Updated 6/23/22
It's hard to say who's winning the comic book movie arms race. The two biggest comic book companies aren't necessarily box-office rivals but it's hard not to see them as competitors when their movies feature a lot of the same storylines and themes. Marvel has had the most recent hits, but then again DC has had the fewest number of misses overall.
Spider-Man and the X-Men are way behind and the Fantastic Four just can't seem to catch a break. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Spiderman 3, and Batman Forever all rated higher on Rotten Tomatoes than both Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman -- Get the f@%k outta here. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 even got a higher rating and that sh*t was so wack that the studio cancelled the sequel and a planned villain spin off and decided to just reboot the whole thing -- again.
Superhero-movie fatigue my a$$. Good movies are good movies. Bring it on.
21. The New Mutants
I'm not gonna lie to you. I never liked the New Mutants comics. It always seemed to me like an obvious and lame attempt to squeeze more money outta the X-Men -- the comic book version of the James Bond, Jr. cartoon. But after Fox finally put together a great X-Men movie -- Logan -- there was a slim chance that they'd learned the error of their ways and New Mutants the movie might actually be decent. They did. And it is.
In the most underrated X-film and the closest that the X-verse has ever come to horror, The New Mutants features a group of five young people undergoing testing and receiving inpatient treatment for their respective genetic mutations at an otherwise empty medical institution overseen by Dr. Cecilia Reyes.
20. Joker
Unlike Batman, who's suffered from some regrettable depictions through the years (most notably, in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin), his arch-nemesis, the Joker, boasts a perfect 4-0 record when it comes to big-screen cinematic appearances.
Perhaps because, unlike most comic book villains, and indeed, most comic book characters, the Joker has only been portrayed by award-winning actors, respected by both their peers and moviegoers alike.
With Oscar buzz surrounding Joaquin Phoenix's take on the killer clown in Joker, there's even a fresh new addition to the ever-growing collection of mind-blowing portrayals of Gotham's Most Wanted.
Timid and socially-awkward loner Arthur Fleck lives with his mother in a small Gotham City apartment and works a dead-end job as a party clown. However, he dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian and constantly jots down original material in his joke book to further that end. When he shares his dream with his mother, she dismisses him as not being funny.
Arthur was once hospitalized in a mental facility and continues to suffer from a neurological condition, the pseudobulbar affect, that compels him to laugh uncontrollably during times of stress. He presents a card that explains his affliction to a woman who berates him after he makes her young son laugh during a city bus ride. Arthur is also dependent on medication provided by a city social program that requires him to attend regular counseling sessions.
After being beaten and robbed by a group of kids, Arthur is chewed out by his boss, who docks him for the sign that was stolen from him by the thieves. He subsequently encounters a neighbor, Sophie, for whom he develops feelings and begins seeing socially. A coworker, Randall, provides him with a revolver (unsolicited) for protection against any such incidents in the future. But when the gun accidentally falls out of his waistband in front of a crowd of children and staff members during a performance at a children's hospital, Arthur is fired as a result. It didn't help that Randall lied, accusing Arthur of approaching HIM about obtaining the weapon.
During the subway ride home, Arthur, still in his clown makeup, is assaulted by three stockbrokers in the employ of Wayne Enterprises. Fleck shoots two to death in self-defense and executes the third, instead of allowing him to flee. Mayoral candidate, Thomas Wayne, denounces the killings during a televised interview, disparaging critical impoverished Gotham citizens as "clowns" who never made anything of their lives.
The billionaire's comments spark protests, comprised of people wearing clown masks. Meanwhile, funding for various social programs is slashed, leaving Arthur unable to obtain his medication. And due to his growing self-confidence, he accuses his case-worker of going through the motions rather than actually listening to him.
Later, Arthur makes his stand-up comedy debut but bombs miserably, chuckling uncontrollably but failing to elicit laughs from the audience. After a tape of his performance is sent to the Murray Franklin Show, the eponymous host mocks Arthur live on the air, labeling him a "joker".
As though things weren't bad enough, Arthur reads a letter from his mother intended to be sent to Thomas Wayne, in which she refers to the former as her and Wayne's son. Enraged that his paternity was never revealed to him, Arthur angrily confronts her before heading to Wayne Manor to meet Thomas.
Arthur encounters an eight-year-old Bruce Wayne at the property gate before being confronted by Alfred Pennyworth, who accuses his mother, Penny, of being delusional and fabricating her sexual relationship with Thomas Wayne. Upon returning home, Arthur discovers that his mother has suffered a stroke and rides with her in an ambulance to the hospital.
When he's approached by two Gotham City police detectives investigating the triple-homicide on the subway, it's revealed that the pair spoke to Penny Fleck shortly before her stroke, likely triggering it.
Arthur subsequently maneuvers his way into a face-to-face talk with Thomas Wayne in a men's room. Wayne not only echoes Pennyworth's claims, he adds that Arthur himself is adopted and not biologically related to either himself or Penny Fleck. The encounter ends with Wayne punching Arthur in the face before storming off.
Determined to learn the truth, Arthur goes to Arkham State Hospital, where he was told Penny was committed, and steals her file. The records not only confirm that Penny was treated for delusions and adopted Arthur but also reveal that she and a boyfriend abused him at three years old.
