Top 10 Best Movies of 2016

The movies that made 2016 slightly more bearable.

Captain America: Civil War - Review

Team Captain or Team Iron Man??? Either way, this movie is awesome!

Avengers: Age of Ultron - Review

Here's my review of Avengers: Age of Skyne- I mean, Ultron. To think, none of this would have happened had Tony Stark seen a Terminator movie.

Top 10 Superhero Movies

I've been on a real superhero kick lately haven't I? Well, when your a big superhero nerd like myself, it's hard not to buy into the hype every summer when studios like to release their high profile comic book-inspired blockbusters to the public. Though between Batman, Spider-Man, The Avengers, Chronicle, and not to mention the other films I've been revisiting on Blu-Ray the last few months, I'm starting to feel a bit superhero-ed out. So... let's finish off the summer with a list of my ten favorite superhero films of all time.

It was tough to compile this list. I'm such a nerd when it comes to comic book movies that I've got tons of favorites and in some ways, it felt like choosing which kids I liked better. There were a couple films that just barely missed the list, so if your favorite isn't here, keep in mind that it probably was a finalist but just lost by just a hair. I decided to do only one film per franchise, so the list wouldn't be full of numerous sequels or remakes taking the credit. Also, with apologies to The Avengers, while despite being an awesome movie, I need to see it one or two more times to fairly evaluate it among the following (since most of these I've seen more than once). But enough stalling, here are my Top 10 Favorite Superhero movies.

10. Unbreakable (2000)
It's weird to think of a time when M. Night Shyamalan wasn't the laughing-stock of the film industry (doesn't that seem like forever ago). Still, prior to his critical flame-out, the guy was putting out some pretty creative and interesting takes on established genres, and his interpretation on superhero mythos is my personal favorite of his directorial efforts (yes, I like this one more than The Sixth Sense). Focusing less on action in favor of character-based drama and suspense, Unbreakable's analysis on the birth of a hero brings real-life sensibilities to the notion of the formation of a super powered individual. While the ending is a little on the nose and leaves far more to be desired, the top notch performances from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson along with M. Night's stylistic direction and script makes the film one hell of a movie. It's an often underrated and forgotten film that is definitely worth checking out.

9. Iron Man (2008)
A perfect film it's not, but Iron Man nonetheless succeeds hugely thanks to an interesting take on the superhero genre plus a memorable performance from Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka Iron Man. The first third of the movie is great, the second act isn't too shabby, but the final third is just okay. It was kind of neat to see a superhero who wasn't trying to save the world per se, but rather just cleaning up his own mess after putting that said world in danger. Jeff Bridges gives his all as the villainous Obadiah Stane aka Iron Monger, but his character was kind of one-note and predictable. That said, the great action, sweet effects, and Downey Jr's incredible presence as Stark elevated this film from just good to pretty damn awesome. Oh, and it didn't hurt that this film kicked off the Marvel connected universe and the countdown to The Avengers.

8. Captain America: The First Aveger (2011)
I know that this film tends to somewhat divide audiences. There are lots who loved it but also plenty who considered it cheesy and corny. Personally, I'm in the camp that absolutely loves it. It's a superhero film plus a WWII epic, how could I not like that? Yes, the movie has some campy overtones, but that's exactly the reason why I dug it so much. Taking inspiration from WWII-era serials, the film blends both retro and modern filmmaking aesthetics, creating a film that has all the fun of an old time picture show and a modern summer blockbuster. It finds a near-perfect balance between it's retro/campy appeal plus some legitimate human drama. It also boasted a great cast led by Chris Evans as the titular Captain, along with some great visuals and stellar costume design. What else can I say, but I just love this movie.

7. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
It's really a shame that the Hellboy movies aren't as popular as they could be, since these are some of the most creative and entertaining superhero flicks out there. Guillermo Del Toro is one the most visionary filmmakers working today, and he brings his artistic eye seen in his previous effort, Pan's Labyrinth to these films too. Hellboy II picks up where the first film left off, digs deeper into it's characters and mythos through stellar art direction, visual effects, and it's great cast. Ron Pearlman's performance as Hellboy is always a blast to watch, as he blends the character with a great balance of wit, toughness, and humanity... and that's saying a lot when you consider that Hellboy is, at his core, a demon. Either way, these films are pretty damn awesome and if you haven't seen either one, definitely check them out. Hopefully we'll one day get a third flick to complete the trilogy.

