What are your top five favorite superhero movies?

[TheHobbitofDune]

I know that I tend to make these threads a lot, but I can't help but be curious

Here is my list:

5. Man of Steel (2013) A brilliant and lovingly crafted origin story that actually works. It made me cry, it made me laugh, and it elicited from me every emotion in the spectrum. Well, a lot of them anyway. Man of Steel has set a new standard for superhero movies, and everyone should take notes.

4. Justice League: Secret Origins (2001) This was the season premiere that kicked off the Justice League cartoon with a major bang. Being able to see some of my favorite superheros join forces to stop a massive alien invasion was a huge thing for me as a kid. This is my number one favorite cartoon.

3. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) Though I was too young to actually see it in theaters the first time around, the fact that Power Rangers had the opportunity to make it to the big screen was huge. With a much larger budget, everything in the show was recreated with a theater-level quality that made every kid drool. This movie still holds up well today, and it is always a treat to watch.

2. Batman (1989) The gothic darkness and theatricality of this movie make for a sinisterly whimsical production that never ceases to amaze. Though nothing can ever truly be a hundred percent perfect, this movie comes as close as a movie can. It is truly worthy of bearing the Dark Knight's name.

1. V for Vendetta (2005) Though many would not consider this to be a superhero movie, I find that it does in fact belong in this category. V was a hero in every sense of the word, and his noble sacrifice was what elevated him beyond that status. This movie is eloquent and posh, but in a grim and cruel manner, which served to bring full circle the underlying emotions of a classic tale of revolution. It is a masterpiece in every sense of the word, and trust me when I say that I use that title very sparingly (as in, this is the only movie in the whole list that I'm giving the title to).

[RLYHYPERGUY]

Okay, these will probably change. I believe that none of us will truly know what our favorite movies are (regardless of genre) until we're on our deathbeds. Right now, the best way to find out is to imagine that you'll be dying soon, and then think of what movies you have to see one more time to feel satisfied with your life.

5. Watchmen - I thought it was a great adaptation of the source material, blended brilliantly with the visuals of Zack Snyder. A winning combination, in my opinion.

4. Spider-Man - This movie is what started my love for comic book movies, and then the comics themselves. I first saw it in the orthodontist's waiting room while I was waiting for my sister to be done and I just fell in love with it. I always identified with Tobey's performance, especially now that I've gone through the same things as him. I also still kind of have a crush on Kirsten Dunst.  

Plus, PETER PARKER HAD THE BALLS TO FREINDZONE MARY FREAKING JANE!!!!!!!!!

3. The Dark Knight - I can't say any more about this than what has already been said by countless others. This movie and Spider-Man have made the greatest impact on my life out of any comic book movies.

Plus, the Joker's a pretty good magician.

2. Spider-Man 2 - Everything great about the first one was made even better in this. Aunt May's speech about the hero in all of us still makes me choke up to this day, and I love it when MJ arrives in his apartment. Who doesn't want a hot babe to leave their own wedding to be with you?  

1. The Dark Knight Rises - I know many thought it wasn't as great as The Dark Knight, but this movie meant a lot to me when I saw it. The whole symbolism of the Pit really touched me, especially because I was trapped in my own Pit at the time. This movie was so inspiring to me, that it feels wrong to even consider giving it a lesser spot.

Plus, it's the first Batman story with a HAPPY ending! That's right, A HAPPY ENDING! That alone is a HUGE achievement! I mean, the constant brooding gets pretty boring, if you ask me.

Honorable Mentions:
Batman Begins
Iron Man 3
Captain America: The First Avenger
Batman Returns

[TheHobbitofDune]

All very well said as always. Thank you for sharing It's always a great thing to hear about the profound impact that movies have on people.

[RLYHYPERGUY]

It's one of my favorite things to ask people! Whenever people say they liked a movie I like to ask "Why?" They usually think I'm going for something "fancy" or "film critic-y." I do like "film critic-y" insights, but I'm actually asking what impact it had on them. I want to be a filmmaker because I want to make a positive impact on people, take them into a new world and teach them some truth about life or themselves. I want to touch their hearts, the way movies have touched mine.

Okay, wishy-washy stuff done. 

[Darth Severus]

Top Five/Ten pick your number movies is one of my favorite questions

For superhero movies

5. Ironman - It was a popcorn movie, but Stark was played so well, and Daniels did such a great job as the villian it was hilliarous yet impactful.

4. The Watchmen - the comic and the movie had some flaws but it had three truely great and complex characters that were cast awesomely. Rorschach, the Comedian and Ozymandias were all great characters that made you question their and your morals and what was really needed to serve the world.

