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#10
IRON MAN (2008)
Iron Man poster

CAST
ROBERT DOWNEY JR, LESLIE BIBB, JEFF BRIDGES, JOHN FAVREAU, TERRENCE HOWARD, GWENYTH PALTROW, SHAUN TOUB

DIRECTED BY
JON FAVREAU

The first film to kick of Marvel Studios’ “Avengers Initiative”, Iron Man made the impossible possible by taking on of Marvel’s more complex characters and turned him into a global superstar up there with Spider-Man and Wolverine.

The casting of one time bad boy Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire genius Tony Stark was a big reason for its success.

 

 


#9
BLADE (1998)
Blade psoter

CAST
WESLEY SNIPES, STEPHEN DORFF, ARLY JOVER, UDO KIER, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, DONAL LOGUE, N’BUSHE WRIGHT

DIRECTED BY
STEPHEN NORRINGTON

Although a barely known character outside of comic book land, Blade quickly became a household name and proved that Marvel had the tools to match DC in creating top grade superhero movie entertainment.

Wesley Snipes was at his ass kicking best as Blade, a daylight walking vampire whose mission in life is to slay his own kind. Now if only he can get his hand of those Twilight pansies…

 

 

#8
SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)
Spider-Man 2 poster

CAST
TOBEY MAGUIRE, KIRSTEN DUNST, JAMES FRANCO, ROSEMARY HARRIS, ALFRED MOLINA, J.K. SIMMONS

DIRECTED BY
SAM RAIMI

While the first Spider-Man movie was a perfectly portrayed action adventure morality tale, Spider-Man 2 upped the ante with director Sam Raimi weaving a web of more action, more drama and higher stakes as Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) takes on the demented Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina).

Sadly, it only went downhill from there with Raimi dropping the ball with Spider-Man 3. A reboot of the series is due in June.

 

 

#7
WATCHMEN (2009)
Watchmen poster

CAST
MALIN AKERMAN, BILLY CRUDUP, MATTHEW GOODE, CARLA GUGINO, JACKIE EARLE HALEY, JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN, PATIRCK WILSON

DIRECTED BY
ZACK SNYDER

A long in development adaptation of the ground breaking graphic novel, Watchmen is a superhero movie not meant for kids eyes as a disbanded group of superheroes investigate, kill and fuck their way back into relevance as nuclear war looms in the background.

The visual prowess of director Zack Snyder is at its best here.  Warning: a blue penis features throughout.

 

 

#6
BATMAN BEGINS (2005)
Batman Begins poster

CAST
CHRISTIAN BALE, MICHAEL CAINE, MORGAN FREEMAN, KATIE HOLMES, CILLIAN MURPHY, LIAM NEESON, GARY OLDMAN

DIRECTED BY
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

With the Batman franchise left for dead under the multi-colour pastel sets of Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin, it took a visionary director to resurrect the Dark Knight from the depths of parody hell and into the crime fighting vigilante he was meant to be.

Christopher Nolan was that director and with method man Christian Bale he managed to pull off one of the great reboots in blockbuster history with Batman Begins.

 

 

#5
SUPERMAN (1978)
Superman poster

CAST
MARGOT KIDDER, CHRISTOPHER REEVE, NED BEATTY, MARLON BRANDO, GLENN FORD, GENE HACKMAN, VALERIE PERRINE

DIRECTED BY
RICHARD DONNER

The granddaddy of the superhero blockbuster, that Superman still works over 30 years later is testament to Richard Donner’s innovative handling of the material and Christopher Reeve’s iconic performance as the Man of Steel.

Yes, we still believe a man can fly.

 

 

#4
X2 (2003)
X2 poster

CAST
HALE BERRY, HUGH JACKMAN, FAMKE JANSSEN, JAMES MARSDEN, IAN McKELLAN, ANNA PAQUIN, PATRICK STEWART

DIRECTED BY
BRYAN SINGER

X-Men successfully set the stage for filmmaker Bryan Singer to take this group of mutant superheros into even bigger territory, with X2 an edgier and thrilling sequel that featured Marvel’s greatest mutants taking on their biggest threat in the maniacal General Striker (Brian Cox).

Hugh Jackman is at his ferocious best as Wolverine, while Singer continued to successfully push the inequality message featured throughout the series.

 

 


#3
THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
The Dark Knight poster

CAST
CHRISTIAN BALE, MICHAEL CAINE, AARON ECKHART, MORGAN FREEMAN, MAGGIE GYLENHAAL, HEATH LEDGER, GARY OLDMAN

DIRECTED BY
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

More Michael Mann than Tim Burton, The Dark Knight is not only one of the best superhero movies but it also stands as one of the better crime movies in recent years with Batman (Christian Bale) and the Gotham City justice system pushed to the brink by master criminal The Joker, who is played by Heath Ledger in a fantastic and fascinating performance worthy of his Oscar win.

Director Christopher Nolan brilliantly weaves morality (yet never preachy) dramatics with action spectacle, along with great performances by Aaron Eckhart and Gary Oldman. It’s highly anticipated sequel The Dark Knight Rises promises more of the same in July.  

 

 

#2
THE AVENGERS (2012)
The Avengers poster

CAST
ROBERT DOWNEY JR, CHRIS EVANS, CHRIS HEMSWORTH, SAMUEL L. JACKSON, SCRALETT JOHNSSON, JEREMY RENNER, MARK RUFFALO

DIRECTED BY
JOSS WHEDON

A dream movie for many a comic book fan, The Avengers caps Marvel Studios’ build-up of superhero movies (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger) to a one movie event that reaches its impossibly lofty ambition of becoming the superhero movie of our time.

With Firefly creator Joss Whedon handling script and directing duties, every single 144 minutes of screen time delivers entertainment spectacle of the highest quality as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes take on the villainous Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and an army of extra-terrestrial invaders.  

Orchestrating a great balancing act, Whedon gives every character their chance to shine and perfectly blends action, sci-fi and wit. It is a term seldom used, but The Avengers could be the Star Wars of a new generation.

 

 

#1
THE INCREDIBLES (2004)
The Incredibles poster

CAST
(VOICES OF) HOLLY HUNTER, CRAIG T. NELSON, SPENCER FOX, SAMUEL L. JACKSON, JASON LEE, SARAH VOWELL

DIRECTED BY
BRAD BIRD

Just what superhero movie could best Marvel’s Avengers and DC’s The Dark Knight? Why Pixar’s The Incredibles, of course.

Part superhero satire, part family drama and all around excellent action adventure, The Incredibles takes on and plays with the superhero mythos in its story of a super-family who are trying to find their identity while thwarting evil.

Directed by Pixar czar Brad Bird and featuring excellent voice work by the likes Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter, The Incredibles dazzles, entertains and moves audiences both young and old. There is a reason why it’s one of Pixar’s best creations and why its reigns supreme in the league of superhero movies.

 

 

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