The thing is, I kind of like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. I watched episode 7 last night and while yes, this show has problems, it's not that bad.
I have to be real here and say I haven't seen all of the Marvel shows. I watched the Netflix series up to The Defenders. I watched bits of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I tried and failed with Agent Carter and The Inhumans. I didn't bother with Runaways, Cloak and Dagger and Helstrom. I probably won't bother with Adventure Into Fear either.
As far as the Marvel Studios shows go, I enjoyed Wandavision the most. I thought the ending of that show was weak, but it was a good setup for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, which should have, in my opinion, featured Scarlet Witch instead of Doctor Strange.
I couldn't get into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Moon Knight. I still think Loki is terrible. Hawkeye bored me, and I've only seen parts of What If...? I might see Ms. Marvel, but then again I might not. I loved the comic book series, and I'm worried the show will ruin my memories of the comic.
And She-Hulk? I grew up reading those comics, but I haven't read any of them since I was little. I was fascinated by the Hulk, and those She-Hulk comics were often a nice sidestep into other aspects of an evolving process of hulkification.
(Whatever that means.)
But yeah, I kind of like She-Hulk. It's very dumb, but for all its dumbness it's entertaining. Tatiana Maslany is a great actress, and despite plot holes and other problems with the writing she remains convincing as both Jennifer Walters and She-Hulk. Is the CGI in the show awesome? NOPE, but I will say that the CGI in episode 7 looks better, and that moment where Jennifer is at Blonsky's retreat struggling with the dichotomy between Jen and She-Hulk really sold the character for me.
No, I don't know why she didn't just turn into She-Hulk, jump a few miles away and get better cellphone service, and no, I don't know why her car getting smashed was such a monumental problem, but that moment in the group made the show very relatable, and it's a better moment than the best moments in many other Marvel shows.
Which is not to say that the pacing in this show isn't an issue. Whoever's writing the scripts seems to be in a godawful rush to get to each episode's conclusion, almost as if they either didn't know how to reach that conclusion or they didn't want to be writing the script in the first place. The actors involved are game enough, and the rom-com vibe could have worked, but this show really needs to slow down. That big, season-ending conclusion needs to be earned.
I just hope they tap the brakes for the last two episodes. No need to have some world-ending villain appear out of nowhere. She-Hulk's struggle can remain a personal one, and bringing in some ridiculous bad guy so close to the end of the series will probably do more harm than good.
For what it's worth I'd like to see more of She-Hulk in a feature film. With better CGI Tatiana Maslany can easily carry the role, and this is one instance where a character's diversity really will make a cinematic universe both more inclusive and more interesting.
Fun Fact 1: They wanted to include She-Hulk in The Death of the Incredible Hulk TV movie, way back in 1990.
Fun Fact 2: Later still New World Pictures planned on making a She-Hulk movie, with Brigitte Nielsen as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk. There are photos here.
Sad Reflection: And what about Marvel's other (more) interesting female superheroine? What about Spider-Woman? You'd think Sony would make a Spider-Woman film a priority, but no, no plans for Jessica Drew as yet. Maybe they're doing us a favor?
Update: After writing this I watched the first episode of Ms. Marvel and the first three episodes of the Netflix Punisher series. Ms. Marvel lost me at the end of the first episode, while that extended torture/interrogation scene in Punisher just started to seem ridiculous. I'll definitely watch the remaining two episodes of She-Hulk, but I'm not sure about Ms. Marvel and Punisher.
I don't know about where YOU live, but where I live it'll be 6 more days (next week Wednesday) until I can finally see the third Avengers movie. I doubt I'll make the first showing (gotta work), but I'm determined to see the earliest showing possible. To recap, what are the films in the MCU so far? They are: 1. Iron Man 2. The Incredible Hulk 3. Iron Man 2 4. Thor 5. Captain America: The First Avenger 6. The Avengers 7. Iron Man 3 8. Thor: The Dark World 9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier 10. Guardians of the Galaxy 11. Avengers: Age of Ultron 12. Ant-Man 13. Captain America: Civil War 14. Doctor Strange 15. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 16. Spider-Man: Homecoming 17. Thor: Ragnarok 18. Black Panther ...and I compiled that list from memory, with only one mistake. Excluding Black Panther, which I don't believe is available on DVD yet, I've seen all of the above movies at least two times. Some of them, like the first Iron Man and The Avengers, I've seen at least FIVE times. I still think the first Iron Man is the gold standard of the MCU, not only because it was first, but also because it's an excellently put together movie. The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: the Winter Soldier, and Spider-Man: Homecoming are other personal favorites. My least favorite MCU movies are probably Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which I've never felt much connection to. I've vented on the subject of Thor: Ragnarokelsewhere, so I'll leave it alone for now.
Going into Avengers: Infinity War, what am I expecting? Well for one thing, I expect that Thanos is going to be a disappointing villain. If you've read Starlin's Infinity War comics, you'll know that he's basically just a(nother) big purple bad guy with an ill-defined goal. I'm sure the Russos did their level-headed best to give him more depth, but with a two-hour runtime and a movie crammed full of characters I doubt there's much they could do. If they prove me wrong, I'll be happy. The criticism that the MCU has a "villain problem" is, I think, justified. Of all the MCU films so far, the only villains I've really enjoyed were Abomination, Loki, the Winter Soldier, and the Vulture. The Red Skull was completely two-dimensional, but it worked for the type of propagandistic movie he was in. Ultron was, in my opinion, the biggest wasted opportunity. I'm really hoping they do something more with Thanos, but giving him adequate time to develop would seem to imply a "scaling down" of this movie. There's also the idea that one or more of the MCU's main characters will die during Infinity War. Iron Man? Captain America? Hawkeye? Drax? If I could pick a character to kill off it would be Black Widow, because I find her extremely irritating. I'm betting that it's Iron Man, Captain America, or both. We already know that Captain America will be in Avengers 4, but he might just be appearing in flashbacks. If nothing else, the special effects should be great. Marvel Studios has spent a ton of money on this movie, and the previews seem to indicate new levels of citywide carnage. I'm hoping they don't set too much of the movie on Earth and/or in Wakanda. This movie should be bigger than that, with characters moving across galaxies. In a real world context, there's the issue of representation. Marvel is of course feeling the unparalleled success of Black Panther, and the characters and places from that movie might carry a weight in Infinity War that they ought not to have. I'm guessing they'll go light on Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, and Hulk, and heavy on Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, and Black Panther. Don't get me wrong, Black Panther has always been a favorite of mine, but I don't think he should be front and center against Thanos. What's he going to do? Scratch Thanos to death? Hopefully Infinity War will feel like the end of a chapter in the MCU, and not just a lead-in to Avengers 4. If Marvel's smart, they'll know we've been waiting since 2008 for this to happen, and that anything less than a grand finale's going to disappoint a great many people. Killing off Hawkeye or Vision isn't going to be enough. This one has to hurt. Whatever they do, I'm hoping it's a well crafted story without too many plot holes. Of course when dealing with purple giants and Asgardian gods there are bound to be plot holes, but I hope they aren't glaringly large. If they get the characters right - and I have every reason to believe they will - and if the actions of these characters make sense, I'll be happy. Oh, and having Deadpool show up at the end would be nice. Not that I'm holding my breath.
It looks like Disney's going to buy Fox - or at least part of Fox - which means - if this whole deal is completed to everyone's satisfaction - that the X-men, the Fantastic Four, and whoever else will be returning to Marvel.
This is pretty good news. Not that I have too much of an opinion about it, but just the same I'd LOVE to see the Fantastic Four done right. I don't really have a big problem with the Tim Story movies - aside from the fact that they ruined Galactus - but the idea of Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm (not to mention the Silver Surfer!) showing up in a Marvel movie has me excited.
If you don't follow comics that much (and how many do lately?), a lot of the seminal Marvel stories feature one or more members of the Fantastic Four. Marvel has thus far avoided including references to them in movies like Civil War and the upcoming Infinity War, but it's great that they (probably) won't have to dance around this particular loophole in the future. Anyone who knows comics will be glad at the thought of Ben Grimm facing off against the Hulk, or of Reed Richards causing trouble for Tony Stark, or of the potential cuckolding Reed faces at the hands of whoever wants to bang Susan Storm. I don't regard the Human Torch as being quite so essential to any comic book saga, but sure, he's great too.
