03. Batman Begins (Christopher Nolan, 2005)
In contrast to our number 4 placing we have DCs rebooted origin for the Batman character - a character that was last seen a decade prior covered in nipples and fighting the worst incarnation of Bane you will ever see. He was also played by George Clooney, although Clooney might deny it if you ever asked him given the piss poor reception the film got. If you need a refresher why not look back at our number 99 slot. With Christian Bale donning the bat cape and cowl and taking an altogether more serious approach than any of his predecessors, Christopher Nolans Batman is a whole different beast to any straight up superhero movie that came before it. In fact, Batman Begins is closer to Sin City than it is any prior Dark Knight movie and is certainly not aimed at a very young audience. Beginning with the death of Bruce Waynes parents and chronicling his intense training regime over a number of years, Batman Begins explains just how Wayne manages to become such a strong, dangerous hero despite having zero superpowers, training with the very toughest and the very best fighters from around the world. If you hated Batman & Robin then you will love Batman Begins It takes the character back to its roots - back to a noir style setting, covered with shadows and with evil and corruption lurking at every turn. There are no cheap gags here, no half man half penguin bad guys. Batman Begins is set entirely in the real world, which is why it works so well. Bruce Wayne is not a superhuman. Hes just a rich man that knows how to fight, and for that reason his story really could be true. There are so many similarities between the characters of Bruce/Batman and Tony/Iron Man but when it comes to the movies, Batman Begins just edges Stark out of the top 3. Unmissable.