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Mr. K 10 months, 3 weeks ago.
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This was inspired by last week’s Weekly Wringer, regarding superhero movies. For those of you that watch them, what do you think are the best and the worst, so far?
I recently thought about what I think the worst ones are, so far. Here’s my Top 5 list! Note: Although Catwoman deserves the top spot on any bad superhero movie list, I haven’t watched it, for obvious reasons, so that’s not it! ;P
5) Fantastic Four– Yeah. This…one is pretty bad. However, I’d call it not as bad in the sense that for those that like watching bad movies, there’s probably enough silliness in here to have some fun with…in a bad way. I do realize the problem is….the movie isn’t supposed to be as silly as it is…But I also cut the movie a little slack because it had a decent cast, and they probably did the overall best they could considering what they had to work with…which….was not good. I didn’t care for Dr. Doom in this movie either; that…..guy is not Doom; that’s not Doom’s character. I don’t necessarily think they should have depicted Doom quite exactly as he usually is portrayed in the comics, but they could have done better than they did in this movie. He’d have made a more interesting villain if he was someone else. Also, the sequel is honestly a little better than this one. But that’s not saying much at all.
4) The Incredible Hulk- I was interested in seeing Edward Norton in this movie, but sadly, even he couldn’t save it. I just….was not interested in what was going on in this movie, and didn’t find it very exciting. Then again, I guess they were kind of screwed in making a movie about the Hulk; if it was nothing but the Hulk destroying everything, people would have complained that it ‘had no plot’ and was thus, dumb. They tried to do something beyond just a rampaging Hulk the whole time for this movie (as Ang Lee did in his movie before this), but….I still didn’t find it good enough. It just seemed like an attempt at being a Typical Summer Blockbuster™ and didn’t feel like anything special. This is one that I really just don’t recommend, and it’s definitely not worth it to watch the movie just for the brief Tony Stark cameo. If you want to see that, try looking up just that scene; it’s probably online somewhere, and then I’d forget the rest of the movie.
3) Daredevil- I almost put this one at #2, but like Fantastic Four, I guess this movie is good fodder for people who like bad movies. And there’s a lot to work with here. I’ve never been a huge Daredevil fan, but Ben Affleck is definitely not who I’d ever imagine as playing the hero. I know Jennifer Garner was very popular at the time, too, and that’s probably the only real reason she landed the role as Elektra. She just didn’t really impress me either. And then there’s Bullseye; uh….okay, seriously, he carved a tattoo of a bull’s eye into himself? And unlike the comics, he doesn’t wear a mask or anything? Oh yeah, that’s not suspicious (not that Bullseye’s outfit was exactly inconspicuous to begin with…)…Collin Ferrell didn’t impress me here either. I think a lot of fans were disappointed because there was a lot of potential for a good movie here, considering such classic Daredevil stories as The Man Without Fear, Born Again, or, as they tried to portray to some extent here, the storyline in which Bullseye kills Elektra. And what we got…just didn’t play out very well. It felt like, insome ways, they tried to do a little too much. Naturally, they wanted to tell Daredevil’s origin, which especially makes sense as this is the first movie for the hero, but they probably also felt ‘Well, we’re making this movie, we have to have Bullseye and Elektra!’ They really should have probably just put a greater focus on Daredevil/Matt Murdock and how he adjusts to himself in his new role, and left Bullseye and Elektra totally out of this. The Man Without Fear story would probably have been the best fit. It’s just too hard to even try to take this movie that seriously. Why does Daredevil sleep in a coffin full of water? Yeah. Also, I’m sure the sequel, Elektra, also deserves a high spot on any list, but I haven’t watched that one either. ;P
2) Blade Trinity- Unfortunately, this series followed the traditional, expected sequel formula of each new entry being worse and worse. I loved the original Blade, and there was potential for a good series here. Blade II was….okay, but has problems. The fact that Blade Trinity even exists is a problem in itself. There’s just…really very little to like here. I admit that there were a couple of jokes I laughed at or thought were amusing from Hannibal King, but otherwise….it’s just a soul-less sequel that doesn’t do anything interesting. I don’t recall this movie adding much to Blade’s character or exploring anything further with him; the same with Blade II. No, the original movie is actually where the most depth is explored. And uh, Drake is supposed to be who?? Are…you kidding me?? Ugh….
