Top 10 Best Superhero Movies of All-Time

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Here are my Top 10 Superhero Movies you should watch at least once since they are essential in my eyes!



10. Super (2010)--Even though it got a limited theatre audience, it's the better "real" superhero comedy of all-time. Rainn Wilson did a superb job as a schumck turned hero with Ellen Page as his sidekick, Boltie!



9. Spider-Man 3 (2007)--I don't care what y'all think! It's the best Spidey film and it's a great way to end the original film series!



8. X-Men 3: The Last Stand (2006)--Like the last film, they saved the best for last!



7. Superman: The Movie (1978)--The first and second best Superman film made Christopher Reeve a household name as the man of steel and Gene Hackman did a great job as the villianous Lex Luthor.



6. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)--FINALLY A REAL CAPTAIN AMERICA MOVIE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!



5. Superman II (1980)--The Best Superman Film to date with the Man of Steel fighting off three of his Kryptoian adverseries including Zod (Terrance Stamp)



4. The Avengers (2012)--BEST MARVEL FILM EVER! One of the very few superhero films that actually lived up to the hype!



3. Batman Begins (2005)--A HUGE IMPROVEMENT over Batman and Robin as the franchise got a reboot and a new background that mostly focuses on Bruce Wayne and his climb to becoming the Dark Knight!



2. The Dark Knight (2008)--Speaking of which, the Nolan film outshines the predessor as the Dark Knight goes after the Joker while trying to maintain his sanity of being both Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader. Heath Ledger suprised the hell out of me as his Joker is the best rendition of the Clown Prince of Crime. Yes, he even surpass Jack Nicholson as the best one!



and the #1 Superhero film of all-time.....



Batman (1989)--This is the film that changed the way we looked at comic book based films forever with Michael Keaton being the best of the Caped Crusader as he goes after the Joker while avenging his parents' death. I still consider this my favorite Batman film ever and one of the Top 10 best films of all-time!

No X-men: First class? I feel its omission invalidates your list

To be honest, I haven't seen the movie yet, but I will see it this weekend!

In no particular order...

The Avengers
X-Men: First Class
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
The Dark Knight
The Incredible Hulk
X2: X-Men United
X-Men
Iron Man
Fantastic Four

...Spider-Man 3 and X Men: The Last Stand invalidates your whole list... Anyways here's mine from somebody who actually appreciates the art of film and comics books.

Also i'm tired as f**k right now so I'm going to come through later and change the little writing things I did for my picks because i'm too tired to actually write right now.

10. Iron Man
Great fun superhero movie. And casting Robert Downey Jr. and The Dude in the same movie is just a stroke of genius.

9. Hellboy
f*****g love this movie, however I don't really know what to say about it because i'm tired as f**k

8. The Dark Knight
While it has some issues with pacing it's still a great film

7. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Until TDKReturns comes out this is the best Batman film, just amazing and if you haven't seen it yet then see it.

6. The Avengers
Just a fun action movie with great writing and lovable characters. At first glance it may look like your average brainless summer action movie but if you look behind first impressions it's actually much more than that and a great film as well.

5. The Dark Knight Returns
Yeah, it's not out yet but it's going to be a straight animated version of one of the greatest graphic novels of all time. And with the quality of the other DC animated films I highly doubt this will be anything less than a masterpiece

4. Kick-Ass
A great film that goes beyond a simple satire of Super-Heroes, fun as f**k and just a great movie in general. And although I'm not a fan of them casting Nic Cage as Big Daddy or them changing around Big Daddy's backstory it doesn't take away from the fact that it's still an amazing film

3. Chronicle
It's obviously influenced by both Akira and Kid Marvelman from Marvelman but it's a damn good movie and one of the best films I've seen in a long damn time

2. X-Men First Class
This was a huge surprise because I wasn't expecting it to be this good. And it makes the first 2 X-Men films (those other 2 don't exist) look like made for TV movies with how much better it is in pretty much all ways.

1. The Incredibles
Of course this would be number one, and it's my 3rd favorite Pixar film. Just perfection.

I don't entirely agree with Xenu's number one, but otherwise I approve

My personal top 10?

1. The Dark Knight

What can I say? Batman in a 'real' world, a brilliant Joker who surpasses all that went before (sorry, Jack Nicholson), and one of the darkest stories ever done for the Batman films.


2. Watchmen

While gorier and more intense than the original comic, Zack Snyder has managed to do the impossible. He has turned Watchmen into a coherent film, and even makes the ending less contrived, save for a minor plothole.


3. Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr turns Tony Stark into Tony Snark. And it is great. Humour and action mix well in this film.


4. Batman Returns

Grotesque, dark, and macabre. But still one of the better Batman films, delving ever more deeply into the psychology of the twisted characters, not only having good portrayals of the Penguin and Catwoman, but a sly original villain, Max Schreck.


5. Batman

Christopher Nolan owes something to Tim Burton, if only to reviving Batman as a dark, brooding vigilante (as far as films are concerned, anyway). Michael Keaton makes an unexpectedly good Batman, and Jack Nicholson is superb as the Joker.