And the X-men? They're a thornier problem, though of course I'd love it if Marvel took another crack at their origin story. It's not that First Class wasn't an excellent movie, I just think Marvel would have a lot to add to that story as well. FINALLY we can admit that yes, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are Magneto's children, and FINALLY a studio can approach the X-men's origins without worrying overmuch about copyright infringement.
But the downside to all of this is the (possible) inclusion of mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while I don't think that Kevin Feige is in a hurry to "water down" what Marvel has painstakingly built, the idea of combining the X-men and the Avengers at some point is going to be a powerful temptation.
The trouble being that if you have this group of people who get their powers from a mutant gene, then the non-mutants don't seem so remarkable. Is Hulk cool when you have a Juggernaut? Is Captain America cool when you have Wolverine? Certainly seeing these characters on screen together is something that we all want on some level, but even in the comics Marvel is very, VERY careful about how (and how often) they do it. You don't see Spider-man popping up that often in the pages of X-men. You don't see Professor X hanging out that much with Doctor Strange. Sure, these things happen, but the better writers know that when it comes to combining these properties, less is definitely more.
Not that I wouldn't love to see Deadpool make fun of the Avengers. But he could do that in "his own" movie, and it wouldn't fracture the integrity of the MCU too much. And yes, seeing Wolverine as an Avenger would be great, but if the cost is mixing too many mutants and non-mutants together then I'd rather they avoided it.
It is fun to think about though. If this deal goes through, the future of both the MCU and the X-men cinematic universe is wide open. A Dark Phoenix Saga featuring the entire MCU? That would definitely beat the hell out of whatever Fox is making now.
The Men in Black films have been left off this list, even though the characters are now the property of Marvel Comics. The original comic books were not published by Marvel, and this is the reason I left them off this list. I have also omitted Stamp Day for Superman,
which was produced by the US Government, and cannot be classified as a
feature film. There are also a few "DC imprint films" (Road to Perdition, A History of Violence, Stardust, The Losers, Gen 13, RED, and RED 2 that are not here for various reasons.
Dr. Strange (1978) and Fantastic Four (1994) are not here either. The former is a TV pilot, and never saw theatrical release, and the latter was only made to retain the rights to the characters.
And there are also the "novelty" superhero films, such as 3 Dev Adam, "Indian Superman," and "Italian Spider-Man." These movies are/were
exercises in copyright infringement, and never saw theatrical release
outside of their countries of origin. Many of these films are good for a
few laughs, and can be seen in part or in their entirety on YouTube.
****
Excellent!Had to see it twice!
***
Good movie with a few flaws.
**
Not bad, but not great.
*
I’d watch it once if I was bored enough.
[no stars]
Just terrible.
@
So bad it’s kind of good.
1950s, 1960s, 1970s
1. Superman and the Mole Men (1951) *
You
can watch this whole movie on YouTube. It is, by some accounts at
least, the first feature film featuring a DC or Marvel superhero.
2. Batman (1966) @
You
can also watch this one on YouTube. I've read that at the time this
came out, the two stars of the show were banging just about anything in a
skirt. Good times!
3. Superman (1978) ****
This
film is classic, and is STILL one of the best superhero films ever
made! The scene where Lois "dies" really freaked me out when I was a
kid.
1980s
5. Superman 2 (1980) ****
This
one might be even better than the first Superman. Terrence Stamp was
fantastic as General Zod, the plot was well thought out, and many scenes
in this movie are iconic. See it if you haven't already.
6. Swamp Thing (1982) **
Wes Craven directed this before he rose to fame with A Nightmare on Elm Street. As a child it was one of my favorite films, though I can't say I like it quite as much now. Adrienne Barbeau was HOT.
7. Superman 3 (1983) **
Not
quite as good as the first two Superman films. Also quite jokey, but
Richard Pryor was in it, so what could you expect? Gotta love the "bad
Superman" sequence.
8. Supergirl (1984) @
Supergirl,
one of several kryptonians who survived the destruction of Krypton by
fleeing to "inner space," does battle with an evil sorceress. The
actress that plays Supergirl is hot, but this movie makes almost no
sense from beginning to end.
9. Howard the Duck (1986) @
I
must confess that the shot of Leah Thompson in her panties gave me one
of my first hard-ons, way back when I was 11 years old. This movie is
so awful that it demands your attention.
10. Superman 4: The Quest for Peace (1987) **
A
lot of people like to go on about how terrible this one is, but it's
not really trying to be a good film in the first place. Christopher
Reeve takes his last run at being Superman, and the whole thing is
predictably silly. Would have been cooler if "Nuclear Man" had been
Firestorm.
11. Batman (1989) **
Tim
Burton's 1989 movie phenomenon. This is the movie that revived the
genre after years of stagnation. Pretty slow compared to more recent
films, but a lot more like Bob Kane's original Batman comics. In some
ways, Michael Keaton is still my favorite Batman. Fun Trivia: for the
three weeks Jack Nicholson spent filming his scenes as the Joker he
earned $6 million, in addition to a percentage of the box office gross,
which amounted to something between $60 and $90 million!
12. The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) **
A
surprisingly watchable movie. More humorous than the first one, and
Swamp Thing looks less rubbery. It's too bad they never made a third
one, because the run Alan Moore did on the comic book would have
produced some really trippy movies. Fun Trivia #1: Heather Locklear is
in this. Fun Trivia #2: The actress that played Faora in Superman II is Dr. Arcane's mistress.
13. The Punisher (1989) **
This
is the Dolph Lundgren version. It is on a lot of "worst of" lists, but
I think that in many ways it is closer in spirit to the original
Punisher comics. Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination,
but not that bad either.
1990s
14. Captain America (1990)
This movie almost
arrived in theaters, until the studio responsible realized how awful it
was. It makes little sense, it's surprisingly boring in parts, and the
Red Skull bears an unfortunate resemblance to Skeletor from 1987's Masters of the Universe.
15. Batman Returns (1992) *
This
didn't seem so much a movie as an excuse for a toy line. By 1992 I was
already sick of Tim Burton and his quirkiness, and this movie did
nothing to change my opinion of him. Yeah, Michelle Pfeiffer was a damn
sexy Catwoman, but that fact alone did not save this film.
17. Batman Forever (1995) *
This
is where Joel Schumacher stepped into the Batman franchise, and the
results are unsuprising. It's a shiny, pretty movie star world that
proves unbearably dull. It would have been bad enough, but Jim Carrey's
overacting makes it so much worse. Fun Trivia #1: Bruce Wayne breaks a
henchman's neck after Two-Face disrupts the circus. Fun Trivia #2:
During a subsequent discussion, Wayne mentions to Dick Grayson/Robin
that "The circus must be halfway to Metropolis by now." Fun Trivia #3:
Jon Favreau, who would go on to direct both Iron Man and Iron Man 2, is
in this movie for about a second.
18. Batman and Robin (1997)
Gluttons
for punishment would have seen this in the theater. I was probably
next door, watching a better film. Seeing the apocalyptic performance
Arnold Schwarzenegger gives as Mr. Freeze, one marvels that BatmanBegins ever got made at all.
19. Steel (1997)
Shaq
plays John Henry Irons, an ex-soldier who develops a suit of armor and
then sets out to rid the inner city of high tech weaponry. Some
terrifically bad puns in this movie. It was aimed at kids, and the plot
makes little sense.
20. Blade (1998) ***
Now
HERE is a good movie. Not only was Wesley Snipes super cool, but the
script was good and the direction was competent. Kris Kristofferson
also made a great sidekick. My only complaint about this one is that
the vampires just seem to "splash" out of existence. It's kind of
unsatisfying.
2000s
21. X-men (2000) *
I
have never been a big fan of the X-men, either the films or the comic
books. This movie seemed very melodramatic to me, and I think without
Hugh Jackman's performance as Wolverine this movie would have been a
complete disaster. As it is, it's forgettable. Fun Trivia: Joss
Whedon, of Avengers fame, helped write the screenplay for this movie.