1) The Punisher: War Zone- Oy. I mean, there’s a lot to work with here for people who like bad movies, but ouch…I’d rather not watch it again even for that purpose. I will admit there were….maybe a couple of amusing parts in this movie, like when that thug is killed on the toilet, but this movie is otherwise not worth it. But then again, what can you expect from the Punisher? Or rather, what can you expect from most Hollywood studios making a movie based on the Punisher again? The problem with the movie that came before this, featuring Thomas Jane, was that there wasn’t much special about it. It was a movie you’ve seen before. Jane’s performance stands out, as most who have seen the movie seem to agree, but otherwise, it’s just another revenge action movie. You’d think they could have learned from that experience in making a sequel, but alas, they didn’t; they just made a worse revenge action movie. From what I understand though, there are good Punisher stories out there, like those written by Garth Ennis, that probably would have made better movies. It’s really sad that that either never occurred to them, or they just….decided not to do that. I doubt that, after this bomb, we’ll see another Punisher movie any time soon at all. And well, sadly, that may be for the best.
I’m still not sure how I’d rate what I think the best superhero movies so far; that’s a tougher one. But have at it!
Ang Lee’s Hulk should probably replace The Incredible Hulk on that list. Norton’s Hulk atleast suceeded as a blockbuster film on some levels. Lee’s nightmare was nothing but failure… as an action flick, as a drama, as anything.
Pretty good list overall.
Thank you. :3
Well….to tell you the truth, I actually kind of like Ang Lee’s The Hulk in some ways. I felt it was actually more interesting than TIH because they tried to at least create some depth in the characters. I suppose one might say, “It’s the Hulk, he doesn’t have depth!” but like I said, if it was just all about the Hulk destroying the world for 2 hours, people would have complained about that. Lee did something kind of different, and…people complained about that. :/ Lee’s movie is far from perfect, but eh, I still kind of like it better.
I liked The Incredible Hulk and Daredevil.
The worst superhero movie is X-Men Origins Wolverine.
The best is Batman Begins.
Worst is easy. Batman and Robin. From the insanely stupid dialogue to the ridiculous action it was unforgivingly bad. Like watching a blind kid fight an autistic with balloon animals. Alicia Silverstone needed to wax that upper lip. Even Uma Thurman in a catsuit somehow didn’t look good enough to save it.
Best depends on your criteria for “super hero movie”. My favorite would be animated. Armitage: The Third or Fist of the Northstar sticking to a more traditional “super hero” or Haruhi if not. The Incredibles for western.
Non animated would be Empire Strikes Back or if I’m stuck with DC/Marvel, I guess Superman 2.
…for some reason, I was only really thinking of movies released since 1998, when the genre really took off. I would definitely agree with the thought that Batman and Robin is the top worst superhero movie I’ve ever seen, but honestly, I find it hard to look at it that way because….of just how absurdly bad it is, that, and the fact that I try to ignore its existence. ;P So yes, apart from The Punisher: War Zone, I would say Batman and Robin is the worst; when I feel like acknowledging it.
For top best movies, like I said, I find it too hard to list them in order of what I think are the top best, but here’s at least something. I’ll list my favorites in alphabetical order. ;P
1)Batman- I love Tim Burton’s Batman, even today. It’s just….so good. I’ve watched it since I was a kid, and it never gets old. Obviously, Nicholson is a show-stealer, as he usually is, and as you’d expect, he plays the Joker just too well. I’ll always prefer this Joker to the newer one in The Dark Knight; that just wasn’t the Joker to me. He was…just another psychotic gang leader. One thing this movie did well was it gave you an example of why it’s not always necessary to show the complete origin on the hero. Yeah, we know Bruce’s parents were murdered in front of him at a young age, but in the rest of the movie’s context, the rest just isn’t important. It doesn’t matter how he trained to be fighter, or…how he got the…Batmobile. It adds some intrigue and mystery to the character, too, which is okay. That was a running thing in this movie anyway; Batman, and Bruce Wayne, are mysterious. Otherwise, this movie just has great atmosphere and action, and of course, Danny Elfman’s great score. It’s just an all around winner!
