The Top 5 Superhero Movies of All Time

Superhero movies may not be your cup of tea, but I have always been a fan. When done right, pardon the pun, they are super. Perfect example is Spiderman-2 (barely missing the cut here). When done bad, they are beyond embarrassing like Catwoman, and (gulp!) Batman and Robin. Most people site X-Men as ushering in the popularity of superhero flicks, but I disagree. That nod goes to Superman back in 1978. Well, without further ado, here are my top 5.

Flying in at #5 is Superman. I was 10 years old when I was saw this in the theater. I remember the chills I got when John Williams music boomed from the speakers and the names shot across the screen. This movie was jacked with talent. Marlon Brando looking cool for the last time with white hair no-less. His presence as Superman's father Jor-El was pivotal to setting the tone of this epic endeavor. Gene Hackman was hysterical as Lex Luthor with just enough menace to be believable. Behind the camera was Richard Donner who later would go on to the Lethal Weapon franchise. The special effects are jaw-dropping and were groundbreaking for the time. They still hold up pretty well. Christopher Reeves will forever be the man of steel (RIP dude). Before the movie, I was not a big Superman fan. But for those two hours I truly felt a man could fly.
Favorite Scene: So many classics to chose, but I love the scene when baby Supe's crystal ship is leaving the doomed planet Krypton, sad but hopeful. Damn that music moved me.

Iron Man holds down the #4 spot. This pick is far from a bandwagon selection. Robert Downey Jr. is perfectly cast as egotistical Tony Stark. Iron Man walked the perfect line for a comic book tale. Though it did not take itself to seriously, this movie bleeping rocked. AC/DC should get an extra shout out for their music in the trailer which in turn put my butt in the seat in the first place. The story was topical, the action was breezy, and Jeff Bridges is always gold. "The dude abates." Jon Favreau's first foray into action was a huge success. Even Gwyneth Paltrow seemed to enjoy playing smart but fiery Pepper Potts. Tony Stark is refreshing because he has no secret identity or qualms about being a crime-fighter. All he has is a kick-ass suit (loved the earlier stainless steel War Machine), love of God and country, and a couple of billion dollars to his name. That my friend is my hero.
Favorite scene: When a reporter asks Stark if he likes his nickname "The merchant of death", Tony Stark simply and arrogantly replies "That's not bad". Classic!

Staking out his territory at #3 is Wesley Snipes in Blade 2. Though I grooved to the urban feel of the first movie, the sequel just laid waste to all other Blade movies. We will pretend Blade: Trinity never happened. The second Blade had a great story (loved the reaper strain angle), great atmosphere, and killer action. The martial arts throw downs were brilliantly shot by director Guillermo Del Toro. Kris Kristofferson's, looking worse than Nick Nolte's mugshot, was funnier than ever as Blade's partner Whistler. Nomak(Luke Goss) was a great villain and just tragic enough to make you sympathetic. Blade running the soulless Bloodpack was a nice twist. This movie is rated a hard R for mucho gore and off the chart violence. Just what the doctor ordered.
Favorite scene: Any scene with Ron Pearlman's Reinhardt. That guy cracks me up. However, I'll choose his final showdown with Blade. You have to admit he had it coming.

Barely missing the top spot at #2 is 2003's X-Men United. This movie may very well be the best pure comic book flick on the list. From Nightcrawler's symphonic assault on the white house to Wolverine's epic battle with Lady Deathstrike, director Bryan Singer's sequel to X-Men set a new standard for over the top action in the superhero canon. The talent in this beast rivals the first Superman. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen showcase their Shakespearean chops and anchor the film, Jackman's berserker Wolverine is at his most unstable and Rebecca Romijn nearly steals the show without saying much. Nobody scowls better than Brian Cox and his William Stryker perfectly symbolized humans fear of the unknown and of change. Everybody was on their game for this one and I feel Singer inadvertently forced other directors to up their game when taking on a superhero franchise. Thanks bro!!
Favorite scene: Stryker's military assault on Xavier's school.

I'm torn for my #1 slot. It's a toss up for Christopher's Nolan's Batman Begins or his other masterpiece The Dark Knight. Both are so rich in content. It would be unfair to the other great movies on my list to put them at 1 and 2. Batman Begins is a fantastic origin story and weaves the title character into a believable setting in a fictional (Gotham=New York) society. The city looks modern with a 1930's era Chicago flavor. Christian Bale is perfect and believable as the caped crusader. Liam Neeson channels Qui-Gon Ginn and then turns on the menace. Call me crazy, but the guy was starting to make too much sense. Gary Oldman resurrected his career by not playing a kook and dialed it down to good effect as Batman's police liaison Sgt. Gordon. The movie rolled out like a psychological horror fest with fear as a central theme. The Dark Knight unfolded like a crime drama from frame one, albeit a kick ass, testosterone infused balls to the wall crime drama. There is a reason the movie grossed a billion dollars. It's that good. Heath Ledger tore up the screen as the ultimate "Agent of Chaos" the Joker. He made the Joker from Tim Burton's earlier films look like a clown. The stakes were raised in the sequel and major characters bit the dust.The fight scenes were definitely better staged this time around. Mr. Nolan listens to his critics. Loved the score in both movies and I'm sure the next installment will be terrific. Okay, decision time. My gut tells me Dark Knight by a hair. I watch it at least once a month. Sad but true.
Favorite scene: Batman Begins: Batmobile laying waste to rooftops over Gotham. Sweet ride!
The Dark Knight: Interrogation scene with Batman and the Joker. Damn that was intense.