Comic books have been a part of who I am for almost my whole life. I remember the first time I was enchanted by the heroes and villains of Marvel. I was in first grade and my friends were collecting comic character trading cards. I wanted to fit in so one of my friends gave me his duplicates. One card stood out among the stack. Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin. The story on the back pulled on my heart strings, the Green Goblin killed Spider-Man’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy and died by his own goblin glider in the fight!
When Tim Burton’s Batman came out in the summer of 1989, I was got up in the magic of comic book movies. That magic can still be found inside of me as comic book movies are some of the movies I look forward the most to every year. About a year ago I decided I was going to watch all the comic book movies and rank them for you, my humble readers and listeners. And now I finished that epic journey and I hope you enjoy the list and the passion I have for comic book films. I did not see all of them but I think you will agree this is a pretty complete list that will no doubt continue to evolve as comic book films are not going anywhere anytime soon. Excelsior!
123. Spawn: Spawn was a popular character in the 90’s. Spawned(ha!) from the mind of comic superstar Todd McFarlane, Spawn was a big deal. Visually cool he seemed like a perfect fit for a film. Too bad the movie is not visually cool or dark enough. The script is full of logic holes, dumb character choices and motivations. And the CGI is complete garbage even for the 90’s. Spawn bored me and I kept checking the running time waiting for it to end.
122. The Crow 2: City of Angels: Probably the most unnecessary sequel ever. The Crow 2 cannot soar to the heights of the original.
121. Superman IV-The Quest For Peace: Cannon films took over the rights to Superman and shoddy production values doom Superman more than kryptonite. Even Chris Reeve looks bored.
120. Catwoman: Halle Berry stars in this train wreck that has nothing in common with the comic villainess. Campy, terrible performances and a lame Catwoman costume is peppered throughout this mess.
119. Return of Swamp Thing: Another sequel that does not need to exisit. At least Heather Locklear is in it so something nice is on screen.
118. The Punisher (1989): Dolph Lundgren stars in this clunker that mixes over the top violence with unintended camp. The lighting throughout the film is distracting and so too is the constant riding of a motorcycle through the sewers.
117. The Phantom: Poor Billy Zane, and poor movie going public for having to endure this pulpy ,misfire. What should be fun is 100 minutes I will never get back.
116. Batman & Robin: Audiences seemed to really respond to Batman Forever so Warner Brothers and Joel Schumacher turned up its sequel to 11. George Clooney is a better Batman than Val Kilmer, but the script and Uma Thurman are equally awful. Not totally unwatchable but pretty close.
115. Tales From The Crypt-Bordello of Blood: The second feature film from Tales From The Crypt is campy and sometimes fun, but ultimately a disappointment. Dennis Miller is miscast as the lead and Angie Everhart should never act.
114. Barbwire: Pam Anderson stars as the title character in a lame attempt to make an action star out of Anderson. Of course she strips down so you forget about her acting ability and just focus on her, ahem assets.
113. The Shadow: Another classic pulp hero that is given a lame film. Alec Baldwin stars as Lamont Cranston and does ok work, the rest of the movie is just boring. Hopefully The Shadow will return in a better film.
112. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Sometimes going back in time can make films fun. The Turtles going back in time to ancient Japan seemed like an interesting idea but the execution was pretty flat. The fights and the choreography are boring, I am still waiting for a TMNT movie to wow me.
111. Ghost Rider: Ghost Rider visually is a cool character. He looks ok here, but he’s too nice. This film needs to be darker in a bad way. It also doesn’t help that Nic Cage is going completely camp as Johnny Blaze. Eva Mendes is super boring as his love interest with no spark to be had between the two stars even though one of them is literally on fire.
110. Superman III: Trying to capture the magic after two films is hard and Superman 3 does not succeed. Superman saving Richard Pryor on the poster is all you need to know about this film to know it won’t work. Not a total misfire but it missed the target.
109. Dylan Dog-Dead of Night: Brandon Routh stars a supernatural private eye that helps the undead. Another film that seems to be toned down. When you deal with monsters that kill, I don’t think you should hold back and Dylan Dog holds its cards too close to its chest.
