As the summer movie season heads towards the exit, out goes
with it its contribution to the massive slew of superhero films. That means the time is right for this Blogger to ponder over Reel Speak’s Top 10 best films of said
slew. To be clear, said Blogger judges superhero films the same way he judges
any other movie; story, character, entertainment. And no, Reel Speak does not
give a Catwoman’s ass if the film deviates from its comic-book origins. So here
we go…
Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004) is an automatic entry to any
top 10 list. Full of heart and capitalizing on the characters and themes
established in its predecessor, SPIDER-MAN 2 takes a kids’ comic concept and
grows up while managing to be a ball of fun at the same time.
Bryan Singer’s X-MEN (2000) grounds it’s ridiculously
powered characters by inserting real-world themes of racial and social divide;
an area which not many films outside of the superhero genre have been willing
to go. It was ballsy and ahead of its time, and very much relevant twelve years
later.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012) is a fitting and triumphant finale
to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy of films, and it makes good use out of
real-world themes and issues which haunt us to this day. The scenario which
unfolds in RISES is likely the first diabolical villain-plot on the silver
screen which very well could happen today.
Not only is THE INCREDIBLES (2004) the only animated film to
make this Blogger’s list, but it is also the one and only original film amongst
the battalion of comic-hero adaptations. It is visually striking, hits all the
right points in the superhero mythos, and has the right balance of feeling
modern and classic at the same time.
Sometimes casting the right lead is all you need to succeed,
and that is why IRON MAN (2008) is a great watch. Robert Downey Jr. is a
perfect Tony Stark, and the film carries style and substance all the way
through. It is clever and thick, and the blend of practical FX and CGI is outstanding.
Christopher Nolan’s first entry into his Batman trilogy,
BATMAN BEGINS (2005), is by far the best superhero origin story this side of
Krypton. It is easy to grow impatient watching those origin tales; it’s natural
to want to see the hero put on the damn mask right away. BEGINS avoids any of
that by focusing on the guy beneath said mask, who is really what the hero is
all about.
All you need to know about the granddaddy of all superhero
films is this: Christopher Reeve, John Williams, and Gene Hackman. That alone
makes SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) a solid film which still feels relevant and
modern today despite its age. Since this movie, there has never been a more
rousing rescue (who’s got me, who’s got you?), or a better soundtrack in a
superhero film.
Bryan Singer’s mutant sequel, X2 (2003), capitalizes on the
important themes established in the first film while dishing out enough
screentime to its ensemble cast to care about each and every one of them. There
is a gentle and magic touch in Magneto’s seduction-of-Pyro-scene, a compelling story
in Wolverine, and again, the idea to make mutants a metaphor for social
injustice ventures into frightening territory for many filmmakers.
This Blogger has been agonizing over his top two films, both
of which are outstanding movies and have permanent places on the (glorious)
blu-ray shelf at home for multiple viewings. They have two distinct styles
which can only be broken down by looking back at past films which they
resemble:This is what happens…
It is fair to say that THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2008) is the
equivalent of THE GODFATHER in the superhero movie-world. It is a character
study and a crime drama, and would work just fine without a guy in a cape and a
dude in white makeup. Perhaps the most unnerving aspect of the film is that the
villain (The Joker, played by the late great Heath Ledger), seems to have a
better understanding of the state of the world than the hero we’re supposed to
be pulling for does. Nothing is more unnerving than a villain who makes more
sense than the hero.
If KNIGHT is THE GODFATHER with its crime drama sprinkled
with character study, then the adventurous nature of Joss Whedon’s THE AVENGERS
(2012) is naturally THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK of superhero films. It is whimsical
while dancing around the dark side, and its multiple storylines are driven by
character, character, character, character. The real triumph is not just its
ability to juggle multiple character arcs, but it is the one superhero film
with the ability to jolt the asses of audiences out of their seats to yell,
clap, hoot, holler and shout at the moon. THE AVENGERS may not be as deep as
some of its peers, but there are none which are as much fun.
THE LIST:
10.
SPIDER-MAN 29. X-MEN
8. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
7. THE INCREDIBLES
6. IRON MAN
5. BATMAN BEGINS
4. SUPERMAN
3. X2
2. THE DARK KNIGHT
1. THE AVENGERS
What say
you?
Where's Unbreakable?
ReplyDeleteJust hovering outside my Top 10, likely my 12th.
ReplyDelete10. Unbreakable
ReplyDelete9. X men united
8. Avengers
7. Dark knight
6. Batman Begins
5. X men first class
4. Iron man
3. Spiderman 2
2. Superman
1. Dark knight Rises