6. Watchmen (2009)
It's a real testament to the talent of a director (in this case Zack Snyder) when he can not only adapt a graphic novel that has often been called "un-filmable" but also make it into a pretty incredible film on it's own right. I don't want to overstate the film too much, as there are a few elements of the novel that (as predicted) don't translate quite perfectly to screen as one would like. Still, just the fact that Watchmen made it to theaters in such glorious style is damn-near a miracle. The movie looks fantastic, with a style and aesthetic consisting of beautiful art direction, excellently composed cinematography, and some sweet action. While the story and some of the actors have a few hiccups, it still manages to convey most of the legendary graphic novel's themes and messages without ruining any of the characters. Oh and Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach... Hell Yeah!!!

5. X-Men: First Class (2011)
There had been four live action X-Men films prior to this prequel. The first two were quite good, the third was just okay, and the fourth (the Wolverine spin-off) was pretty bad actually. The fifth film, a prequel entitled X-Men: First Class, was admittedly pretty damn awesome. Despite being plagued by a rushed production schedule and some hit-and-miss visual effects, the film found a winning combination of a great cast, great story, and great style. The friendship between Charles Xavier aka Professor X and Eric Lencher aka Magneto was the highlight of the film, featuring an uneasy alliance between two powerful mutant individuals whose ideals couldn't have been more different. More than that, Matthew Vaughn's slick direction, which borrowed heavily from golden age 007 flicks, led to a great sense of style, some awesome action scenes, and strong performances from it's talented cast. What can I say, but this was just a first class flick.

4. Superman (1978)
While it's no secret that many superhero movies made before the 90s haven't exactly aged gracefully (though there are exceptions), the original Superman still holds up remarkably well. The first big budget superhero flick, the film's tagline was, "You'll Believe A Man Can Fly"... and we still do. A great cast, memorable set pieces, an amazing musical score, and some classic scenes, this adaptation is still flying high Christopher Reeve's memorable performance as the Man of Steel is enjoyable both as Superman and Clark Kent. The film also benefits from the enjoyable villain, Lex Luthor, played by Gene Hackman who in addition to being the villain also adds some comic relief. I also dug the relationship between Superman and Lois Lane (played to perfection by Margot Kidder), as the two shared some great chemistry in a romance that doesn't overshadow the main story. It also doesn't hurt to have Marlon Brando as Supes father, Jor-El, because Brando is just that much of a legend. Finally, I have to mention the outstanding musical score by the great John Williams. Everytime I hear that classic Superman theme, I get goosebumps, it's just perfect. Superman, admittedly, hasn't aged flawlessly, but there's no doubt that what works in this film... really works! It was awesome then and it's awesome now.

3. The Incredibles (2004)
Comedic legend Mel Brooks once said that the best movie parodies are done out of a love of the content being spoofed. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Pixar's animated superhero satire. The film, about a family of super powered individuals thrust back into action after trying to live a quiet suburban life, clearly wears it's love for comic books on it's sleeve. It pokes fun at the genre's cliches, but it does so by laughing along with those cliches as opposed to at them, and still manages to deliver a fun and exciting superhero epic complete with all the action you would expect out of a modern Hollywood blockbuster. Best of all, the film boasts an outstanding script compliments of writer/director Brad Bird with fully realized three dimensional characters and themes of family relationships and companionship. Throw in some stand-out voice over work from it's talented cast plus Pixar's always impressive animation, and you have a winner. Not just a good satire, but a damn great film in it's own right.

2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
The first Spider-Man flick, released in 2002, struck a chord with audiences and critics mainly through B-Movie director Sam Raimi's knack for creating a world blending 60s comic book sensibilities and stylized modern filmmaking aesthetics. The sequel, released two years later, took everything that worked in the first while improving on everything that didn't. We get a solidly character driven narrative as Peter Parker (played once again by Toby Maguire) struggles to balance his everyday life as himself and his responsibilities as the web-slinger. Best of all, the film introduced one of Spidey's most famous comic book foes, Otto Octavius aka Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), as a once decent man turned to villainy after a terrible tragedy. Doc Ock's sympathetic backstory made him a dynamic and intimidating foe, leading to a good hero/villain rivalry. Throw in some absolutely bad-ass action scenes (that train scene is still one of my favorite movie action scenes of all time), Raimi's trademark cinematography, and some legitimate suspense mixed with fun comic book sensibilities, and you have one of the best comic-to-screen translations of all time.