Distraught, Arthur visits Penny in her hospital room, where he smothers her with a pillow. Afterwards, he pays Sophie a visit in her apartment, where it's implied that he murders her -- and presumably, her daughter as well. It's revealed that Arthur's entire relationship with Sophie was imagined.
The next day, Arthur is invited to make an appearance on Murray Franklin's talk show as a result of the attention garnered by his stand-up video. Before the show, Arthur is visited by former coworkers Randall and Gary. He stabs Randall to death in retaliation for lying about his gun but spares a distraught Gary.
On his way to the Murray Franklin Show, Arthur is spotted by the homicide detectives investigating the train shooting and flees. As he's wearing clown makeup, Fleck is able to blend in with a crowd of similarly dressed protesters in clown masks. When Arthur steals one of the demonstrators' mask, he inadvertently incites a brawl that engulfs the detectives. After one of the cops accidentally shoots a protester, the crowd attacks them both, ultimately leaving them with critical injuries.
In his meeting with Franklin, Arthur requests that he be introduced as "Joker", the description that the host had previously given him. Arthur subsequently appears before the audience in full clown makeup and green hair for the live broadcast. After telling inappropriate jokes that fall flat, he admits to killing the Wayne executives on the subway, describing them as "awful" people. When Franklin blames him for the riots that have erupted in the wake of the shooting, Arthur replies that he's not motivated by politics. He also calls Franklin "awful" for belittling him and shoots him to death before laying his gun on the host's desk and walking off.
Following his arrest, the police vehicle in which Arthur is riding is struck by protesters driving an ambulance. Arthur's freed by the demonstrators and upon regaining consciousness, is cheered by the crowd and hailed as a hero.
Meanwhile, one of the rioters confronts the Waynes in a back alley, murdering both Thomas and Martha before fleeing the scene as the now-orphaned Bruce looks on.
After Arthur is committed to Arkham, he undergoes a session with a psychiatrist, who inquires as to what he finds so amusing. He tells her that she wouldn't get the joke and is subsequently seen running from orderlies while leaving bloody footprints in his wake (it's implied that he murdered the psychiatrist before attempting to escape).
Joker bagged plenty of critical acclaim -- and controversy -- before bringing in $619 million in global earnings after only two weeks in theaters. Joker received an eight-minute standing ovation following its screening at the Venice Film Festival, copping the event's top prize, the Golden Lion award, in the process.
At $1.016 billion and counting, the villain's origin story has since become the top-grossing R-rated film of all time and the first to gross ten figures at the box-office. It's also the third-highest grossing DC movie of all time, surpassing all but billion-selling PG-13 hits The Dark Knight Rises and Aquaman. Joker has even outsold all of the previous movies featuring the title character (including the Oscar-winning and billion-grossing The Dark Knight) -- and it did so without a 3-D release or screenings in China.
"What do you get when you cross a mentally-ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash? You get what you fucking deserve."
"The worst part of having a mental illness is that people expect you to behave as if you don't."
"I used to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realize it's a fucking comedy."
19. Batman Begins
The decision to showcase the relatively unknown (to the general public) villains Scarecrow and R'as al Ghul was brilliant, not to mention the previously criminally under-utilized Lucius Fox. And Michael Caine is hands-down the greatest Alfred to ever serve Bruce Wayne a cup of tea.
No matter how much Michael Keaton exceeded expectations, Christian Bale did what Birdman never could -- he made Bruce Wayne as interesting as Batman.
Begins is also gloriously-free of a manic villain, though it ushered in the trend of what eventually became a trilogy of featuring at least two members of the Batman's infamous rogue's gallery in each film.
While Batman Begins is the least entertaining installment of the three, much like Star Wars, it provides a necessary and damned-near too-good-to-be-true foundation for what comes later. Bruce Wayne's ninjitsu training fills in the gaps between spoiled, rich kid and Gotham scourge.
The secret to Begins' success is really simple logic: The premise of comic books is inherently silly, so the tone of a film adaptation should be sincere and serious in order to counter the built-in ridiculousness. Batman Begins had no Jim Carrey, no sidekick in a girly costume, no mutants with pet penguins, no gangsters with novelty gadgets and no Alicia Silverstone. Just darkness, grit, and viable explanations.
For the very first time, Batman was realistic.
18. Natasha Romanoff
The former Sorcerer Supreme devotes himself to protecting teenage orphan America Chavez from an embittered mass-murder Wanda Maximoff, who intends to steal her ability to travel between universes. Strange must confront his own character flaws or neither he nor his rescuee will survive.
Forced to battle demons, monsters, secret societies and a fallen witch, Dr. Stephen Strange's second solo mission is exponentially better than his first. Doc Strange is undoubtedly the most-improved MCU hero and sub-franchise -- hands down. The movie's only flaw lies in the inclusion of cheesy ass Illuminati members: Black Bolt, Reed Richards and Professor X (and his goofy yellow hoverchair).
Though not a part of the MCU, Hulk is the only movie to provide an origin story -- a logical and compelling one, at that -- for the big, green monster. It's also a far superior film to the one named for the character that is an official installment of the MCU. That movie, 2008's The Incredible Hulk, is so disappointing that both Marvel and Disney have downplayed its existence almost since the moment that it was released.
