Some time ago, a geek-pal of mine asked me about my favorite super hero movies. (If I remember correctly, it was right after we had gone to one of the more recent super hero movies–Batman Begins, maybe?) Now, there is no shortage of lists like this (or like this) on the internet. Unfortunately, they are all wrong. (Sorry– but it’s true. “Spy Kids?” Really? You must be joking.) My list is not right either, so don’t get your hopes up.
In trying to come up with this list, I’ve paid attention to a few things.
1 – Was the movie enjoyable? A good, entertaining movie experience?
(Unfortunately, this weeds a good many of them out.)
2 – If based on an established hero, does it do the character justice?
(I’m not saying it has to be absolultely faithful– just not shockingly divergent.)
3 – Do they give away the Secret Identity?
(Don’t get me started on this one. Seriously. I’m this close to a massive brain aneurism when I start talking about his topic. C has threatened to buy a taser–and to use it on me when I start down this path.)
So, without further ado– here is my list:
1. The Incredibles
In a world where Super Heroes have been sued into obscurity, one super powered family tries to live in absolute secrecy.
Why: Normal family dysfunction mixed with super powers. Many, many in-jokes about comics and super powers. The scene with the super heroe costume designer is worth the whole movie. Especially the capes, part.
Why Not: It is animated. It is so much easier to make supers all super-like when you can just draw them that way.
2. X-Men
A group of mutants, outcasts in society, fight to save a world that hates and distrusts them.
Why: One of the best demonstrations of the allegorical power of supers movies.
Why Not: Some of the acting is less than stellar, but the movie still shines.
3. X-Men II
Our mutant friends are back, this time in a loose movie adaption of one of the best graphic novels in the X-Men series, “God Loves, Man Kills.”
Why: The allegory of anti-mutant fear as homophobia. It was timely in 1982. It is still timely. Sigh. Also, Nightcrawler, my favorite X-men joins the team.
Why Not: They take some liberties with the storyline, but not enough to object.
4. Spiderman
Our favorite web-crawling hero comes to big screen in a big blockbuster.
Why: Amazing camera effects. Wonderful acting.
Why Not: Some objections from rabid fans about web-slinging being biological rather than gadget-based. But I thought it was better this way. Main objection is really the silly metal suit for the Green Goblin. Over acted. Over designed. Over played. Hideous costume.
5. X-Men III
A “final” installment in the mutant franchise. Another great allegory. This time: What if there was a “cure” for being different?
Why: Two favorite X-men show up. Beast (played by Kelsey Grammar, quite well, I say) and Angel.
Why Not: It really is the weakest of the three movies. Too much going on– and the final battle is kind of a let down. Magneto is more powerful than they give him credit for.
6. Spiderman II
Spiderman matches up against his most famous villain, Dr. Octopus.
Why: The special effects, again. The acting, again. The story is well told. The scene on the elevated trains in Chicago are a masterpiece.
Why Not: The revisionon of Doc Oc is questionable but ultimately works. What is really wrong with this movie? (Ready your tasers if you got ‘em.) HE REVEALS HIS SECRET IDENTITY. Not once (the people on the train). Not twice (Dr. Octopus). But, three times (MJ, Parker’s girlfriend).
Why is this offending movie still on the list?
First, because it is that good.
Second, because there is some basis in the comic books for this flagrant disregard for secret identity protocol.
–Spiderman doesn’t reveals his identity on purpose on the train, and they respect his wish to be anonymous. Nice touch, actually.
— In the comic books, Doc Oc actually does figure out Spiderman’s identity.
— In the comic books, eventually, Peter and MJ get married and she knows about Spidey.
I can’t fault them for breaking the rule when the rule was already bent in the comics.
7. Superman II
Superman has a run in with three visitors from his home planet. And, whoa, do they have an attitude problem.
Why: For it’s time, the fight between Superman and the other three kryptonians was rockin’.
Why Not: The reveal Superman’s identity to Lois Lane in the movie. (unintentional, and they decide it is a mistake– so they wipe her memory. No memory, no foul.) They also decided to have Superman give up his powers, sleep with Lois Lane, and play with some bizzare toys in the fortress of solitude. Odd choices, really.
8. Batman
A Tim Burton interpretation of a classic.
Why: Dark, brooding, gothic– exactly the way Batman should be. And Jack Nicholson as The Joker? Wonderful.
