Essential Super Hero Movie Collection

[Electric-Knight]

Just going to chime in with my opinions...

I loved the Sam Raimi/Toby McGuire Spiderman movies. I was completely ready to enjoy the Amazing Spiderman and... it almost was worth it, but then completely not. It just completely failed, for me, to hold any weight/integrity. It went after the shallow cheap thrill and never hit home to me at all. Just a matter of taste, I'm sure.

Spidey 3 is totally worth watching, I believe and worthy of being in the collection. I understand the criticism and I criticized it as well. it is not as good as the first two. It's flawed. However, the bulk of it is quite good and, once you get past the fact that it is not the best, it is quite entertaining. Honestly, a few tweaks here and there and it'd be right up there.

I like your list, although I am not a fan of the Watchmen movie. I love the books too much, I suppose, but it also falls short on the integrity side for me.
I always forget about Hellboy... I really enjoy that first movie.

Batman Returns (the second Burton Batman film) I find to be better than the first one (watching them again somewhat recently).
Michelle Pfieffer's Catwoman is just to die for.
And I honestly love the psychological angle of that film.

I do believe the top tier is the first two Spidey films and all of the Avenger related films (not including the Hulk movies) as well as The Dark Knight.
I do, however, feel that the Christopher Reeve Superman movie needs to be there as well. I love the first one. And Superman II is fun enough to include as well. I actually picked up a 4 disc set of those four movies (for SUPERRRRR cheap) and I can't stand 3 and 4 is bad, but mildly entertaining (I suppose I could say the same about both, but the "comedy" bits in 3 are just unbearable for me, lol). Of course, the Superman movie certainly has childhood sentimental enjoyment for me, but I do believe it holds up, if you truly like that oldschool true blue super hero of the old Superman.


I really enjoyed the Thomas Jane Punisher movie. It was one of those watchings that I can't entirely say why I liked it so much, but I did.

I also enjoyed the Green Lantern a good amount. From what I've seen (this is not absolute though), people who are or were knowledgeable comic fans of Green Lantern had major problems with the movie. While Green lantern was my favorite when I was a very little kid (just always thought it was the coolest power... the anything power sorta thing), I really know next to nothing about the comics (just knew him from the old cartoon).

I'd honestly recommend Green Lantern (certainly watch it) if you don't think you'll have any such hangup with it. I don't know... my wife and I are exceptionally picky about films that we enjoy (and we tend not to like shallow, cooldudeguy crap and things where stupidity reigns), but we both really enjoyed the GL film. It's not the best thing ever... and I think it is a step or so below the Iron Mans, Cap and Thor... but most all of them are below those movies, in my opinion.

I'll second My Super Ex Girlfriend and Defendor. Defendor was really enjoyable, but Woody Harrelson tends to be that way!
Oh, and Unbreakable is best experienced not knowing what it really is... but, if you haven't seen it... include it because it has comicbooks in it. 

Does Popeye count? Hrm... not sure I'd include it anyway, lol.

The first Ghostrider is... while certainly cheesy... possibly enjoyable.

Sometimes I enjoy X3... sometimes its overdone melodrama makes me wonder how I enjoyed it before... one of those weird things... seems to depend on what I'm focusing on... the fun and action of it... or expecting more from it.

Make what you will of that bunch of rambling.

[Thirty-Seven]

I heard they were going to put the same kid in it that they were going to put in that Transformers movie that didn't get made. What was it... Stewie LeBeef or something like that?

Weird how stuff with that kid in it never gets made.

Dunno what you are talking about... the Transformer movies were great fun!  (Except for the race parody twins, Megan Fox, moms getting high, robot testicles, and probing robot tongues).

[Ice Trix]

Along similar lines to Kick Ass is Super (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1512235/) parts had me laughing out loud.

Griff the invisible is kinda the anti super hero movie, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1509803 . Not brilliant but I'd put it on the watch list.

[houtex]

Make what you will of that bunch of rambling.

Well, I can make a hat... a brooch... a pterodactyl...

[/Johnny]

[Shinobu]

So as it turned out, I apparently didn't own Spiderman 2.  I went out and bought that yesterday and watched it (and bought Amazing Spiderman while I was at it).