Hulk explains how maverick scientist David Banner conducted experiments on himself which resulted in an alteration to his DNA, which was passed on to his son Bruce. Years later, this genetic abnormality allows an adult Bruce to survive a lab accident in which he's bombarded with radiation. However, this same accident combined with his unique genetic make-up transform him into a gigantic and invincible monster during times of stress.
Hulk is a fascinating -- and entertaining -- exploration of repressed rage.
Hulk is a fascinating -- and entertaining -- exploration of repressed rage.
15. Ant-Man
Like Blade, Ant-Man was one of those comics that was pretty good for lining the cat's sh#tbox. His solo comic, anyway. Thanks to Quicksilver and, especially, Hawkeye, he was never in danger of being the worst Avenger. His strength was always in his contribution to the team. So, when he was completely left out of the team's first nine movies (that's not even counting those out-of-place Hulk joints) it seemed like it was a wrap for his chances at getting onscreen. Hey, he created Ultron and he wasn't even mentioned in that movie. But, maybe the shot-callers at Marvel Studios and Disney are hip-hop wannabees who took a page from true deejays (the ones who scratch vinyl, not the laptop kind) and decided to focus on maximizing hidden potential instead of only reusing the people's favorites. Or maybe they just figured that nobody would care if they made changes to the wack stuff. Who the hell knows?
Anyway, Ant-Man bears the distinction of being the only superhero movie that belongs to the "heist film" genre (or at least the only one that I can think of off of the top of my head). Our hero pulls off four -- count 'em, four -- such heists before the credits roll. If you really are counting, there's: the VistaCorp burglary that lands him in state prison; the theft of his future super suit; the infiltration of Avengers HQ; and the attempted swiping of the Yellow Jacket suit. Happy now? Both Ethan Hunt and Danny Ocean might have trouble keeping up with this guy. And how great was it to see the Falcon in action again? After being criminally under-used in The Age of Ultron, Wilson is a sight for sore eyes. Although, the more colorful suit is a step in the lame direction.
Ant-Man represents the very rare occasion in which a heavy emphasis on comedy in a superhero movie was a good idea. As much as people criticize comic book movies for taking themselves too seriously, Green Lantern, Superman III, Superman IV, The Green Hornet, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, The Fantastic Four, Rise of the Silver Surfer, Steel, and The Phantom serve as reminders of the dangers of not doing so.
Anyway, Ant-Man bears the distinction of being the only superhero movie that belongs to the "heist film" genre (or at least the only one that I can think of off of the top of my head). Our hero pulls off four -- count 'em, four -- such heists before the credits roll. If you really are counting, there's: the VistaCorp burglary that lands him in state prison; the theft of his future super suit; the infiltration of Avengers HQ; and the attempted swiping of the Yellow Jacket suit. Happy now? Both Ethan Hunt and Danny Ocean might have trouble keeping up with this guy. And how great was it to see the Falcon in action again? After being criminally under-used in The Age of Ultron, Wilson is a sight for sore eyes. Although, the more colorful suit is a step in the lame direction.
Ant-Man represents the very rare occasion in which a heavy emphasis on comedy in a superhero movie was a good idea. As much as people criticize comic book movies for taking themselves too seriously, Green Lantern, Superman III, Superman IV, The Green Hornet, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, The Fantastic Four, Rise of the Silver Surfer, Steel, and The Phantom serve as reminders of the dangers of not doing so.
Although we still haven't gotten what we really want, the Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, the DCEU has rolled out an R-rated follow-up with lots more supervillains and a much higher body-count.
One of the standouts from the first movie, Harley Quinn, is mostly annoying and an example of a schtick growing thin this time around -- she actually has a fight scene in which she's surrounded by animated flowers and cartoon birds. And apparently, she somehow became a ninja master -- while in prison? Although she's given plenty of spotlight, a couple of new characters (and one semi-new character) steal the show right from under her. Despite her constant association with rodents, new squad member Cleo "Ratcatcher 2" Cazo is easily half of the heart of the film (it's not often that you come across a supervillain who's overflowing with love). The other half, Robert "Bloodsport" DuBois, is only semi-new because as a Black assassin with weird guns, expert marksmanship and an estranged young daughter, he's awfully similar to Suicide Squad's Floyd "Deadshot" Lawton. But DuBois is primarily motivated by the urge to protect his daughter and when Cleo ignites his paternal instincts, their relationship becomes the emotional core of the story. I sure didn't expect so much sentimentality in an R-rated comic book movie.
Besides Harley, Amanda Waller, team leader Rick Flag and Digger "Captain Boomerang" Harkness all return for this sophomore impossible mission as well. And this one is easily WEIRDEST comic book movie that comes to mind, with a humanoid weasel and swarms of rats and starfish playing pivotal roles in the story. There's also a walking, talking great white -- Nanaue -- but his low intelligence relative to humans makes him closer to the antagonist in Jaws than Jabberjaw. But hey, there's plenty of bloody gore and graphic violence to go along with the wackiness.
