Superhero movies are like our wishes come true. So what if we had a Spiderman or a Superman to save us from a mishap? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Like a knight in shining armor, they give us hope that someone with power and goodness is here to protect us.
Marvel has created the most creative and quirky superheroes of all time. The oddball, the dark horse, and the most random characters with the power to save the world. Talk of Ironman or the Hulk, or Avengers. They all have qualities we relate to but have a higher goal to fulfill.
Masked heroes with unique insignia in their costumes fight for justice and protect the world from bad guys. They give us hope traveling through multi-universes guarding the Earthlings in style, power, and humor.
Who is your favorite superhero? Is it the boy next door, like Spiderman, who saves the world, or
the split personality who realizes he has the superpower to save the world? So many superhero movies have stories to tell we can relate to and know we can do the extraordinary in our everyday lives. We only need grit, following the right path, and believing in doing good.
Wonder Woman(2017)
Wonder Woman is one of the superheroes from the D.C. comics. Diana(Gad Galot) plays the Amazonian Wonder Woman who puts an end to world war I and a German soldier Steve who crash lands on her island.
The plot is a flashback of how Wonderwoman knows World War I through Steve. She follows him to London and learns how Germans use deadly gas to kill people.
A movie about a woman superhero is also one of the most celebrated icons and a figure who saves America. She lives on an all-women island called Themyscira, secluded and away from the buzz of the urban world.
Diana is unaware of the ongoing World War I but is prepared to battle it with her grit and guts when she knows it. The character of Wonder Woman depicts inherent goodness, empathy, and tenacity, making her one of the most iconic woman superheroes.
Wonder Woman is an inspirational story empowering women. Gad Galot’s performance is outstanding. The movie has thought-provoking content that instills a sense of empowerment.
Director: Patty Jenkins
Shazam(2019)
Shazam is one of the superheroes from the D.C. comics. Billy Batson plays the superhero Shazam. The movie is an allegory about the seven deadly sins, good vs. evil. Billy stays with other foster children at a foster home.
Shazam is a wizard who holds power and lives on the Rock of Eternity. He is looking for a successor to keep his power as his life is coming to an end. In New York City, a young boy named Sivana is tormented and bullied by his father and brother.
During a car accident, Sivana is automatically transported to the Rock of Eternity, where he is acquainted with the seven deadly sins and Shazam. The Sins possess him, and he is thrown back into his everyday life.
Sivana carries the seven deadly sins and creates chaos by spreading them amongst people whenever he feels vulnerable or has negative emotions.
Billy, the foster kid, is picked by Shazam and is automatically transported to the Rock of Eternity, being recognized as a pure heart. As a result, he is bestowed with all the powers of Shazam, the wizard.
Billy uses it to protect his foster siblings and Freddy, who battle Sivana and free the world from the seven deadly sins together.
The movie has a good message to give, especially to the teenagers, to use their superpowers and abilities to the best use, unlike Sivana. But, like Disney movies, Shazam has a good message to give the audience to use their best abilities for constructive activities and to do good.
For DC fans, this is one of the best teen superhero movies to watch that has fun, a good message for the audience, and a way to deal with bullies. The movie also addresses teen issues, such as bullying.
What if teens had the superpower? Would they put it to good use to deal with bullying as Billy and Freddy do? The movie smartly addresses teen issues and gives a good message.
Director: David F. Sandberg
Superman (1978)
Superman a famous superhero in the D.C. comics. Over a decade, numerous Superman movies have been made. But the one from 1978 is a cult classic superhero movie that gave the world a superhero who could fly.
Before the advent of the Spiderman franchise, Superman was revered as the superhero. Superman was first created in 1938 and is regarded as the quintessential superhero.
Superman is one of the ideal superheroes with noble qualities such as gentleness, kindheartedness, and a resolve to be just and right.
However, unlike Spiderman, Superman is not the boy next door who is bullied into obscurity. Instead, he discovers his superpowers as a teenager.
Superman is born on the planet Kryptonite and sent to Earth when his father knows their planet will be destroyed. He lives on Earth as Clark Kent, discovers his superpowers as a teenager, and works for a local newspaper in a fictional city called Metropolis in America.
Marlando Brando plays the father of Clark Kent(Christopher Reeve). He sends him as an infant to Earth, where Clark discovers his powers and protects the city from the crimes of Lex Luthor.
