Top 10 Superhero Movies

In today’s blog post entry, I want to explore my top ten favorite superhero movies. A superhero must either be based on a comic book, or the hero must be known as a superhero by the people around them. I am not basing this off of the hero or heroes in question, I am basing it off of the movie itself and how much I liked it. I am not repeating any hero on this list, so it is one movie per hero. This list is only based off of movies that I have personally seen and if a movie is not on this list, I may not have seen and, but I recommend that you leave a comment. As always, spoilers will be ahead.

10. Man of Steel- Superman

It might not look like it, but those are tights!

This has been the only Superman movie that I have ever really liked. I know it did not receive high praises from critics, and the awkward stares that Superman gives was a bit of a pet peeve of mind, but I honestly just really liked the movie. I do not like Superman as a superhero (he is too overpowered), but I just liked him having to find himself as well as seeing all the struggles he has faced in trying to become Superman.

9. Kick-Ass- Kick-Ass

He is good at getting his butt kicked!

Kick-Ass has one superpower, if you can even really call it that, he has a high pain tolerance. He was just a kid who wanted to be a superhero, so he became one. The movie itself made me laugh and in a way it satirized superheroes which I enjoyed. It also showed the impact that a double life would have on a normal teenager. I also enjoyed how harrowing it was to not have a superpower and try and fight crime.

8. Watchmen- The Watchmen

I wonder who has a superpower!

It has been heralded as the greatest comic book series and the movie was pretty good too. It was a super cool premise of an alternate reality where superheroes have a role in the military and global issues. Only Dr. Manhatten has superpowers, but the rest are great crime fighters and geniuses. This leads to one large mystery that actually leads to Ozymandias being the villain and killing innocents, but it was going to lead to peace.

7. X-men: First Class- The X-men

Only one of them can be first in class!

I guess this isn’t technically the X-men since Magneto and Mystique are not X-men, but the mutants I guess were originally X-men since they let Professor X lead them. I loved the idea of again, superheroes having real effects on history and this movie explores the Cuban Missile crisis. I also am a huge fan of this origin story, since it is not told as much as other stories. I like the mutants also not being as strong as they are in the older movies too.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy- The Guardians of the Galaxy

Aliens, Adventure, Heroes, Comedy and Space Travel!

This was a movie that contains pretty little known heroes, but I just loved it. It had the right mix of comedy, action and drama. I loved the whole space cowboy theme to it and the 80’s music to boot. Also, none of the heroes were drastically overpowered and they had to use their wit to defeat a much stronger villain. I really enjoyed that too.

5. Hancock- Hancock

Just remember, he is an alcoholic!

This is the only person on the list that does not have a comic about him, but he is a superhero. He is a lazy one who would prefer to drink himself to oblivion. He is hated by the public for how much money he costs them, but he ends up finding out he has always been a hero. He is interesting in the sense that he can’t be near Mary or they lose their powers, so he has to stay away from the only person who knows him.

4. The Avengers- The Avengers

Looking at this group, they really can't lose!

I really liked this movie even though I wasn’t a huge fan of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America or The Hulk. This movie did a great job combining star studded actors and making an awesome movie. It was great seeing heroes having to work together. They are all great by themselves, but when they worked together, they proved that there is nothing that can stop them.

My top 3 is very controversial because of the movie I choose for the superhero, the superhero that I chose and just the order itself.

3. The Dark Knight Rises- Batman

They didn't have to light stuff on fire, they could have just used the bat signal!

I know the Dark Knight gets all the praise, but this was my favorite of the Batman movies. I loved the themes within the movie and I love Batman as a superhero. He isn’t my favorite, but he is in my top 3. I might be biased on loving this movie as much as I did, because it was partially filmed in Pittsburgh! But I thought it had a great musical score to go along with sharp action and a great plot.

2. The Amazing Spiderman 2- Spiderman

If only he had electric webbing!

Spiderman is my favorite superhero. The Amazing Spiderman movies are telling the story that most people do not know. Everyone knows Mary Jane, but what about Peter’s first girlfriend? This movie had an awesome soundtrack, an almost likeable villain, a great twist that only fans of the comics would know and it shows a great evolution of a hero. I just loved this movie.

1. The League of Extraordinary Gentleman- The League of Extraordinary Gentleman

I just really like this movie, OK!!!

You are probably thinking really, who are they and why are they number one. Spiderman is my favorite superhero, but I just loved this movie so much. The League is based off of late 1880’s novel characters, Quatermain, Nemo, Dorian Grey, Mina (Dracula), and Tom Sawyer. I loved the Steampunk environment and I loved Moriarty being the villain. The movie might not have gotten great reviews, but it just struck a special chord with me. Nothing beats Sean Connery either!

