Excelsior! The Best Comic Book Movies Ever
So, yes it has been a while since I’ve posted something. I had a quiz midweek I had to study for so that got me out of my groove on things to talk about. I will do my best to blog things more frequently in the future.
Just as a quick aside, how AWESOME was the season finale of Chuck? I can’t wait to see where they go from here (hopefully).
The release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine brings up a topic dear to my heart: the comic book movie. Growing up a comic book “collector,” as we liked to call ourselves back then, I tend to enjoy most comic book based movies. I enjoyed Ghost Rider (kind of, Wes Bentley’s dreadful performance is REALLY hard to overlook) well enough for a Netflix rental. I think we all can agree Ghost Rider, as decent as the character looked, is on the lower end of the spectrum here.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t ones I don’t enjoy: Spider-Man 3 and X-Men: The Last Stand being HUGE disappointments (don’t even get me started on Elektra or the mind boggling problems with Fantastic Four), but that should wait for another write-up. What follows is what I consider to be the top comic book movies ever. For these purposes, I do include graphic novels in this group as well. There are some I have not seen (American Splendor for example), so keep that in mind.
First some honorable mentions:
300 (2006): Based on a Frank Miller story, which in itself VERY loosely based on the historical Battle of Thermopylae, Zack Snyder’s movie is a visually stunning (more so for certain people in the audience, I’m sure) movie. Gerald Butler is great as Leonidas, but the movie is lacking the depth needed to crack the top ten.
Batman (1989): This was one of the first movies I ever saw in the theatres. Michael Keaton has an almost surprisingly strong turn as Bruce Wayne and also makes for a good Batman as well. Jack Nicholson tears up the screen as The Joker, hamming it up in just about every moment as the Clown Prince of Crime. Ultimately, Tim Burton’s Gotham (or those who inhabit it) isn’t the one, as an older viewer having read things like Frank Miller’s Year One (a story arc that a later movie will be based on), I personally visualize as being the “real” Gotham.
Spider-Man (2002): While Bryan Singer’s X-Men (2000) made this movie possible, I would argue that it was Sam Raimi’s movie that kick started the comic book movie genre to where it’s at today. Tobey McGuire is perfect as Peter Parker and, as we saw with Frank Donner’’s Superman, if you cast the “alter-ego” correctly, it makes the hero more believable. Willem Defoe is also a lot of fun as Norman Osbourne/Green Goblin in a movie that just missed the cut.
Superman Returns (2006): I have to admit, I do not remember Frank Donner’s Superman well enough to put it on this list anywhere. I only recall Christopher Reeve being very good as Clark (and of course General Zod in the sequel), but I think this movie gets a very bad rap. Brandon Routh does a great Reeve impression as Clark and I would argue looks more like Superman than Reeve when in costume. While Routh, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, and Frank Langella as Perry White all do a great job, the miscasting of Kate Bosworth as Lois and much of the meandering plot hurts the movie in the long run. Bryan Singer, however, can make a good Superman movie if given the chance (the Space Plane rescue is proof of this).
V For Vendetta (2005): Another visually appealing movie, this James McTeigue movie was written by the Wachowski Brothers based on an Alan Moore graphic novel. While not nearly as good as Moore’s original story, Natalie Portman is the glue of the movie as Evey and Hugo Weaving is a tour de force as the freedom fighter/terrorist V. Some may not agree with the conclusions the movie makes, one would be hard pressed to not see parallels in this world with our own or how easy it would be for our society to go done this path.
Now my top ten:
10. The Crow (1994): “Can’t rain all the time…” The criminally underrated Alex Proyas’ take on James O’Barr’s revenge driven character is the first on the list. Released long before the comic book movie boom, it’s also one of the earliest to be based on an independent source, that is not Marvel or DC. Proyas creates a dark, bleak world (Detroit by all admissions) in which very little hope lives. Brandon Lee gives an outstanding performance as essentially an angel of death, coming back from the dead to seek vengeance on those that killed him and his fiance. We all know the tragic circumstances behind Lee’s death while filming the movie and it’s definitely a shame. He proved here that he was poised to be a big star. Also worthy of mention is the soundtrack, including Stone Temple Pilot’s “Big Empty.”