6. The Avengers

Not particularly deep or meaningful, and it helps if you've watched most of the Marvel comics movies up to this point, but this is still an engrossing spectacle.


7. Hulk

Okay, so many people don't like this version of the Hulk. But I do. Eric Bana IS Bruce Banner, and it's an enjoyable and intriguing delve into the psyches of the characters.


8. Batman Begins

A movie reboot seems all too ubiquitous nowadays, but this one does well enough in establishing an origin for Batman, as well as setting it in a 'real' world.


9. X-Men

All-star cast, interesting story, good special effects, what else can I say?


10. Kick-Ass

Incredibly violent, but very darkly humorous tale of real-life superheroes. Not only that, but manages to be better than the comic it was adapted from, and certainly more fun.

1. The Dark Knight

Two words: Heath Ledger. Never before has there been a more sinister, wolf-eyed, lip-smacking and undeniably cruel real-world version of Mr. J, he even makes Jack Nicholson's Joker look dated. Christopher Nolan has offically raised the bar for future superhero flicks.


2. Batman Begins

Forget Joel Schumacher's god-awful neon-drenched and homoerotic campfest instalments with Jim Carrey's irritating green puzzle-master, Arnie's lame ice-puns and George Clooney's wooden attempt at being Batman, THIS is how it's done. A stellar cast (Bale, Neeson, Caine, Oldman, Freeman, and Murphy), no lame gags, no costumed supervillains, and an element of fear means that the Bat is back with a vengeance.


3. X-Men 2

Better plot, better characters, better everything. Surpasses it's predecessor by a mile.


4. The Avengers

The most crowd-pleasing movie in recent memory, Joss Whedon's superhero ensemble more than lives up to the hype. Though the plot is predictable (Macguffin cube, anyone?), the action and humour is so entertaining that you won't even care. Mark Ruffalo is PERFECT for the Hulk.


5. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Guillermo Del Toro delivers another gem with more laughs, more character development and more weird and wacky critters. If there isn't a Hellboy 3, then i will be gutted!


6. Batman Returns

More darker, morbid and more entertaining than it's predecessor, the portrayals of the Penguin and Catwoman by Danny De Vito and Michelle Pfeiffer have been the most faithful adaptations yet. Anne Hathaway has A LOT to live up to if she wants to topple the latter.


7. Iron Man

If Robert Downey Jr's scattergun brand of quirky and dry humour doesn't have you grinning like a chesire cat, then there's something wrong with you. One of the many superhero movies where action and humour mix well together.


8. X-Men: First Class

Memo to Brett Rattner: THIS is how you make up for the undeniably disappointing Last Stand, by taking some of the finest young stars (James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence) and turning the X-Men franchise into a barn-storming prequel. And Matthew Vaughn delivers in spades, roll on the next instalment!


9. Watchmen

By far Zack Snyder's best movie, even if the gory ultraviolence, a scene-stealing and sociopathic Rorschach and a running time of 2 hours is a turn off for some.


10. Kick-Ass

Controversial choice here, but the dark humour and wince-inducing violence leave it as a painfully hilarious satire on the superhero myth. Chloe Moretz swears and drops c-bombs as Hit Girl, while Nicolas Cage is back to form as the Batman-piss taker Big Daddy. Just remember, with no power comes no responsibility!

My top 10. This time, I will use a ranking system:

10. Thor
9. X-Men First Class
8. Spider-Man 2
7. X-Men 2
6. Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm
5. Iron Man
4. Batman '89
3. Superman The Movie
2. The Avengers
1. The Dark Knight

10. Spider-Man 2
9. Hulk vs. Wolverine (Surprisingly brutal and gritty for an animated movie. Wouldn't recommend it for kids)
8. The Incredibles (animated)
7. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
6. Iron Man II
5. Batman: Year One (animated. The movie that Batman Begins failed to be & the only Batman flick that I thoroughly enjoyed)
4. Iron Man
3. Watchmen (a very close third place. Excellent movie)
2. The Avengers a.k.a. Avengers Assemble (best special effects and action sequences)
1. X-Men: First Class (best storyline, acting and character developement, plus costumes that didn't look ridiculous)

Btw, I agree with the OP on the 1989 Batman movie. Although it didn't make it into my personal top ten, it was the best live action Batman movie so far imho. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight weren't bad; I loved the dark and gritty Gotham City look and Heath Ledger was an excellent Joker, but something ruined the movies for me. I think it was Christian Bale, who is simply not believable in the role of Batman. I mean, he's cute. Bruce Wayne is supposed to be handsome but he shouldn't look cute in a "pretty boy / underwear model" way, and Bale's Batman voice was a bit ridiculous. But then again I never really liked the comic books (or anything ever published by DC other than Watchmen), so what do I know

PS: A honorable mention goes to my favorite superhero TV series, namely the 2001–2002 live action version of The Tick. Patrick Warburton is perfect in the role of "the big blue bug of justice", and Batmanuel must be the most awesome superhero to ever hit the screen Too bad that the show was canceled after one season.