Top 10 Movies Where the Villain Wins

Sometimes the good guys don’t win. The bad guys sometimes beat the hero. Today I am going to be looking at the movies in which the good guys lose and the bad guys win. In this list, by bad guy, I mean the villain, is the winner and the hero, the protagonist, is defeated. As with all of my lists, spoilers will be found in the list. I am only choosing from movies I have seen before and if there is a movie that you believe should be on this list, feel free to comment.

10. Reservoir Dogs- The Cops

They all wore the same thing!

Reservoir Dogs is Tarantino’s first film and one of his best. However, the criminals do not win. They are all killed in the diamond heist except Mr. White, who is arrested. It’s a great movie, but the cops win. They save the day and the heroes we have believed will somehow escape their situation do not make it. I guess Mr. Orange, although dead, won this one.

9. Rocky- Apollo Creed

He lost this fight, but he wins next movie!

My roommate and I had a long heated debate about this one and whether or not Apollo was a villain. I still believe he is and Apollo still won the match. Although Rocky gave him one heck of a fight and he took him to the end, but Apollo still got the win. Rocky didn’t go home unhappy, but do people still realize that Rocky lost his fight, he just happened to get his life on the right track.

8. Fight Club- Tyler Durden

I wouldn't use that soap!

This is again a controversial pick. The ending of fight club is ambiguous but with the facts at hand that the banks and credit unions are destroyed and Tyler’s master plan is completed, so he ultimately wins. I even speculate that Tyler has retaken control of Edward Norton’s character in the end, as Norton’s character watches calmly and grasps Marla’s hand. I believe Tyler has taken full control and he completes his plan.

7. Oldboy- Lee Woo-jin

Getting back at your high school bully...years later!

Yoo Ji-tae has held a grudge since high school. He blames Oh Dae-su for his sister’s death and he plans Oh Dae-su to make the same mistake that he made. He gets Oh Dae-su to sleep with his own daughter and he took 15 years of Oh Dae-su’s life. Oh Dae-su cannot undo what he has done, so Yoo Ji-tae is the ultimate winner. The hypnotism at the end may not even have worked, so Oh Dae-su may still know what happened.

6. Silence of the Lambs- Hannibal Lector

What did you hear Clarice!

Hannibal, whom I consider the greatest villain of all time, is the ultimate winner in Silence of the Lambs. He has demonstrated control of Clarice, he escapes his cell and confinement and the ending implies he will be taking revenge on Chilton. Hannibal also rips off the face of his captors and escapes in one of the most gruesome ways possible. The only reason this is not number one is Hannibal is not the main antagonist, Buffalo Bill is.

5. Saw- Jigsaw

These games don't look fun!

In a major twist in events, it ends up the man responsible for all the trauma and kidnappings has been there the whole time. The one corpse that has been the room the entire time was never a corpse, it was the Jigsaw killer. Everyone else is his victim and at the end, Jigsaw manages to walk out unscathed and leaves his victim Adam to die or kill himself in the warehouse.

4. No Country for Old Men- Anton Chigurh

Finders keepers doesn't always work...!

Chigurh walks away with the money that has been the central focus of the film. He is most definitely evil too. He has killed many Mexican cartel members in his search of the money. His relentless pursuit causes him to defeat the law and he is able to retain the two million dollars. However, he does get into a car crash, but he is still able to walk away from the crash with only a limp.

3. Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back- The Empire

So many bad guys on this cover!

In Episode 4, the Rebels have destroyed the Death Star and it seems as if they have won. However, the war is still raging. The Empire manages to defeat the rebels on Hoth, which the Rebels escape, they capture Han Solo, they cut off Luke Skywalker’s hand and they have captured the Millennium Falcon. The Rebels have gone from victors to on the ropes in this movie.

2. The Usual Suspects- Keyser Soze

One of them is badder than the rest!

It was the gimp. Verbal Kint, the only witness of the murders of his partners of fortune manages to tell the police what happened, is granted full immunity and walks out of the police station with no charges. However, Kint after getting made fun of for being too stupid to realize that Keaton was Soze got the last laugh. Kint is Soze and Kint just waltzed right out of a police station with full immunities and the police have seen their pride diminished.

1. Se7en- John Doe

You could have messed up the plan Mills, but you didn't!

Another Kevin Spacey role that sees the bad guy win, go figure. But John Doe takes the cake in winning. He completes his sadistic ritual and causing one death of each of the deadly sins. He turns himself into the police station with still two more deaths to finish the ritual. But actually, he is waiting for just one more death, he needs a death from Wrath. John Doe has actually committed the Greed death by chopping off Mill’s wife’s head and then putting it in the box. What’s in the box? Well, Mills kills Doe for in an act of wrath, which means John Doe won.