9. Road to Perdition (2002): “When people ask me if Michael Sullivan was a good man, or if there was just no good in him at all, I always give the same answer. I just tell them: he was my father.” I believe there aren’t a lot of people who know that this is based on a graphic novel, but alas it is. Sam Mendes creates a realistic portrayal of a hitman’s life during the great gangster age. Some argued that Tom Hanks may not be able to pull off a character that wasn’t inherently good. They were wrong. While the plot is a man seeking revenge for the deaths of his wife and the “favorite” son (revenge, such a common theme), the real meat of the story is a father bonding with his son. The son that’s very much like him, TOO much like him in his eyes. This movie also features Paul Newman’s final film role. He is great as always.
8. Batman Begins (2005): “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” Due to a certain other movie’s success, Christopher Nolan’s first foray into Gotham is very widely overlooked. The mood he sets is perfect antithesis to the schlock Joel Schumacher nearly destroyed the Batman movies with. If for nothing else, this movie belongs on this list due resurrecting the Caped Crusader on the big screen. However, there is so much more to it. The casting is nearly flawless with the exception of Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. I don’t think she was nearly as bad as many others do, I personally believe Rachel is a rather boring character. Christian Bale is the best Batman/Bruce Wayne we’ve had so far, the only one really playing all aspects of the character (Keaton was missing Bruce’s public persona). That said, it is the realistic setting of Gotham itself, an organized crime controlled shell of its former self, that ultimately would lead to a great story to be told.
7. Men in Black (1997): “There’s only one way off this planet, baby, and that’s through me.” This is another movie that some might not know came from a comic book. It is easy to forget this movie due to it being simple to bash on Will Smith’s big budget movie choices (Hancock, I Am Legend, Wild Wild West), but Men in Black is a different animal all together. This is a very refreshing sci-fi comedy with special effects that still hold up today. This is Smith at his comedic best. It has the right mix of action and comedy. However, what makes this movie work is the almost surprising chemistry between Smith and co-star Tommy Lee Jones. Jones’ deadpan delivery plays off Smith’s more robust performance perfectly. An unfortunate sequel cannot diminish that greatness that was the original.
6. Sin City (2005): “Is that the best you can do, you pansies?” Robert Rodriquez’s very stylistic anthology can be described as many things. Violent and misogynistic are the first words that probably come to mind. One thing I will add to that is, “great.” Shot from Frank Miller’s books almost panel by panel (so much that Rodriguez insisted on giving Miller a co-director credit), Sin City is a brutal look into a fictional world that does not let up. It pushed forward a style of filmmaker that has been emulated in the passing years (Miller’s own The Spirit and, to a lesser extent, 300). While the plot is as unforgiving as can be, the cast involved are all fantastic. From Clive Owen’s Dwight, Benicio Del Toro’s Jackie Boy, and Bruce Willis’ Hatigan to Rosario Dawson’s Gail, Jessica Alba’s Nancy, and a special look at Elijah Wood’s extremely creepy Kevin, they are all great. However, the man that steals the show is Mickey Rourke as Marv. Signaling his comeback that would culminate with an Oscar nominated performance in The Wrestler, Marv is a one of a kind character. A modern day gladiator out for revenge for the killing of a prostitute he was with simply because she was “nice” to him for a night. His last line is an instant classic.
5. X2: X-Men United (2003): “You are a god among insects. Never let anyone tell you different.” The lame title and questionable usage of Cyclops aside, Bryan Singer’s sequel to his successful first entry, hit all the right spots. Loosely based on the graphic novel “God Love, Man Kills,” this movie continues the rise of Hugh Jackman as a legitimate leading action hero (nevermind that Van Helsing misstep). Along with him are the usual suspects (HA! see what I did there?) including the perfectly casted Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier and his nemesis Magneto, played by the brilliant Sir Ian McKellen. Singer learned from his experience on X-Men making the action sequences even better this go around. In fact, this movie features the two best scenes in the series: Nightcrawler’s attack on the White House (one of the best opening scenes ever) and the badass escape from prison by Magneto. While the third movie (Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand) failed on MANY levels, this movie not only is great as a stand alone movie, but ties the trilogy together nicely. As much as I enjoyed Superman Returns, I do wish Singer would have stuck around to finishing X-Men first. This movie shows he was definitely on to something here.
