- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). This film made the list partially because it’s in heavy rotation in my house due to my daughters’ obsession with talking wildlife! But obviously, the film is much more than that. It combines elements of Star Wars (my favorite movie saga) and Marvel’s the Avengers (more on that later). What more could a sci-fi geek ask for?
- Batman Begins (2005). It is now somewhat underrated due to the overflow of superhero movies since its release. I re-watched it the other night on HBO, and it still holds up very well. It set the standard for the 21st century superhero origin film. It also set the table for arguably the greatest superhero movie of all-time, The Dark Knight.
- X-Man: Days of Future Past (2014). It is the best X-Men movie to-date. This 20th Century Fox production clearly upped its game given the highly competitive superhero movie market that exists today. It employed the right director (Bryan Singer), casted great leads (Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy) and wrote the perfect plot for fantasy fans (time travel rarely disappoints).
- Spider-Man 2 (2004). Tobey Maguire, oh how we miss you so! With all due respect to the lead actor (Andrew Garfield) in the new, forgettable Amazing Spider-Man films, the former Spider-Man was a much more believable “nerd-turned-hero.” And his anti-hero adversary Doctor Octopus (with an assist from Harry Osborn), made Spider-Man 2 the best Spidey film thus far.
- Superman (1978). If Batman Begins is the best, recent superhero origins film, Superman was its precursor. This film set the standard for what a big-budget superhero movie should look like. It had a renowned director (Richard Donner), an ensemble cast (Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Christopher Reeve), great special effects (at the time), and a heavy PR campaign.
- Batman (1989). Wow! At the time, that’s how I reacted after seeing the film. I actually did not see it in the theater but the hype machine for this film was unprecedented at the time. But when I did finally watch it in the confines of my own home on a Christmas morning, I was left in a daze after watching Jack Nicholson totally dominate the screen with his brilliant depiction of the Joker.
- Iron Man (2008). Were it not for this film, we would not be talking the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America or the Avengers. This film not only thrust Marvel onto the scene as a major film producer, it resurrected the career of Robert Downey, Jr. who totally killed it with his uncanny depiction of the world’s most famous billionaire, playboy philanthropist, Tony Stark.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). From the Enemy of the State, political thriller look-and-feel to the eerie musical selections inspired by Bucky Barnes’ dark alter ego, this was a kick-ass movie. While Captain America: The First Avenger was bright and superficial, The Winter Soldier was dark and soulful, like the Trouble Man soundtrack that is referenced in the film.
- Marvel’s the Avengers (2012). Marvel maestro Kevin Feige had a brilliant vision of releasing stand-alone films to build-up individual characters on their own, before forming a Dream Team in this groundbreaking film. This model is now being emulated by other studios, which will go unnamed. But none are likely to exceed this “once-in-a-generation” global blockbuster.
- The Dark Knight (2008) aka “The Departed meets Batman,” for me at least. It had all the elements of a gangland thriller, coupled with the world’s most enigmatic superhero. In a film that was entertaining yet deep, it keeps you on the edge of your seat while making you think. And with all due respect to Jack Nicholson’s Joker in ’89, the late Heath Ledger’s depiction was otherworldly.
To gain a better understanding of what inspired this list, read more About Me.