108. Jonah Hex: Another film that almost got it right. Loads of talent in front of the camera can’t help awful editing and janky direction. Watching the film I can’t help but think there is a longer version of this out there somewhere because it does move at brisk pace and clock in at only 81 minutes. I’m thinking there’s a lot of story on the cutting room floor.
107. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: A cool idea wasted on plot holes as big as Alan Moore’s ego. Some scenes work, most do not. Some effects are brilliant, others look awful. What I am saying is this film is an inconsistent mess.
106. 2 Guns: Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington are fun as criminals caught up with US Border Patrol and a Mexican drug lord. Lots of cool gun play and some fun double crosses help carry 2 Guns to a satisfying ending, but also it is somewhat forgettable because it really doesn’t bring anything new to the table.
105. Fantastic Four (2015): Production issues and a troubled director spoil Marvel’s first family’s return to the big screen. The cast is stellar, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller really stand out. I also like how scary they made Dr. Doom at first but then he is wasted on an incoherent final action scene. Almost works but ultimately too dark and too far removed from the source material.
104. R.I.P.D.: Cool idea of having police that are killed in action comeback as supernatural enforcers, kind of like Men In Black but for demons. Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges have fun but the film is weighted down by a lame script and even worse CGI. It was better the second time I saw it.
103. Men In Black II: Speaking of Men In Black the first sequel is a mess. I had to watch it twice just to understand that there is nothing to understand about this film. It really feels like they forgot what made the first film at least fun. I do like seeing Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones on screen together, they have great chemistry.
102. The Spirit: Cool character, terrible director. Frank Miller is in way over his head trying to bring the story of Denny Colt to life. Too bad because he assembled a great cast that is totally game for his vision. I would love to see The Spirit in the hands of someone like Sam Raimi.
101. I, Frankenstein: This movie should be more fun. An undead superman fighting gargoyles sounds sweet on paper, too bad the actual execution is nothing more than average.
100. Priest: Almost the same movie as I, Frankenstein but replace gargoyles with vampires and a train. Visually cool, empty everywhere else.
99. Kick-Ass 2: Trying to outdo Kick-Ass would be hard, and it did not happen with Kick-Ass 2. I like the idea of Christopher Mintz-Plasse playing a psycho killing all the heroes Kick-Ass inspired but the movie just feels a little flat. Chloe Grace Moretz is great again as Hit Girl.
98. Blade-Trinity: The Blade movies are all pretty fun, Trinity loses a lot of points however for making Dracula lame. Blade vs. Dracula should be awesome, instead the Blade series ends with a whimper and not a bang.
97. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2-Secert of the Ooze: Taking a more light hearted approach to the Ninja Turtles backfired in the sequel to the first box office hit. TMNT 2 is just too silly for its own good. The idea of Shredder surviving is cool but when he becomes Super Shredder, eye roles begin.
96. Hulk (2003): The Hulk needs to smash, in his first big screen adventure he only smashes tanks and mutated dogs. The CGI is all over the place, one scene it looks great the next you are taken immediately out of the film. The film looks cool and has some neat ideas, but it falls under its own weight. So close to being a good film.
95. Hercules (2014): Hercules benefits from having Dwayne Johnson as the lead as his charisma helps carry some of the silliness of the film. The play on the legend of Hercules makes for some fun scenes. Once again shoddy CGI rears its ugly head towards the end.
94. Men In Black 3: Men In Black 3 feels like a bunch of skits cobbled together to make one movie. And just like Saturday Night Live some work, most do not. Josh Brolin is amazing however as young K.
93. Batman Forever: In response the bleakness and overall tone of Batman Returns, Warner Brothers decided to go light hearted with its next installment. Forever’s biggest misstep is in its lead. Val Kilmer is the most boring Batman ever. If I can’t get behind Batman, how can I enjoy the film?
92. Elektra: Elektra is not the total disaster most people will have you believe. Having said that it’s also not good. The opening is fantastic, the rest of the film slowly unravels into boringness.
91. RED 2: The first RED was a lot of fun. Taking some of the most cherished actors of our generation and have them use rocket launchers to blow stuff up was winning, the sequel is not bad just not needed. All the actors are game the movie just doesn’t have the same energy as the first.
90. Green Lantern: I had more fun with Green Lantern the second time I watched it. Does it work? Not always, but it is a fun movie that just doesn’t stick landing.