While not nearly as good as its predecessor, The Suicide Squad is exponentially better than the unwatchable Birds of Prey and provides a reasonably-entertaining opportunity to check back in with both Task Force X and the DCEU. One of the movie's themes is that people are rarely as little -- or great -- as their labels. For instance, a bank robber isn't necessarily a scumbag and a self-described champion of peace and liberty may not be a hero. Hopefully, we'll get another Suicide Squad sequel in the future (featuring Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2 and Deadshot).
The title is simply, Logan. But the movie's partly based on the 2008 - 2009 Old Man Logan comics storyline, which sounds a hell of a lot better and also happens to be more accurate -- especially considering Hugh Jackman's look in the movie. The source material was heavily inspired by Unforgiven and that influence is evident in the film as well.
The movie does make a stark departure from the original story -- mostly due to corporate realities. Fox, the studio that holds the film rights to the X-Men and Wolverine, has no such claim on the Hulk, Hawkeye, the Red Skull, She-Hulk, Giant-Man, Thor, Captain America, the Kingpin, Doctor Doom, Iron Man and the Abomination -- all of whom are referenced (some play key roles) in the comics. Even so, the movie is just as good as the source material -- if not better.
Deadpool's position as the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time prompted Jackman to insist on the freedom to earn the same rating. Deadpool's $783 million box-office take certainly gave the studio suits something to think about. Its considerably more than the $414 million 2013's The Wolverine took home. Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds was also in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine ($373 million). He wised up. Fortunately, Jackman did too. The R-rating has allowed us to finally see Wolverine being the best at what he does.
Logan isn't just the best X-Men movie -- it's better than all of the others combined. Jackman's always been pretty good as Wolverine, but until Logan, he's always been stuck portraying the most popular mutant in sh#tty movies with unconvincing special effects, terrible costumes and just overall slackness. But this time around there's no mute Deadpool, no giant samurai, no leather outfits and no wheelchair with X's on the wheels.
Speaking of which, Logan also provides the best movie showcase for Professor X.
A good bit of the story involves a guy, with the aid of an old friend, hitting the road in order to keep his super-powered kid from being reclaimed by federal agents. It's like 2016's Midnight Special -- except entertaining. Logan's time spent with the mutant kids is also reminiscent of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Wolverine even one-ups Batman by dying a hero's death the way the latter should've done in The Dark Knight Rises.
Maybe best of all, Logan himself explains that comic books and other media greatly exaggerate his and his fellow X-Men's accomplishments. He says, "It happened once and they turn it into..." But both he and the Professor acknowledge (at least some of) the events that took place at the Statue of Liberty (from 2000's X-Men). Consequently, Logan renders all but the very first X-Men movie null and void - and even negates most of the events in that film.
The movie's only real flaws are the Superman III-style Wolverine vs. himself nonsense and the lack of an explanation for the mysterious green "medicine" -- which is too important to the story not to get one.
Jackman has announced his retirement from the role that made him famous. He even refuses to make a cameo appearance in the upcoming Deadpool sequel. If he stands by his decision he'll be doing what Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan should've done before him -- walking away at the top of his game.
12. The Age of Ultron
The Age of Ultron is a disappointing (but entertaining) follow-up to The Avengers in nearly every way, except for: Nick Fury's thankfully diminished role, Captain America's much-improved uniform, and especially - the villain.
Though his origin was unnecessarily altered, Ultron made for an interesting adversary and owing to James Spader's extremely charismatic characterization, should enter the pantheon of cinematic automatons.
Although, I gotta say, I'm not sure his evil plan to drive mankind to extinction made much sense. If Ultron had succeeded in killing off billions of people by dropping the Sokovian capital city of Novi Grad from the upper atmosphere, wouldn't it have been much more difficult for him to function in the long term? Despite his best intentions though, Ultron did not tally up the highest body count. That honor belongs to the Hulk, who went on a rampage in an African city before ultimately being subdued by Iron Man and Veronica -- which is a name that's, thankfully, a hundred times more mature than "Hulkbuster armor". This isn't one of those movies in which the African-American dude is the first casualty, but having an Avenger kill off countless Africans, civilians included, and later saving the lives of an entire population of a European city sort of misses the point.
And why, why -- Why go back to the stupid-ass blue lasers from Captain America: The First Avenger? And right off the bat, at that? Fuck, man.
But hey, at least Cap had some great lines. Some of the best actually - even better than Iron Man's. They include:
"I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science invented was me."
"You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed - walk it off."
"What kinda monster would let a German scientist experiment on him to help his country." (Sarcastically referring to himself and the Maximoffs)
The depictions of the Scarlet Witch, and especially, Quicksilver, were much better than expected. Although, the idea that their superpowers were derived from "experiments" using Loki's stupid wizard staff is a reminder of how far these movies haven't progressed. I suppose Marvel felt compelled to maintain a certain consistency in regards to idiocy -- it lines up nicely with the first movie's illustration of the magic stick's ability to grant it's wielder mind-control powers. I realize that 20th Century Fox owns the exclusive rights to mutant powers, but couldn't the filmmakers have just left the origin of the twins' powers unsaid (We all know they're Magneto's kids)? Mystery is far superior to lameness. And, if one of them had to die, why couldn't Wanda have been the one left in the dirt? I personally prefer physical superpowers to magic. For one thing, they're easier to quantify. And the last thing this franchise needs is more ludicrousness. Seriously, Maria Hill and Robin Hood survive and we lose the best version of Quicksilver, ever? South Korean geneticist Dr. Helen Cho takes a shot from Ultron at close range and she survives too? Come the fuck on.