But I'd already seen that movie and liked it, it's on my list.  Tonight I watched Spiderman 3 for the first time.

It's... not as bad as I feared.  It's actually fairly good -- not, mind you, on the same level as the first two, but it was not filled with mile-wide plot holes, mind-numbingly stupid off-screen deaths of major characters, and characters acting incredibly out of character, like a certain third X-Man film I could name.  Instead it mostly suffers from too many plots and too many villains, making it difficult to really develop any of the story threads.

I'd be willing to see it again.  I'm not sure I'd put it on my list, but meh.

Will watch Amazing Spiderman tomorrow night.  ^_^

[Sajaana]

Here are some films I like that are derived from the comics that haven't been mentioned yet.  A lot of contemporary spins on the "Golden Age" here.  Maybe I have some crossover with horror or science fiction, but comic heroes, nevertheless.

Flash Gordon (1980)
Heavy Metal (1981)
Swamp Thing (1982)
The Rocketeer (1991)
The Shadow (1994)
RocketMan (1997)
Spawn (1997)

[mrultimate]

Off the Beaten path is

Defendor starring Woody Harrelson

and

Super starring Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page.

Also I'd recconmend all the DC Animated movies. The story telling and voice acting are superb.

I'm looking forward to this years movies.

[mrultimate]

Oh yeah what "superhero" movie collection would be complete without......

Howard The Duck!

and yes I own it!

[Kaos Arcanna]

The Marvel Animated Doctor Strange is pretty good, and it's on Netflix, I think.

[Pep Rally]

A lot of good suggestions in here.  I myself can't help but pick up all the hero movies that come out on DVD.

 I'm pleasantly surprised someone else has even heard of The Specials. Not the greatest, but a fun little movie by James Gunn, who also directed Super, which also has a cameo by Nathan Fillion, who's also in Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog. I highly recommend DHSAB.

Speaking of Joss, you could pick up the original Buffy movie with Kristy Swanson. Not as good as the series, but not so bad, and it's good to see the "trouble"  that she got into in LA that forced her, and her mom to move to Sunnydale.

I will say I was disappointed in the new Amazing Spider-man. I really wanted to like it, but the new cool rebel teen spider-man just seemed like a jerk to me, and the movie just seemed to drag without much fun.   The crane scene actually made me cringe.  I had to go back and watch the Sam Raimi Trilogy again.
 
The first is great, the 2nd was the best superhero film until The Avengers came out, and the 3rd was good, but as some have said, it just tried to put too much into it.  This wasn't Raimi's fault, but the studios. They wanted to cram the new popular Venom into it which changed the original script.  I thought he did a good job of making it at least make some sense, and it was still fun, and had some of the best superaction scenes to date.

Another Raimi film, The Darkman, from 1990, is also good.

I actually thought Daredevil was okay, and have heard the director's cut is much better, so that's something for me to see. I even liked Elektra. It's not great, but I like Jennifer Garner, and the villains she fights were pretty cool. Typhoid Mary, and the tattoos that come to life guy.

Green Lantern was pretty good as well.

X-men Origins:Wolverine wasn't too bad either, although I didn't like how Deadpool had a zillion powers. It might be good to see before the new Wolverine comes out, which looks to be better than the first.

The Spirit was kind of an odd movie with visuals much like Sin City, but worth a watch anyways for Scarlett, and Samuel L.

Another kinda odd one was Ghost Rider: SoV, which I kinda enjoyed. Pretty simple plot, and some jarring camera work, but I guess that was to make you feel how much of a psycho GR is. Some cool effects with his fiery chain, and turning a huge mining machine into a huge mining machine from Hell.

Mystery Men, and Sky High are two of my all time favorites.  Both are just fun movies. MM has Tom Waits as a mad scientist who makes non-lethal weapons, and Pee Wee Herman as a flatulating superhero, and SH has Bruce Campbell as a sonic powered gym teacher, Lynda Carter as Principal Powers, Kurt Russell as a cheesy Superman-type, and 2 guys from "The Kids in the Hall" as teachers. The soundtrack is also great with some good covers of 80's classics, and a great TMBG song.  I can't recommend either enough.

