After much work and consulting with some comic book friends I have come up with the Top 15 Comic Book Movies. If you're wondering why I chose 15 instead of 10 it's relatively simple. When I first sat down and listed all the comic movies I realized there was more than 10 which were very good. Therefore, instead of cutting some out I decided to change this list to 15. I'll probably only do it for this list. Furthermore, since the list is very long I will only post five at a time. That way there is less to read at once. As for when I release Parts 2 & 3...well you'll just have to keep coming back to see. Enjoy for now!
15. Spider-Man 2 (2004) – A good sequel that lived up to the first installment. The script was well written and showed the proper evolution of Peter Parker/ Spider-Man. In Spider-man 2 Parker’s love for Mary Jane still continues to haunt him. Although he wants to give into his heart’s desire Parker knows he can’t because he’ll bring her into his world of danger. Casting Alfred Molina as Doc Ock was extremely fitting due to the similar physical traits and intellectual superiority the character called for. Like the first Spider-Man the CGI was flawless. Director Sam Raimi especially did a very good job balancing between the real life tentacles for up close and personal moments with Doc Ock and the computer generated ones during action scenes.
14. The Incredible Hulk (2008) – Along with Wolverine, The Incredible Hulk is one of my favorite Marvel characters. As I wrote previously, the Hulk franchise needed to get rebooted. While certain comic book movies lack effort such as the Fantastic Four, the 2003 Hulk had too much effort. Ed Norton correctly displayed the true Bruce Banner: determined, focused, brilliant, but in a constant state of torture and uneasiness. This is all correctly displayed by the struggle to find himself a cure. We barely saw that in 2003. The incorporation of the “Days Without Incident” number in the lower parts of the screen was a nice touch to signify Banner’s determination not to lose control. Liv Tyler’s take on Betty Ross was much more believable and less painful than Jennifer Connelly’s. William Hurt was also better in the role of Gen. Ross than Sam Elliot who finds it difficult not to speak with drawn out western accent. The Hulk himself was 1000 times better with his traditional long hair, chiseled physique, and the ability to speak. I certainly hope for a sequel.
13. Blade II (2002) - Welcome to the twisted and eccentric mind of writer/director Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro is the best thing to happen to comic/fantasy movies. Not only does del Toro know how to tell a story but his passion for aesthetics is unrivaled. The make-up is so detailed in this film, or in any film he directs for that matter, that it’s worth seeing just for that. Blade II was a very good sequel and picked up right where the first left off. Only this time he must battle a different type of vampire, one who prefers to feed off vampires instead of humans.
12. Hellboy (2004) - I always found this story to be very interesting because it dealt with the devil’s son, Hellboy, who instead of being raised in the hands of evil ended up being raised in the hands of good. Furthermore, the inclusion of the dark and invulnerable Russian Rasputin as the villain increased my interest due to my fascination with Russian history. As for Hellboy himself, played by Ron Pearlman, his character was funny and displayed all the natural qualities of a hero but he was extremely self-conscious. He also desperately wanted to be loved and accepted by people. By incorporating this we see the inner conflict of this hero.
11. Iron Man (2008) – Probably the one of the best castings for a character ever Robert Downey, Jr. is Tony Stark. When I initially heard that they casted him for the part I knew the movie was going to be a success. Only Downey could correctly represent the arrogant, self-centered, narcissist prodigy. As for John Favreau, he is a director dedicated to telling the right kind of story. The Iron Man script allowed Favreau to quickly establish the characters and wasted no time getting the meat of the story much like the first Spider-Man. I thought Terrence Howard was also a good pick for the role of Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Starks military friend. I would rather see him still in the role instead of Don Cheadle for Iron Man 2. My one compliant was the movie didn’t have enough fighting. I know it was the first film and the story needed to be established but I did leave the theater wanting a little bit more. With that said, the action was very good, the graphics were excellent, and Downey was Downey which means he was great.
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