The movie starts at a slow pace showing childhood and adolescence of Clark. Clark is a shy boy with mild manners who is bullied at school. Unfortunately, the plot only reveals a few details we read about in the comics.
The hallmark of the movie is the stunts and the special effects, which was a novel thing to watch for a 70’s superhero movie. If you love old-fashioned superhero movies, you, however, would still enjoy watching this movie.
Director: Richard Donner
Chronicle (2012)
The movie is shot in the found footage style. It depicts how experiencing a superpower can as well take a destructive turn.
Andrew is a teenager abused at home by his alcoholic father and is usually frustrated and rage. Andrew is a friendless teenager who befriends the most popular guy Steve at a party.
They discover a tunnel and explore it. They experience supernatural power while digging the tunnel, which brings them closer. Andrew uses his newfound magical ability to put on acts of magic and gains popularity.
Steve is killed during one of the mishaps of power plays between the three friends. But unfortunately, Andrew cannot contain his rage and keeps misusing it to hurt those weaker than him.
They soon realize they can fly too and plan to visit Tibet because it is peaceful. But, Andrew has misused his power to keep hurting numerous people out of rage and cannot be reasoned with anymore.
Matt has to kill him to stop his destructive behavior, which he regrets later.
The movie deals with using power responsibly, which is the message most superhero movies send. But the style in which the film is shot is different and does not take the regular route of making stereotypical superhero movies.
Unlike most superhero movies, there are no costumes, props, elaborate plots, or special effects. Yet, we know Matt is the film’s superhero by his choices.
The movie has a sublime message which is the crux of most superhero movies. But, it takes a different route to express it.
Director: Josh Trank
Aquaman (2018)
A 2018 superhero movie based on the character in D.C. comics by the same name. The movie is directed by James Wan, who created the S.A.W. series and The Conjuring universe.
Arthur Curry(Jason Momoa) plays the titular role. He is half-human, half-Atlantean, and lives underwater. He knows how his mother, married to the king of Atlantis, fled his kingdom and married a human for which she was sent to be captured.
Knowing all this, Arthur becomes reluctant to become the king of Atlanteans and battles with his brother to release his mother from hiding. His mother escapes being executed and is hiding inside the deep ocean.
A war starts between Atlanteans and humans when the submarines start attacking the sea creatures, disturbing their kingdom’s functioning. The movie is less impactful than most superhero movies. Still, it depicts the heroism of Arthur with an exciting plot and allegory using water as the power element.
Arthur wants to be left alone but battles his half-brother Orm who intends to destroy land dwellers for polluting the sea. The movie uses symbology and mythical elements to create an atmosphere. The visuals are different from stereotypical superhero films.
The movie focuses more on the characterizations and visuals than the plot per se. It intelligently clubs technology with mythology to show the skills and abilities of sea creatures.
The camera techniques and slapstick humor are timed well, which makes it a visual delight to watch. The movie has a combative theme and uses force and violence to defeat enemies and solve problems.
Director: James Wan
The Batman(1989)
DC comics have carved one of the most memorable superheroes with stories to intrigue and inspire us. Micheal Keaton plays Batman, and Jack Nicholson plays the Joker in the 1989 American superhero movie.
Bruce Wayne is the philanthropist millionaire by day and the costume-clad Batman by night who protects Gotham City by night. The Joker is his ruthless enemy and arch-nemesis, who controls the underworld.
Jack Napier(Joker) kills his boss in a hostile battle and takes over the underworld. However, Bruce soon realizes that Jack is the killer of his parents. He finally kills the bad guys saving the city from numerous crimes.
The fictional city Gotham and the characterization of Batman and Joker depict good vs. evil in a stylized fashion is a good reason to watch. Batman wants to protect the poor and oppressed from the clutches of criminals and do good to the citizens in general.
Unlike our other superheroes battling an alien invasion, Batman is relatable because he fights crime to protect the citizens of Gotham.
Director: Tim Burton
The Dark Knight (2008)
Christopher Nolan directed The Dark Knight trilogy based on the Batman films. Gotham is a crime and mafia ridden because of the criminal mastermind Joker. Batman forms an alliance with the city police and district attorney to fight crime in the city.
Christian Bale plays Bruce, and Heath Ledger plays the Joker. The plot has interesting twists and deals with themes of moral ethics, the old-fashioned good vs. evil, with a complex plot.