3.Batman Begins - Nolan and Bale created something truely awesome a Bruce Wayne you could believe in, a Bruce Wayne that was such a douche, such a tool that you could never suspect him of being Batman, because this Bruce would never sacrifice himself for anything. Liam was awesome as a villian and we took our first step into a larger world.

2. The Dark Knight - A master piece, two-face and the Joker written in an almost real world conecpt and Eric Roberts as the mob leader, the scene, "as one professional to another," classic until around a week ago my top movie. replaced by . . .

1. The Dark Knight Rises - As epic as the Dark Knight but with a few more story flaws, but in the end  more fun. In the end it wins for the very reason that Bane is so awesome and so quotable, "You fight like a younger man."   "You've come to die with your people." "We both know I have to kill you" And the Bane walk. The Dark Knight is better slightly but the Dark Knight Rises is a lot more fun.

[RLYHYPERGUY]

You summed up the differences between TDK and TDKR perfectly! If anyone asks me which is the most well-made I will always say The Dark Knight, but if they ask me which one is the most enjoyable I will always say Rises. 

[Jev Moldara]

5. Ironman - It was a popcorn movie, but Stark was played so well, and Daniels did such a great job as the villian it was hilliarous yet impactful.

Daniels? Jeff Daniels? Obadiah Stane was played by Jeff Bridges, my friend...


Now, on topic... It was difficult to decide which ones to put in here, because I love quite a few of them. If I could, I would list all my favorites, but you only wanted five, so here they are, in no particular order.

300 - A brilliant performance by all involved. All the actors were superb with special mention to Gerard Butler (Leonidas), Lena Headey (Gorgo), Vincent Regan (The Captain), Dominic West (Theron), Michael Fassbender (Stelios), and last, but most assuredly not least, David Wenham (Dilios, aka the narrator). The movie was pure testosterone overload, with a healthy dose of gravitas (heavily weighed by David Wenham's spectacular voiceovers) to separate it from other action movies. Though the graphic novel (and the movie) took some major liberties with history, the basic story, that of a group of people standing against a foe that outmans and outguns them, is one that echoes across time. Of course, no one can possibly forget Dilios' ending speech to the Greek army at the Battle of Platea. Wenham's perfect delivery, coupled with the fantastic score by Tyler Bates, caused a sense of pure masculine pride to reverberate through my very soul.

Watchmen - I loved the multigenerational aspect (Silk Spectre II being the daughter of Silk Spectre I and The Comedian, Night Owl II having beers on a regular basis with Night Owl I) and how it showed the ordinary lives of these extraordinary people (Night Owl II and Silk Spectre II having dinner and talking about their more interesting enemies). Like Darth Severus, I also enjoyed the complexities of the characters and their real-world interactions, most especially The Comedian's relationship with Moloch.

Sin City - A dark, brooding, extremely violent movie done in a stylized film-noir fashion, a personal favorite. I can't really explain why I love this movie, but I do.

Batman (1989) - This movie reintroduced The Dark Knight to the world as the way he is supposed to be. The general public still knew the Adam West Batman, with the 1960's style costumes, goofy plots, and hokey dialogue. Michael Keaton's intense portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman, Jack Nicholson's crazy-but-extremely-violent appearance as The Joker, and especially Danny Elfman's score, paved the way for the more realistic portrayals of Batman later (and led to a hell of a career and icon status for both Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill).

Superman (1978) - The father of modern superhero movies, Superman will ALWAYS hold a place in my heart. From Christopher Reeve's performance as both bumbling Clark Kent and stoic Superman (and the way you can see the physical change in him when he goes from one to another) to John Williams' epic score, this movie made you believe that a man could fly.

[Master Rel]

By movies I am going to stick with live action only...

Not in any particular order...

Hancock



Sky High



Unbreakable



Mystery Men



Darkman



Naming just five is hard for someone who likes supers movies.

I avoided the easy answers of Batman, Superman, Spiderman, X-Men, Avengers, etc. too easy.

I am just thankful that there are so many choices...being in a place that makes it hard to choose is a good place to be.

 

[RLYHYPERGUY]

@ Jev - Nice list! I haven't seen 300, Superman, or Sin City yet, but I plan to! I have two of them on my list of movies I have to watch, looks like I'll have to add the third now.

@ Relmeob - I FREAKING LOVE UNBREAKABLE.

[TheHobbitofDune]

Great description of Batman, Jev. You definitely said it better than I could.

And great lists all around folks!

The only reason why I chose top five instead of top ten is because I figured people would want to write reasons for why they love the movies that they choose. There would be so much text floating around with a bunch of top ten lists that it might end up being a chore to sift through it all.

