5 Comic Book Movies That Deserve A 2nd Chance (And 5 You Should Forget)

Even bad superhero films can be fun.

Ghost Rider Thor

Generally speaking, comic book adaptations are the only movies that can be dismissed during their opening weekend without a subsequent critical reappraisal. Batman & Robin, The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Elektra were all declared rotten when first released, and the shift in critical opinion over the years has hardly been seismic.

Equally, Richard Donner’s Superman, X-Men and The Dark Knight were all proclaimed classics when unveiled to critics, whose opinions have remained fixed ever since. Not only do first impressions last, they follow a movie throughout its lifespan.

Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse and Batman Vs Superman are still fresh in the mind, but already their fates have been decided and the naysayers are unlikely to be swayed by an extended cut. They came, they went and now we’re waiting patiently for the next one.

There are, of course, plenty of frankly rubbish comic book movies that don’t deserve a critical re-evaluation, but there are also a handful that amuse if they catch you in the right frame of mind.

First off, here are 5 comic book movies that deserve a closer look...

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Contributor

Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'