Joker is not just the villain; his evil machinations make people question the essence of morals and ethics. The plot toys with the machiavellian tactics of Joker to put the people of Gotham City in a frenzy.
The Joker has a diabolical and fiendish scheme to seek revenge by putting his enemies through moral dilemmas for all the punishment he was given as a child.
His goal is to threaten the moral foundation on which Batman stands to battle crimes in the city. Heather Ledger’s performance is stupendous, which makes the character deep and devious.
The special effects are outstanding and depict how bitter experiences can make a monster of an ethical and good man like Harvey Dent(Eckhart), the district attorney. Joker’s goal is to expose and portray Batman as a fraud and reveal his secret identity.
The movie has drama and poetry about how good vs. evil unfolds and good triumphs. In addition, it depicts in depth the twisted ideologies of the Joker and how he toys with people’s minds.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Zack Snyder’s Justice League(2021)
The movie was streamed on HBO Max in 2021 and is called Zack Snyder’s cut colloquially. It is known for its stunning visuals, characterization, and balance of drama, humor, and intrigue.
D.C. Superheros such as Batman, Wonderwoman, Cyborg, Superman, The Flash, and Aquaman come together to defeat their rival Steppenwolf.
Like the Avenger’s cinematic universe, the justice league has quirky superheroes, a plot with visual aesthetics, and a balance of intrigue, action, and emotions.
Ben Affleck plays Batman. The plot is about assembling a team of superheroes to battle Darkseid, who wants to destroy and control Earth. They attempt to guard the Mother Boxes, which hold all the power to control Earth.
Superman dies and is resurrected with the help of the box. He joins the team again to battle Darkseid, who has yet to return to remove the box.
The plot is about how all the D.C. superheroes connect to protect the Earth and guard the boxes that Darkseid and Steppenwolf are trying to get control over.
A four-hour movie that shows all the details about how superheroes contact each other from across the globe for a single purpose.
It seems a lengthy extension of the Marvel cinematic universe with visually scintillating grandeur, which makes it a treat to watch.
Director: Zack Snyder
The Dark Knight Rises(2012)
Directed by Christopher Nolan, the movie is the final installment in the Dark Knight trilogy. Christain Bale stars as Bruce Wayne. It was one of the highest-grossing films in 2012.
The district attorney, Harvey Dent, has passed away. It has been eight years, and Gotham has been living in peace due to the efforts of Batman.
However, today, a villain named Bane from Uzbekistan is the arch-nemesis Batman has to defeat. Bane plans to attack a nuclear physicist, and the police are pursuing him.
The film has many characters and starts slowly but has a spectacular ending. The final installment is fun, intriguing, with an emotional depth, and has a convincing and satisfactory climax.
It is hard to figure out the motives of Bane because he is responsible for releasing numerous Gotham criminals. In addition, bane targets buildings synonymous with making millions, such as the stock exchange and the football stadium.
Gary Oldman plays Commissioner Gordon, and Morgan Freeman plays the inventor, Lucius Fox. The movie has many dark and heavy moments for a superhero movie. However, the movie’s central theme is civil anarchy, which Nolan has depicted without a fault.
Director: Christopher Nolan
The Incredible Hulk(2008)
An American superhero, Bruce Banner, is starring Edward Norton, created by Marvel Comics. This is the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A sequel to Hulk, Bruce Banner is now hiding in Rio de Janeiro from the U.S. military, who come to know of his condition. During his hideout, he tries to find a cure for his condition that turns him into a green monster.
When the troop is sent to capture him, he turns into a Hulk, defeats them, and disappears. Ross heads the U.S. military and uses Blonsky to test with the same experiment conducted on Bruce. Blonsky turns into a monster with incredible strength and is made to pursue Hulk.
Mark Ruffalo replaced Edward Norton in the MCU movies for the character Hulk. Hulk is a superhero whose superpower is more of a curse than a boon. But it helps him protect himself from any attack. Hulk does not fight evil people but trashes those who torment him when he turns into a green monster.
Bruce is otherwise a mild-natured guy, but when rage hits him, he becomes four times his size, loses control, and likes it.
Bruce and Erica are the results of a dysfunctional family. Hulk becomes a total misfit, and his rage comes off as a repressed, traumatic childhood memory acting off as a savior against those who torment him.
Mark Ruffalo is more convincing as Hulk than Norton. Though this has been one of the lowest-grossing films, it has set the stage for Hulk in other MCU films, as an adorable character with a dual personality is a good reason to watch.