The Age of Ultron is by no means profound and to most people it's an entertaining distraction at best, but AI researchers would do well to view it as the latest in a long line of cautionary tales.
11. Blade
"The book is better than the movie." Not in this case. Blade is a damn good movie based on a subpar comic. Not only is it one of the best comic book movies ever to hit cineplexes, but it's also one of the best vampire movies ever produced. It also happens to be the first Marvel movie to feature a Stan Lee cameo, though it was wisely deleted in favor of the more serious final product.
Originally, LL Cool J was in talks to star in Blade as a parody. Luckily, those ideas were nixed too. Blade just happens to have been written by David S. Goyer, who also co-wrote the screenplays for the Dark Knight trilogy.
On top of all of that, it also bears the distinction of being the movie that introduced the world to the drop-(un)dead gorgeous (bad pun intended) Sanaa Lathan. After the movie's release, none of the dudes that I knew that had seen it, would shut up about "Blade's Mom".
Blade tells the story of a guy imbued with superhuman abilities, clad in black leather and a match black trenchcoat, who wages war on (of which most of the world is unaware), and is pursued by, a virtual army of black-clad foes who similarly possess superhuman abilities. Said guy has a penchant for wearing dark sunglasses, is highly proficient in martial arts, routinely defies the laws of physics and is largely known by a one-name alias. He's mentored by an older man of a different race, who, while highly-skilled and knowledgeable, is not as powerful as our hero. He is also aided by a woman, possessing of highly-technical expertise, whose life he saves. At one point, the two are pursued through a subway tunnel. His aforementioned enemies are bent on the global subjugation of humankind and harvest them for their biological resources. It's also made clear that the fate of mankind hinges, in part, on the fulfillment of a prophecy -- with the hero being called "the chosen one". Blade was released to theaters on August 21, 1998. The Matrix was released nearly seven months later. Just saying.
The Dark Knight embraces the precedent set by Batman Begins in respecting the fact that some moviegoers and comics readers have brains.
9. Suicide Squad
8. The Winter Soldier
When I saw the Superbowl ad for this movie I had zero interest in seeing it...ever. Not even on blu-ray or Netflix. It came across as completely corny in that commercial. The release of Iron Man 3 followed by Thor: The Dark World the year before seemed to signal a downward spiral for the quality of Marvel movies and the sight of Scarlett Johannson's bright, Kool-Aid red wig and Samuel Jackson's Matrix-wannabe leather trench coat just seemed like more of the same. By the way, none of the posters were any better. The revelation that the Falcon was in the film wasn't welcome news either. Sidekicks and characters with wings are usually massive red flags letting you know you're about to see something that sucks donkey nuts. I wondered if history was repeating itself like when 1989's Batman eventually devolved into Batman and Robin...or when Superman descended into Superman IV...The Empire Strikes Back begat Attack of the Clones...and on and on and on. As entertaining as The Avengers is, the truth is Captain America hadn't added much to the thrills. In fact, his goofy costume with the red pirate boots was one of the liabilities. Whose decision was it to put him back in the outfit that he himself (and everyone else) ridiculed in his first solo movie? I get it. It's his signature costume from the comic book, but Captain America: The First Avenger's director, Joe Johnston, wisely realized that it was impossible for that suit to be taken seriously in a live-action, real world setting.
Eventually, two things convinced me to give it a shot. First, I saw a trailer with an uncharacteristic somber tone that contained a single shot of Cap standing over about a dozen bodies. Second, the word-of-mouth was not just overwhelming, it was thoroughly positive. Everyone that I talked to gave it an enthusiastic recommendation. A female friend told me she'd gone to see it three times already and didn't mind seeing it again. At this point I still wasn't convinced. Hell, some people just like action, no matter how terrible the movie is. But I was curious.
From the very beginning it's evident that Winter Soldier is an entirely different movie than Marvel's previous offerings. The most striking disparity is between this film and the first Cap adventure. The sequel isn't a merely a departure. It belongs to another genre altogether. The First Avenger was a light-hearted, good vs. evil, period war movie about a superhero. Winter Soldier is a mostly sober conspiracy thriller loaded with paranoia, suspense, timely concern about government overreach, global surveillance, spies, assassins and shades of grey. According to the filmmakers, there was also a reassuring reliance on practical stunts and special effects and less dependence on CGI whenever possible. Luckily, somebody wised up and replaced the stupid blue lasers with bullets. There are no traces of mystical energy sources and no Nazis. Unlike in The Avengers, there are also no aliens, no Iron Man, no Thor, no Hulk, no Loki and best of all, no Hawkeye. Jackson's Nick Fury and Johannson's Black Widow do make appearances, however. This is the most grounded and mature Marvel movie so far but those two don't let you forget that this is based on a comic book when they're onscreen because neither one looks like they belong in the real world. Luckily, it's only the look that's distracting. They fit right in otherwise. But so far, neither of them is worthy of a solo movie. It seems like somebody overlooked some of the details somehow. Like, why the hell is BW's hair the same color as Ronald McDonald's? And why doesn't she at the very least put it in a ponytail when she goes on special ops missions? And as for Colonel Fury...why is he in all black leather when everyone around him is either in a uniform or a suit? Even in the office!?
