To make it clear this list is purely subjective, I don’t
declare them to be the best ever they are just my personal opinions. Also I’m
not a comic-book reader, so my opinions are purely based on the films and I’m
also including films that aren’t based on comics. I’m also choosing one film
from each franchise (with one exception which I’ll explain), otherwise two or
three franchises will take up the whole list.
Honourable mentions:
Batman Returns –
Brilliant gothic atmosphere, one of Tim Burton’s best looking films, with great
themes of duality and an excellent scene-stealing performance from Michelle
Pfeiffer as Catwoman.
The Amazing
Spider-Man 2 – Yes this film is a mess but the relationship between Peter
and Gwen is one of the greatest love stories in any superhero film and the
action is visually stunning and the climax is heart-breaking.
Batman: Mask Of The
Phantasm – Great honour to the animated series and an excellent mystery
story.
Hancock – Good
look at what if a superhero is unlikeable and causes more harm than good, as
well as the legal repercussions. All great themes explored in the first half,
however the second half is like a completely different film.
10. Power Rangers
Yes I know it’s kind of dumb, but so what? It’s fun! It’s got five relatable
teenage protagonists, it’s got a memorable over-the-top villain, it’s got
fighting, it’s got comedy, it’s got heart and it has zords. What more do you
want? It’s a perfect superhero film for teenagers. And a perfect nostalgia trip
for us adults who watched the original show as children.
9. Unbreakable
Less of an action film and more of a mystery. Two men with
opposing gifts, one can’t be injured while the other who gets injured too
easily. With a lot of references to comics and their clichés and gives us a
spin on good vs. evil trope. And a classic twist ending, because it’s M. Night
Shyamalan. Out of all of his films, you can tell this meant the most to him and
he tried to make a sequel to this for years. And yes I was one of those many
people who had no idea Split was
going to be a sequel and I’m glad, and I can’t wait to see the third movie Glass.
8. Kick-Ass
Extremely violent and extremely funny. Such a great premise
of a comic-book fan who wants to be a hero so goes out and tries to be one. The
film itself like a watching a comic-book onscreen, not just comic panel
backstory, but the camera-work and editing of scene-transitions, as well as the
colourful costumes and scenery. Also Chloe Grace Moretz makes one bad-ass girl
for such a young age.
7. The Avengers
I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of the MCU, there’s
nothing wrong them I can why so many people love them and they’re entertaining.
However even this still amazed me when I saw this in the cinema. Even though
all the characters have been introduced in individual films prior, it does a
great job re-establishing the characters for those who haven’t watched them.
They each have great relationships, witty dialogue and natural development, all
well balanced through Joss Whedon’s writing. With an awesome climax, who can
forget that awesome rotating shot with the whole team?
6. Deadpool
I see this a standalone and not really part of the X-Men
film series, mainly because it was made independently from the rest and the tone
and structure is a bit ill-fitting for the franchise. The film is very meta,
self-aware, humorous and quite violent. Our hero is not your traditional
superhero, he has no moral code he does what he feels needs to be done and has
no shame. He breaks the forth wall constantly and makes so many in-jokes.
5. The Incredibles
Still my favourite Pixar film. The whole family are
enjoyable to watch, with great dynamics with fair balance of drama and comedy.
With adult themes of midlife crisis and suburban commentary, as well
coming-of-age for the children. Sure their powers are very Fantastic Four, but
the characters and the story is completely original. I’ve been waiting years
for a sequel to be announced and now we’re officially getting one.
4. X-Men: Days Of
Future Past
This film had the most difficult task of continuing from a
threequel that controversially killed off characters and a prequel that created
large plot holes, as well as introducing time-travel. And yet not only did they
make it work, they were able to make the best X-Men movie out of it. The
biggest appeal of the X-men films is that they have heroes and villains who are
all victims of prejudice, so you can identify with them all and see the grey
areas to their characters. By having the young and old versions in one film, we
get to see the many sides to their characters and their evolutions. With
excellent contrast between the past and future, amazing action scenes, the
biggest ensemble of cast and characters in any superhero film and a very
satisfying conclusion.
3. Wonder Woman
Female superhero films seem hard to get made, the standards
are so low with the likes of Supergirl,
Catwoman and Elektra, are they really that hard to make? The MCU still haven’t
made that solo Black Widow movie that they’ve been teasing and a Wonder Woman movie
has been in development hell for years. Also with the DCEU doing bad critically,
this was going to be the make or break for that franchise. But of course, this
film is fantastic not only sets a standard for female superhero films but the
superhero genre in general. I’ll defend Man
Of Steel, Batman V Superman: Dawn Of
Justice and Suicide Squad, but
this one doesn’t need it, I’m so happy people have reacted positively towards
this. If you don’t the DCEU I understand, however this film works perfectly
fine as a standalone film so you don’t need to see the others. It has a great
origin story, great action, great romance and great characters. Gal Gadot does
an amazing job bringing Wonder Woman to life, she’s incredibly likeable, easy
to relate to and her growth as a character is fascinating. Bring on Justice League!
2. Superman II
The first Superman
film, set a high standard for superhero films and it’s still aged well after
nearly 40 years. However I prefer the sequel as it expands on Clark Kent’s
character and his duty being a hero, Lois is also a stronger character as she
works out the truth and the romance is expanded upon. General Zod and his posse
Ursa and Non make a real threat to Superman and the world, leading up to a
great battle at the end. There are two cuts out there, as the original director
Richard Donner got fired and half of it was reshot by Richard Lester, Donner’s
cut does exist and has better scenes but is not as cohesive as the Lester cut.
There is a perfect hybrid between the two somewhere, there are plenty of fan
edits online to look at.
1. The Dark Knight
The whole Dark Knight
trilogy to me is like one long 7-hour film, that’s how well I think they
all work together; I can’t imagine one without the others. It’s my favourite
trilogy of all time and my favourite superhero franchise. But if I had to pick
one then it has to be The Dark Knight. When I first saw Batman Begins, I was amazed by the story and it’s depiction of
Bruce Wayne. I didn’t know what to expect going into The Dark Knight, I wasn’t sold on Heath Ledger as The Joker but …
Wow … not only did Ledger kill it but this film brought high standards that I
didn’t know even existed. No other superhero film before or after has met such
epic level of storytelling; there is layer upon layer of plot and multiple
themes explored such as duality, chaos, corruption etc. Many remember the late
Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning performance, however I don’t think enough credit
is given to Christian Bale, try to forget his growling voice but focus on his
many subtleties as he plays a deeply conflicted hero who struggles to balance
his real identity and his alter ego. You see that desperation he has for a
normal life, which comes at the expense of being Batman, it’s like losing
himself to be something great and he has this villain setting to undermine his
moral code and try to force him to become what he hates. That is very complex
to explore and the film pulls it off and translates it to Batman and The Joker
perfectly, watch that interrogation scene and try not be intrigued.