1. The Dark Knight (2008)
Yeah... I know this was an obvious choice, and as much as I would have liked to think of something a little more out of the box, there's just no denying that The Dark Knight set and continues to hold the standard for the genre. Taking inspiration from gritty crime genres and throwing in the Caped Crusader, The Dark Knight wasn't a spot-on adaptation of Batman comics, but rather a fully realized film that honored the themes and virtues the comics had stood for. It's a constantly suspenseful crime saga with an outstanding cast, commendable story, intriguing characters, mind-blowing action, and one of the greatest villains to ever grace the screen. Heath Ledger's iconic performance as the Joker is nothing short of legendary, taking bits of inspiration from previous incarnations while still bringing his own touches to create a villain that was both familiar, unique, scary, funny, and all around perfect. I have no doubt that someday, a talented team will make a new superhero flick that will top this one, but until that day comes, The Dark Knight will continue to reign supreme as the undisputed champion of superhero flicks.

So these are my top 10 favorite superhero films to grace the silver screen. Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think and leave a comment.

And just because I feel bad for leaving some out, here are a couple of honorable mentions.
The Avengers, Kick-Ass, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, V For Vendetta and The Rocketeer.

Captain America: The First Avenger - Review

Out of all the Marvel comic movies, I think Captain America has probably had the toughest time transitioning into film. It's not hard to see why... a patriot-themed superhero comes off as a bit campy, especially in a time where America isn't exactly seen in a particularly positive light these days. The character actually been adapted to film 4 times before. The first of which was a 1944 serial. It was decent for it's time I suppose, but like most serieals from the time period, it hasn't aged well. 1979 saw two forgettable made-for-TV adaptations that made little to no impact on audiences. Of course, the most infamous adaptation was the 1990 film, simply called Captain America. This low budget abomination went straight to video and is often considered one of the worst superhero films ever made. So yeah, the Captain's film history hasn't exactly been stellar, that's for sure. Is director Joe Johnston's film adaptation, Captain America: The First Avenger, the one to change all that?

This World War II themed superhero flick begins in the city of Brooklyn in the year 1942. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a young man who wants nothing more than to serve his country as a soldier in the US Army. However, due to his lack of physical strength, his asthma, and general poor health, he is deemed unfit for military service. That all changes when rogers meets Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a military scientist who after recognizing Rogers' perseverance and good nature, selects him as a candidate for his super soldier program. The experimental procedure would change Rogers from an asthmatic weakling to super-strengthened fighter and the prime American soldier. The experiment is a success, but when the program is sabotaged by Nazi spies, the government shuts down plans to create a super-powered army and instead turns Rogers into a costumed character known as Captain America. He is then treated as a gimmick, paraded around USO shows selling bonds and boosting soldier morale. Not content with simply being a sideshow attraction, Rogers takes to the battlefield as Captain America and stumbles onto a heinous Nazi organization known as Hydra, led by an equally powerful Nazi known as the Red Skull. With Hydra becoming stronger everyday and the Skull's hunger for world domination increasing, Captain America becomes the world's only chance of stopping them and saving the world.

Eep! I hate it when I give away that much plot information, but every time I tried to cut it off, I felt like I was selling this movie short. This movie really has a lot going on in it, both as it's own film and it's role in the continuity of the Marvel movie universe. It's a superhero film, it's a WWII epic, it's a prelude to the Avengers, and it's a prequel to Iron Man, Thor, and The Incredible Hulk. What's funny about all that though is that the story itself is essentially a straightforward comic book plot, the basic good-natured hero vs evil villain, albeit with patriotic overtones. Still, almost everything in this movie works... like really well. The storyline is engaging, the characters are fun, and the action is awesome. It's one of those movies that feels as if I shouldn't have liked it as much as I did... but everything comes together so nicely. Seriously, there's next to nothing in this flick that doesn't work.

