The 25 Greatest Superhero Movies
A ranking of the best movies based on characters from comic books (or "The Incredibles" and "Unbreakable" surely would have made the list)
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- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHeath LedgerAaron EckhartWhen the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.Call me mainstream by placing "The Dark Knight" at the top of this list, but it is every bit deserving of the spot. Christopher Nolan crafted a masterpiece with this film--not just of the superhero genre, but of drama in general. There isn't a better written, directed, acted, or designed film on this list. Heath Ledger's performance alone probably puts it into the top 3. They don't make comic book movies more riveting than this.
Favorite moment: The sequence through Gotham's downtown with the Joker in the big rig and Batman on the batpod is probably the most exhilarating in the entire trilogy. - DirectorRichard DonnerStarsChristopher ReeveMargot KidderGene HackmanAn alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.Richard Donner should be thanked by every director attempting a superhero origin story that followed his iconic film: this is the way to get it right. The special effects--and they were stunning for the time--always took a back seat to character and real human emotion. In that way, this is probably the Superman film that Frank Capra would have made. Two things set this film head-and-shoulders above almost every other film on this list: Christopher Reeve delivering possibly the greatest superhero performance ever, and John Williams' timeless score.
Favorite moment: The rescue of Lois after the helicopter crash (following one of the best nods to comic lore with Supes unable to change in the phone booth) still can get your heart racing. - DirectorJon FavreauStarsRobert Downey Jr.Gwyneth PaltrowTerrence HowardAfter being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.Disney/Marvel owe much of the success of their ever-expanding cinematic juggernaut to one man and one perfectly cast character: Robert Downey, Jr. and his endlessly enjoyable Tony Stark. Yes, Marvelites, I have placed the first (and easily best) "Iron Man" ahead of "The Avengers," and for good reason: "Iron Man" somehow manages to be a film that can be appreciated--and really excels--as an action/adventure, drama, political discourse, romance, and comedy. It is a film that can be all things to all viewers. But the truly deft trick that Jon Favreau and company pulled off is being able to balance all of these elements, keep character at the center, and never allow the film to take itself too seriously.
Favorite moment: Tony's return to Afghanistan to confront the terrorists in his new suit, culminating in the great flight sequence with the F-22s. - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleMichael CaineKen WatanabeAfter witnessing his parents' death, Bruce learns the art of fighting to confront injustice. When he returns to Gotham as Batman, he must stop a secret society that intends to destroy the city.So two of my top-five superhero films are from Nolan's Batman trilogy. I can still remember watching this one in the theater with my dad: We were both, like many in the audience, expecting something akin to the Batman world upon which Tim Burton had firmly placed his fingerprint. It was a surprise, then, to find such a different animal in "Batman Begins." Gone was the camp and self-awareness and the overly-styled Gothic set design. In place of these things, we had a world--a world we could be living in--where it seemed extremely plausible that an orphaned billionaire could become the kind of crime-fighter chronicled in the pages of Detective Comics. Nolan did a brilliant job with Bruce Wayne's transformation into the symbol this is Batman. We could believe in and be thrilled by the movie because of its gritty reality and the authentic human emotions at play. It doesn't hurt to have actors like Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Liam Neeson at your disposal. There are some that argue this is the best of Nolan's Batman films--at the very least, it's the most complete vision of the Caped Crusader that we've got.
Favorite moment: Batman's rescue of Rachel Dawes from the clutches of Scarecrow and his henchmen, which included the badass, tar-spewing hallucinated demon version of Batman and the incredible police chase of the Tumbler through (and over) Gotham. - DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansScarlett JohanssonEarth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.For many die-hard Marvel fans who instantly assume a DC bias on my part, the placement of "The Avengers" will seem discriminatory. I have no such bias; but I do think the mark of a great film (superhero films in particular, but it goes for any picture) is that it can stand as a singular work, without the need for prior knowledge of characters or their shared world. The success of "The Avengers" owes a great deal to our appreciation and investment in the Marvel films that came before it. Am I saying this is a bad thing? Certainly not: it makes for a great experience for fans of these franchises that can't wait to see where the overarching tale will lead. "The Avengers" is a very fun film that really delivers those cool experiences that can come from having interesting and well-acted superheroes play off of one another, probably the most enjoyable being Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and Chris Evan's Steve Rodgers.
Favorite moment: Hulk's beat-down of Loki is an unbelievably glee-inducing scene. - DirectorRichard LesterStarsGene HackmanChristopher ReeveMargot KidderSuperman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsPatrick StewartHugh JackmanHalle BerryWhen anti-mutant Colonel William Stryker kidnaps Professor X and attacks his school, the X-Men must ally with their archenemy Magneto to stop him.
- DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattVin DieselBradley CooperA group of intergalactic criminals must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleTom HardyAnne HathawayEight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.
- DirectorMatthew VaughnStarsJames McAvoyMichael FassbenderJennifer LawrenceIn the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a schism to divide them.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstAlfred MolinaPeter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a former brilliant scientist named Otto Octavius.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsMichael KeatonJack NicholsonKim BasingerThe Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsRon PerlmanDoug JonesSelma BlairA demon raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness.
- DirectorJames McTeigueStarsHugo WeavingNatalie PortmanRupert GravesIn a future British dystopian society, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow the tyrannical government - with the help of a young woman.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsRon PerlmanSelma BlairDoug JonesA prince of the mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth. Hellboy and his team must fight to stop him from locating the all-powerful Golden Army.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsMichael CeraMary Elizabeth WinsteadKieran CulkinIn a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansSamuel L. JacksonScarlett JohanssonAs Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsPatrick StewartHugh JackmanIan McKellenIn a world where mutants (evolved super-powered humans) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood, and the pacifist X-Men.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstWillem DafoeAfter being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsPatrick StewartIan McKellenHugh JackmanThe X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRobert Downey Jr.Guy PearceGwyneth PaltrowWhen Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsMichael KeatonDanny DeVitoMichelle PfeifferWhile Batman deals with a deformed man calling himself the Penguin wreaking havoc across Gotham with the help of a cruel businessman, a female employee of the latter becomes the Catwoman with her own vendetta.
- DirectorMatthew VaughnStarsAaron Taylor-JohnsonNicolas CageChloë Grace MoretzDave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a superhero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsHenry CavillAmy AdamsMichael ShannonAn alien child is evacuated from his dying world and sent to Earth to live among humans. His peace is threatened when other survivors of his home planet invade Earth.
- DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsChris EvansHugo WeavingSamuel L. JacksonSteve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a warmonger and a terrorist organization.