22. Blade 2 (2002) ****
This
movie is classic. Blade 1 was already pretty good, but Blade 2 turned
up the volume on everything. It's super violent, super cool, and it is
the reason someone needs to unearth Wesley Snipes for Blade 4.
23. Spider-Man (2002) **
I
was as psyched as anyone else when I heard this movie was coming out.
With Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire involved, it seemed like a sure thing.
Then the Green Goblin almost ruined the movie for me. Nothing against
Willem Defoe, but that suit was ridiculous.
24. Daredevil (2003)
This
has to be one of the worst superhero movies ever. Ben Affleck didn't
have the build to play The Man Without Fear, and the plot to this movie
was a mess. Bullseye was somewhat interesting, but this movie could
have done without Elektra.
25. X2: X-men United (2003) **
I
thought this was slightly better than the first film, but still not
that great. Had Brian Singer stayed on for X-men 3 and really built
towards the Dark Phoenix saga, this would have been a better movie in
retrospect. Like the first, a bit corny.
26. Hulk (2003) ***
I
can't see this as the unqualified disaster that it is often made out to
be. This is definitely one of the more intellectual superhero movies,
and I liked the battle between The Hulk and the Absorbing Man at the
end. Could have been better, but could have been a lot worse.
27. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) *
No
wonder Alan Moore wants nothing to do with Hollywood. Movies such as
this one prove his point. This movie lacks the sense of irony that made
the comic book so good, and one wonders what the hell Sean Connery was
thinking.
28. The Punisher (2004) *
After
Dolph Lundgren, it was Thomas Jane's turn to play Frank Castle. This
movie was better than Lundgren's, but it doesn't have the darkness that
made the comic book so interesting. Jane would have gone on to play
Castle again in Punisher 2, but grew frustrated with the process
involved. Can't say that I blame him.
29. Spider-Man 2 (2004) ****
This
is one of the great ones. This movie hits the ground running, and the
whole thing flows seamlessly from beginning to end. Alfred Molina was a
revelation as Dr. Octopus, and this movie is everything the first one
wasn't.
30. Catwoman (2004) @
Halle
Berry plays Catwoman, Sharon Stone plays the villain, and Benjamin
Bratt plays the most clueless detective in the world. The DC comic book
character in name only. That scene where the cats bring Halle Berry
back to life is hilarious. So bad it's good!
31. Blade: Trinity (2004) *
What
a disappointment this one was. Blade 2 was excellent, but this third
installment was just stupid. Why would Jessica Biel start listening to
her MP3 as the vampires are attacking? Wouldn't she want to hear what
was going on? Fun Trivia: Wesley Snipes was THIS close to playing the
Black Panther in a movie adaptation of the Marvel character the same
year, but the studio felt he was too recognizable as Blade. A Black
Panther film is still in active development at Marvel Studios, and the
character is rumored to appear in the upcoming "Avengers: Age of
Ultron."
32. Constantine (2005) ***
This
oft-overlooked movie is worth your time. It might not be classic, but
it's a solidly put together film with an interesting protagonist. The
guy that plays the devil near the end is great.
33. Elektra (2005) *
Not
a terrible movie, but not that good either. Jennifer Garner stars as
Elektra, and she would have looked just like the comic book character if
she had only dyed her hair black. A watered-down version of everyone's
favorite female ninja assassin. 34. Batman Begins (2005) ****
Hell yes. This
was a movie Batman as we always wanted to see him. Not the neurotic guy
with all the gadgets, but the kind of guy who could kick your ass. The
scarecrow is awesome here. 35. Fantastic Four (2005) ***
Any movie
featuring Jessica Alba in a skin-tight costume is going to have my
attention. The Thing looks kind of rubbery, but Tim Story did a good
job with the material. The battle at the end reminds you of the better
FF comics.
36. Man-Thing (2005)
Low
budget horror movie in which environmentalists square off against an
evil petroleum company. Man-thing doesn't appear until the movie's
halfway over. This film was shot in Australia, and many of the actors'
accents are less than convincing. A real chore to sit through.
37. V for Vendetta (2005) ***
Great
film, made by the Wachowskis of Matrix fame. Hugo Weaving is
fantastic, and even if they dumbed down the source material it's still
worth your time. 38. X-men: The Last Stand (2006)
Unspeakably
bad. This movie makes you feel sorry for Hugh Jackman. Not only did
this film almost destroy the franchise, but it also butchers one of the
classic runs in the comic book. Fun Trivia: this film was based on a
comic book story written by Joss Whedon, with elements of The Dark
Phoenix Saga added on.
39. Superman Returns (2006) **
Not
as bad as some people make it out to be. Yeah, Superman does come off
as a stalker, and I don't know why they had to do so many of his flying
scenes in CGI, but the part where Kevin Spacy and co. deliver a beatdown
is excellent.
40. Ghost Rider (2007)
Ghost
Rider STILL deserves a better movie. Nicholas Cage is annoying
throughout, and I have the feeling they were trying too hard to make
this movie kid-friendly. Peter Fonda couldn't have been less
threatening as Mephisto.
41. Spider-Man 3 (2007) **
If
they had just cut Venom out of this movie it would have been a good
film. As it is, Venom contributes almost nothing to the plot, and one
gets the feeling that he was added as an afterthought. Not terrible,
but not that good either.
42. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) **
There
are people who hate this movie, but I don't have any problem with it.
Galactus could have looked a lot cooler, and the movie stumbles near the
end, but again there is Jessica Alba.
43. Iron Man (2008) ****
After Batman Begins, this is the other movie that reinvigorated the genre. Where Batman Begins
was dark, this one was funny. Where Batman is driven, Tony Stark is
brilliantly conflicted. It is everything that Nolan's movie wasn't, and
that's why it works.
44. The Incredible Hulk (2008) ****
This movie was sidelined by the overwhelming success of Iron Man,
but I loved it. I loved Edward Norton's take on the character, I loved
the script he wrote for the film, and I loved the Greco-Roman take on
The Hulk. My only complaint is that he let The Abomination live at the
end. I found this hard to believe.
45. The Dark Knight (2008) ****
Still hands-down the best superhero movie ever made. And yes, I liked The Avengers.
The plot is complex, the performances are amazing, and the direction is
first-rate. How could Nolan have ever topped this one? 46. Punisher: War Zone (2008) *
A more violent
take on Frank Castle. It's a solid film, but maybe a little too
depressing for its own good. I consider it an improvement on the first.
47. The Spirit (2008)
Fuck this movie is bad. I saw Sin City so many times I had the lines memorized, and with The Spirit I
was hoping for something similarly classic. Unfortunately, Frank
Miller isn't quite as good in the absence of Robert
Rodriguez.
48. Watchmen (2009) ***
Two
problems with this movie: the actors are too pretty, and way too much
kung fu fighting. Aside from these two problems, it is faithful to the
comic book and works on many levels. Snyder might have bungled Sucker Punch, but this movie gave me hope for Man of Steel. 49. X-men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
This movie is standard popcorn fare, much along the lines of Ghost Rider.
Hugh Jackman goes through the motions, an attempt to bring Deadpool and
Gambit into the mix is handled badly, and by the end you're thankful
that it's not as dreadful as X3.
2010s
50. Iron Man 2 (2010) ***
I
liked this almost as much as the first one. Downey Jr. is given even
better one-liners in this film, and Mickey Rourke characteristically
chews the scenery. Sam Rockwell is also great as Justin Hammer, and my
only complaint is that Don Cheadle isn't given enough to do.
51. Kick-Ass (2010) **
I have friends who love this movie. I don't. I think the first half is good, but after Big Daddy dies it just gets silly - especially the jet pack. A nice warm up for The Amazing Spider-Man, however.
52. Jonah Hex (2010) *
Josh
Brolin stars as an ex-confederate soldier who can talk to dead people.
John Malkovich is the villain. It was almost a good movie, but the
soundtrack ruins the better moments and it gets pretty corny near the
end.
53. Thor (2011) *
Considering
how hard it must have been to adapt Thor to the big screen, I would
consider this movie a success. Still, compared to other movies Marvel
Studios has made, I think this is the weakest one. I've never been a
big fan of Kenneth Branagh. 54. X-men: First Class (2011) **
Michael
Fassbender makes this movie. Forgive the pun, but he is positively
magnetic as Magneto. I thought the end was weak, but it's still miles
ahead of the first three films.