89. Swamp Thing: Wes Craven directed this off beat comic film about a scientist who is turned into a hideous monster after an accident. Basically a cool B-movie monster film based on a comic.
88. Bullet To The Head: Sylvester Stallone stars as a hitman who must team up with a DC cop to take down a common foe. Fun, hardcore action and a fight with huge fire axes are the highlights of this action film.
87. The Losers: A CIA special forces team are set up and use their skills to find out who and why they were set up. Another ensemble cast that is great but the rest of the movie has a been there done that vibe.
86. DareDevil: Ben Affleck stars as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer by day, a vigilante by night. DareDevil is not a bad film, just misguided. Colin Ferrell seems out of place as an Irish version of the villain Bullseye. I would recommend the R-rated blu-ray cut as it is more story and more violent.
85. Ghost Rider-Spirit of Vengeance: Nic Cage’s second outing as Ghost Rider is a lot more fun but still not that great. The action is more insane, with that though comes a more out of control Nic Cage making his performance even campier. Ghost Rider looks totally bad ass in the movie, plus he possesses a huge crane and kills people with it.
84. Howard The Duck: Howard the Duck is not a disaster. It does suffer from what kind of movie it wants to be. Is it an adult comedy about a duck who tries to sleep with a human? Or is it a kids movie with goofy physical comedy? The adult stuff works so much better, too bad it disappears for stretches that drag the movie down.
83. The Punisher(2004): Making up for the awfulness that was the 1989 Punisher, the 2004 reboot tries to take itself a little more seriously. About half of the film works, Thomas Jane is great as Frank Castle, so too is John Travolta. The occasional camp that creeps through keep this from being great.
82. Judge Dredd(1995): A lot better then it’s given credit for, Judge Dredd isn’t a disaster. Sly Stallone stars as the uncompromising Dredd, who is judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into one. Perhaps its biggest misstep is it plays almost the same as Stallone’s other film, Demolition Man.
81. 300-Rise of The Empire: Sequel/prequel to 300 stars the lovely Eva Green and as a vicious warlord who wages a battle at sea with Sparta. Not quite as cool as the original, Rise does take place mostly at sea and features some unique battles.
80. Josie and the Pussycats: Totally silly, and infectious song populate this light hearted comic book movie. It doesn’t take itself seriously and neither should you. It’s harmless fun.
79. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(2014): A big budget update on the Turtles looks good but doesn’t live up to what came before. The turtles themselves look a little silly and the voices sometimes do not fit the character. The end battle is pretty fun but the whole affair feels flat.
78. Tales from the Crypt-Demon Knight: Demon Knight perfectly captures the feel of the show. Part camp, part horror, loads of fun. I miss the Cryptkeeper.
77. Superman Returns: Bryan Singer makes a love letter to Richard Donner’s Superman and in the process losses a lot of the fun. Brandon Routh is fine as Clark, the boring script is what lets him down. The movie is well made and has some thrilling moments, highlighted by a plane rescue.
76. RED: A fun lighthearted film about retired black ops agents who are being hunted down. The cast is stellar and there are some really funny moments.
75. X-Men Origins-Wolverine: Instead of focusing on the title mutant, X-Men-Origins is like a road trip movie where Wolverine meets a bunch of different mutants from the comics. The movie would be a complete waste if it wasn’t for the awesome chemistry by Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber.
74. Timecop: Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a cop who goes through time to stop criminals who are also time traveling. Timecop is total 90’s cheese but in an awesome way. My second favorite Van Damme film.
73. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For: Eva Green again finds herself in an inferior sequel but once again is absolutely amazing in the film. Sometimes the problem with films telling several different stories is that some of them might not be as good as others. That’s A Dame To Kill For in a nutshell, the Dame story is great the rest are ho-hum.
72. Blade: The movie that started Marvel’s renaissance was not X-Men or Spider-Man but Blade, a half human, half vampire that hunts and kills vampires. Wesley Snipes is great as Blade, so too is Kris Kristofferson as his father figure Whistler. Fun and gory, if it wasn’t for some wanky CGI it would be almost great.
71. Constantine: Keanu Reeves stars as a supernatural detective who helps another detective try and solve an apparent suicide. Dark and twisted, Constantine is a different kind of comic book movie.