Despite my reaction to the trailer, the Falcon's inclusion was a great decision. He's no more a sidekick than Black Widow is and wings are way, waay more realistic than Jackson's wardrobe. Incidentally, he is Captain America in the comics, as he's currently traded in the wings and taken over the costume, shield and duties from Steve Rogers.
Aside from the costume, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers hasn't changed drastically. His hallmark sincerity and stoicism's still there but he's a little more suspicious of people's motives now and there's the suggestion that he's disenchanted with his role as a soldier in today's world. This only serves to broaden and deepen the character and Evans portrays the new depth perfectly.
There are a ton of superhero movies out there and lots more are on the way. Honestly, most of them are a big waste of time and money. Only a handful of them are actually good. As of 2015, there's the Dark Knight trilogy, The Avengers, this movie, and then there's everything else. In that order.
Winter Soldier is the 4th highest-grossing film in the U.S. for 2014 and 7th highest-grossing film of the year, worldwide. It might have been #1 if it'd had a better trailer director.
7. The Dark Knight Rises
I don't know how the hell Batman Returns scored an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. What's even more unbelievable is the fact that The Dark Knight Rises features a lot of the same elements of that piece of sh*t (after having sucked all of the silliness out of them). Think about it. They are the only two Batman movies to showcase Catwoman. Both also spotlight a villain who attempts a public takeover of Gotham City. The Penguin ran for mayor while Bane hijacked the town with a nuclear bomb. Each criminal mastermind also makes his home in the Gotham sewer system. It's funny -- Batman Returns, the beginning of the end for Batman movie greatness, inspired the best film ever about the Caped Crusader.
The Dark Knight Rises is so good that it's easier to bitch about the things that bug me than to list everything that went right. Not even "went right". Because this film is so more than you could imagine to ask for. If you'd written a wish list of all of the things that you'd like to see in an action/comic book/fantasy/adventure film in 2011, you'd never have dreamed this up.
It sucked that Bane was cheated out of his origin. The fact that he grew up in prison in the midst of bigger, stronger, vicious psychos is a big part of what made him so impressive. Was that just to surprise people who already knew the story?? You just robbed Peter to pay Paul.
Catwoman was damn good, surprisingly so, but, the fact that her goggles resemble cat ears when worn on the top of her head is ridiculous. And completely unnecessary. She's a cat burglar. We get it. She doesn't have to actually favor a cat.
Lastly, the ending seemed illegitimate (See what I did there? "Lastly..."? "...the ending..."?). Anyway, when Bruce Wayne showed up at that cafe' and made it clear that he'd faked his death, it was like the very last note of a great song was in the wrong key. I get the impression that Batman's death was written in the script, but that studio execs sh%t bricks when they imagined a dip in toy sale revenue and..... Because, artistically, all signs pointed to permanent heart failure.
Rises builds on the realism of the first two Dark Knight installments and combines it with an impressive amount of re-watchability. It's possible to make a better comic book film. But in the four years since its release it hasn't happened.
6. The Avengers
While the Dark Knight trilogy made comic books realistic, The Avengers is the best example of comics brought to life.
Was Scarlett Johannson's asinine curly wig necessary? I watched some of Lost In Translation again the other night, and was reminded that ScarJo looks pretty damn good (not to mention authentic) with long, straight, home-grown hair.
Black Widow, Hawkeye, Loki, Colonel Fury, Thor and Captain America all don absolutely ridiculous costumes, but Iron Man and the Hulk steal the show and make up for all of the campy idiocy. When those two let loose in New York City, it's hard to believe your eyes.
5. Infinity War
4. Batman v Superman: The Ultimate Edition
Everything was rushed. Everything happened way too fast. Have the shot-callers at Warner Bros. never heard the parable about the two bulls on the hill? If you take your time and stay focused on the big picture, maybe you get multiple installments that exceed a billion dollars in sales. Chasing the quick payoff gets you a record-breaking opening and a nauseatingly steep drop-off. They had every reason to take things slow. Art, cinematic history, logic and plain, old greed all dictated that a movie with all these people not be the follow-up to Man of Steel. It takes time to tell a story properly (especially one with so much riding on its success). If anybody deserves more than one solo movie, it's Superman. This isn't Thor we're talking about. Everyone knows who he is. When done right, we want more. We were just reintroduced to him three years ago. And he'd just started to become involved with Lois. Time to get familiar with him was sorely needed. Plus, a trilogy, or at the very least a solo sequel, would've had the added benefit of lining the filmmakers' pockets with much more dough. Why would studio executives turn that down? Did these guys even attend Business School??
We all could have done with a less manic Luthor. It seemed like he was doing a Joker impression. If only he were more subdued and thoughtful like, say, Helmut Zemo in Civil War, which, ironically, is one of the criticisms of that movie espoused by professional film reviewers. Luthor's histrionics would've fit right in with all of the goofy goings-on in that thing. I was really hoping to see the more mature Lex -- no, Alexander -- from the Superman animated series, not Mark Zuckerberg on coke. It would be nice if Luthor used his prison sentence as an opportunity to beef up, but we all know Jesse Eisenberg's not gonna hit the gym.