But feel free to add on to your lists if you want

[Oramac]

300 - A brilliant performance by all involved. All the actors were superb with special mention to Gerard Butler (Leonidas), Lena Headey (Gorgo), Vincent Regan (The Captain), Dominic West (Theron), Michael Fassbender (Stelios), and last, but most assuredly not least, David Wenham (Dilios, aka the narrator). The movie was pure testosterone overload, with a healthy dose of gravitas (heavily weighed by David Wenham's spectacular voiceovers) to separate it from other action movies. Though the graphic novel (and the movie) took some major liberties with history, the basic story, that of a group of people standing against a foe that outmans and outguns them, is one that echoes across time. Of course, no one can possibly forget Dilios' ending speech to the Greek army at the Battle of Platea. Wenham's perfect delivery, coupled with the fantastic score by Tyler Bates, caused a sense of pure masculine pride to reverberate through my very soul.

They did get one of the most important and historically significant lines right though: μολὼν λαβέ, or "Come get them!"

Anyway, on topic, in no particular order:

Star Wars IV:  This is the hero movie that got me started on hero movies.  Without it, I don't know where I'd be.  I can remember the first time I saw it I was truly scared for the characters when they were stuck in the garbage masher.

The Avengers: Yea, yea, yea.  Popular movies and all.  But it's written so well and the character development and plot kept me excited through the whole movie.  I came out of it thinking it was only about an hour and a half long.  Come to find out it's nearly 2 and a half.  That's a good movie in my book.

Serenity:  I saw this before I watched the TV series.  Fell in love with the 'Verse immediately.  I always loved old John Wayne westerns, and obviously I like space ships, so a movie combining the two was pure bliss for me.  Plus Joss Whedon is an incredibly talented writer. 

Batman Begins:  Pure genius.  I told everyone who would listen that this was the Batman movie to end all Batman movies.  I seriously didn't want them to even consider a sequel, because I honestly did not think they could come close to matching it, much less do better.  TDK and TDKR are both excellent films, and I actually like TDK better than Begins from a thematic perspective, but Begins is just so raw and open I have to put it on the list.

Star Trek (2009):  It's a movie I don't want to admit I like, but for some reason when I want to watch a good sci-fi movie, this one is always near the top of the list.  I've never been much of a Trekkie, and still aren't, but for some reason this one (and Into Darkness, once the Blu-ray hits) always just work for me.  Couldn't really tell you why. 

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

The Rocketeer: I LOVE ART DECO, I get all nostalgic; IDK why, but it's good. which reminds me I need to share my Rocketeer collection with you guys.

The Amazing Spider-Man/Anything Spider-Man: Because Spider-Man; particularly TASM because it dropped on my birthday.

Man of Steel: I'm a child of two fathers, one of them I barely ever knew; this movie hit hard.

Batman Forever: My favorite batman movie. Again, it's all about nostalgia, It has the same Dark-Deco look of the animated series by Druce Tim

The Wolverine: This was really good, but is acting as a place holder; let's hope "X-Men: Days of Future Past" is phenomenal.


The list could go on and on since I'm not a snob when it comes to movies; I'll give'em all a shot.

[Master Rel]

The Wolverine: This was really good, but is acting as a place holder; let's hope "X-Men: Days of Future Past" is phenomenal.


The list could go on and on since I'm not a snob when it comes to movies; I'll give'em all a shot.

Waits we do...waits for the Age of Apocalypse...

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

An X-Force movie is in the works; my fingers are crossed to see Cable.

‘X-Force’ Movie Writer Talks Story, Characters & Rating; ‘Huge Deadpool Fan’

http://screenrant.com/x-force-movie-interview-jeff-wadlow-characters-story-deadpool/

[TheHobbitofDune]

I'm going to take Justice League off of my list since: 1) It was only a TV movie. 2) It wasn't even a movie to begin with really. 3) I just remembered there was a different movie that I was going to put instead.

Gokaiger Goseiger Super Sentai 199 Hero Great Battle. I TOTALLY forgot about it when I was originally making my list. Shame on me

But anyway, that movie is fan fiction and fan service mashed together and injected with steroids. The fight scene is still the greatest I have ever seen in my life. It's every tokusatsu lovers dreams come true, and though Power Rangers will always be my first love, this hit me just as hard.

And no one here knows what I'm talking about, so imagine watching the Battle of Geonosis during Star Wars Ep. II for the first time. Except now there is a much grander build up with all of the Jedi entering the stadium at once. Oh, and multiply the number of Jedi by ... a lot. More than a lot actually. A ton.

And now imagine that all of your favorite scifi heroes just entered the stadium with them.

That's what this movie is like. Kind of.