Why Not: 1. A little campy at times. 2. Music by Prince? 3. They give away his secret identity. (I would go on, but this is the start of this horrible trend and I just… I just can’t continue… )
9. Superman: The Movie
The first of the modern day superhero movies. 1978. This was an event. It was Superman–the way he was meant to be. Larger than Life!
Why: Christopher Reeve was a brilliant choice and understood the character.
Why Not: This movie was almost on the top of my list. Almost. I’ve said it before, so it should come as no surprise– EVEN AS A CHILD, I KNEW THAT SUPERMAN COULDN’T SPIN OUR WORLD IN REVERSE; AND EVEN IF HE COULD, IT WOULDN’T MAKE US GO BACKWARDS IN TIME. Were these people stoned? Brain damaged? Insane? People assume sometimes that comic book movies don’t have rules– they do and when you don’t follow them, you end up with young children saying “WTF!“
10. Unbreakable
Ordinary Joe Schmoe (Bruce Willis) discovers he has super powers– and, unfortunately, some other trappings of the Super Hero biz.
Why: Excellent portrayal of a guy trying to come to terms with this oddness. Excellent portrayal of an evil genius super villian. Also reminds me of my favorite Spiderman comic cover (I’ll spare you.)
Why Not: Well, no tights, no cape, no costume–unless you count a rain poncho. Is it a Super Heroe movie?
Honorable Mentions:
Blade – Based on a Marvel comic character. Hated the fat vampire scene, though.
Batman Returns – Love Danny Devito as the Penquin and Michelle Pfeifer as Catwoman.
Mystery Men – Hilarious spoof of comic books, but The Spleen was highly unpleasant.
The Shadow – People hated this one, but I really enjoyed it. Could have been better.
Batman Begins – Great story. Nice acting. Good atmosphere. The Batmobile was just plain stupid. And he gave away his secret identity, AGAIN. Unforgiveable.
Hellboy – nominated by jinnis. Good adaption of a cool hero. More to come, I hear.
Hall of Shame:
Superman III & IV – Almost killed super hero movies single handedly.
Batman & Robin – So many reasons. One would be the Batsuit’s nipples.
Daredevil – A great comic turned into a horrible movie. And he reveals his identity!
21 comments
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November 27, 2006 at 8:38 am
Obijuan
The Shadow – I remember enjoying it. I also remember that Harlan Ellison, my favorite writer, was really upset about the adaptation. It was his favorite radio series when he was growing up, and he offered the studio to do a faithful screenplay, gratis. They turned him down.
November 27, 2006 at 5:21 pm
jinnis
Great list. I do think that Hellboy should get an honorable mention.
I think P almost wore out the Incredibles cd the last year we were in SC.
November 27, 2006 at 6:01 pm
bringingthefun
Jinnis,
Agreed. I had Hellboy on the list and it kept getting pushed to the bottom. But you are right. An honorable mention is deserved. Added.
November 27, 2006 at 10:40 pm
Dave
For shame! Batman Begins kicked butt and should be on your top 10 list easily. Well above Superman for crying out loud. The guy turns back time by spinning the earth in reverse. At least Batman Begins doesn’t break any fundamental laws of physics.
Also, where is V for Vendetta? I must say again…for shame.
November 27, 2006 at 10:43 pm
Dave
Also C, you forgot to add Superman Returns on your top 10 list. Seems like it would fit right in with your other choices
November 27, 2006 at 11:37 pm
bringingthefun
Dave,
Welcome to the party. You started this off– and have been waiting for a long time. You don’t like my choices? I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.
But in answer to your questions:
Batman Begins – you’re lucky it got an honorable mention. It might have made it to the main list if they hadn’t had that stupid batmobile (with the all but useless retractable seat and antigravity-drive-on-slanted-rooves tires) and the revealing of his identity to the love interest. That is just inexcusable. And, to be frank, this Batman movie suffered from the same thing the new Superman movie did–it was a let down. It didn’t live up to its potential.
V for Vendetta – I’m not sure why V didn’t make it. I’m going to watch it again. I guess– I’m not sure if he qualifies as a hero. Too much terrorism and torture perhaps. Which isn’t to say it isn’t a good movie–just questionable as Super Heroes goes.
Super Man Returns – As I already mentioned. Big let down. Could have been so much better. Good director. Fair actor. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor? Wow, what a cool build up. I’m so excited. Then an extremely lame Lois Lane. And a super brat. And an island of Kryptonite that Superman just picks up “No Problem” and then…and this was my favorite part…and then they cure ole’ Supes with… wait for it, wait for it…. a kiss from Lois Lane.
