Like much of the world, I had my little super hero phase in the 00s. Yeah it's getting played out by this point, but that doesn't mean there weren't a lot of great films made, and hopefully some great ones left to be made.
I'm someone who really, on an intense personal level, likes to visit that fantasy world where morality is not ambiguous and good crushes evil. It's the same reason Taken is one of my favorite films of all-time. I like super heroes for being successful vigilantes more than anything else. And with that in mind I've seen much more than my share of super hero movies and these are the best ones, if you're asking me.
15. Superman Returns (2006)
It's definitely more of a quiet, underwhelming kind of film that doesn't hit you over the head with bombast. But with so many by-the-number super hero bunkerbusters, I find the tone in Superman Returns pleasant. It's not brilliant but it's interesting and entertaining. Plus it features the amazing Kevin Spacey and a super-cute Kate Bosworth. In this era of instant-reboots, this quasi-sequel to 1980's Superman II has become even more unique and refreshing since 2006.
14. Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man is cool because, like Batman, Tony Stark's primary super powers are limitless wealth, impossible technology, and the ability to amass military-grade weapons without inviting the suscpicion of the FBI. This makes suspension of disbelief a lot easier for those of us who aren't keen supernatural powers and alien intervention. The first Iron Man film was crisp and fun.
13. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
It may have some flaws, but The Dark Knight Rises provides a very satisfying climax to Nolan's magnificent Batman trilogy. It retains the sharp-witted ability of the other films to weave an impressive menagerie of classic Batman characters to form a coherent whole, and it packs an emotional punch as well.
12. Batman Returns (1992)
It's twisted, it's fun, it's Burtonesque. Burton's first Batman was good, but the sequel introduces more of the vigilante action I love plus the best film version of Catwoman to date, and Danny Devito as a grotesque Penguin.
11. Chronicle (2012)
The found footage aspect doesn't really add much to this story other than a gimmicky dose of uniqueness. But that doesn't stop this from being by far one of the best super hero tales, about a few friends who happen upon supernatural powers and the complex ethical and social dilemmas they face as a result. The special effects are also excellent.
10. Spider-Man (2002)
A perfectly paced, emotional and exciting origin story for one of Marvel's greatest characters. Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben was pretty awesome in the new Spiderman, but it was the same story we had heard so recently before, and 2002 just did it better.
9. Unbreakable (2000)
M. Night Shyamalan was a decent filmmaker back before he ruined The Last Airbender. Unbreakable is among the more straight-faced superhero movies, with a stoney atmosphere and an exceedingly clever storyline.
8. Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
It doesn't expand too much into new territory, but Kick-Ass 2 provides bucketfuls of what made the original Kick-Ass such a remarkable standout film in a sea of superhero movies. Excellent characters abound and Jim Carrey, as "Col. Stars & Stripes," fantastically fills the patriarchal shoes left behind by the first film's charismatic Nicolas Cage (as "Big Daddy.")
7. The Dark Knight (2008)
A disturbingly brilliant Joker provides The Batman with a worthy counterbalance to his crimefighting agenda in this excellent and brooding sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Just a shame they couldn't get Katie Holmes back.
6. Boy Wonder (2010)
Technically this could be considered simply a vigilante film, but the thematic content is clearly there and it reminded me a lot of both Unbreakable and Kick-Ass. Very grim, very dark, very real, and it never flinches from a punch. When his mother is killed by assailants, an average boy toils to turn himself into a ripped supersleuth and seeks revenge on the criminal underworld.
5. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
This is one of the least-beloved X-Men films but suffice to say I have very specific things I like about X-Men and Last Stand touches on those things vastly more than any other X-Men film to date. It's based on Joss Whedon's story of a mutant cure, similar to one of my favorite episodes of the 1990s X-Men cartoon. Furthermore, Magneto, with his pro-gay, er I mean... pro-mutant agenda and quiet dignity, is my single favorite fictional character of all-time. The Magneto of X-Men: First Class might get to kill some nazis, but I find more depth in the way Sir Ian McKellen (one of the all-time greatest actors), subtly alludes to the dark genesis of his worldview and his love for Professor Xavier, in this film.
4. V for Vendetta (2005)
Wasn't quite sure if this one counts, but hey Wikipedia lists it as a super hero movie and we all know that's a reliable source. This stunning dystopian comic book film about a masked vigilante who uses prodigious skill to debase the totalitarian government is gothically cool and considerably powerful.
3. Watchmen (2009)
This is one of the best and most-celebrated takes on the concept: what if real people decided to become superheroes? The characters are deep, the story is nuanced, and the alternate history it posits is fascinating. Zack Snyder may have a bit of a slow-mo fetish but Watchmen is stylized in just the right way to make it slick and effective.
2. Kick-Ass (2010)
Overly-stylized action and gore are generally things I try to avoid, but I have to admit that scene of Big Daddy in the warehouse is just so utterly gorgeous. This story of a regular joe who decides to fight for love & peace expertly flirts with relative realism while never straying from its roots as a trashy comic book adventure. It's a solid, clever story with likable characters, and it provides everything I need in both superhero-style realism and rah-rah vigilantism.
1. Batman Begins (2005)
The Dark Knight may have the indelible Heath Ledger, but Batman Begins boasts two of my all-time favorite actors: the perpetually-enchanting Katie Holmes, and the reputable Liam Neeson. I also have a thing for origin stories. And Bruce Wayne searching for truth in the crimepits of the world makes for an exquisite story. Plus I like to see the easy, early stuff, like when the superhero is up against regular every day criminals and just pounds the fuck out of their scumbag asses, yay Batman! It's dark, it's cool, it's smart, it's fun: Batman Begins is just, to me, the perfect super hero movie.
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