The Mad Gamer's Top Ten Superhero Movies

In the past decade, there has obviously been a resurgence of the superhero action movie.  Being the awesome superhero fan I am, these movies are some of my favorites of all time, and due to their box office success, they're a lot of other people's favorite movies too.  I'm not sure if it's the action, the story, or the characters that make these movies great, but they always leave a feeling of satisfaction while you watch them.  And so, I'm making a list of my favorites.  These movies are based on their characters, story, and their loyalty to the source material.  This is The Mad Gamer, and THIS is The Mad Gamer's Top Ten Superhero Movies of All Time.

Top Ten Superhero Movies

10. Spider-Man 

"With great power, comes great responsibility."

After the horrible downturn of the mid-90s Batman franchise, the superhero genre had nearly become extinct.  I mean, c'mon, would you want more and more copies of Batman & Robin?  Nobody!  Every previous superhero franchise had bitten the dust in a horrible way, spitting out crappier and crappier movies with every entry.  Enter 2002's Spider-Man, which was one of the most successful movies of the early 00's.  The movie had great characters, a terrific story, and decent casting all around, but what was with the absence of Gwen Stacy until the third film?  She was one of the most influential people of the comic book series, and the entire story of the Green Goblin on the bridge was actually supposed to be Gwen Stacy!...but I digress.  This movie reinvented the superhero film, and if it wasn't for Tobey Maguire's performance, it would definitely be higher on this list.

9. Fantastic Four

"Now picture that...BUT EVERYWHERE."

A lot of people that I talk to about this movie claim it's one of the worst in the Marvel superhero franchise, even worse than Hulk...*shudder*.  People seem to hate it because they think it's ridiculous and "too lighthearted to be an action movie."  Well, there are literally a million reasons why this movie is better than Hulk.  The characters actually look like what they're supposed to, the actors and cast work great, and...Jessica Alba.  Yeah.  Let's see Hulk top that.  Plus, Fantastic Four's story was actually comprehensible, and the final battle was awesome as well as fun.  So, in review, Fantastic Four >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>x10000 Hulk.

8. The Dark Knight

"Why So Serious?"

I know what you're thinking.  "WHAAA--?  Dark Knight at #8??  That movie was the best movie EVAR!"  Hold on.   I love The Dark Knight, and it's one of the best Batman films ever, but it's not really that much of a Batman film...think about it.  Both the origins for the Joker and Two-Face are good, but they're just so different from the source material.  Joker as a scarred make-up artist and Two-Face being burned only on his left half?  Ridiculous!  And the story isn't really a Batman story.  There are so many twists that it feels more like a 2-hour long episode of 24 than Batman.  With Gordon being shot and coming back, everything going on at once and it switching back and forth so often, the whole thing is confusing and drawn out.  Maggie Gynlenhaal also makes a really, really crappy Rachel Dawes, and she never lived up to the Katie Holmes version.  Aaron Eckhart, on the other hand, is an awesome choice for Harvey Dent/Two-Face, but I think a lot of people give too much credit for Heath Ledger's Joker.  Sure, it was his last big role, but c'mon, he only makes like, one joke through the whole thing!  I really only laughed when he had trouble blowing up the hospital (I know, that's terrible, but he made it funny) and and that's why it's #8.

7. Hulk Vs. Wolverine

"Hey, hey, Logan buddy!  It's me, Deadpool!  I shot yooooou..."

This animated direct-to-DVD film was bundled with Hulk Vs. Thor (another good one, but mostly for Thor fans) and released in 2009.  Many of you probably haven't heard of it, but those that do know it's really great.  The film is a great origins story for Wolverine, better than X-Men Origins in that Wolverine's memory is actually erased instead of being 'shot by an adamantium bullet', and it works The Hulk in there really well.  "Why is The Hulk in a Wolverine origins story?"  Well, casual reader, Wolverine actually debuted fighting The Hulk.  The characters are really good, starring not just Wolverine, but Sabretooth, Omega Red, Lady Deathstrike, and Deadpool.  Overall, it's a good Wolverine origins story, and the action is superb.

6. X2: X-Men United

"You are a god among insects, never let anyone tell you different."


Looking over the list of X-Men films released so far, it was basically a choice between a mullet-wearing Sabretooth and Darth Maul-knockoff Toad (X-Men), the ever-cool-ever-badass Nightcrawler (X2), no Cyclops (X-Men 3), and adamantium bullets (X-Men Origins).  So, I went with Nightcrawler.  This movie's got the best lineup of characters, a great plot involving Wolverine, and best of all, no cheesy lines!  I mean, c'mon..

X-Men
Storm: "Do you know what happens to a toad when it's struck by lightning?  The same thing that happens to everyone else."


X-Men 3
Magneto: "What-have-I-done?"  Seriously, that's probably the worst acting Sir Ian McKellen's ever done.


And for Origins, the cheesiest line is the line the writers wrote that said that the reason Wolverine lost his memory from an adamantium bullet to the head.  I'm never going to get over that...