70. Hellboy II-The Golden Army: Not quite as fun as the first Hellboy, The Golden Army nonetheless looks spectacular. Ron Pearlman is once again on point as Hellboy and the makeup effects are stellar. I would love to see another Hellboy film.
69. Mystery Men: Largely ignored when it came out, Mystery Men caught on after repeated viewings at home. Lots of clever gags are sprinkled throughout the film and everybody is game. Having seen this recently I still do not think it’s great but it is a lot of fun.
68. Flash Gordon: Silly fun, and a Queen soundtrack pepper Flash Gordon and keep it from being a below average superhero flick. Just embrace its goofiness.
67. Cowboys and Aliens: The title alone should make you want to see this film. Add Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and directed by Jon Favreau and you have an almost can’t miss movie. I enjoyed Cowboys and Aliens it just felt like there was something missing.
66. Fantastic Four(2005): Fantastic Four is harmless fun. That might be its biggest drawback. Nothing is really wrong with Fantastic Four, it just exists. Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis are fantastic(ha!) as Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, the rest of the cast is ok. I am still waiting for a cool Dr. Doom.
65. X-Men-The Last Stand: The often punching bag of the X-Men films does have some redeeming qualities. The music is great and some of the action is stunning. I love the scene at the end where Logan must confront Jean Grey and stop her. The Last Stand is not that bad.
64. Men In Black: Fun and full of energy, Men In Black is a fun diversion. I don’t love it like everyone else but Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are great together and Rick Baker’s aliens are a definite highlight.
63. Green Hornet: I was surprised how much fun this movie was. Seth Rogen plays Britt Reid who dons a mask to avenge his father’s death. Jay Chou as Kato is great and of course Christoph Waltz as Chudnofsky crushes it.
62. The Crow: Hard to watch because of the tragic death of star Brandon Lee, The Crow is still a cool little action film. The Crow is a revenge tale that doesn’t skimp on the violence or the visual flair.
61. TMNT(2007): The rooftop battle between Raphael and Leonardo is all you need to know about this movie. It is that epic. Cool little animated film.
60. From Hell: The story of Jack the Ripper is one of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries in history. Told with a ton of visual flair by The Hughes Brothers, From Hell is a trippy horror tell that doesn’t skimp on the gore. The cast is stellar led by Johnny Depp as Abberline.
59. Sin City: Sin City has visual style to spare. Told in a pulpy comic book come to life, Sin City also sports an amazing cast that sell the grimy underbelly of Sin City. Elijah Wood is scary good and Bruce Willis is in top form as the worn out Hartigan.
58. Punisher-War Zone: My favorite of the Punisher films embraces the over the top violence of its source material. The villain Jigsaw is over the top campy but it works. Plus the Punisher shoots a parkour dude with a rocket launcher.
57. Kick-Ass: Fun, violent, and directed with flair by Matthew Vaughn kick ass some truly great scenes. The story revolves around a high schooler who decides to be a real life superhero. Nic Cage is great in Kick-Ass and Chloe Grace Moretz steals the show as Hit-Girl.
56. Dredd (2012)-Taking a more serious version of the comic Judge Dredd than the Stallone version, Dredd ups the violence and over the top of the source material. Karl Urban is on point as Dredd and yes he never takes of his helmet. Fast moving and fun.
55. The Adventures of Tintin: Steven Spielberg directs this technical marvel based on the comics by Herge. Intrepid reporter Tintin sets of on an adventure for treasure. Visually stunning and a heck of a lot of fun, Tintin is a comic movie for the whole family.
54. Oblivion: Tom Cruise stars in a future where the Earth has died and he must extract the last remaining resources. Visually breath taking and some cool plot twists pepper this sci-fi adventure. It also has one of my favorite readings of a line by an actor ever. It’s when Cruise yells, “Who are you?!” Good stuff.
53. The Mask: A Tex Avery cartoon comes to life in The Mask starring Jim Carrey. Carrey is perfectly cast as nebbish Stanley Ipkiss and the visual effects are pretty great. The rest of the cast is hit or miss. Disjointed acting keep The Mask from the upper echelon of comic book films.
52. Batman-The Movie(1966): Taking camp to an unprecedented level, Batman is still a great fun. Adam West is enjoying being Batman and the whole film is a colorful, campy blast. Grab the Shark Repellent!