2) Batman Begins- You might think that I wasn’t too fond of the new movies, given some of my past comments, but no, I like Batman Begins quite a bit. It was definitely refreshing, and a step in the right direction for more movies in the series. While I did say it’s not always necessary to see the hero’s whole origin, this movie’s presentation was in such a way that it was different. If you took watched most of the movie and didn’t know it was a Batman movie, then until he becomes Batman, you might not think that it was a Batman movie. Some might consider that a drawback, but I thought it worked well in this movie. You see Bruce’s development and lessons he learns as they play out, some of which can be inspirational. I also liked that they used two villains (although mainly one) that had never been used in a movie before, whereas in the following movies, we see villains that have been done already. They worked Ra’s al Ghul into a more believable, or perhaps plausible, way that just…well, worked. Add a great all-star cast and this movie, while different from Burton’s, is also a winner. I will say….I’ve never been fond of the title for this movie. I mean….it delivers what it promises, but couldn’t they have come up with something just….better? But if that’s the worst part of this movie, then there you go.
3) Iron Man- I really had fun with this movie when I saw it. It has a lighter atmosphere than other movies that just want to be ‘darker,’ the common buzz word you keep seeing…It’s just not necessary all the time, and this movie is a good example. One interesting thing is, we have, not surprisingly, Robert Downey, Jr. being Robert Downey, Jr., as opposed to being Tony Stark. In the comics, Stark is a more level-headed, serious person, rather than the semi-blowhard playboy. In this movie though, it works, and Downey is very amusing. In some ways, just the style of the movie made me think about movies from the 1980s and how they were made, and that made me more fond of it, I think. You do have to suspend belief a little for this movie, like Tony having a smarmy AI computer he talks to, but it doesn’t end up mattering a lot when you watch the movie; it’s just fun! This movie also features the last work of the great Stan Winston, before he died; he and his company made the Iron Man armors, although for some sequences, CGI was used, too, of course. But the armors are real; they were physically made! I also didn’t think the CGI was too obnoxious in this movie either, and that’s always a plus for me. Definitely recommended!
4) Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2- I might as well talk about both at the same time, but I’m also torn about which I actually consider is ‘superior,’ if I even can decide. I love Raimi’s movies, overall; it’s an excellent series full of heart and soul. He gave interesting views of Peter as he carries on with this life, trying to deal with being himself and Spider-Man, and the stress that comes with both. He didn’t ask to be Spider-Man, but understands why it’s just something he has to do. The series is also full of great special effects and choreography; just really great stuff. You also know that CGI was used for a lot of sequences, too, but like Iron Man, I didn’t find it to be obnoxious. The first movie serves as a great introduction and learning curve, if you will, while the second moves deeper into Peter’s character and how he changes through experience. It just kept me hooked the whole way. I’ve heard criticisms about Maguire and Dunst in their roles, but honestly, I didn’t have a real problem with them. I thought both were interesting choices, but that they also overall worked well in the movies. I guess I like Dunst the least as Mary Jane, but she becomes familiar and fitting in the series. The best casting choice though, I’d say is J.K. Simmons as Jonah Jameson; one of the BEST casting decisions EVER. The man IS J.J. and a total delight to watch. I also thought that Wilem Defoe was an interesting choice, and while I didn’t really picture him as Norman/Green Goblin, I actually do like him in the role. I will admit that….the Green Goblin outfit…looks weird, and pretty silly. But at the same time, I guess there may not have been much else they could do to keep the symbolism of the Goblin intact. I don’t know. Alfred Molina is also just awesome as Dr. Octopus, and I thought the idea behind his arms was also interesting, too. One thing I always wondered was if, as a result of the accident, if he was going slightly insane; that the arms were….not literally ‘talking’ to him, but he felt they were, and it was all jsut a result of trying to control the arms. Aw well…Overall, these are two of the best examples of a superhero movies largely done right.
5) X2- You know, I’m not sure why they didn’t just call this movie X-Men 2, but whatever. The first movie was pretty good, but in most ways, I think pales in comparison to this one. The story was better, as was the action, and just…eh, it’s just easier to say ‘everything.’ Wolverine starts to learn more about hsi past, which, of course, fans hoped would lead to a possible Weapon X movie. Let’s…not get into the result of that. It was also nice to see Nightcrawler, and played by Alan Cumming, no less. It’s too bad, and odd, he…disappeared for the next movie…We have the same pleasing cast as the last movie, too; I generally like them. Hugh Jackman is always the best one to watch though; it’s all about him, and he is a great Wolverine. You know, I can’t think of much else to say, for some reason. It’s just a good movie.
