100 Greatest Comic Book Movies Of All Time
25. Superman
People will say Superman's original effects have aged, and that the "You'll believe a man can fly" shtick was dated specifically to that time… but it MORE than holds up.
If you're willing to go with it, and yes there are supremely obvious green screen shots in the mix, let's not kid ourselves, the majority lands as it always did. Watching Superman today actually benefits from knowing it was so prolific; seeing all the lessons learned in cinematography and just how to shoot superheroes at all - not to mention Christopher Reeve is easily still the definitive Superman.
Reeve plays Kent with a throughline of pure charm, exuding restraint and power in equal measure as his humanity never gets lost under a blanket of super strength or time-bending flight powers.
It might be dated through time, but this movie's magic is truly immortal.
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24. Wonder Woman
The first female fronted comic book movie to really make waves in the industry, Wonder Woman was DCs trump card against the MCU when it was released - celebrating women the world over after being largely overlooked as stars of superhero content for years on end.
Gal Gadot as the amazonian come to Earth to fight the good fight in World War 2 is a concept that just works. Whilst there’s moments that need improvement, the film was a great step forward for DC after years of not knowing how quite to balance their gritty dark approach with pulpy comic book nuance, showing that they do know how to get it right when it matters. Characters are well built, it deftly walks the line between strong and soft, and it has some of the most memorable visuals in comic history. Bashing bullets off your gauntlets really is a #look.
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23. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming had a lot riding on it for Marvel and Sony. Marvel had spent a huge amount on getting the rights back to the character to bring him into the MCU and Sony needed a Spider-Man hit after the crash and burn of The Amazing Spider-Man movies. It could have gone very poorly indeed, what with the hints of too many villains, too many cooks and too many high expectations.
But Marvel did what Marvel do and steadied the ship, giving their biggest selling brand (in merch terms, at least) the John Hughes-influenced MCU treatment he deserved. Buoyed by Tom Holland's excellent casting, a clever script and other great performances (from Michael Keaton predominantly), they gave us a school-aged Spidey who fit the ideal image of the character.
There was lots of heart, enough laughs and some great drama to go along with the action and it set out a model for Spidey's successful future in the MCU. Hopefully.
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