51. The Rocketeer: Pulpy movies are few and far between and when they are done right they can be a heck of lot of fun. The Rocketeer almost soars high with tight direction, and a great turn by Billy Campbell as a young pilot who finds a jetpack and fights crime. Cool stuff!
50. 300: Zack Snyder turned Frank Miller’s graphic novel into a graphic novel in motion. The story of King Leonidas’ fight with Persians at Thermopylae is already cool, but turn it into a visual juggernaut was a stroke of genius. The battle cry “This is Sparta!” is now a part of pop culture language.
49. X-Men: The first X-Men film came out in a time when it wasn’t cool to have a comic book movie. Not only did X-Men succeed it also proved that with the right director and writers, you can have a movie with a ton of characters that wear black leather. Of course out of this film we got Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, who is a fan favorite. The story of the X-Men also works so well too because the mutants represent every person that has been discriminated against, which makes them relatable to all people.
48. A History of Violence: A man trying to escape his past runs a local diner in a small town, but when his past comes back into his life he must take action. Cool and steady direction by David Cronenberg combined with the simmering rage of Viggo Mortensen make this one heck of a revenge film.
47. 30 Days of Night: The idea of vampires preying on people in a town that experiences 30 straight days without sunlight is such a cool idea. That idea is fully realized in the stunning comic book series by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith. David Slade perfectly captures the isolation of the town of Barrow and the helpless of its citizens. Cool stuff.
46. X-Men-Apocalypse: It was going to be nearly impossible to follow up the awesome Days of Future Past, but Bryan Singer and company certainly did try. Apocalypse is a cool villain and once again Michael Fassbender is amazing as Magneto. The film does suffer from locations that feel like they were shot on a small sound stage and some janky special effects. It’s still a fun film with strong performances throughout. Just don’t piss off Magneto, that’s a bad idea that never ends well!
45. Fantastic Four-Rise of the Silver Surfer: Better than the original and a hell of a lot more fun than the moody 2015 remake, Rise of the Silver Surfer almost soars the cosmic skies. The highlight of the film is Johnny Storm’s chase of the Surfer throughout New York, the lowlight is the fart cloud that is Galactus.
44. Blade II: Guillermo Del Toro took what made the original Blade work and upped the ante on the horror and visual style. The Reapers are downright terrifying with some incredible powers. Snipes is better here too, the highlight of his career for sure.
43. V for Vendetta: Natalie Portman stars as Evey who teams up with the mysterious V to overthrow the British Empire sometime in the future. Hats off to the production crew who made Britain feel like England but in a dirty tyrannical way. I love the feel of this film.
42. Superman 2: It was a tall order to live up to the 1978 original film but Superman 2 is a fun film in its own right. I love the idea of Superman sacrificing what makes him super for the woman he loves, Superman always works best when all he has is his character. Chris Reeve is fantastic yet again as Clark. I am still not a fan of Gene Hackman’s Luthor, I want him more dangerous.
41. Wanted: Stylish film about super assassins who take on the skilled a powerful fellow super assassin Cross. James McAvoy is great and I like Angelina Jolie when she is in full on action mode. Nicely paced, with violence to spare.
40. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990): The Ninja Turtles hit their high mark in their first cinematic adventure. Four brother turtles are trained by a master martial artist to help the folks of New York City. Darker than you remember but also a nice slice of humor help buoy the so-so action. It is nostalgic trip to the sewers for sure.
39. Hellboy: Guillermo Del Toro lends his significant talents to Dark Horse Comics’ long running horror series by Mike Mignola. A demon who was conjured by Nazis turns the tide against the forces of darkness. Fun, scary, and visually stunning yet another win for Del Toro.
38. Watchmen: The toughest comic series to ever adapt is brought to life by Zack Snyder. Watchmen is more of a political message then your traditional superhero film. Watchmen explores the complicated lives of damaged heroes and the impact they have on the world. Visually striking and brutal, Watchmen is not for everyone but it is an interesting look into the lives of heroes.