4. Watchmen (2009): “The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout ‘Save us!’ and I’ll whisper ‘no.’” There has never been a more polarizing movie in the comic book genre than Zack Snyder’s faithful adaption to Alan Moore’s classic story. You either “got it” or you didn’t, there was no inbetween. What the trailers couldn’t show us was that this was NOT a Spider-Man or X-Men type movie. It isn’t even a movie that will be mentioned later. This is a character driven detective story with strong morality issues at it’s core. If you had the power to provide a peaceful world, but had to compromise everything you ever had stood for, do you do it? This is the question the Watchmen have to answer. Snyder is faithful to the source material almost to a fault as it does alienate a large portion of the public, but I argue that it’s a better movie for it. The cast all do a great job, special recognition to Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Comedian, Billy Cudrup’s Dr. Manhattan, and especially Jackie Earle Haley’s Rorschach (in a role that SHOULD be nominated for an Oscar). I would be wrong if I failed to mention the opening montage, which is the best thing you will see in a movie this year, bar none. When it’s all said it done, whether you love it or hate it, this is a movie that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
3. Spider-Man 2 (2004): “I believe there’s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.” Sam Raimi continues the growth of Peter Parker in this superior sequel of the 2002 original (much of which is rendered null by Spider-Man 3). Loosely based on the Spider-Man No More story arc, Peter has to come to grips with being Spider-Man while balancing that with his real life. Add the growing tension with James Franco’s Harry Osbourne and the addition of my personal favorite Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus (the underrated Alfred Molina), you have the making’s for a great movie. While Kristen Dunst bugs me as Mary Jane (she just ISN’T MJ to me), we can overlook that, especially with Rosemary Harris’ Aunt May playing the wise sage for the lost Peter (does she know that Peter is Spider-Man? I personally think she does). Of course, I have to mention J.K. Simmons perfectly playing J. Jonah Jameson. He’s so over the top that he steals every scene he is in.
2. Iron Man (2008): “Yeah. I can fly.” 2008 was a very good year for the comic book movie. The two best ever came out within two months of each other. This was the first to be released. Jon Favreau may have seemed like a strange choice to direct a big budget action picture, but we see that this isn’t your normal popcorn movie. Iron Man is a different kind of movie, mixing some great action sequences with some outstanding comedic scenes. None of this would be possible without the resurgent Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark. I can’t think of anyone else who could have played the role any better. Downey’s Stark, although regretful for past actions, isn’t your typical moody lead (Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, etc). Instead he’s a flashy, ego driven (albeit rather lonely) genius. He basks in the spotlight, can get any woman he wants and when the opportunity arises, he makes the ultimate attention grab in the history of movie heroes. However, it is his chemistry with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts where the movie really works. For all the high octane action, it is the quiet moments with Pepper that makes this movie as memorable as it is. Stay after the credits for a cameo by Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury, who talks about “The Avengers Initiative.”
1. The Dark Knight (2008): “Because some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” As if there was any doubt at all. While Iron Man showed us that heroes didn’t all have to be depressed, Christopher Nolan’s sequel showed us what movies in this genre could be and what certain ones should strive to be (Superman shouldn’t look like, for example). The Dark Knight has more in common with Martin Scorsese’s gangster style movie than it does Iron Man or Spider-Man. I can’t say much more about this movie that hasn’t already been said 1,000 times before. Bale continues to shine as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Heath Ledger deserved the Oscar for his turn as the force of nature that is The Joker, and it is the fight for Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent/Two Face soul that holds the movie together. The interrogation sequence with Batman and The Joker is one of the most intense scenes I have ever seen in a movie. This was simply the best movie of 2008, none were even close to it. From the improved action sequences (directors tend to learn from the original outing) to the amazing music (especially the simple sound of doom playing right before The Joker appears each time), this is essentially a perfect movie.
There’s my list. It was tough to narrow it down to 10 (or even 15 as I know there’s some I’m probably missing on the HR list), not to mention in what order to put them in. I’m hoping this will start some discussion (I’m going to assume that Watchmen will be the main focus here), so by all means comment to agree or disagree, or just to talk about movies you like or didn’t like.
- Chris Lejarzar
Solid list. Although for me, Dick Tracy would be very high and I think Batman Returns is misunderstood. It sucks Watchmen was not received well because it was a good adaptation.
No, that’s a good point. I haven’t seen Dick Tracy since it first came out. It’s another one I need to re-watch. Batman Returns was very good, especially Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. For my money, she’s the best one to date. I give the original a nod for The Joker (him being my favorite Bat-villain) and nostalgia purposes.
And yes, Watchmen was amazing.Realistically, it can be as high as #2 on my list. It keep climbing the more time goes on.
Thanks for the comment!