Speaking of great soundtracks, although not technically a superhero movie, Josie and the Pussycats were in comics, and I think the movie is underrated.  Fun movie, with some great pop rock songs sung by Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo, and even the fake Boy Band, and song are pretty hilarious.  Parker Posey, and Alan Cumming are awesome. Also, I like the anti-over-commercialization, and consumerism messages.  Some people don't seem to get that all the ridiculous product placement in the film is a joke, and the filmmakers actually took no money for the placements.

I really liked Scott Pilgrim, and that had some superhero-ish fight scenes, and I rather enjoyed the GI Joe movie, except for maybe Ripcord.

 




 

[Shinobu]

Watched Amazing Spiderman last night.  I thought it was pretty good, overall.  But my biggest impression is that Oscorp is responsible for nearly every villain and hero in New York City.  I've been inspired to create a genetics/robotics corporation for my own stories that churns out dozens of genius scientists who experiment on themselves.

[Manga]

I have some fun but occasionally obscure ones to add to the list (live action only, to be fair):

Silver Hawk - a cheesy but fun Chinese (dubbed into English) superhero action film

Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Chinese made, somewhat popular and more mythical super-hero movies

Returner - Japanese cyberpunk futuristic superhero movie, it has everything you need in one place, including aliens!

The Princess Blade - Japanese ninja assassin magic superhero-ish movie

Big Trouble in Little China - Jack Burton says, watch this movie.  See things no one else can see, do things no one else can do!

Sucker Punch - What happens if a bunch of inmates in an asylum make their own virtual world - it's fun but very weird and trippy

Kill Bill - Legendary for being super-hero-like and weird

Supergirl - Cheesy as hell, but still a fun movie to watch

The Matrix - Classic virtual superhero movie

[Triplash]

Speaking of Joss, you could pick up the original Buffy movie with Kristy Swanson. Not as good as the series, but not so bad,

I class the Buffy movie as one of those that are "so bad they're good". You know the ones... if you're looking for their intellectual side, you could be looking for quite a while. But they never tried to be the greatest movie ever made, and they do have their charms, so if you can hold off judging them for not having Oscar performances and Nobel writing you could have a lot of fun with them. I very much enjoy movies like that, moreso even than a high-calibre film in most cases. That's where I'd classify Steel, and the Stallone version of Judge Dredd, and where I'd add gems like Doctor Mordrid and Misfits of Science too.

Another Raimi film, The Darkman, from 1990, is also good.

Ooh, good one! Now you've reminded me of Robocop

Returner - Japanese cyberpunk futuristic superhero movie, it has everything you need in one place, including aliens!

That movie was awesome.

[blackjak]

I heard they were going to put the same kid in it that they were going to put in that Transformers movie that didn't get made. What was it... Stewie LeBeef or something like that?

Weird how stuff with that kid in it never gets made.

Except Holes. Without Holes we wouldn't have Guster Burton. Come on son!

[saipaman]

If you liked Mystery Men you might wanna check out The Specials. It has a similar tongue-in-cheek vibe to it.

What made 'The Specials' for me was the ending.  While they are a dysfunctional group and last on anyone's list of people to call, they do respond to that call.

Whether or not they would survive an encounter with giant ants, is another question.

[Pep Rally]

For Giant ants, you really need to call the Aquabats.

[marconeuro]

Unbreakable
Dredd 2012
Chronicle

[Profit]

I'll be coming up with my list soonish, takes a while to sift through 600 dvds.

But, goto youtube, right now and watch Dirty Laundry with Thomas Jayne.

Here's a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWpK0wsnitc (NSFW), go right now.

I still don't understand why people didn't like Thomas Jayne as the Punisher.

Sigh.

[JaguarX]

Chronicle was cool. Didnt view it as a super hero movie but thinking about it, I think it fits. it shows what many would do between the three mains, if they woke up with powers. Some will try to use it for good, some will have fun with it, some will use it to try to save people, and some will go nuts. Me, I would be the same and wouldnt use my powers for good nor evil.

Watched Dred 2012--it was, interesting.  I prefered the old version though.

[FatherXmas]

I guess Push can be thought of as a deconstructed superhero movie.