The comments on the post about the upcoming X-Men movie got me to thinking: What are your favorite comic book movies and, pursuant to that, what are the best comic book movies ever made?
The qualification of “comic book movie” is that the film is based on a real comic book, or is a film about comic book-style superheroes, like the recent Sky High or The Incredibles. For example, none of the Star Wars films count as comic book movies.
My favorite live-action comic book films, in order of the ones I liked the best:
Batman Begins
X-Men
X-2
Fantastic Four
Superman
Superman II
Spider-man
Hulk
Daredevil
Spider-man 2
The Incredibles is definitely one of the best comic book movies ever made, but I don’t think an animated film belongs on the same list as live-action films. So it’s in a league of its own for now.
What are your favorites?
And, for fun, what do you think is the worst comic book film ever made? There are so many to choose from: Supergirl, Superman IV, Judge Dredd, The Punisher — I’ll leave that list to you folks. But I have a very soft spot in my heart for Judge Dredd. My best friend’s husband has a routine that he’s done for years. He pretends he’s Sylvester Stallone practicing his lines for the movie: “I am the LAW. I AM the law. I am THE law.”
Hilarious, even after all these years.
I agree with you about Batman Begins. It was utterly amazing.
A for the others I guess the first Spiderman movie, then the Superman movies.
I really liked the X-men movie, but I really don’t know the comic book. It was just a good movie on its own.
I never did get to see the second spidey movie.
I would have to go with Superman as my favorite, it’s such a classic. And definitely, Judge Dredd was by far the worst, or at least the worst I ever saw.
Meryl, I would like to tag you to participate in the Israel Meme. I posted my response here, and it came from Daled Amos originally. If you don’t want to take part, I understand completely, just let me know and I’ll tag someone else. But I’m very interested to hear your favorite thoughts of the Holy Land, and hope you will write one up. Thanks.
Can’t quibble with the kudos for Batman Begins or the X-Men franchise. I really enjoyed Hellboy, and would rank it ahead of Fantastic Four. But I haven’t read the comics, which might bias me because (as was observed in the earlier thread with regard to The Incredibles) I can’t be irritated by changes made by the filmmakers.
A nice ironic touch in Hellboy is when “Red” explains that he doesn’t like the Hellboy comics because they don’t get his eyes right.
BTW, I’m not sure whether we can trust your ranking of Hulk. After all, if your opinion differs too much from his, things might get a bit “uncomfortable” the next time he pays you a visit.
How quickly they forget. Hulk hated the Hulk movie.
I liked most of the recent films [except the dreadful Daredevil and the putrid Catwoman].
Am I the only one here old enough to remember some very bad 1970’s TV films of Spiderman and Captain America, both I believe starring Nicholas Hammond? Watching these made me want to declare “Clobbering Time!”
The worst was the early ’90s Captain America, featuring an Italian Red Skull.
The 70’s Spider-Man was a TV series, and there were 2 Captain America TV movies. I’ve always wanted someone, during Cap’s periodic re-inventions, to give him a clear plastic sheild like the one in the TV movies.
Ooh, I forgot about Daredevil. Adding it to the list.
Elektra sucked, though.
Batman Begins was amazing.
Does Bluntman and Chronic count (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) ?
Our Rabbi and his daughter came to Purim once as Beytman and Rubin…
Once, while working in a nuclear medicine lab I found a cochroach in my radioactive waste water…
Any screenwriters listening?
to 4:
My point exactly. You’ve got Hulk pretty far down on the list. I rather liked it, apart from the weak ending.
Has anyone seen Alien vs. Predator? That one was a comic long before it was made into a movie.
I liked it, but when you have to rank it compared with the other movies, it goes far down on the list because of several things: The 45 effing minutes it took before we even got to SEE the Hulk, and the stupid Crusher Creel Is My Daddy plotline. The others are simply better films.
Oh oh, I may get bruised on this one but the original Batman with Michael Keaton was one of my favorites.
Keaton played a good troubled Batman, and the Joker was quite over the top.. Too bad they made 3 more and buried the original in shlock.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dick Tracy, Blade, The Mask, Catwoman, Batman (the 1960’s version with Lee Merriweather as Catwoman), Sin City, Spirited Away (other Anime movies?), Aeon Flux, Fritz the Cat, V for Vendetta, Creepshow, Men In Black, The Rocketeer, Mystery Men, The Phantom, Swamp Thing, Josie and the Pussycats, Creepshow, Red Sonja, Barb Wire, and WHERE IS CONAN THE DESTROYER?!?!? “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!”
Aaron, Conan was a book first. I’m talking about films based on comic books only.
The Rocketeer was a much better comic book than a movie. So was Swamp Thing. Now, Mystery Men was a hoot. That belongs on the list.
Forgot. My first exposure to Conan was drawn by Marvel’s John Buscema.
I wasn’t suggesting that my list was better, but it’s just fuel for thought.
Aaron, I didn’t say your list was worse. This is a topic about personal taste, though we could argue the merits of the acting and production values of the films.
I loved the Conan movies. I’ve seen most of the ones on your list.
What I’m really waiting for now is a Hulk vs. Thing film. I’d be in heaven.
Hulk, of course, will win. He’s kicked Thing’s orange rocky butt every time. (Sorry, Aaron.)
Batman Begins, X-Men Flicks, Spiderman Flicks- they all rocked.
My favorite comic book movie is Asterix and Cleopatra based on the French comic book. It includes a 007 spoof from another book, and one scene that really cracked me up. When our heroes are visiting the Pyramids the cameras pan over a horde of souvenir sellers (the pyramids actually were a major tourist site in ancient times, with visitors writing graffitti on the monuments just like moderns). One brief shot shows Japanese tourists in traditional Japanese garb examining the schlock being offerred for sale.
Actually I haven’t seen many other comic book movies. Offhand I can’t think of any. Oh well, I guess a sample of one isn’t statistically significant enough for this exercise.
The ancient Egyptians, by the way, took their cats very seriously. A Roman equestrian visiting the place was torn to pieces by a mob because he was accused of killing a cat. I’m sure Tig, Gracie, and Nardo would approve.
Not sure if this strictly qualifies, but my favorite comic-book movie would have to be Terry Zwigoff’s “Ghost World,” based on the comic by Daniel Clowes