55. Green Lantern (2011)
The
movie had everything going for it. I'm not even a big fan of Green
Lantern, but when I heard about the director and the cast I got really
excited. Unfortunately the road to Green Lantern is paved with good
intentions. 56. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) ***
I would rank this fifth among the Marvel movies, behind The Avengers, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor: The Dark World. It might seem a bit slow for some people, but the mixture of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark really worked for me. 57. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)
Can't bring myself to either rent or download this film. I can't. I just can't.
58. The Avengers (2012) ****
There
are entire websites devoted to how awesome this movie is. It's a good
film, but not one of the best. Considering how difficult it is to put
characters as diverse as Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor into the
same movie universe, this one is an unqualified triumph. I'm only sorry
the Oscorp Tower didn't make an appearance.
59. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) ***
This
is a good movie, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. Andrew
Garfield and Emma Stone have some terrific chemistry, and it's a solid
effort. The Lizard is a bit too Hulk-like for my taste, but this is a
vast improvement over Spider-Man 3.
60. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) **
This
movie just bored me. It's over three hours long, and Bane is
unintentionally hilarious at times. Anne Hathaway makes a great
Catwoman, but that's all I can say in favor of this film.
61. Iron Man 3 (2013) *
I
was super excited about this movie, but walked away from it
disappointed. It starts out well, but neither of the villains are very
compelling, and the stunt work is too over the top. My biggest
complaint is the ending, which gives us a Tony Stark who no longer has
any reason to be Iron Man.
62. Man of Steel (2013) **
Half
of a great movie, and half of a Michael Bay movie. It starts out well,
even though some of the details surrounding Krypton don't bear thinking
about. Henry Cavill is a great Superman, but Zack Snyder was trying
too hard to please too large an audience.
63. Kick-Ass 2 (2013) **
It's not a great movie, but it's not bad. There are some funny scenes in this one, but it could have been a lot better.
64. The Wolverine (2013) **
I
had high hopes for this one, but it wasn't all that good. It's
certainly much better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine and all the other
X-Men films, but that's not saying all that much.
65. Thor: The Dark World (2013) ***
This
was a great movie. I didn't love the first Thor, but this one was a
vast improvement. Reminded me a lot of the Walt Simonson run on the
comic book. Hoping to see Beta Ray Bill in Thor 3!
66. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) **1/2
Steve
Rogers struggles with the modern world and his role in S.H.I.E.L.D.
After encountering the Winter Soldier, he has even more reasons to doubt
the nobility of certain causes. A very topical movie, with some great
action sequences. Didn't like it as much as Thor: The Dark World, but
it was well done.
67. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) **1/2
Too
much CGI, but some great performances from Andrew Garfield and Emma
Stone. I liked this movie more than "Captain America: The Winter
Soldier," though the action sequences in Cap were better. This film has
more dramatic tension, better ensemble performances, and more heart.
Looking forward to the third film!
68. X-men: Days of Future Past (2014) ***1/2
A
surprisingly good movie. As mutantkind faces extinction, Wolverine
journeys into the past to change the future. Excellent performances,
and one of the most emotionally resonant superhero films to
come along in quite a while.
69. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) **
A
good movie, though it features too many characters for its own good.
Humor holds the film together, and makes some of the less plausible plot
elements seem more plausible. As with many other recent films from
Marvel Studios, seems less inspired than calculated. Maybe the second
one will be better?
70. The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)***1/2
I can't say it's flawless, but I did like it much better than the first Avengers. It's less talky than the first film, and the battle between Hulk and the Hulkbuster is truly awesome. Quicksilver seemed a bit underused, and I would have liked to see more of the Vision, but it's still a great movie.
On the Way
I'm leaving Sony's Spider-man films off this list. With the recent deal
between Sony and Marvel Studios, the future of this franchise seems
very uncertain. Marvel's take on Spider-man will probably appear in
Captain America: Civil War, plans for a solo film are definitely in the
works, but it's too early to say when the next Spider-man film will hit
theaters.
71. Ant-Man (2015)
This movie has been "in
development" for something like forever. Paul Rudd is featured as
Ant-Man, and Michael Douglas plays his mentor. This movie concludes Phase Two of Marvel's cinematic universe.
72. Fantastic Four (2015)
Josh
Trank directs a cast of relative unknowns in this newest interpretation
of Marvel's first family. This film will be more scientific in tone,
and instead of traveling into outer space Reed Richards and co. travel
into another dimension. The trailer looks pretty good.
73. Deadpool (2015)
Everyone's
favorite wisecracking mutant mercenary gets his own movie. Deadpool
(as played by Ryan Reynolds) appeared in X-men Origins: Wolverine, but
this will be a soft reboot of the character. Reynolds was born to play
Deadpool, and this R-rated take on the character looks good so far.
74. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Henry
Cavill will reprise his role as Superman, Ben Affleck is Batman, Gal
Gadot is Wonder Woman, some guy I've never heard of is Cyborg, and Jason
Momoa will appear as Aquaman. Warner Bros. has constructed some very
ambitious plans around this film. We'll see if it works out.
75. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
More
of a sequel to X-men: First Class, this film will focus on the origin
of the mutants. Apocalypse was always one of my favorite X-men
villains. This film will take place in 1983, and will hopefully also feature Cable.
76. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain
America and Iron Man face off over the superhuman registration act.
Marvel has already stated that the Black Panther will appear in this
film, and there will certainly be a host of other superheroes on hand.
Rumor has it that Marvel's version of Spider-man will also make an
appearance.
77. Suicide Squad (2016)
Hell
yes Suicide Squad. As with Deadpool, this could be a great film if
they don't water it down too much. Will Smith will star as Deadshot,
Margot Robbie is Harley Quinn, and Jared Leto plays the Joker. David
Ayer is set to direct, and I'm thinking this one will be pretty good.
78. Doctor Strange (2016)
All
I can say is... finally! I've been waiting for this movie for so
long. Scott Derrickson is directing, and Benedict Cumberbatch will star as Stephen Strange.
79. Gambit (2016)
Channing Tatum will star as Gambit. This one is straight out of left field, and there are few details available.
80. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
Who
would have thought the first Guardians of the Galaxy would be such a
success? And who would have thought that a sequel would be on the way
so soon? Most of the original cast and crew will probably return for
this film.
81. Third Wolverine Film (2017)
Hugh
Jackman and director James Mangold should be returning. Hopefully they
can improve upon The Wolverine, which wasn't the stylistic triumph I
hoped it would be.
82. Fantastic Four 2 (2017)
No idea. Details on the upcoming reboot are hard enough to come by, and this movie is a complete mystery.
83. Justice League Part 1 (2017)
Having
set up the general premise in Batman v. Superman, Warner Bros. will
introduce this superhero team to the big screen. Confirmed
members are Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Aquaman. The
Flash and Green Lantern also seem likely.
84. Wonder Woman (2017)
Likely contingent upon the success of
Batman v. Superman. To me the idea of this movie is a no-brainer - a
female superhero(ine) with a great back story. Hopefully Warner Bros.
finds the right director.
85. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
We'll
probably see Surtur in this one. I'm thinking this could be the movie
that really sets Thor apart. The first Thor film wasn't very good, the
second one was much better, and this one might just be great.
86. The Black Panther (2017)
Chadwick
Boseman will play the Black Panther. I think it's safe to say that
elements of his backstory will appear in the upcoming Avengers: Age of
Ultron. Nothing else is known about this movie at this time.
87. The Flash (2018)
Ezra Miller will play the Flash. No other details available.
88. The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (2018)
It
was bound to happen. Thanos will be the villain, and his quest for the
infinity gems (stones) will probably cause Earth's mightiest heroes a
great deal of misery.
89. Captain Marvel (2018)
A female-centered superhero film, even if it's a year after the proposed female-centric films by both Sony and Warner Bros.
90. Aquaman (2018)
Jason Momoa will play Aquaman. No other details available.
91. Inhumans (2018)
It's
kind of hard to imagine the Inhumans in the absence of the Fantastic
Four, but I'm sure Marvel will figure out a way to make it work.
