With Iron Man 3 arriving this week, you may be looking for other superhero films to whet your appetite. Fear not, here are my five favorite superhero films that I think you’ll enjoy too.
1.Superman (1978): Not only did this film launch Christopher Reeve’s career (he was a nobody at the time), but it still stands as the best adaptation of Superman (debatable with Superman 2). From John Williams’ iconic score to Reeve as Superman and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, the film stands as one of the first REAL successful comic book adaptations.
2. The Dark Knight/The Avengers: It’s unfair to say one of these is better than the other, because both are superior for different reasons. The Dark Knight is the epitome of what a dark, gritty style superhero movie can be. The Avengers is just the same, but instead it stands as the quintessence of a larger-than-life, fun, energetic comic book film
3. The Incredibles (2004): Not only one of the best superhero films, but also one of the best Pixar ones as well (and that’s saying a lot). The story about a family of superheroes is heartfelt but incredibly entertaining. It blends story with action and humor in a way that most movies about superheroes fail to do. Not only did it spawn the infamous line of superheroes not wearing capes, but its ending invites a sequel in a way that no other Pixar movie has ever done.
4. Spiderman 2 (2004): The best of any Spiderman movies to date (that’s right Andrew Garfield, I said it). The film is certainly not only Peter Parker’s most personal story as he struggles with whether he should continue to be Spiderman, but it also features Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus, a role it seems he was born to play.
5. X-Men: First Class (2011): Certainly the best X-Men film, this one takes place at the height of the Cold War. It follows the birth of the X-Men, and what would lead to the feud between Professor X and Magneto. On top of a great script, the film is bolstered by great performances from all around, especially James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon and Michael Fassbender.