There were too many people in this thing. Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman, and maybe even Doomsday should've all been saved for a later movie. There was just too much going on. Peter Jackson was heavily criticized for expanding his planned two-shot Hobbit story into a trilogy. But, then again, the third film (The Battle of the Five Armies) was the only one I liked -- and it generated nearly $1 billion at the box office.
But, even with all its problems, it's not a 27% film. It's the very first film to take Superman seriously -- after revealing himself to the world. Man of Steel is unmatched in presenting his origin, but BvS actually considers Superman's effect on society -- much like The Dark Knight examined the unintended consequences of Batman's actions on Gotham City. Director Zack Snyder was undoubtedly tempted by the notion of being the first to use the gimmicky title, but Batman's name shouldn't have even been included, much less come first (Dawn of Justice is even dumber).
BvS and Civil War basically tell the same story: A clever, but physically powerless guy manipulates two famous superheroes into fighting each other from behind the scenes. One of the heroes is a billionaire, genius, heir to a business empire who uses technology to fight crime and the other is abnormally strong and exceptionally strait-laced. Because the heroes have caused a tremendous amount of collateral damage, government oversight seems inevitable.
The difference is, that where Civil War talks about the destruction left in the wake of the heroes' battles accompanied by quick snippets of news footage, BvS shows the toll it has taken on human lives -- both physical and psychological. The grand-scale of aerial combat to save basically, everybody from Superman's perspective in Man of Steel is juxtaposed here with the ground-level terror of those same people who only see themselves as innocent victims and bystanders from Bruce Wayne's perspective. But, no one is a bystander when the entire planet is in danger.
This film is wholly about Superman and his place in the world. The exploration of Superman as a savior and an uncontrollable potential threat is brilliant. He's simultaneously feared and almost worshipped as a deity. The comparisons of certain people in the film to Judeo-Christian figures are magnificent. This is a superhero film with philosophy. There's even a nod to Nietzsche. In fact, The Superman would have been a much better title than what the filmmakers settled on (Dawn of Justice is so corny, I can't even say it without shaking my head). Who he is, what his intentions are, whether he can be trusted, how he should be used. These are all questions that plague the global community, of which Bruce Wayne is only one member.
Even so, Batman was incredible. As much anxiety as there was surrounding Ben Affleck's casting, it's clear that Daredevil simply wasn't the superhero movie for him (or anyone else). This one is. Christian Bale is still the best Bruce Wayne, but Affleck has surpassed Michael Keaton as the greatest Batman. I, for one, can't wait to see him put the mask on again.
Watchmen's biggest issue was the fact that it's heroes were unknowns. That's what made caring about what happened to them so difficult. This film solves that problem.
3. Civil War
For the second year in a row, two big movie franchises released films that told almost the same story. In 2015, Mission: Impossible's Rogue Nation and the unwatchable James Bond flick, Spectre, were both about the revelation that underground international intelligence organizations existed and were out to wreak havoc on the world. Each movie also featured British superspy/assassin and a villain behind a wall made of bullet-proof glass.
In 2016, two blockbusters told the story of superheroes involved in mass destruction and accidentally causing mass civilian casualties during their struggles against super-powered enemies, and the subsequent attempts at government oversight of said heroes. One of those films is Batman v. Superman and the other is this movie.
Civil War is a very loose adaptation of the 2006 comic book storyline of the same name. In the movie version, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.N. step in after the last straw in Avengers-related mayhem -- the Scarlet Witch's accidental killing of a bunch of bystanders during a mission to catch The Winter Soldier's Brock Rumlow. During a meeting between the team and the U.S. Secretary of Defense, some of the previous missions that ended in collateral damage come up, including: the NYC invasion; the heli-carrier crashes in D.C.; Iron Man's fight with the Hulk in Wakandia; and the Sokovia battle. But, after about 10 seconds of that, they move on to more grinning, action and slapstick. Aside from a grieving mom slapping the shit outta Tony Starks for accidentally killing her son, and Helmut Zemo's revenge mission, there's no real focus on the actual victims. Speaking of victims, it seems to me that the Scarlet Witch should've had a much harder time getting over her brother's death in The Age of Ultron -- her twin brother and only family, at that. But, what do I know?
And, hey, Ant-Man's finally a part of the team. But, if he was gonna be included, why change the Ultron story so that Starks and Bruce Banner are his creators instead of Henry Pym? It's a fairly fundamental change, too. I gotta say, that puts a whole lotta dirt on Starks' resume. He was an international arms dealer and he devised a killer robot that nearly succeeded in destroying the planet? This guy's beginning to look like a threat to humanity. It's a lot.
In some respects, Civil War represents a setback for Captain America's story. The Falcon has lost some of his sincerity and gained some cheesiness, like the less realistic costume. And the stupid drone is one of those things you leave in the comic book. Actually, it's too dumb for comics, too. Black Widow is still running around on combat missions having not bothered to tie her hair back, and this time around, despite the fact that she's superpower-free, she's not bothering to bring firearms along. Wtf. It's stuff like this that makes it a good idea for neither of them to have their own movie. And they were both so great in The Winter Soldier. As they say: "One step forward and two steps back." As popular as it is, Civil War definitely registered a few spikes on the ridiculosity meter.