92. Shazam (2019)
The
Rock (OK, Dwayne Johnson) has already been cast as Black Adam. Word is
that this film will exist outside the main DC cinematic continuity.
93. The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 (2019)
I would hazard a guess that this is going to turn up the volume on EVERYTHING.
94. Justice League Part 2 (2019)
So
not only are we getting the second Avengers film, but we're also
getting a second Justice League film in the same year. It boggles the
mind.
95. Cyborg (2020)
Ray Fisher has already been cast as Cyborg. I imagine he'll turn up much earlier in the Batman v. Superman film.
96. Green Lantern (2020)
A reboot of the character. No other details available.
Between 2015 and 2020 there will be TWENTY NINE new superhero movies released between the four major studios. That averages out to five or six a year! Some of these movies, like Ant-Man, have been in the works for some time. Others, like Captain Marvel, were only announced last week. In the 80s, even a movie version of Batman was scoffed at, and in the next few years a host of second and even third string comic book characters will be getting their own, big budget adaptations. More sobering is the fact that by 2020, when Green Lantern and Cyborg finally hit theaters, I'll be 45 years old. It almost makes me glad that Marvel, Sony, Fox, and Warner Bros. didn't announce MORE movies. For some strange reason, I just don't want to know which superhero hits the screen on my seventieth birthday. I've divided these films into three categories: Might See It, Probably See It, and Gotta See It. I'll start with the movies I'm least interested in, and work my way up from there.
Might See It
27. The Amazing Spider-Man 3 (2018) I have almost no interest in seeing this film. Andrew Garfield is a great Spider-man, but they really need to do something different with this franchise. As it is, I almost feel like I've seen this movie already. By the time this comes out, we will have seen SEVEN Spider-man universe films, and unless they start taking some chances with the franchise, I doubt we'll see much of interest in the third Amazing Spider-man. 26. The Sinister Six (2016) This will be the sequel to The Amazing Spider-man 2, which was by all accounts an exceedingly average movie. None of the villains in Amazing Spider-man 1 or 2 were especially compelling, though perhaps Chris Cooper will have the opportunity to add some much needed gravity to this film. If I hear that Venom is in this I'll be more excited about it. 25. Captain Marvel (2018) I don't understand why Marvel fans have been clamoring for this character. I've read some of the Captain Marvel comics, and I don't see what the excitement is about. It's possible that after I hear about directors, cast, and so forth I'll be more interested in this film, but the character by herself does almost nothing for me. 24. Inhumans (2018) The Inhumans have never been interesting comic book characters, but I have the feeling that Marvel is going to alter these characters to make them fit into its cinematic universe. There are certainly some possibilities in the idea of a "sleeper cell" of superhumans, present throughout much of human history. As with Captain Marvel, I'm waiting to hear more about it. 23. Third Wolverine Film (2017) It will probably be OK. I saw both X-men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine on DVD, and I doubt I'll go out of my way to see this one in the theater. How old will Hugh Jackman be in 2017? If he keeps this up he's likely to break a hip! 22. Green Lantern (2020) The Green Lantern is rarely an interesting comic book character, though I liked what Darwin Cooke did with him in DC's "The New Frontier." I think that limiting his powers is crucial if this is going to be an interesting movie. The Ryan Reynolds version was a bit too godlike for my taste. 21. Justice League Parts 1 and 2 (2017 and 2019) I am skeptical about both of these films, but I'll be happy to change my tune after Batman v. Superman comes out. If Batman v. Superman is good, then I'll be much more optimistic about Justice League. However good Batman v. Superman is, however, it will still be directed by Zack Snyder. 20. Ant-Man (2015) I like Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, but I've never liked Ant-Man (or DC's The Atom, for that matter). It will probably be a decent movie, but I doubt that it will blow my mind. If it's more comedic that might be a good thing. 19. Fantastic Four 2 (2017) I'm ranking this low because I know almost nothing about the Fantastic Four reboot, due out next year. Fox has been VERY quiet about this film, and if that movie tanks this might not even get made.
Probably See It
18. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017) Call me crazy, but I didn't think Guardians of the Galaxy was all that great. Yeah, it was kind of funny (chuckles, not belly laughs), but along the way they burdened the movie with too many characters, and also decided to throw physics out the window. It will probably be a decent film, but I'm not dying to see it. 17. Fantastic Four (2015) I like that Simon Kinberg wrote the script. I also like that it will be more "scientific" in tone. I just wonder why we haven't heard more about this film. It is, after all, due out next year. Josh Trank is a good director, but none of the cast members have me intrigued. Kate Mara isn't half as hot as Jessica Alba, and Michael B. Jordan isn't half the actor that Chris Evans turned out to be. 16. Deadpool (2016) I'm hoping that this is the movie that makes us forget about Green Lantern. Deadpool is a great character, and they could have a lot of fun with this one. The "test reel" shows a lot of promise, and Fox seems to know what it's doing with the X-men characters. Could be very good. 15. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Good: Academy Award-winner Chris Terrio is writing the script. Bad: Zack Snyder is directing, and Wonder Woman's costume looks terrible. I'd give this movie a 50/50 chance, but of course like everyone else I've got to see it. If this movie is good, DC/Warner Bros. has it made. If this movie is bad, DC's cinematic universe could be in trouble. 14. "Female Spider-Man Universe Film" (2017) I'm only ranking this so high because it might be a Spider-Woman film. Of course I would rather that Sony DIDN'T make a Spider-Woman film, and left this character to Marvel, but I'll take whatever I can get. Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew has always been one of my favorite comic book characters, and I'd love to see her on the big screen. If this movie turns out to be Black Cat, then I'll wait for DVD. 13. The Avengers: Infinity War Parts 1 and 2 (2018 and 2019) I'm just wondering how Marvel is going to do justice to the Infinity Gauntlet storyline in cinematic form. Yes, this will be two movies, but then again that storyline spans the galaxy, if not the entire universe! It could be amazing, or it could be numbing. I guess we'll see in 2018. 12. Aquaman (2018) I've always liked Aquaman, and Jason Momoa should be terrific in the part. I have the feeling he'll be appearing in Batman v. Superman, Justice League, or both, so I'll probably have more of an opinion on the enterprise in 2017. As it is, Aquaman could be an interesting film. 11. Cyborg (2020) I'd be equally happy with a Deathlok movie, but in this respect DC beat Marvel to the punch. I'm glad we'll be seeing more superheroes of color, and Cyborg could be good. He'll be in Batman v. Superman, so I'll have a stronger opinion after I see that. 10. Shazam (2019) When I was little Shazam (a.k.a. Captain Marvel) was one of my favorite characters. The Rock will make an excellent Black Adam, and I have the feeling that this movie will be a winner for Warner Bros. Having Dwayne Johnson on board is a good sign. 9. Wonder Woman (2017) No, I'm not a fan of Gal Godot, but I've wanted to see a Wonder Woman film for a long time. Ideally they will have recast Wonder Woman by the time this film enters production, but I'm not holding my breath. Wonder Woman has a great backstory, and she is one of the most unique comic book characters ever.