For crying out loud! Is this a Super Hero movie or a Harlequin romance. (Not saying anything against Harlequin romances– but they are different styles and well… I don’t go to see those kind of movies.)
So there. Nyya. (Now go start a blog and make your own list.)
November 28, 2006 at 8:13 am
jinnis
I concurr with the dismissal of Spy Kids – let that be it’s own genre and not even approach the realm of true superheroes.
But Spy Kids reminds me of another movie in the realm of kids’ fun: what did you think of “Sky High”?
Perhaps V for Vendetta be the start of another list in a dark hero category.
November 28, 2006 at 8:37 am
bringingthefun
That’s the third time someone has asked about or recommended that I see “Sky High.” Hmmm…. I guess I’ll add it to my netflix list. I skipped it the first time because I usually don’t enjoy kids/supers movies and the trailers turned me off. But I’m open minded.
And I like dark heroes (Batman, Punisher, etc…), but I have a hard time thinking of any dark heroes that would kidnap an innocent person and torture them to make a point (or open their mind). I think, even with dark vigilante/tortured soul heroes, that there are lines you can’t cross– and that is one of them for me.
November 28, 2006 at 9:43 am
Dave
C, C, C…I’m so disappointed you didn’t catch my sarcasm with Superman Returns. The movie was abysmal and I didn’t like it at all. That’s why I said it would fit well on your top 10 list
I’m sorry but you couldn’t be more wrong about Batman Begins. I admit that the retractable seat in the batmobile was a bit of a stretch. It was obviously inserted there to make the Batmobile more “high tech” and such, but its not a movie ruining event. I actually really liked the look of the Batmobile. It was obvious that the creators of Batman Begins were inspired by the Batmobile in the Dark Knight Returns. Having it slam off a bridge and onto rooftops during a police chase wasn’t all that unbelievable (for a definition of unbelievable, see my comments above on Superman The Movie).
Many of the movies you list on your top 10 have the superhero revealing his secret identity. I agree it should’ve been left out of Batman Begins(ALL Superhero movies really), but at least he didn’t take his mask off in plain public when doing so.
I guess the reason I defend Batman Begins so much is because I think its a very faithful adaptation of the character from the comics. I think the movie did an excellent job of showing that Batman is really Bruce Wayne’s true persona and the billionaire playboy is just a facade. I thought the story telling was well done, the acting fantastic, and the movie as a whole very entertaining. I guess the 2 biggest knocks are that he reveals his secret identity to the girl, and that Batmobile has a superfluos retractable seat. Other than that, I can’t find much else to complain about, and I’m an avid Batman fan.
On another subject, I do think V for Vendetta should be considered a superhero movie. V has superhuman abilities, so there’s no reason not to.
I could go on and on about this. Would love to have an in depth conversation with you
November 28, 2006 at 9:17 pm
Anonymous
Dahling,
Loved the post. Loved your energy coming through.
(Putting on the old futzy grammar teacher/Diana Prince glasses)
the word “hero” in your title has an extra “e” on the end.
You might want to look at your spelling.
(taking off the granny glasses)(lets wonder woman shine through)
Lots of love to you and yours,
Dame O
November 28, 2006 at 10:06 pm
bringingthefun
Amazing how many comments you can get on such a silly post– of course, it might have something to do with our blog finally being post friendly.
D- nope. I’m sticking to my list. Batman Begins would have been on the list if it had just reached its potential. It didn’t. IMHO. It is still a decent movie, much better than most of the drivel they’ve shoveled at us over the years, but not in my top 10. My list, my call. Case closed.
And I think you missed my point on V. I never said he wasn’t Super. I remember his extra speed, strength, and stamina. My arguement is with his being a Hero. To use an extreme example to try and make my case, Freddy Kreuger has Super Powers–but he certainly isn’t heroic. I admire V, loved the comic book, really enjoyed the movie– but I don’t like the terrorism and the torture. That isn’t heroic. Necessary, maybe, effective, perhaps, but not heroic. You gotta draw a line somewhere, that’s where I draw mine.
November 28, 2006 at 10:19 pm
Dave
Isn’t Batman considered a vigilante? Working above the law to serve his own interests? This seems to be a gray area, but I would still consider V a hero in my book, even if his methods were somewhat questionable.