37. Batman v Superman-Dawn of Justice: A lot has been said about Batman/Superman, I will only add that it is not as bad as some would have you believe, nor is it a homerun for DC and Warner Bros. Ben Affleck is amazing as Batman. Gal Gadot is striking as Diane/Wonder Woman. Too bad Henry Cavill is such a downer as Superman. The world Zack Snyder builds has interesting themes, but the film collapses on its own weight. High points include seeing Batman and Superman stare each other down. The low point is a paper thin reason for the two icons to not only fight but to put aside their differences to stop a common enemy.
36. Batman (1989): Another Batman film, this one however ruled in 1989. I still think it’s overrated but watching it again reminded me on how much fun Batman can be as well. Michael Keaton is more than capable as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I think Jack Nicholson’s Joker is better when he is not pouring down the acidic camp and just shooting thugs and maiming his girlfriend.
35. Thor: The Dark World: Thor’s second outing doesn’t pack the emotional punch of his first adventure, but it still is a lot of fun. This time Thor must stop the Dark Elves from destroying Earth. Chris Hemsworth owns the screen as Thor, his interactions with Tom Hiddleston’s Loki serve as the highlight of The Dark World. Their chemistry is second to none.
34. Kingsman-The Secret Service: The Kingsman is a fun action film about an elite group of spies and their latest recruits. Colin Firth is quite the charming bad ass who at a drop of a pint goes from a proper English gentleman to a man willing to get his hands dirty. Twisty and full of turns the Kingsman will have you grinning from ear to ear.
33. Snowpiercer: Taking place on a train where the rich live in luxury and the poor scrape by in the back on protein gelatin bars. Unrelenting and inventively shot, Snowpiercer is one of those films that seems to come out of nowhere and blows your mind.
32. Road to Perdition: Quiet. Moving. Heartbreaking. Road to Perdition is the kind of movie that stays with you long after the credits roll. Tom Hanks is fabulous going against type as a hitman who must choose who he is loyal to. There need to be more movies with a shootout in the pouring rain.
31. The Incredible Hulk: Marvel tried a second time to bring the big green guy to the screen with much better results. Edward Norton takes over the role as Bruce Banner that finds him hiding in South America. The Hulk looks 100 times better and Norton makes a more sympathetic Banner, plus the action is directed with a more sure hand by Louis Leterrier. I am still not sure if we need another solo Hulk film but Incredible Hulk makes me believe that it could work.
30. Batman Returns: A hell of a lot darker than the 1989 Batman, the sequel finds Batman fighting not only the Penguin but Michelle Pfeiffer’s sexy Catwoman. Danny DeVito plays Penguin with disgusting glee but my favorite is Catwoman. She confuses Batman with her sexuality and then her attacks against him, meow. Some people were turned off by the darker tone of the film I for one was all for it.
29. The Amazing Spider-Man: Rebooting the Spider-Man franchise was a risky idea and one that paid off. Andrew Garfield is great as Peter Parker and his chemistry with Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy makes for a fun, flirty romance. The origin retelling is a little redundant but the Lizard makes for a cool villain.
28. Man of Steel: Updating Superman was a great idea. Man of Steel has a lot going for it. The characters are well done with some strong performances throughout the picture. Henry Cavill is sympathetic as Clark, not knowing if the world ready for his power. The films MVP to me however is Kevin Costner as Pa Kent, he has several great moments sprinkled throughout the picture.
27. X-Men-First Class: Sweet idea of taking the X-Men universe back to the sixties. My favorite moments are Michael Fassbender as Magneto going on a revenge mission against the Nazis that killed his family. A great way for the X-Men to reestablish itself as cool and fresh franchise.
26. Iron Man 2: Following up the amazing Iron Man was not going to be easy. And while Iron Man 2 can’t propel itself to the heights of the first film, it does have one advantage; Robert Downey Jr. Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer is also point on as a man who wants to be Tony Stark. The end fly through of Stark Expo is super cool.
25. The Wolverine: Rebounding from the misstep of Origins, The Wolverine takes itself seriously and focuses in the most important part of the X-Men franchise and that is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Jackman goes all in and the result is one hell of a badass movie.
24. Thor: Basically Shakespeare in space with comic book heroes, Thor sounds silly but in fact is one serious tale of family dynamics. Thor also gave us Tom Hiddleston as Loki, who steals almost every movie he is in. I could watch the scene where he and Anthony Hopkins’ Odin fight verbally so intensely it gives him a heart attack.