5. Iron Man 2

 "Sir!  I am going to have to ask you to exit the doughnut!"

This is obviously the most recent superhero movie on this list.  The action scenes were excellent, and I loved how Justin Hammer was so inept yet so evil, but it's down this low because of Tony's "addiction."  Palladium in Tony's arc reactor leading him down a depression filled, power-misusing path?  What happened to alcohol?  Not "cool" enough?  Tony's always been an alcoholic, and the whole palladium thing ruined it.  I thought at first the movie wasn't going to work without Terrence Howard, but he's really incomparable from Don Cheadle.  They're two different characters, really, but they're playing the same role.  They both fit two different Rhodeys, and it works.  Even Cheadle's first lines as Rhodey fit well: "Yeah, it's me, deal with it, let's move on."  Plus, seeing all his awesome technology at work was enough to get the movie on the list (briefcase suit?  Awesome!), and it was still funny to see Tony try to please Pepper but falling short (strawberry scene!).  Also, what was with Pepper being the CEO?  That was a mistake... 

4. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

"Why is it that good villains never die?"
-"Clark...what the hell are good villains?"

This is another straight-to-DVD film in 2009, based on the Superman/Batman comic book.  It involves a giant Kryptonite meteor coming to earth, and President Lex Luthor orders a bounty on Superman and Batman.  The story explores the difficulty that Superman and Batman have in working together, as both are a little uneasy with the other, being how different they are.  This movie has some epic fight scenes, great cameos by great actors (John C. McGinley and LeVar Burton, to name a few) and great characters (Captain Marvel?  Shazam!).  The icing on the cake is the voice acting, though.  Kevin Conroy reprises his role of Batman from the Batman and Justice League animated series, Tim Daly plays Superman once again from the Superman animated series, and Clancy Brown voices Lex Luthor, also from the Superman animated series.  For any good fan of both Batman and Superman, it's a great movie.

3. Batman Begins

"Bruce?  You're supposed to be dead!"
-"I'm sorry to disappoint."


Yes.  Batman Begins.  I.  Loved.  This.  Movie.  As a kid, I was a big fan of the Batman animated series of the nineties, as you probably have guessed.  This movie had the action and writing of the animated series, and the plot was very similar to an episode of the animated series (Dreams in Darkness, look it up).  These only add to the great special effects and amazing acting of Liam Neeson as Ra's al Ghul.  The plot also was direct and straightforward, the dialogue was great, and the final confrontation was epic.  Also, the whole villain's evil plot to cripple Gotham was original and interesting.  I'm anxious to see what the third movie will be like.  I'm hoping to see Johnny Depp as The Riddler, hopefully more of the animated series, laid back intelligent Riddler than the Jim Carrey, insane-off-his-ass Riddler.  One can only hope.

2. Iron Man

"You've been called the da Vinci of our time, what do you say to that?"
-"Absolutely ridiculous.  I don't paint."

Kicking off the interwoven universe known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man was the first in a line of movies that all existed in the same Marvel Universe starring the same characters in the same roles.  This movie launched the idea of a more realistic style of superhero movie, with all of Tony's inventions being actually very plausible rather than over-the-top and far-fetched.  The action scenes were awesome, with giant explosions and edge-of-your-seat suspense.  Robert Downey Jr. was born to play Tony Stark, he's the lovable asshole who's got way too much money.  Terrence Howard does a great job of playing Rhodey, although it's a disappointment that he never got a chance to play War Machine, but it's still fun to see how Tony pretty much makes him his bitch.  Gwyneth Paltrow is really only in the movie as Pepper Potts in order to fill the character's role, and she doesn't do much except be a semi-love interest for Tony.  In a short cameo at the end, Samuel L. Jackson comes in to play Nick Fury, starting the whole concept of one universe of Marvel heroes, and building anticipation for 2012's The Avengers.



Finally, #1.



  

1. Green Lantern: First Flight

"And you thought I was green before."

Green Lantern has always been one of my favorite superheroes.  The power to do whatever you can imagine with the use of an all-powerful ring just enthralls me, and this movie really rejuvenated that feeling.  This is an animated, direct-to-DVD film released in 2009, and it really could have been released in theaters, I think.  It stars Christopher Meloni as Hal Jordan, a test pilot who is called to become one of the Green Lanterns, an intergalactic peace corps.  The movie covers all the basics of his origin story: brought up under Sinestro, gaining allies in Kilowaug and Tomar Re, and ultimately saving the entire Green Lantern Corps.  The movie also details Sinestro's defection from the Green Lanterns and his rise to power with his own yellow ring.  The action in this movie is epic.  Truly epic.  The final scenes and the last showdown versus Sinestro really gets you involved and thinking, "What would I do in this situation?"  For any superhero movie fan, it should be a definite watch.

Well, there you have it.  If you didn't agree with some of the placement of my top ten movies, well, then go cry about it.  If you have any suggestions as to what I missed feel free to comment, or to leave your top ten just submit a comment.