With the recent success of "The Dark Knight," I thought I'd list my top ten favorite live-action comic-book movies of all time so far (I got the idea from the Olivia Munn article). Not surprisingly, the majority of these were from this decade, as it is the decade where comic-book movies finally hit the big time. Also keep in mind that this is a favorites list, and not a "best of...," because if that was the case, movies like "300," "A History of Violence," "Road to Perdition," and "Wanted," would have been on this list.
10. X-Men (2000)
Out of the three films in the trilogy, the first installment is still the one that makes me remember why I used to collect the X-Men comic books when I was younger. To me, it has always been about the characters over the powers, and this movie's emphasis on the Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine relationship, and the Professor X, Magneto dynamic held true here.
9. Batman (1989)
While Tim Burton's fantastical take may not be as exciting as it was when I saw it when I was a kid, this movie still holds a certain charm. The stylized over the top look and feel of the film, as well as strong performances by Micheal Keaton and Jack Nicholson still makes this a classic that won't be forgotten.
8. Superman II (1980)
This is the one that started it all for me in terms of comic-book movies. The first one was good, but not exciting as the sequel that finally introduced enemies that could go toe to toe against the man of steel. It's also the relationship between Margot Kidder's Lois Lane and Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent that may be the real reason this one still works after all these years.
7. Sin City (2005)
Visually, this IS a comic book brought to life in the look, sound, and feel department. A very stylized film noir action flick, with stories, scenes, and (most importantly) characters that make this one easy to remember. Frank Miller's creation knows that guys wishes they could be hard boiled men with hearts of gold, surrounded by a cast of hot sexy girls, and "Sin City" provides this fantasy successfully.
6. V for Vendetta (2005)
A "super-hero terrorist?" Such is the case with this film, and makes it work because of it's somewhat untraditional take as a comic-book movie. I found this particular story and set of characters engaging and interesting, as well as provocative due to the subject matter. The strong acting work by Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving (behind a mask the whole time), made this film even stronger.
5. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
The every day boy's favorite fantasy super hero character, once again gets put through hard times in this one. Out of the trilogy, this is the one that resonates the most with the audience, because of how "human" and relatable Spider-Man's trials and tribulations are here. It's hard for me not to fall in love with this movie, as it was very easy to root for Peter Parker to succeed in stopping the villain and getting the girl. It feels like cheering yourself on.
4. Iron Man (2008)
Due to the very strong performance by Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow, plus the very down to earth direction by Jon Favreau, "Iron Man" works big time. Making amends to your wrongs and having the means to do it is something we all could only wish for, and this film is like a wish fullfilment. Exciting, lots of great "toys," and a good sense of humor when needed, this film works in all the right ways. However most importantly, besides the realistic feel of it, the movie was very fun to watch.
3. Men in Black (1997)
Will Smith with Tommy Lee Jones, the funny guy and the straight man, is one of the best team ups out there in films (despite the sequel). "Men in Black's" slick story, humor, and the matter of fact attitude they have to aliens and end of the world scenarios is just simply entertaining. This world where aliens are secretly living with us, and the organization in charge to keep that in check, just opens up the imagination. The simplicity of how the story is told, feels like a good classic Hollywood production for the ages.
2. Batman Begins (2005)
Personally, this is still the best super hero origin story I've ever seen. Finally we have the most believable story of the man behind the mask. The strong emphasis to make every fantastical thing become drenched with realistic probabilities is what makes this a strong comic-book film. This is the movie that could make a little boy think "super heroes can be real." With great direction by Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale's excellent portrayal of Bruce Wayne, "Batman Begins" is simply a classic.
1. The Dark Knight (2008)
I know it seems cliche and caught in the hype to put "The Dark Knight" as my number one pick on the list, however I honestly think it warrants that claim. The direction by Christopher Nolan made this film feel more like a crime drama, and also an intense epic thriller because of the terrorist actions by the villain. Speaking of which, Heath Ledger's furious performance is better than what it was hyped up to be, and arguably made this movie. The rest of the cast as led by Aaron Eckhart's and Christian Bale's strong performances grounds the film even more, with a compelling theme of a character study on how far can one go to help people. This is the movie that went far and beyond just being a "comic-book movie," and finally put the nail in the coffin that this genre of films aren't just dumb "popcorn flicks," but can be taken seriously.
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