23. Spider-Man 3: Tobey Maguire’s third outing as the web slinger isn’t quite as strong as the other two but still has some really cool moments. The Sandman’s birth being one of the coolest transformations on screen. Harry Osborn’s arc also comes to a satisfying conclusion. The outrage over Venom is overblown. Watch it with fresh eyes and you will find a fun comic book movie.
22. The Dark Knight Rises: Following up the Dark Knight was going to be impossible, but The Dark Knight Rises is still a great conclusion to the Chris Nolan Batman trilogy. Tom Hardy’s Bane makes up for the atrocity that was Bane in Batman and Robin.
21. Captain America-The First Avenger: A comic book movie that takes place during World War II creates a fascinating back drop. Joe Johnston takes what he learned making a pulp movie with The Rocketeer and applies it to great success for Captain America. Chris Evans is fantastic as Steve Rogers, an underdog who just wants a chance to be a hero. The Red Skull makes a great villain as well.
20. The Amazing Spider-Man 2: A little over bloated when it comes to telling the story of Peter Parker’s parents, Amazing Spider-Man 2 makes up for it with a touching love story between Peter and Gwen Stacy. The movie succeeds most when the two actors are on screen and their tragic ending. Jaime Foxx is alright as Electro, the highlight being his fight with Spidey in Times Square. I cry three times every time I watch the movie.
19. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm: Batman The Animated Series is the gold standard when it comes to telling Batman stories. The feature length film failed to connect with an audience when it was first released, it now stands as one of best Batman movies ever. When Batman is framed for the murders of several mob bosses he uses all his detective skills to track down the real culprit. Dark and sinister, Mask of the Phantasm is a winner.
18. X2: X-Men United: Hitting the ground running without the burden of introducing characters X2 is one fun film. Magneto and Xavier team up to take down a mutant assassin. More action and better set pieces make for one thrilling team movie. Who doesn’t love Wolverine taking out a bunch of stooges at the X-Mansion?
17. Avengers-Age of Ultron: The Avengers team up to stop the threat of Ultron, a free thinking robot who has ideas of world domination. Not quite as snappy as The Avengers, Age of Ultron still has some exciting moments and great character beats. Best of the bunch is Tony and Steve chopping wood together.
16. Iron Man 3: Shane Black steps into the director’s chair and delivers a heart pounding adventure. The reveal of the Mandarin rubbed some people the wrong way, I thought it was ingenious. Robert Downey Jr. peels back the layers of who Tony Stark is and gives a great performance. The Air Force One rescue is off the charts, only topped by the attack of many Iron Men at the end of the film.
15. Deadpool: A passion project by Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool delivers a fourth wall shattering punch. Wade Wilson is diagnosed with cancer and is desperate for help. Wilson decides to volunteer for a black market mutant experiment, his cancer disappears, but he is hideously deformed. Funny, and yes romantic, Deadpool hits the center of the target.
14. X-Men-Days of Future Past: Taking the two different casts from the X-Men franchise could’ve ended up a convoluted mess, instead Days of Future Past is the X-Men at their finest. Of course the anchor is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine who is tasked with going back in time to mend the relationship between Xavier and Magneto to stop the threat of the mutant hunters The Sentinels. Mind bending action and great character beats make this the high point of the X-Films.
13. Big Hero 6: Disney animation scores again with the tale of a clever inventor named Hiro who after a family tragedy decides to form a super hero team. Baymax steals the show and the animation is absolutely stunning. Heartfelt with humor to spare, Big Hero 6 is a winner.
12. Batman Begins: The Batman franchise was on life support after Batman & Robin. Batman Begins had a huge stigma to overcome and not only does it deliver it far exceeded everyone’s expectations. Christian Bale takes over as Bruce Wayne/Batman and gives the role some much needed weight. The suit doesn’t even come into play for the first hour, Chris Nolan just lets the story of Batman breathe. Audiences were skeptical too as Begins only opened to $48 million, but it won audiences over and eventually grossed over $206 million in the U.S.
11. Ant-Man: What could’ve been the first disaster for Marvel Studios ended up being one hell of a great caper film. Losing the original director Edgar Wright fans were nervous, but Peyton Reed proved more than capable. Paul Rudd is on point as Scott Lang, a thief with the heart of gold. Michael Douglas also delivers as a man with a tragic past that he can’t let go of. Inventive and funny, Ant-Man is Marvel at its best.
