100 Greatest Comic Book Movies Of All Time
22. Dredd (2012)
Taken straight from the pages of 2000 AD, Dredd (yes, they only ever made one Judge Dredd film, SCOTT TAILFORD), is the very definition of a brilliant comic book movie.
Alex Garland’s Dredd immerses itself in the source material of the comics and emerges as a genuinely great film because of it. The character, created by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra and Pat Mills, was pretty much the face of the UK comics scene back in the seventies and eighties, and Garland’s film does the premise justice by making a film that was equal parts stylistic and visceral.
Karl Urban was picture-perfect as the eponymous Judge, while Lena Headey and Olivia Thirlby were overlooked for their equally compelling performances as Ma-Ma and Judge Anderson respectively.
Unfortunately, any discussion of Dredd has to mention how it all ended in tragedy The film, boasting an R-Rating, was ahead of its time in many respects, but sadly bombed at the box-office as a result. Still fans cling on to hope of a sequel, and though the prospect of a follow-up gets less likelier by the day, don’t rule this franchise out just yet.
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21. Blade
Even though its sequel is probably the better “comic-book movie”, the original Blade is a tighter, straight-to-the-point action film. Starting as it means to go on, in an orgy of blood as techno tunes punctuate bone-crunching violence and Blade kicking the absolute s**t out of vampire ravers, the original movie rarely lets up from there, swapping out the source material’s fantasy aesthetic for a more straight-laced, '90s thriller style.
Though most of the focus remains on Blade’s bid for revenge against Deacon Frost, the creature who killed his mother (who wants to become a vampire god, or something), there’s also some fascinating insights into the wider vamp culture (that sadly, wouldn’t really be capitalised on in the sequels).
The fight choreography is incredible, the horror genuinely terrifying and it all culminates in the most iconic line in cinema history: Some motherf***as are always tryna ice-skate uphill. So they are, Blade. So they are.
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20. Batman (1989)
On paper, Batman (1989) just shouldn’t have worked. Tim Burton was a peculiar choice as director, and Michael Keaton - then primarily known for his work in comedy - was considered an equally odd choice for the part of Batman. It’s with that in mind that it’s so amazing to consider that, today, the defining image of Batman came from this film.
Batman is far from a perfect movie (the change to incorporate Joker into the character’s origin still feels unnecessary), but it’s by far one of the most visually striking productions of the 20th Century, and still boasts the finest comic book movie theme ever with Danny Elfman pulling the strings as composer.
Keaton, for my money’s worth, is still the best live-action Batman/Bruce Wayne we’ve ever seen, and Jack Nicholson made for a fine Joker too. Plus, he got to deliver the greatest Joker moment onscreen with “Bob. Gun.” - a classic!
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