Gotta See It
8. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
I know a lot of people are down on Thor: The Dark World, but I liked that movie. I am a big fan of Walt Simonson's run on The Mighty Thor, and The Dark World more closely resembled that version of the character. With Thor: Ragnarok they have an opportunity to even more closely approach that kind of Thor, and I look forward to seeing Surtur, one of the great Marvel villains, on the screen. 7. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
In the third Captain America we'll see Cap and Iron Man take sides over the superhuman registration act. The Black Panther will also appear in this movie. As a comic book event, I felt that Civil War was a bit over-hyped, but it's a compelling idea nevertheless. And who knows? Maybe Marvel will have the rights back to Spider-man by the time this enters production! 6. X-men: Apocalypse (2016)
I thought X-men: Days of Future Past was a great movie, and I look forward to more of the same from X-men: Apocalypse. Like Surtur, the Red Skull, or Ultron, Apocalypse is one of the all-time great Marvel villains, and this movie should be quite a spectacle. Hoping I'll see Cable in this film as well. 5. Suicide Squad (2016)
This is one movie that should be kid-unfriendly. If you're not familiar with the comic book, the Suicide Squad are a group of supervillains coerced into working for the government. I realize that Sony is trying a similar thing with its Sinister Six film, but most of Spider-man's foes aren't half as colorful as some of those found in the DC universe. Putting the Joker in this movie would be an excellent (and lucrative) decision. 4. The Flash (2018)
The Flash has always been my favorite superhero, and I'm hoping to see a movie that does the character justice. I've been watching the TV show, and while it's good it's not as good as a Flash movie could be. If I was writing the script, I'd be going for either "Flash of Two Worlds" (Jay Garrick!) or something that involves the Reverse Flash killing Barry's wife/fiancee in the first act. 3. The Black Panther (2017)
Chadwick Boseman, the actor already cast as the Black Panther, is excellent. If you don't believe me, check out the James Brown biopic "Get on Up." A movie like this could really put the Marvel cinematic universe into an international context, and it will be great to finally see a black superhero (aside from Blade). I'm hoping that the Wakanda of this film really mirrors the struggles and successes of modern Africa. 2. Doctor Strange (2016)
Doctor Strange? Yes, Doctor Strange. I've been wanting a Doctor Strange movie since forever. Kevin Feige has spoken of incorporating some quantum theories/parallel dimensions into this film, and that gets me excited. A Doctor Strange movie, if done right, could really mess with people's minds - in a good way. 1. The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) The preview for this movie is above. This is the only movie listed here that has a preview as yet. As much as I liked The Avengers, I am even more anxious to see this film. Ultron is their greatest villain, and this movie won't have the burden of explaining how all these heroes met each other in the first place. Should be excellent.
The Men in Black films have been left off this list, even though the characters are now the property of Marvel Comics. The original comic books were not published by Marvel, and this is the reason I left them off this list. I have also omitted Stamp Day for Superman,
which was produced by the US Government, and cannot be classified as a
feature film. There are also a few "DC imprint films" (Road to Perdition, A History of Violence, Stardust, The Losers, Gen 13, RED, and RED 2 that are not here for various reasons.
Dr. Strange (1978) and Fantastic Four (1994) are not here either. The former is a TV pilot, and never saw theatrical release, and the latter was only made to retain the rights to the characters.
And there are also the "novelty" superhero films, such as 3 Dev Adam, "Indian Superman," and "Italian Spider-Man." These movies are/were
exercises in copyright infringement, and never saw theatrical release
outside of their countries of origin. Many of these films are good for a
few laughs, and can be seen in part or in their entirety on YouTube.
****
Excellent!Had to see it twice!
***
Good movie with a few flaws.
**
Not bad, but not great.
*
I’d watch it once if I was bored enough.
[no stars]
Just terrible.
@
So bad it’s kind of good.
1950s, 1960s, 1970s
1. Superman and the Mole Men (1951) *
You
can watch this whole movie on YouTube. It is, by some accounts at
least, the first feature film featuring a DC or Marvel superhero.
2. Batman (1966) @
You
can also watch this one on YouTube. I've read that at the time this
came out, the two stars of the show were banging just about anything in a
skirt. Good times!
3. Superman (1978) ****
This
film is classic, and is STILL one of the best superhero films ever
made! The scene where Lois "dies" really freaked me out when I was a
kid.
1980s
5. Superman 2 (1980) ****
This
one might be even better than the first Superman. Terrence Stamp was
fantastic as General Zod, the plot was well thought out, and many scenes
in this movie are iconic. See it if you haven't already.
6. Swamp Thing (1982) **
Wes Craven directed this before he rose to fame with A Nightmare on Elm Street. As a child it was one of my favorite films, though I can't say I like it quite as much now. Adrienne Barbeau was HOT.
7. Superman 3 (1983) **
Not
quite as good as the first two Superman films. Also quite jokey, but
Richard Pryor was in it, so what could you expect? Gotta love the "bad
Superman" sequence.
8. Supergirl (1984) @
Supergirl,
one of several kryptonians who survived the destruction of Krypton by
fleeing to "inner space," does battle with an evil sorceress. The
actress that plays Supergirl is hot, but this movie makes almost no
sense from beginning to end.
9. Howard the Duck (1986) @
I
must confess that the shot of Leah Thompson in her panties gave me one
of my first hard-ons, way back when I was 11 years old. This movie is
so awful that it demands your attention.
10. Superman 4: The Quest for Peace (1987) **
A
lot of people like to go on about how terrible this one is, but it's
not really trying to be a good film in the first place. Christopher
Reeve takes his last run at being Superman, and the whole thing is
predictably silly. Would have been cooler if "Nuclear Man" had been
Firestorm.
11. Batman (1989) **
Tim
Burton's 1989 movie phenomenon. This is the movie that revived the
genre after years of stagnation. Pretty slow compared to more recent
films, but a lot more like Bob Kane's original Batman comics. In some
ways, Michael Keaton is still my favorite Batman. Fun Trivia: for the
three weeks Jack Nicholson spent filming his scenes as the Joker he
earned $6 million, in addition to a percentage of the box office gross,
which amounted to something between $60 and $90 million!
12. The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) **
A
surprisingly watchable movie. More humorous than the first one, and
Swamp Thing looks less rubbery. It's too bad they never made a third
one, because the run Alan Moore did on the comic book would have
produced some really trippy movies. Fun Trivia #1: Heather Locklear is
in this. Fun Trivia #2: The actress that played Faora in Superman II is Dr. Arcane's mistress.
13. The Punisher (1989) **
This
is the Dolph Lundgren version. It is on a lot of "worst of" lists, but
I think that in many ways it is closer in spirit to the original
Punisher comics. Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination,
but not that bad either.
1990s
14. Captain America (1990)
This movie almost
arrived in theaters, until the studio responsible realized how awful it
was. It makes little sense, it's surprisingly boring in parts, and the
Red Skull bears an unfortunate resemblance to Skeletor from 1987's Masters of the Universe.
15. Batman Returns (1992) *
This
didn't seem so much a movie as an excuse for a toy line. By 1992 I was
already sick of Tim Burton and his quirkiness, and this movie did
nothing to change my opinion of him. Yeah, Michelle Pfeiffer was a damn
sexy Catwoman, but that fact alone did not save this film.
17. Batman Forever (1995) *
This
is where Joel Schumacher stepped into the Batman franchise, and the
results are unsuprising. It's a shiny, pretty movie star world that
proves unbearably dull. It would have been bad enough, but Jim Carrey's
overacting makes it so much worse. Fun Trivia #1: Bruce Wayne breaks a
henchman's neck after Two-Face disrupts the circus. Fun Trivia #2:
During a subsequent discussion, Wayne mentions to Dick Grayson/Robin
that "The circus must be halfway to Metropolis by now." Fun Trivia #3:
Jon Favreau, who would go on to direct both Iron Man and Iron Man 2, is
in this movie for about a second.
18. Batman and Robin (1997)
Gluttons
for punishment would have seen this in the theater. I was probably
next door, watching a better film. Seeing the apocalyptic performance
Arnold Schwarzenegger gives as Mr. Freeze, one marvels that BatmanBegins ever got made at all.
19. Steel (1997)
Shaq
plays John Henry Irons, an ex-soldier who develops a suit of armor and
then sets out to rid the inner city of high tech weaponry. Some
terrifically bad puns in this movie. It was aimed at kids, and the plot
makes little sense.
20. Blade (1998) ***
Now
HERE is a good movie. Not only was Wesley Snipes super cool, but the
script was good and the direction was competent. Kris Kristofferson
also made a great sidekick. My only complaint about this one is that
the vampires just seem to "splash" out of existence. It's kind of
unsatisfying.
2000s
21. X-men (2000) *
I
have never been a big fan of the X-men, either the films or the comic
books. This movie seemed very melodramatic to me, and I think without
Hugh Jackman's performance as Wolverine this movie would have been a
complete disaster. As it is, it's forgettable. Fun Trivia: Joss
Whedon, of Avengers fame, helped write the screenplay for this movie.
22. Blade 2 (2002) ****
This
movie is classic. Blade 1 was already pretty good, but Blade 2 turned
up the volume on everything. It's super violent, super cool, and it is
the reason someone needs to unearth Wesley Snipes for Blade 4.
23. Spider-Man (2002) **
I
was as psyched as anyone else when I heard this movie was coming out.
With Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire involved, it seemed like a sure thing.
Then the Green Goblin almost ruined the movie for me. Nothing against
Willem Defoe, but that suit was ridiculous.
24. Daredevil (2003)
This
has to be one of the worst superhero movies ever. Ben Affleck didn't
have the build to play The Man Without Fear, and the plot to this movie
was a mess. Bullseye was somewhat interesting, but this movie could
have done without Elektra.
25. X2: X-men United (2003) **
I
thought this was slightly better than the first film, but still not
that great. Had Brian Singer stayed on for X-men 3 and really built
towards the Dark Phoenix saga, this would have been a better movie in
retrospect. Like the first, a bit corny.
26. Hulk (2003) ***
I
can't see this as the unqualified disaster that it is often made out to
be. This is definitely one of the more intellectual superhero movies,
and I liked the battle between The Hulk and the Absorbing Man at the
end. Could have been better, but could have been a lot worse.
27. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) *
No
wonder Alan Moore wants nothing to do with Hollywood. Movies such as
this one prove his point. This movie lacks the sense of irony that made
the comic book so good, and one wonders what the hell Sean Connery was
thinking.
28. The Punisher (2004) *
After
Dolph Lundgren, it was Thomas Jane's turn to play Frank Castle. This
movie was better than Lundgren's, but it doesn't have the darkness that
made the comic book so interesting. Jane would have gone on to play
Castle again in Punisher 2, but grew frustrated with the process
involved. Can't say that I blame him.
29. Spider-Man 2 (2004) ****
This
is one of the great ones. This movie hits the ground running, and the
whole thing flows seamlessly from beginning to end. Alfred Molina was a
revelation as Dr. Octopus, and this movie is everything the first one
wasn't.
30. Catwoman (2004) @
Halle
Berry plays Catwoman, Sharon Stone plays the villain, and Benjamin
Bratt plays the most clueless detective in the world. The DC comic book
character in name only. That scene where the cats bring Halle Berry
back to life is hilarious. So bad it's good!
31. Blade: Trinity (2004) *
What
a disappointment this one was. Blade 2 was excellent, but this third
installment was just stupid. Why would Jessica Biel start listening to
her MP3 as the vampires are attacking? Wouldn't she want to hear what
was going on? Fun Trivia: Wesley Snipes was THIS close to playing the
Black Panther in a movie adaptation of the Marvel character the same
year, but the studio felt he was too recognizable as Blade. A Black
Panther film is still in active development at Marvel Studios, and the
character is rumored to appear in the upcoming "Avengers: Age of
Ultron."
32. Constantine (2005) ***
This
oft-overlooked movie is worth your time. It might not be classic, but
it's a solidly put together film with an interesting protagonist. The
guy that plays the devil near the end is great.
33. Elektra (2005) *
Not
a terrible movie, but not that good either. Jennifer Garner stars as
Elektra, and she would have looked just like the comic book character if
she had only dyed her hair black. A watered-down version of everyone's
favorite female ninja assassin. 34. Batman Begins (2005) ****
Hell yes. This
was a movie Batman as we always wanted to see him. Not the neurotic guy
with all the gadgets, but the kind of guy who could kick your ass. The
scarecrow is awesome here. 35. Fantastic Four (2005) ***
Any movie
featuring Jessica Alba in a skin-tight costume is going to have my
attention. The Thing looks kind of rubbery, but Tim Story did a good
job with the material. The battle at the end reminds you of the better
FF comics.
36. Man-Thing (2005)
Low
budget horror movie in which environmentalists square off against an
evil petroleum company. Man-thing doesn't appear until the movie's
halfway over. This film was shot in Australia, and many of the actors'
accents are less than convincing. A real chore to sit through.
37. V for Vendetta (2005) ***
Great
film, made by the Wachowskis of Matrix fame. Hugo Weaving is
fantastic, and even if they dumbed down the source material it's still
worth your time. 38. X-men: The Last Stand (2006)
Unspeakably
bad. This movie makes you feel sorry for Hugh Jackman. Not only did
this film almost destroy the franchise, but it also butchers one of the
classic runs in the comic book. Fun Trivia: this film was based on a
comic book story written by Joss Whedon, with elements of The Dark
Phoenix Saga added on.
39. Superman Returns (2006) **
Not
as bad as some people make it out to be. Yeah, Superman does come off
as a stalker, and I don't know why they had to do so many of his flying
scenes in CGI, but the part where Kevin Spacy and co. deliver a beatdown
is excellent.
40. Ghost Rider (2007)
Ghost
Rider STILL deserves a better movie. Nicholas Cage is annoying
throughout, and I have the feeling they were trying too hard to make
this movie kid-friendly. Peter Fonda couldn't have been less
threatening as Mephisto.
41. Spider-Man 3 (2007) **
If
they had just cut Venom out of this movie it would have been a good
film. As it is, Venom contributes almost nothing to the plot, and one
gets the feeling that he was added as an afterthought. Not terrible,
but not that good either.
42. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) **
There
are people who hate this movie, but I don't have any problem with it.
Galactus could have looked a lot cooler, and the movie stumbles near the
end, but again there is Jessica Alba.
43. Iron Man (2008) ****
After Batman Begins, this is the other movie that reinvigorated the genre. Where Batman Begins
was dark, this one was funny. Where Batman is driven, Tony Stark is
brilliantly conflicted. It is everything that Nolan's movie wasn't, and
that's why it works.
44. The Incredible Hulk (2008) ****
This movie was sidelined by the overwhelming success of Iron Man,
but I loved it. I loved Edward Norton's take on the character, I loved
the script he wrote for the film, and I loved the Greco-Roman take on
The Hulk. My only complaint is that he let The Abomination live at the
end. I found this hard to believe.
45. The Dark Knight (2008) ****
Still hands-down the best superhero movie ever made. And yes, I liked The Avengers.
The plot is complex, the performances are amazing, and the direction is
first-rate. How could Nolan have ever topped this one? 46. Punisher: War Zone (2008) *
A more violent
take on Frank Castle. It's a solid film, but maybe a little too
depressing for its own good. I consider it an improvement on the first.
47. The Spirit (2008)
Fuck this movie is bad. I saw Sin City so many times I had the lines memorized, and with The Spirit I
was hoping for something similarly classic. Unfortunately, Frank
Miller isn't quite as good in the absence of Robert
Rodriguez.
48. Watchmen (2009) ***
Two
problems with this movie: the actors are too pretty, and way too much
kung fu fighting. Aside from these two problems, it is faithful to the
comic book and works on many levels. Snyder might have bungled Sucker Punch, but this movie gave me hope for Man of Steel. 49. X-men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
This movie is standard popcorn fare, much along the lines of Ghost Rider.
Hugh Jackman goes through the motions, an attempt to bring Deadpool and
Gambit into the mix is handled badly, and by the end you're thankful
that it's not as dreadful as X3.
2010s
50. Iron Man 2 (2010) ***
I
liked this almost as much as the first one. Downey Jr. is given even
better one-liners in this film, and Mickey Rourke characteristically
chews the scenery. Sam Rockwell is also great as Justin Hammer, and my
only complaint is that Don Cheadle isn't given enough to do.
51. Kick-Ass (2010) **
I have friends who love this movie. I don't. I think the first half is good, but after Big Daddy dies it just gets silly - especially the jet pack. A nice warm up for The Amazing Spider-Man, however.
52. Jonah Hex (2010) *
Josh
Brolin stars as an ex-confederate soldier who can talk to dead people.
John Malkovich is the villain. It was almost a good movie, but the
soundtrack ruins the better moments and it gets pretty corny near the
end.
53. Thor (2011) *
Considering
how hard it must have been to adapt Thor to the big screen, I would
consider this movie a success. Still, compared to other movies Marvel
Studios has made, I think this is the weakest one. I've never been a
big fan of Kenneth Branagh. 54. X-men: First Class (2011) **
Michael
Fassbender makes this movie. Forgive the pun, but he is positively
magnetic as Magneto. I thought the end was weak, but it's still miles
ahead of the first three films.
