If you are anything like me, you are living in heaven right now. All of my favorite superheroes from when I was a kid are getting the silver-screen treatment. From childhood idles like Spider-Man or new favorites like Star Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy, Hollywood has done Marvel and DC justice on the big screen (for the most part). This is my list of the five best superhero movies of all time. Now before you succumb to nerd rage, this is a list of my favorite movies, but I will happily debate them later.
Honorable Mentions:
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Days of Future Past combined the two casts from the different X-Men movies, and brilliantly erased the movie continuity that was so lacking after the misfires of X-Men 3: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence have been tremendous as the young versions of Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique and have provided the shot in the arm the series needed. Mix in fan favorites like Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and one of the best stories from the X-Men comic series, and you have a fun period piece that plays with history and makes this fan boys squeal with glee.
Watchmen
Maybe it was the extremely dark subject matter or because it didn’t feature heroes with the name recognition of Spider-Man or Batman, but Watchmen deserves more credit than it gets. Based on one of the greatest graphic-novels of all time, Zack Snyder directs the story of Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan and the rest of the Watchmen in the same visual style and flair as he did in 300. The knock on this movie is that it is too faithful to the source material, a claim I find completely ludicrous. You can feel that Snyder knows and loves Alan Moore’s classic, and I enjoy the changes that were made, especially towards the ending, that fit the silver screen. If you haven’t given this three hour epic a shot and are a comic fan, I would suggest taking the time. You can thank me later.
Top 5:
5. Batman Begins
The movie that started it all. Christopher Nolan’s first venture into the world of Gotham is an underrated and remarkable movie in its own right. Batman’s origin has been retold numerous times, but through the combination of David S. Goyer and Nolan’s writing and Christian Bale’s engrossing performance as Batman, Batman Begins is a riveting tale about how Mr. Wayne became the hero we both needed and deserved. The cherry on top was the absolutely superb casting job that would carry on through the rest of the trilogy. Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, Michael Caine as Alfred, Liam Neeson as Ra’s Al Ghul, the list goes on. Begins set the dark and brooding tone for one of the best movie trilogies in the last decade of movie making, and if it wasn’t for the Clown Prince of Crime in the sequel, Batman Begins would have an argument for best Bat-flick of all time.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians, at times, feels more science fiction than superhero, but that is not a bad thing. Awesome space battles, crazy weird aliens, and a great group of lovable losers made this relatively unknown Marvel property feel more like the Star Wars movie we should have got from the prequels. As with most people, this movie snuck up on me. While I was intrigued with what the trailers had shown me, it was not until I was on the edge of my seat in the theater that I came to love Star Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and the rest of the squad. It became clear though, that this movie would not have been possible without the unique and bold direction from James Gunn. He took this unfamiliar group and turned them into one of best Marvel properties in recent memory.
3. Captain America: The Winter Solider
Cap 2 seems to flow in the same vein as Guardians, in that it takes the framework of superhero movies and molds it into a film that is more than just white guys in spandex. The Russo Brothers molded The Winter Soldier into an engrossing spy thriller that just happened to feature everyone’s favorite Boy Scout, Captain America. It also helped that, at this point in his career, Chris Evans seemed to really embrace his role as Steve Rodgers, as he appeared more comfortable and into his role, than he did in The First Avenger. It also helped that this film had one of the best Marvel movie villains to date. The Winter Soldier was as deep and disturbing as anything we had previously seen in the MCU. While some may be growing tired of the superhero genre, Captain America: The Winter Solider is a testament as to why these movies are so much damn fun to watch.
2. The Avengers
The Avengers was everything I had hoped for, being the comic book nerd I am. After years of waiting and teases through the classic after-credits scenes, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes gathered in the same movie to a bombastic effect. To see Tony Stark verbally duke it out with Captain America, and then have them fight side by side through the streets of New York was something out of a dream. Joss Wheaton was the perfect man for the job, as the director knew that there were times to be light hearted and silly, and there were times to buckle down and save the world, a balance he struck near flawlessly. Say what you will about its sequel, but Avengers marks that special moment in movie making where all the buildup and expectations pay off and then some.
1. The Dark Knight
This one was a no brainer. The Dark Knight shows that superhero movies can be thought provoking, deep, and works of art in their own right. Christopher Nolan’s second take on The Caped Crusader mesmerized audiences with his commitment and passion for Batman lore, to his masterful use of practical effects (see the truck flipping scene. Yeah, that was real).
And while the returning cast once again showed why they are some of Hollywood’s best (minus Maggie Gyllenhaal), the real reason I went to the theater five times was because of Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker. The almost-unrecognizable Ledger was genuinely disturbing in his quest to break Batman’s spirit and Gotham along with it. While people will forever argue if the late Ledger was too deep into the role, there is no disputing that he gave us one of the greatest movie villains of all time, and elevated The Dark Knight and superhero movies in general to the level they are today.
So there you go, the five best superhero movies in my opinion. This list is by no means final, as I anxiously look forward to the bounty of new movies that this beautiful genre has to offer. If you think I missed any, or you think I am crazy for some of my choices, please let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!
