Comic Book Movies

We went to see Iron Man tonight. 5 o'clock twilight show only cost $4.50 a person. Gotta love a deal!

I really have to say that Iron Man is up there with the all time greats as far as comic book movies go. It stands toe to toe with the first Spider-Man, X-Men, and Batman. Marvel continues to successfully move their characters from the page to the screen with so much attention to detail and love. Of course, there have been a few hiccups along the way (I'm looking at you, Hulk), but overall if you're a fan of Marvel Comics this is a great time to be going to the movies.

I keep a mental list of the best comic movies in my head. I'm going to put it right here so it's official. Here we go!

• X-Men 2 - Yea, I know. The sequel was better than the original. A rarity for sure, but it gave us everything we wanted in the first one and more. It's the pinnacle to which all other comic book movies aspire.
• Spider-Man - The definitive origin story coupled with the greatest hero/villain combo the world has ever known.
  
• Batman - This is hard. I love Batman Begins, but you have to give it up to Keaton and Burton for making Batman a bankable franchise in the first place. The sequels do not count. Returns was ruined by Devito. Forever was ruined by Kilmer. There's not enough room to explain what went wrong with Batman and Robin. Bat-nipples.
  
• X-Men - The move that made Hugh Jackman a star. He is Wolverine. Seeing him pop his claws for the first time was bliss.
  
• Iron Man - The perfect plot, great acting, and incredibly believable special effects. And we saw Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury. Nerdgasm!
• Blade - It's been pushed down the list lately, but it still holds a warm spot in my heart. We wouldn't have any of these mighty Marvel movies if it weren't for this guy.
• Superman Returns - The thing that keeps this movie out of the top 5? Kate Bosworth. Lois Lane is not a ultra-skinny 20-something. She's a tough as nails reporter in the big city of Metropolis. The only mistake Brian Singer ever made besides leaving X-Men 3.
• Batman Begins - Anything would be better than Batman and Robin. Thankfully we got this masterpiece. And whoever decided to use the same Batmobile in the sequel deserves a big raise.
• Hellboy - Who doesn't love Big Red? And who knew Selma Blair was so hot?
  
• Blade 2 - Goes hand in hand with Hellboy. Guillermo del Toro did Blade as a precursor to Hellboy. And the world is a better place for it.

Those are the best. Here's the rest.

• X-Men 3 - What the fuck? Everyone involved in this abortion should resign from the industry immediately. Bret Ratner not only made the Juggernaut a mutant (he's not), but he decided that mutants can have more than one power. The worst comic movie ever made.
  
• Dardevil - I didn't hate this movie, but I can see why it's not loved by the majority of the geeks. You have to give it up to the director for killing Elektra the exact same way as in the comic book. I remember my jaw hitting the floor when I first saw it. That being said, Bullseye was the worst translation of a villain ever.
  
• Elektra - All I can say is, "huh"? I've seen it, but I couldn't tell you what it was about. Not a good sign.
• The Hulk - Can we please pretend like this one never happened? Thanks!
• Superman IV - Seriously? Anything after the 2nd one shouldn't exist.
• Spider-Man 3 - Two words - Emo Peter Parker. And did anybody think to explain where the Venom symbiote came from? Nope! Let's just say it came from space. Who needs details?!
  

I didn't mention the Fastastic Four movies. Those are pretty good so I put them in the first list. Same with Ghost Rider. They're good, but the lack of a big budget holds them back from cracking the top 10.