Director: Louis Leterrier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier(2014)
The movie stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Captain America. He is the first Avenger in the MCU. Steve participates in an experimental program and transforms into a super soldier protecting America.
There is a mole within the spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D. He and Bucky Barners and Carter have to fight the evil organization Hydra.
The movie received numerous awards for its visual effects. Though the first installment was not a success, this movie made a mark in the advent of The Avengers saga. With brilliant visual effects, the film lacks crisp characterization.
A fast-paced, entertaining movie with a few rough patches in its climax that you can ignore and still relish Chris Evans as Captain America. Evans’ character has more depth than Captain America’s first installment from the 90s.
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Ironman(2008)
The movie is directed by Jon Favreau and is the first in the MCU starring Robert Downey Jr. Tony Stark(Downey) owns Stark Industries and plays the beloved MCU character Ironman.
Stark is held captive during a military war with Afghanistan and is wounded by a missile. Inside the cave where he and Doctor Yinsen are held captive, they build a strong suit that acts like armor and helps them escape.
He escapes, returns home, and declares that his company will stop manufacturing weapons.
Ten Rings are a terrorist group in Afghanistan that uses the weapons created by Stark Industries to attack the village of Yinsen. Stark wears the suit of Ironman and saves the village.
Ironman is one of the most humorous and quirkiest superheroes in the MCU. Unlike other superheroes, Ironman has a quintessential personality, making it amusing to watch.
Director: Jon Favreau
The Avengers(2012)
The 2012 superhero movie is the first ensemble of a superhero team. The movie stars The Hulk, Ironman, Captain America, Black Widow, and Thor as a team of superheroes protecting the world.
Loki, the brother of Thor, is played by Tom Hiddleston. Loki is promised an army by The Others, who want to retrieve the Tesseract, which has infinite energy. Dr.Erick and his team are experimenting with the Tesseract. The Avengers battle to protect the Tesseract from being captured by Chitauri.
The Avengers is a motley of Superheroes and could have had more dimension to the plot, which only revolves around the retrieval of Tesseract.
The best thing about the MCU is the myriad of characters they invent with unusual superpowers that are amusing and intriguing to watch.
Unlike other superhero films, MCU superheroes leave an indelible mark as they seek to protect the world from universal attacks.
The Avengers could have had a more gripping plot and is more glamorous with a highly stylized superhero ensemble that does an average bit to grab the attention. It has a dulcet tone blended into the action-superhero universe, diluting the plot’s intensity in some areas.
Director: Joss Whedon
X-Men(2000)
The movie is a 2000-released superhero film from the MCU based on Marvel comics. A 13-year-old Erick has the mutant ability to generate magnetic fields.
A 17-year-old Marie has the mutant ability and the power to absorb life force from others. She uses the name ‘Rogue’ and runs off to Alberta to meet Logan, aka Wolverine, who has superhuman power to heal with protruding metal claws.
They are once attacked by Sabertooth, rescued by Xavier’s X-men, and brought to their school of mutants. Erik is Magneto, who believes humans and mutants cannot coexist and separates from Xavier. There is a war between Xavier’s X-men and Magneto.
The movie does not have frenzied, fast-paced action, but the plot takes you deeper into the characters of the superhero team. The holocaust and Nazi storyline add enough seriousness to the beginning of the plot.
The story uses numerous theories and historical facts to develop characters that fit into the timeline of mutants.
The Darwinian theory is explored with creative inventiveness to carve every character of the X-men and Magneto’s team.
The first installment in its franchise, X-men does not fail to impress with its in-depth characterization and original plot.
Director: Bryan Singer
Supergirl(1984)
A 1984 superhero film starring Helen Slater as the cousin of Superman named Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl. After the Kryptonite community dissipates into the Survival Zone, Kara is sent to Earth for Omegahedron, which powers the Argo City.
She lands on Earth as Supergirl with superhuman abilities. On Earth, Omegahedron is captured by a witch called Selena. Realizing the true magical potential of Omegahedron, Selena wreaks havoc.
On Earth, Supergirl, with her newfound powers, lives as Linda, a cousin of Clark Kent. She battles with Selena. Unlike most Superman movies, the plot has magic and eerie elements, making it a unique franchise offshoot.
Director: Jeannot Szwarc
Featured Image Source: TNT