much better than in any other superhero films, and there's even an appearance from 'The Black Label Society', who are a pretty awesome band. The final product is a film that actually has meaning. The controversial topics have made this a favorite of anarchists, and if people who run around with Guy Fawkes' masks on can enjoy this then why can't you? The critics got this film wrong by moaning about the visuals, the acting and the plot; criticising it for those reasons is just missing the whole point of the film. As a film to make you think, this one gets it spot on.
#4 Blade (1998) (8/10)
I can't quite put my finger on what I like so much about 'Blade'. All I really remember is becoming so addicted to the video game on my PS2 that loving the film just became second nature. I think it was the way vampires were portrayed that really got me hooked. It's just the way that for once a vampire doesn't mean I instantly hate the character, and actually if done correctly they can have both class and swagger, and be really fucking awesome. They don't need stupid romance plots to get them over, but instead rely on grizzly realism to carry a rather unorthodox film. Admittedly the film does get quite strange in places, in fact it gets plain bizarre in some scenes. That's not to say I dislike those scenes, and if anything they add to the unconventional styling and camerawork that litters various scenes in this film. That unique style makes this stand out from the crowd with its perfect blend of action and horror to deliver an action film for mature audiences.
I think as a graphic film this is bordering on an all time great. The directing is superb, the scenes are well acted, and the narrative is a thoroughly enjoyable affair. Great performances from legendary actors like Wesley Snipes make this such a brilliant watch, but it never sacrifices the blood and gore that make it great. The brutal action sequences and fast paced plot come together to produce a vampire film with such an epic tone. The film might not be for everyone, even if you don't mind the gore it's still a bit of an anticlimax. But for those people who love to watch a well crafted film then I highly recommend this modern classic. It's a film made to be different, and the alternative styling makes this a great replacement from conventional films.
#3 The Incredibles (2004) (8/10)
I've already briefly summarised why I love this film in my recent countdown of Walt Disney's greatest films, and so for a more detailed examination please read that article. In short I loved how this film turned the superhero genre on its head and instead depicted a relatable cartoon family that laugh in the face of cliches. The film didn't need a comic book to justify its existence, and instead relied on a well worked narrative and entertaining 'Disney' characters to pull off one of the best feeling movies for years. It's not just a film for kids, it's a film for everyone to enjoy as it's full of that 'Disney' magic that's a rare thing these days.
#2 The Dark Knight (2008) (9/10)
I will seed that in terms of quality this is probably the greatest superhero movie of all time. Having said that I still do think this has become one of the most overrated films in recent years. People keep banging on about how it's one of the all time greats, but I just don't see it being anywhere near that level. Central to this obsession is the film's famous swansong of fan favorite Heath Ledger, who if I'm honest was rather an average actor. I'm sure you'll all hate me for saying that, but the only reason the guy became so famous was because of his overdose. Ledger's performance as The Joker is somewhat legendary, and rightfull so; he might just be the greatest villain in cinema history because of how well he's portrayed in this film. I was a huge fan of Jack Nicholson's Joker, but Ledger's performance blows him out the water. The Joker in this is a legitimately frightening character that a superhero movie was waiting for. Ledger helped to elevate this film to levels that have yet to be replicated, and his role as The Joker coupled with a sublime narrative takes you on a thrilling adventure far away from the world of comic books.
I still don't see the hype around Batman, as compared to The Joker he's just a passanger in this film. Both Batman and Christian Bale have had so much better performances in different films, and I still hate the mumbled voice and resolute style of Christian Bale; it just doesn't work on a superhero. Bruce Wayne just seems to be a character that's having a mid life crisis, and I'm never once made to care about him despite this epic narrative. That's not the only problem either. The directing is a little questionable in places, the plot relies on gimmicks to work, and some of the action sequences are just not acceptable in a film of this magnitude. That's still not including the many noticeable plot holes and the rushed pacing of the conclusion, but when you compare these minor faults to the overwhelming greatness of the film it becomes clear why so many people adore this more realistic version of superheroes. It's a brutal and sinister depiction of comic book heroes, and for a film to watch over and over again it's an epic adventure. There is only one film I enjoy watching more, and I'm sure it's one that nobody else will agree with.
#1 Batman: The Movie (1966) (9/10)
Woah, woah, woah. Please remember that this is my personal opinion before spamming me with hatemail. Let me explain this rather strange first choice. You see I have such a better viewing experience when watching this light hearted take on superheroes rather than the more sensible entries on this list. Sure other films like 'The Dark Knight' would walk over this in terms of quality, but as for charm this cannot be beaten. This is one of the most likeable films you will ever watch, and it makes me love superheroes in a way that no other film has managed. It understands that the characters depicted can never become more than fictional comic book characters, and so it makes fun of that fact, and creates a great piece of satire out of some good, light hearted, camp fun. Adam West plays a superhero that you'll never likely see again, and where as other similar performances have become cringeworthy, West manages to pull of a hilarious portrayal with very little to go on. He absolutely nails Batman as a character and adds vibrant personality to elevate scenes of disposing bombs and solving riddles. His legendary voice is now famous for being in 'Family Guy', but everything about West's persona is perfect for playing the role he does here. He was just so much better than Christian Bale in 'The Dark Knight'.
Okay the rest of the film's acting cast aren't great if I'm being honest, but doesn't that just add to the already charming narrative and setting? I don't know who wrote the script, but whoever did is a fucking legend. They must have been smoking some pretty strong drugs to come up with some of the one liners in this film. Nothing this film ever does it to be taken seriously, and if you're a die hard comic book fan then I advise you to not watch this, as it will crush everything you hold dear. It's cheesy at every moment, and has some of the crappiest production I've ever seen, but I just fucking love it. Trust me, when watching this you will have one of the best times of your life, and you will enjoy every single second of it. And that's what comic books should be all about.
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