The 11 Best Superhero Movies of All-Time Part 1
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I love superhero movies. Comic books are a lot bigger than superheroes, but what drew me to comic books as a kid were characters like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America and the rest of the classic comic book superheroes.
As an adult, I've been able to extend that love through this amazing era of superhero movies. How long will it last? I have no idea but I plan on enjoying almost every movie, maybe just not any based on The Fantastic Four.
So here are my second tier of superhero movies, the bottom of my top 11, but a group which contains some of my favorites. What are you favorite superhero movies?
11. The Dark Knight (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 94, Fans 94
Adjusted global gross: $1,111 million
Summary: I'm going to catch a lot of flack for not putting this one higher. I love the movie, but it's flaws were bigger than the others above this one for me. Heath Ledger plays the best superhero villain ever, but this movie is too long and I never really got invested in the whole Two Face storyline. As you'll see later on, it's not even my favorite of the Christopher Nolan trilogy.
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 74, Fans 86
Adjusted global gross: $1,403 million
Summary: I get that most critics and fans would take The Dark Knight over Age of Ultron, but part of this is something I look for in these films: fun. Though Age of Ultron has some grit and darkness, it mixes in the right amount of fun. I love what director Joss Whedon did with the stories and characters. It's a much better movie than it gets credit for.
9. The X-Men (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 81, Fans 83
Adjusted global gross: $410 million
Summary: This movie started our current era of superhero movie awesomeness. Director Bryan Singer and his team did a great job of taking what the made the X-Men comics great without making it too cheesy-looking visually. I remember seeing Hugh Jackman in commercials and wondering why the heck they cast some tall dude as Logan, but it's been a great casting decision. Is the story the best? No, it's weaker than a lot of others on this list, but Singer nailed the characters, particularly Magneto, Professor X and Wolverine.
8. Superman (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 93, Fans 86
Adjusted global gross: $1,097 million
Summary: I get that the effects and some of the acting don't match modern expectations, but almost everything about this movie works great. Superman and Lois are fantastic, and the action is excellent. The only issues I have with movie is the story -- mainly with Lex Luther's weird motivation and Superman reversing time to save Lois. But everything else works and I love it.
7. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 91, Fans 92
Adjusted global gross: $1,111 million
Summary: I believe that Chris Claremont's Days of Future Past storyline is one of the greatest comic book storylines of all time. Bryan Singer and his team did a tremendous job updating this, making some subtle changes including making Wolverine and Mystique the main players in a time-traveling adventure. When I first heard that this movie would connect the original trilogy with the new movies, I thought it would be terrible, but it works really well. The villain isn't as strong as some other movies, but that's a minor quibble. And the 1970s setting makes this timeless.
6. Batman (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics 72, Fans 84
Adjusted global gross: $790 million
Summary: I get that most fans and critics would rank The Dark Knight above the original Batman movie, but not me. Jack Nicholson is terrific as the Joker, and Michael Keaton plays a quirky, nuanced Batman. The Tim Burton style fits the Batman mythos like a tight, armored suit. The movie's biggest flaw? Kim Bassinger as Vicky Vale -- probably one of the worst performances of any main character in a good superhero movie.