Anyway, I’m done harping on you about your list. It is yours and I respect that. We do need to talk sometime so I can knock some sense into that head of yours
November 29, 2006 at 7:16 am
Jen
Well, I haven’t had a chance to harp, so here I go:
I disagree with shuttling Spy Kids off to its own genre. It smacks of Stephen King’s pouting about being knocked off the NYT Bestseller list by Harry Potter. If Spy Kids comes off the list, then I can see no real reason to leave The Incredibles on. Now, you may flatly believe Spy Kids doesn’t belong on the list (personally, I thought it was as charming as The Incredibles), but the scoffing is uncalled for.
But, it’s your list, and these things are subjective, after all.
Sky High was much better – though certainly quite fluffy – than I thought it would be. I started it just for the Lynda Carter and Bruce Campbell cameos, but the story wasn’t obnoxious at all. Just a normal teenage tale plus super powers.
November 29, 2006 at 8:20 am
bringingthefun
Wow… you two are really jumping on me on this one. I can only assume this is some sign as to how much you miss me. I’m touched. Really, I am.
But…
V = terrorist (uses terror for political gains, blowing up buildings, kidnapping, torture)
Batman = vigilante (enforcing the law, draws the line at harming innocents)
Punisher = vigilante (draws a line, but don’t get in his way)
While V and Batman are both vigilantes, Batman is not a terrorist.
Terrorists are not heroes.
V is not a hero.
(Are we done now?)
And (from the IMDB genre / key words listing, edited for length and relevance)…
Spy Kids = (Teenager/Teen, James Bond Spoof, Espionage, Spying, Gadget/Gadgetry, Kids And Family, Secret Agent, Spy Spoof, Fantasy, Mad Scientist, Family, Kid, Villain, Children)
The Incredibles = (Family Relationship, Superhero Team, Murder, Action Hero, Hostage, Superhero Spoof, Mid-life Crisis, Estrangement, Tragic Villain, Tragic Hero, Teenage Superhero, Action Heroine, Kids And Family, Superhero, Evil Genius, (Family) Relationship(s), Secret Identity, Super Power, Superhero Costume, Superheroine, Satire, Secret Life)
or, to put it more succinctly,
Spy Kids = Spy/Secrect Agent Family Spoof
The Incredibles = Super Hero Family Spoof
No comments about relative merits of the films. (I’m sure that if you tied me down and kept my eyes open and forced me to watch Spy Kids, I’d say it was a fine movie.) But THEY AREN’T THE SAME GENRE anymore than James Bond and Batman are.
Sheesh. Even I’m getting tired of this topic now.
C, help! Make a new posting!
November 29, 2006 at 11:42 pm
jinnis
And then there is the whole other super hero comedic subcategory of movies such as Superfuzz. . . Heard of that one? It comes up as Poliziotto superpiù on IMDB and stars Terence Hill and Ernest Borgnine.
November 30, 2006 at 8:44 pm
bringingthefun
Not only do I know Superfuzz– I’ve seen it. Twice.
I loved it!
If I remember it right, he had all kinds of interesting powers– but he had one weakness– a certain color…. RED (I had to look it up.) Unlike Green Lantern, his powers stopped working if he saw the color red. The scene in the football stadium has stuck with me all this time.
As a kid, my first thought was “Idiot, get some blue tinted sunglasses.”
Thank you, J, for this one. What a cool reference and memory.
November 30, 2006 at 9:00 pm
jinnis
You are welcome – I may have had more viewings, but I remember seeing it once and it stuck. Even the 70’s theme music stuck. “He’s a super trooper.” I like the scene in the stadium, too. The whole movie is a great depiction of an average guy handling new super powers with a good sense of humor.
May 8, 2008 at 7:56 am
parahacker
Another vote for Batman Begins, not that we’re voting…
The big reveal? Don’t care. It was grey enough to leave room for, ‘I was just imagining it.’ Not much room, but enough; besides, the love interests (except for Catwoman) do frequently seem to get a clue somewhere.
And the retractable seat, that’s true to, not the comic books… wait for it… the cartoons. I was happy to see a nod to us kids that picked up Batman for the first time on saturday mornings. Although it was always when the Bat went underwater it seemed, but still.
Aside from that, they NAILED Ras Al-Ghul. And he was the original Bat archenemy, waaay before the Joker came around. They made the transition from man to Batman very believable; it seemed like the path he took was much more natural and unforced. And the Batmobile as a high-speed military bridge laying/scout vehicle? All things considered, that was a choice that was against the grain yet outstanding.
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