The best things about Civil War are: Captain Rogers' finally-resumed hunt for the Winter Soldier; the Black Panther's and Zemo's respective quests for vengeance; and the brawl involving Iron Man, the Captain and Bucky. By the way, props to the Russo brothers for not putting Zemo in costume. It was also nice to see Rogers finally get some action -- even if it was only a kiss.
BvS has been criticized for not being "fun". But, if Falcon and company don't take this stuff serious, why should we? For now, The Avengers is still the reigning champ of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Winter Soldier is a very close second. Civil War's not great, but it is entertaining. In the future, maybe the Avengers should take a cue from T'Challa and Zemo -- and get serious.
When I think about this movie, my initial thoughts are: "The first 50 minutes or so are great, but the rest is just average." The thing is, I was snowed in for three days a couple of years ago and I watched Man of Steel over and over again -- from start to finish -- and never got sick of any of it. True story. The first third represents greatness -- for cinema, for comic book cinema, and especially for Superman. But, the rest is not merely average. It's just not the same caliber as the beginning. It suffers by comparison. The greatness lies in the retelling of his origin -- much like Batman Begins raised the Caped Crusader to new artistic heights. No Superman movie -- bar none -- introduces him anywhere near in as compelling a fashion or looks better.
While it's not perfect, this is the best solo Superman movie in almost every way. The one exception -- Terrance Stamp. But only Terrance Stamp. The uniform his General Zod wore in Superman II would (or at least should) be laughed off the screen these days. His lieutenants are better now too -- Faora and whatever the big guy's name is (Non, I guess). Marlon Brando's immeasurable talent can't be denied, but his Jor-El was not missed. And as crazy as it sounds, neither was John Williams' score.
You know what would've been nice? If that stuff at the end with Clark wearing a big, stupid grin while working at the Daily Planet were a deleted scene. The beginning of the movie gave the impression that not being hokey was it's mission -- and then that shit. At least there was no Jimmy Olsen.
1. Black Panther
Black Panther, even more than The Dark Knight, elevates the comic book movie to a genre that's capable of actually saying something. The film's complex social commentary far exceeds any other installment in the wildly successful MCU while still managing to become the third highest-grossing movie of all time in North America and rack up $1.34 billion at the global box office.
T'Challa, who protects his people under the guise of the legendary Black Panther, finally returns home to the seemingly third-world African nation Wakanda as the heir apparent following the death of his father, King T'Chaka, in Civil War.
Meanwhile, T'Challa's American-born cousin, Erik Stevens, is on a collision course with the new monarch, steadily inching his way to his ancestral home with single-minded determination. After becoming a Navy SEAL and graduating from MIT, Stevens honed his skills as a warrior in Afghanistan and other hot spots around the globe, picking up the nickname "Killmonger" (a reference to his considerable body count) along the way. His military career also includes black-ops missions in which he helped to destabilize governments.
With assistance from black market arms dealer Ulysses Klaue (first seen in The Age of Ultron) and Tilda Johnson, Stevens uses his skills to steal (or liberate) two Wakanda artifacts from a London museum. One of the items, a weapon, is revealed to be made of vibranium - the same Wakandan material that comprises Black Panther's suit and Captain America's shield.
After murdering both of his accomplices, Stevens' makes his way to Wakanda, where he reveals his native name (N'Jadaka) and the fact that he's of royal blood (as the son of King T'Chaka's brother) and thereby eligible to challenge T'Challa's claim to the throne. Following his defeat of T'Chaka in ritual combat, N'Jadaka does indeed assume the Wakandan throne and announces his intention to distribute the country's advanced technology and weaponry (based mainly on vibranium) to the African diaspora across the globe so that the world's Black population can rise up against white regimes. T'Challa, beaten to within an inch of his life and presumed dead, and his loyal supporters initiate a Wakandan civil war in order to stop the new king from inciting an international race war.
The central conflict in Black Panther stems from the ideological differences between T'Chaka and Stevens. The former is a staunch isolationist who continues Wakanda's previous rulers' policy of disguising the advanced nation as a third-world country, in part so as not to share their priceless reserves of vibranium that not only powers Wakandan technology but also bestows enhanced abilities upon the Black Panther. Stevens, on the other hand, not only wants to reveal Wakanda's true nature, his lifelong dream has been to expand the kingdom into an empire that dominates the rest of the world as insurance against the subjugation of Black people. T'Challa also acts as a stand-in for Black Africans while Stevens represents African-Americans, whom he views as being abandoned, historically, by the former.
Fittingly for a story about Native Africans, the cast is almost entirely comprised of Black actors.
Black Panther marks the third collaboration (all critical and commercial smashes) between writer/director Ryan Coogler and co-star Michael B. Jordan, placing them among the ranks of legendary cinematic teams such as Martin Scorcese/Robert DeNiro, Spike Lee/Denzel Washington and Tim Burton/Johnny Depp. And with his scene-stealing turn in BP, Jordan proves that he's just as adept at portraying villains as he is heroes.
originally published 1/1/17
updated 4/1/17
updated 2/28/18
updated 2/28/18
No comments:
Post a Comment