Probably the biggest success comes from the perfect casting of nearly every character in the movie. Chris Evans (The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies) tones down his usual snarky attitude and rather plays the Captain with a likable and rateable demeanor. Unlike many disturbed (Iron Man), troubled (Spider-Man), or borderline psychotic superheroes (Batman), Captain America is one of the more straightforward comic books heroes. He's a good natured, friendly, and overall decent guy who loves his country. This doesn't mean he's stale or underdeveloped, in fact I'd say his good guy demeanor actually makes him one of the more refreshing superheroes in recent memory. Sure, one might still see him as little more than a glorified boy scout, but I personally think there's more to the character. He starts off as a weak man who becomes a national hero that's based less on his physical ability and more on his passionate yet not arrogant patriotism. If nothing else, he's an incredibly fun character that's a blast to watch.

Speaking of fun characters that are a blast to watch, the movie also features Hugo Weaving as the film's central villain, Johann Schmidt aka The Red Skull. The depiction of the character bares many similarities to his comic book counterpart, the best of which is his spot on appearance. One element of the Skull's backstory that was cleverly reinvented for the movie was this. He starts off as a prominent Nazi official (like the comic) and head of Hydra, the Nazi advanced weapon manufacturing division. Soon after the movie starts, Hydra succeeds from Nazi affiliation due to the fact that Hitler consider Schmidt to be too evil... Wow! Overall, I found Weaving to be incredibly entertaining as the red faced villain, finding a perfect balance between camp and seriousness. There are also great supporting performances from Haylee Atwell as the female lead Peggy Carter, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark (Iron Man's father), Stanley Tucci is great as always as the scientist Dr. Abraham Erskine, as is Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Chester Phillips. Overall, it's a great cast!

Of course for any summer blockbuster, especially a superhero movie, one would expect some great action scenes and special effects. If that's all you come to this movie expecting to see, then I can all but guarantee you'll leave happy. Aside from some a few dodgy cgi shots, I'd go as far to call the action scenes perfect... or at least as great as one can expect. There's the usual hero vs villain fights, but there's also a Bourne style on-foot chase scenes (minus the erratic camera) and some well shot WWII battle scenes. Like I said, there were a few cgi shots that could have been rendered a little better. The most apparent one would have to be Chris Evans pre-experimented body, digitally made shorter and weaker. At times it looks real, but more often that not it looked like a digital effect. Granted those are nitpicks that didn't take me out of the movie. It delivered on all levels as an over-the-top summer blockbuster, a War film, and a fun superhero flick.

If Captain America was simply a fun summer blockbuster with cool action and fun characters, I probably would have been fine with that. Apparently, that wasn't enough for the filmmakers and director Joe Johnston. In addition to the action and characters, this movie features top notch production design, amazing costumes, a great musical score from Alan Silvestri, and an engaging story. It's one of the few superhero films to find a great balance between camp and seriousness while never loosing track of basic solid filmmaking. The 40s setting gave the filmmakers a great opportunity to play with some fun retro themes. It kind of reminded me of Joe Johnston's earlier and very underrated WWII superhero film, The Rocketeer. The sets compliment the 40s vibes and gives the movie a really stellar look. I also dug the tinted old-film inspired color correction, again aiding in it's retro appeal.

My favorite element of the production design had to be the costumes. All of the outfits are extremely well made and seem to be authentic, but it's the main hero's costume that really did it for me. Captain America's costume is about as perfect as you can get. It honors it's source material, updates it appropriately, and appears to be a fully functional costume for it's actor. In other words, Evans is able to move around and pull off the action scenes without looking stiff or robotic. Honestly, if this movie doesn't have the best superhero costumes of all time, it's definitely in the top 5. It's right up there with Spider-Man and Iron Man.

It's so refreshing to see a great superhero film made by passionate filmmakers, especially coming off of the disappointing Green Lantern. It goes to show that when you have a great director, cast, and team all pouring their heart and soul into any movie, especially one as difficult to adapt as Captain America, the results can be awesome. Let me just make this clear... do NOT miss this movie! It's awesome! Not quite Dark Knight or Spider-Man 2 awesome, but definitely my favorite out of the connected Marvel movies (Cap, Thor, Iron Man, and The Increidble Hulk) and somewhere in my Top 10 favorite superhero movies. Now bring on the Avengers!

My Score: 4.5 Out of 5!