Jack was a really good Joker. Admittedly only thing that keeps that from being my no1 DC/Marvel movie is my hatred of Batman (billionare using his billions to go around hassling petty thieves instead of doing anything about the base problems which create them. Annoys me. Iron Man at least fights like super people trying to destroy the world and such.) New ones I just couldn’t get past the stupid voice that guy uses through the whole thing. Reminds me of cookie monster bands.
Spiderman might make my worst list. Tried watching it on two seperate occasions and fell asleep both times. Literally. No joke. Fell asleep. Twice.
How Wolverine is portrayed is actually one of the things keeping Xmen from being better for me. Love everyone else. Hate Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Alot of it is probably the makeup. The clearly styled hair and 5 o clock shadow puts me off. I like a more feral Wolverine. The voice seems pretty forced at times too though which doesn’t help. He looks and acts like someone trying to be Wolverine. At no point was I able to believe he was. Picard was an awesome Professor X and Fraiser as Beast was great. Those are the two I thought were the best. Wolverine is one of my favorite comic book characters though so I might be overly critical.
Depends on the criteria. Anything from Bruce Timms DCAU movie series easily wins over anything live action.
Some of my favorite live action would be The Crow and The Rocketeer (probably stretching the term of Superhero there).
For the worst, Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer. The Fantastic Four themselves are bad….but what really tips it over the edge is its portrayal of the Silver Surfer……he deserves better then that. Then again, he is my favorite, might be a bit biased.
While I enjoyed the Avengers flick probably more then most others. I have been a comic book collector for to long, to except even the Dark Knight as anything great. It always erks me when something is popular enough to warrant a movie, and Hollywood steps in and thinks that they can tell it better.
Well, criteria depends on you, really. ;3 Although, I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking much beyond just what the best and worst superhero movies are, based on one’s own opinion. It’s up to you!
I’ve been disappointed in a lot of DC’s animated movies, although there are many I haven’t seen. I wasn’t really thinking about those though; I was thinking of actual film.
Worst: It’s soooo hard to choose! But if I had to pick just one? Would probably be the Punisher. Couldn’t even get through the first half hour. Just awful. And not even in that semi amusing morbid fascination w/ watching the train wreck over the top cheesy campy way. Just boring and poorly acted and scripted and bad. Really, really bad.
Best: Does Army of Darkness count? Ash is basically a superhero by this one. Kinda sorta.
Army of Darkness does not count. Come on now, pick a real one! Nice try, though. ;P
Aww, Maze, I liked The Punisher.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned The Spirit yet for the worst category. I suppose the fact that Frank Miller directed it should have clued me in to just how awful this thing was, I kind of hoped that Wil Eisner being such an influential figure in comics would dissuade Miller from being so…himself.
As for best movies that haven’t been discussed yet, Captain America: the First Avenger was tied with Iron Man for my favorite of the Marvel movies. I also enjoyed X-Men: First Class due to it being the first X-Men movie to give the spotlight to characters who aren’t Wolverine (I mean, seriously, he was even the focus for the third one and that was supposed to be the Phoenix Saga adaptation).
I think I forgot about The Spirit, honestly, which may be for the best. ;P Honestly though, I might call that movie as good fodder for people who like bad movies; there’s a lot to work with there, and I didn’t think all of it was…entirely painful; just….kind of weird. I think I also wanted to like the movie when I saw it, and well, I might appreciate some of the badness. But yeah, I wouldn;’t call it a ‘good’ movie. ;P
I like what Andrew Borntreger said about this movie- “What I am saying is that I like my bad movies to be a lot better at being bad than this one. It’s like a woman telling you that she is naughty, but when pressed, she says that she is naughty because she likes to have sex. What? Sister, we all like to have sex. Where are the high heeled black boots, skimpy nurse’s outfit, and handcuffs? Where are the neighbors complaining to the police about the noise? Where are the chromeless trailer hitches, tennis balls, and garden hoses? Not to say that ‘The Spirit’ is a good movie, it fails at everything it tries to accomplish.”
The major lesson from The Spirit is, Frank Miller should….never be allowed to direct a movie by himself ever again. D;
@Shirow: Army of Darkness does not count. Come on now, pick a real one! Nice try, though. ;P
Battle Angel Alita.
@Mr. K.:Aww, Maze, I liked The Punisher.
I’m sorry. =(
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