Top 10 Superhero Films

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.