Dre Rivas,
Jul 07, 2008
Whenever a big deal superhero flick comes out it begs the question, Where does it stand amongst the pantheon of superhero movies? And with Dark Knight's gajillion-dollar opening on the horizon, we're asking it again (complete with cheats). Let's do this like Brutis.
10. TIE: Spider-Man and X-Men
Here's the aforementioned cheat (tie) of the list but I think it's warranted. The first hour of Spider-Man is as good or better than any of the other first hours of the other films on this list. It's too bad the last act lacked pop as Spidey was going up against a villain with whom he had a non-existent rivalry.
As for X-Men ... it made up for its lack of awesome action with strong character and broad thematic appeal. Its opening scene where we see Magneto as a child in a concentration camp is hard to top. But the biggest achievement of this film is that they didn't screw up what many comic book fans felt was untranslatable material at the time. Little did we know.
9. Iron Man
If it weren't for the by-the-numbers last act that suffers from the same problem Spider-Man does (when there's no real sense of rivalry), this one would be higher on the list. Robert Downey Jr. gives one of the better performances we've seen from a superhero actor and the film manages to feel fresh despite its genre's trappings. I liked the Haliburton and Howard Hughes influences. I liked Gwyneth Paltrow's character in the first two acts of the film and I can't wait for that sequel.
8. Superman Returns
I know many thought it slow -- or to use Film.com editor Laremy Legel's word, "ponderous" -- and it is slower and more ponderous than your standard superhero movie. And maybe that's part of the reason why I liked it. This is a movie very much not by-the-numbers. The movie is well-acted; it explores more than a few interesting themes and has some killer action, when it decides to be a superhero flick. It's an examination of Supes as a god-like figure and what that means for both him and us, the citizens of Metropolis.
7. Spider-Man 2
There was a time when I thought this nearly-perfect entry the best of the lot. It's another movie that examines what it's like to be a superhero intelligently but with that same warm sense of humor the Spidey series is known for. The action, particularly that fight with Doc Ock on the train, is great. It ends on a strong note. I'm not sure why it's slipped this low for me over time, but my best guess is while it's well-made, it isn't iconic and doesn't stick to me for some reason.
6. Superman: The Movie
Now here's a completely iconic film. The helicopter scene. The origin tale. A lighter, less rotund Brando. Any movie that can make you believe someone could be so affected by Kidder's Lois Lane as Christopher Reeve's Superman is, well, it has done something right. While you never feel the consequences of his action, Supes' reversal of time is as powerful a superhero moment as you can get.
5. The Incredibles
No need to gild the lily on this one so I will try to keep my hyperbole in check. It speaks for itself. I love the James Bond edge to the story and its score. It's a great movie about a very unique family with some very cool powers. The action pieces are awesome and its message, about celebrating exceptional ability rather than trying to tear it down, is oddly needed in this day and age. It's among the superhero-movie elite, even if it's easier to nail this sort of movie in animation.
4. X2
X2 was supposed to be the great summer appetizer before The Matrix Reloaded arrived in 2002. Instead, it became the summer movie standard for great popcorn entertainment. From Nightcrawler's invasion of the White House to Wolverine's fight with Deathstrike to the Wrath of Khan-like ending, X2 owns you. It improved on the original in every imaginable way and with its ambiguous ending promised something great was in store for the next film. Okay, that last part didn't work out so much.
3. Batman Begins
Chris Nolan, known for dark, moody and intelligent thrillers like Memento and Insomnia took over one of Warner Brothers' most profitable franchises and the results were pretty stellar. Batman Begins takes a more realistic approach than Tim Burton's films ever did. This is merely a stylistic choice, not an asset necessarily, but the execution is as good as we're likely to see from such a fantastic comic book. Christian Bale turns in one of the great portrayals of a comic book figure. The filmmakers gave this film an epic feeling. It takes a very long time before we see Batman in his full glory. And the last act works because the villain's scheme is grand and his motivation is actually (gasp!) interesting.
2. Unbreakable
Other than Superman: The Movie, this is probably the film I've seen the most times and I believe it is at least partially responsible for the way we look at superhero films today. It's the most realistic comic book movie ever and I wonder if a guy like Chris Nolan would have been interested tackling a Batman Begins were it not for M. Night's watershed film. It's slow-paced but rewarding. David Dunn and especially Elijah Price are standout characters of the genre. I love James Newton Howard's score. I love that darkly comic scene that features a child pointing a handgun at his father. I love Bruce's first foray into crime fighting. It isn't flashy or too "super." It's grounded in a strong sense of reality. And the twist at the end is not only terrific, but necessary in making Unbreakable a complete film. This is a movie with a very strong cult following. Count me among the Kool-Aid drinkers.
1. The Matrix
It's the smartest and most-action packed superhero film ever, a movie that blows you away as both a spectacle and a mind-bender. The Keanu in many ways was the perfect actor for this sort of thing -- just vacant enough to be mysterious and all-powerful. Laurence Fishburne is the best Yoda since Frank Oz stuck his hand up a green puppet's bum. The story is complex yet not overbearing. And Agent Smith, as portrayed by Hugo Weaving, is one of the great screen villains of all time. The Wachowskis will always have my thanks.
You've read Dre's opinion. Now you decide!