10) X-Men 2 (2003)

Bryan Singer's hit epic sequel gives us a better plot, action, character development and Hugh Jackman kicks ass as Wolverine.


9) Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Best Spidey movie so far. Sam Raimi's awesome sequel (in my opinion which other people might miss) see's the struggling Peter Parker struggling with teenager stuff e.g. girls, jobs, friends, family, paying the rent while in his spare time fights crime. Kinda cool in a weird way. Doc Ock is not best Spidey villain but best one portray on the big screen.


8) Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Chris Evans gives us one of the best superhero performances as the dedicated but vulnerable soilder who gets an upgrade. Awesome movie.


7) Iron Man (2008)

The road to The Avengers begins in this awesome action flick which sees Robert Downey Jr take to the skys as the armoured avenger and fight evil. Best Iron Man movie so far.


6) X-Men: First Class (2011)

Matthew Vaughn's epic prequel is a big improvement over the last two movies with great acting, story telling and action. The best X-Men so far.


5) Kick Ass (2010)

Controversial yes and I will admit maybe a little too far but that's buried in the back of my mind, especially when I'm actually watching the movie but friggan awesome non the less. Matthew Vaughn gives us a great dark and humorous satire on the superhero genre. Hit Girl (as fouled mouth as she is) rules.


4. The Avengers (2012)

Not a Joss Whedon fan, but an awesome flick to say the least. Iron Man awesome, Cap awesome, Hulk awesome, Thor awesome, Black Widow awesome, Hawkeye awesome. well you get the idea. The best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


3. The Incredibles (2004)

Disney and Pixar gives us this great satire on the world of superheroes with a great plot, characters, action scenes and humor.


2. Batman Begins (2008)

A huge improvement over Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin. Possibly the best reboot to date, Christian Bale provides to be the best Batman put on the big screen. Thank you Christopher Nolan.


1. The Dark Knight (2008)

The best superhero, the best villain, the best superhero movie, the best Christopher Nolan movie that I've seen and possibly (or The Empire Strikes Back) the best movie ever, all wrapped together in one perfect little package. Not a Heath Ledger fan (RIP) but (aside from Mark Hamill) Best Joker Ever. With The Dark Knight Rises on the way we could have the best movie trilogy ever since Toy Story.


Huge Honorable Mention: Superman The Movie (1978)

I will admit this film probably deserves to be at least in the top 5, but as the years went by more better superhero movies were made but this one will always hold a place in my heart. Christopher Reeve is probably the best actor to portray a superhero on film despite the fact that Superman is not my favourite superhero and that there are ten other movies I like better. John Williams score is probably the best score to a movie ever made.


Here are some other superhero movies I like but I will not talk about them:

Batman (1989)
Thor (2011)
Watchmen (2009)
Spider-Man (2002)
X-Men (2000)
Superman II (1980)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Hellboy (2004)
Superman Returns (2006)
Batman Returns (1992)

This list is in no order, and is subject to change.

The Avengers

The Hulk (Edward Norton)

Watchmen

Batman (Christian Bale)

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Spiderman

Spiderman II

XMen First Class

Sin City

Wolverine: XMen Origins

I don't feel quallified to write up an entire list of 10 movies but , I would say that "Unbreakable" by M. Night Shamalan deserves to be on the list or atleast an honorable mention as it's not a traditional super hero movie.

Also "Mystery Men" if Super Hero comedies can be included.

10. X2 (2003)

9. X-Men: First Class (2011)

8. The Crow (1994)

7. Watchmen (2009)

6. Batman Begins (2005)

5. The Dark Knight (2008)

4. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

3. Kick-Ass (2010)

2. Spider-Man (2002)

1. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

1. Avengers - Love Iron Man's humor and the overall pace was awesome! Can't wait for the DVD.
2. The Crow - Simple vengeance movie with a nice take. Didn't care for the second though.
3. COnstantine - A bit surreal and slow paced but the movie is ultimately rewarding. it is so plot heavy though you can only really watch it one time sadly.
4. Watchmen - Again, a little slow, but the build up is immaculate. I love the Dr. manhattan quotes and how it looks at superheros from a new light: psychopathy.
5. Any X-Men movie - All of them have their great moments. I think my favorite is probably the second though...and First CLass had some plot issues that irked me.
6. The dark Knight - You have to include this on any top 10 list. It is just awesome how the Batman series has been treated in film and this is the best one.
7. Ultimate Spiderman - I usually don't care for SPiderman movies but this plot actually was quite interesting and the touches of humor were awesome.
8. Kick Ass - Fun parody that is great for those that love dirty humor. Has some great special effects and tons of great quotes.
9. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - Probably has the broadest range of humor in any movie I've ever seen bar Monty Python and the Holy Grail. One of my favorite movies in terms of comedy and all the evil exes were well thought out. Plus, as a bassist, seeing a bassist as a super hero is really cool to me.
10. Iron Man (all) - I said I loved the humor in Avengers already and it is everywhere in the Iron Man series...perfect actor choice for Tony Stark and iron Man is a very cool comic book character for me already, so the special effects make it amazing for me.