55. Green Lantern (2011)
The
movie had everything going for it. I'm not even a big fan of Green
Lantern, but when I heard about the director and the cast I got really
excited. Unfortunately the road to Green Lantern is paved with good
intentions. 56. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) ***
I would rank this fifth among the Marvel movies, behind The Avengers, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor: The Dark World. It might seem a bit slow for some people, but the mixture of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark really worked for me. 57. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)
Can't bring myself to either rent or download this film. I can't. I just can't.
58. The Avengers (2012) ****
There
are entire websites devoted to how awesome this movie is. It's a good
film, but not one of the best. Considering how difficult it is to put
characters as diverse as Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor into the
same movie universe, this one is an unqualified triumph. I'm only sorry
the Oscorp Tower didn't make an appearance.
59. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) ***
This
is a good movie, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. Andrew
Garfield and Emma Stone have some terrific chemistry, and it's a solid
effort. The Lizard is a bit too Hulk-like for my taste, but this is a
vast improvement over Spider-Man 3.
60. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) **
This
movie just bored me. It's over three hours long, and Bane is
unintentionally hilarious at times. Anne Hathaway makes a great
Catwoman, but that's all I can say in favor of this film.
61. Iron Man 3 (2013) *
I
was super excited about this movie, but walked away from it
disappointed. It starts out well, but neither of the villains are very
compelling, and the stunt work is too over the top. My biggest
complaint is the ending, which gives us a Tony Stark who no longer has
any reason to be Iron Man.
62. Man of Steel (2013) **
Half
of a great movie, and half of a Michael Bay movie. It starts out well,
even though some of the details surrounding Krypton don't bear thinking
about. Henry Cavill is a great Superman, but Zack Snyder was trying
too hard to please too large an audience.
63. Kick-Ass 2 (2013) **
It's not a great movie, but it's not bad. There are some funny scenes in this one, but it could have been a lot better.
64. The Wolverine (2013) **
I
had high hopes for this one, but it wasn't all that good. It's
certainly much better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine and all the other
X-Men films, but that's not saying all that much.
65. Thor: The Dark World (2013) ***
This
was a great movie. I didn't love the first Thor, but this one was a
vast improvement. Reminded me a lot of the Walt Simonson run on the
comic book. Hoping to see Beta Ray Bill in Thor 3!
66. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) **1/2
Steve
Rogers struggles with the modern world and his role in S.H.I.E.L.D.
After encountering the Winter Soldier, he has even more reasons to doubt
the nobility of certain causes. A very topical movie, with some great
action sequences. Didn't like it as much as Thor: The Dark World, but
it was well done.
67. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) **1/2
Too
much CGI, but some great performances from Andrew Garfield and Emma
Stone. I liked this movie more than "Captain America: The Winter
Soldier," though the action sequences in Cap were better. This film has
more dramatic tension, better ensemble performances, and more heart.
Looking forward to the third film!
68. X-men: Days of Future Past (2014) ***1/2
A
surprisingly good movie. As mutantkind faces extinction, Wolverine
journeys into the past to change the future. Excellent performances, and one of the most emotionally resonant superhero films to
come along in quite a while.
69. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) **
A
good movie, though it features too many characters for its own good.
Humor holds the film together, and makes some of the less plausible plot
elements seem more plausible. As with many other recent films from
Marvel Studios, seems less inspired than calculated. Maybe the second
one will be better?
70. The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Going to see it tonight!
On the Way
I'm leaving Sony's Spider-man films off this list. With the recent deal between Sony and Marvel Studios, the future of this franchise seems very uncertain. Marvel's take on Spider-man will probably appear in Captain America: Civil War, plans for a solo film are definitely in the works, but it's too early to say when the next Spider-man film will hit theaters.
71. Ant-Man (2015)
This movie has been "in
development" for something like forever. Paul Rudd is featured as
Ant-Man, and Michael Douglas plays his mentor. This movie concludes Phase Two of Marvel's cinematic universe.
72. Fantastic Four Reboot (2015)
Josh Trank directs a cast of relative unknowns in this newest interpretation of Marvel's first family. This film will be more scientific in tone, and instead of traveling into outer space Reed Richards and co. travel into another dimension. The trailer looks pretty good.
73. Deadpool (2015)
Everyone's favorite wisecracking mutant mercenary gets his own movie. Deadpool (as played by Ryan Reynolds) appeared in X-men Origins: Wolverine, but this will be a soft reboot of the character. Reynolds was born to play Deadpool, and this R-rated take on the character looks good so far.
74. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Henry
Cavill will reprise his role as Superman, Ben Affleck is Batman, Gal
Gadot is Wonder Woman, some guy I've never heard of is Cyborg, and Jason
Momoa will appear as Aquaman. Warner Bros. has constructed some very
ambitious plans around this film. We'll see if it works out.
75. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
More
of a sequel to X-men: First Class, this film will focus on the origin
of the mutants. Apocalypse was always one of my favorite X-men
villains. This film will take place in 1983, and will hopefully also feature Cable.
76. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America and Iron Man face off over the superhuman registration act. Marvel has already stated that the Black Panther will appear in this film, and there will certainly be a host of other superheroes on hand. Rumor has it that Marvel's version of Spider-man will also make an appearance.
77. Suicide Squad (2016)
Hell yes Suicide Squad. As with Deadpool, this could be a great film if they don't water it down too much. Will Smith will star as Deadshot, Margot Robbie is Harley Quinn, and Jared Leto plays the Joker. David Ayer is set to direct, and I'm thinking this one will be pretty good.
78. Doctor Strange (2016)
All
I can say is... finally! I've been waiting for this movie for so
long. Scott Derrickson is directing, and Benedict Cumberbatch will star as Stephen Strange.
79. Gambit (2016)
Channing Tatum will star as Gambit. This one is straight out of left field, and there are few details available.
80. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
Who would have thought the first Guardians of the Galaxy would be such a success? And who would have thought that a sequel would be on the way so soon? Most of the original cast and crew will probably return for this film.
81. Third Wolverine Film (2017)
Hugh
Jackman and director James Mangold should be returning. Hopefully they
can improve upon The Wolverine, which wasn't the stylistic triumph I
hoped it would be.
82. Fantastic Four 2 (2017)
No idea. Details on the upcoming reboot are hard enough to come by, and this movie is a complete mystery.
83. Justice League Part 1 (2017)
Having
set up the general premise in Batman v. Superman, Warner Bros. will introduce this superhero team to the big screen. Confirmed
members are Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Aquaman. The
Flash and Green Lantern also seem likely.
84. Wonder Woman (2017)
Likely contingent upon the success of
Batman v. Superman. To me the idea of this movie is a no-brainer - a
female superhero(ine) with a great back story. Hopefully Warner Bros.
finds the right director.
85. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
We'll probably see Surtur in this one. I'm thinking this could be the movie that really sets Thor apart. The first Thor film wasn't very good, the second one was much better, and this one might just be great.
86. The Black Panther (2017)
Chadwick Boseman will play the Black Panther. I think it's safe to say that elements of his backstory will appear in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron. Nothing else is known about this movie at this time.
87. The Flash (2018)
Ezra Miller will play the Flash. No other details available.
88. The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (2018)
It was bound to happen. Thanos will be the villain, and his quest for the infinity gems (stones) will probably cause Earth's mightiest heroes a great deal of misery.
89. Captain Marvel (2018)
A female-centered superhero film, even if it's a year after the proposed female-centric films by both Sony and Warner Bros.
90. Aquaman (2018)
Jason Momoa will play Aquaman. No other details available.
91. Inhumans (2018)
It's kind of hard to imagine the Inhumans in the absence of the Fantastic Four, but I'm sure Marvel will figure out a way to make it work.
92. Shazam (2019)
The Rock (OK, Dwayne Johnson) has already been cast as Black Adam. Word is that this film will exist outside the main DC cinematic continuity.
93. The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 (2019)
I would hazard a guess that this is going to turn up the volume on EVERYTHING.
94. Justice League Part 2 (2019)
So not only are we getting the second Avengers film, but we're also getting a second Justice League film in the same year. It boggles the mind.
95. Cyborg (2020)
Ray Fisher has already been cast as Cyborg. I imagine he'll turn up much earlier in the Batman v. Superman film.
96. Green Lantern (2020)
A reboot of the character. No other details available.