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: So much fun is had watching Scott Pilgrim. Fun, funny, and mind bending action and effects pepper the world of Scott Pilgrim. Scott falls head over heels for Ramona Flowers, but to win her heart he must defeat her seven evil exes. Enough cannot be said about how cool this film is, just go watch it, like right now.
9. Superman (1978): Superman soars in this award winning adaptation by Richard Donner. Cristopher Reeves is awesome as the Man of Steel, but equally great as bumbling reporter Clark Kent. What makes this version of Superman work better than the newer ones is how much fun it is. Superman here is not sad that he is powerful, he embraces it to help people in need. Add in the out of this world theme by John Williams and you have a winner.
8. Guardians of the Galaxy: One of Marvel’s biggest strengths is it is not afraid to take risks. GoG was a big risk that delivered in spades. A ragtag group of space criminals who reluctantly team up to stop a warrior named Ronan from ruling the universe. There is a talking raccoon, and a talking tree that only says one phrase but it all works. The rocking soundtrack and Chris Pratt are just the cherry on top of this can’t miss hit.
7. The Avengers: This wasn’t supposed to work. Too many characters people said. How do you solve this “problem”? Easy, hire Joss Whedon who is a master at juggling multiple characters and multiple plot lines. Loki returns with an army of aliens to take over Earth, standing in his way is a team of heroes that will have to put aside the differences to defeat a common foe. Everything works in this movie, with the highlight of Hulk finally stealing the show.
6. Iron Man: The movie that started the Marvel Cinematic Universe is also one of the best. Perfect casting of Robert Downey Jr., as Tony Stark, Iron Man is funny, exciting and fresh. When Stark finds out the weapons he makes are being used by terrorist groups he decides to take matters into his own hands. He becomes Iron Man and unlike so many other heroes, Stark embraces it. Iron Man oozes with fun on every frame of film.
5. Captain America-Civil War: Captain America: Civil War is full of deception and double crosses. It works on so many levels. It has the huge battle about ¾ of the way and then scales way back for the climax that is heartbreaking. Civil War works so well because we have spent twelve movies getting to know these characters, so when they fight we feel it more. Spider-Man steals every scene he is in, and the Black Panther is totally kick ass. And then there are the scenes with Tony and Steve arguing their points that are stuff of comic book legend.
4. Spider-Man: The most perfect director to bring the web slinger to life was Sam Raimi. His inventive use of the camera just made sense. Raimi also has a fun sense of humor which is as much a part of Spider-Man as his costume. Tobey Maguire dons the webs and soars as Peter Parker. Kirsten Dunst is lovable as Peter’s crush Mary Jane. And Willem Dafoe perfectly captures the unstableness of Norman Osborn. The action is cool, the film is simply a blast.
3. Captain America-The Winter Solider: The second Captain America movie plays out like a spy thriller from the 70’s with huge comic book set pieces. The intrigue is palpable and the tension is so thick you can cut it. I love this movie. Chris Evans continues to be the Steve Rogers everyone wants to be, plus Robert Redford utters the line, “Hail Hydra.” Geek achievement unlocked!
2. The Dark Knight: Taking what worked so well in Batman Begins and building on it, The Dark Knight is the most complex superhero movie ever. Heath Ledger defines who the Joker is and who will always be compared to( good luck Jared Leto). Bruce Wayne longs to end his career as Batman and he sees an opportunity in the form of Harvey Dent, a District Attorney willing to stand up to the mob bosses around Gotham. The Joker has other ideas and brings chaos to the city. Shocking twists, breathtaking action, equal one hell of a film.
1. Spider-Man 2: The ultimate comic book movie is Spider-Man 2. Top notch action, top notch performances and a film that just rules, Spider-Man 2 is the cream of the crop. Peter is struggling juggling school and being a superhero. So he gives up being Spidey. But when the evil Doctor Octopus endangers New York, Peter must remember with great power comes great responsibility. The best action scene is the fight between Spidey and Doc Ock on top of a subway, it is an absolute blast. Alfred Molina’s Otto Octavius is the definition of a tragic villain who may not be all bad. I love this movie.