best comic book movies

2011 has been quite a summer of blockbusters. With new additions like The Green Lantern, Captain America, and X-Men: First Class, comic book movie buzz is at an all-time high. Hollywood has finally figured out that mass audiences love a good comic book movie. Comic-Con is a testament to this. Marvel comics have owned the rights to their own movies for several years now, and the results are fantastic. Special effects tecnology now allows for movies to fully realize the sometimes extravagant and fantastic sci-fi landscapes and characters necessary to tell the story. (Just think Hal in the Green Lantern, travelling across the universe, meeting aliens).
Since I grew up on comic books (and comic book movies, for that matter!) I decided to throw together my list of favs. Counting down to number 1, here we go:

8. Batman (1989)

Tim Burton and the movie studio achieved a miracle. The fans were nervous when Michael Keaton was chosen to play Bruce / Bats. They were afraid Hollywood was going to churn out another cheesy 1960's-ish cartoon disaster. But, Burton knew what he wanted to make. All the elements came together. In the end, Keaton was one of, if not the, best Batman. I was obsessed with Batman in '89 as a young kid. I somehow coerced my 'rents into letting me see it multiple times that summer. A new Batman obsession was born, even though I had been reading the comics already. The "new era" of comic books began with an amazing bang. Batman broke many opening weekend records, and set a new precedent for comic book movies. fun fact: According to IMDB, the filmmakers asked Michael Jackson to write and perform the music, but he was already committed to a touring schedule. So, Prince was their second choice.

7. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

I never read the Hellboy comic. But, the movies stand fairly well on their own. The second Hellboy engulfs the audience into the bizarre, dangerous, and enchanting fantasy world that the characters inhabit. We join Abe Sapien and Hellboy on a vicious battle to save the world. It is epic in its scope, and enthralling in its execution. fascinating characters and tense action sequences kept me glued to my seat in the theater.

6. Watchmen (2009)

Staying fiercely loyal to the graphic novel, Watchmen tells the story nearly frame-by-frame of the comic. The Watchmen are a group of superheroes who have been ostracized from society (think The Incredibles, only darker) in an alternate 1985 reality where Nixon is still President. The story is a who-dunnit kind of thing. Superhero Rorschach is on a mission to discover who is killing superheroes one-by-one. Billy Crudup is amazing as Dr. Manhattan, and Patrick Wilson will always be Nite Owl to me. It's breathtaking in scope, and fascinating in its darkness. Watchmen boldly goes where no sci-fi comic book movie has ever gone: into the heart of darkness. Violent, sad, grungy, and unapologetic, Watchmen embraces its R rating with graphic violence and "inappropriate relations" that are not okay for children to watch. This is a comic book movie for adults. But, a successful one.

5. Spider-Man (2002)

This was one of the first comic book movies to make effective use of new special effects technology. Finally, comic book fans could enjoy a big-budget interpretation of Spiderman. It seems odd that they didn't make this movie earlier in the 90s. However, rumors of contractual squabbles and lack of technology plagued the Spiderman hopes for years. Director Sam Raimi scored big, however, and 2002's Spider-Man is still fun to watch. Willem DaFoe and Tobey Maguire are great. However, the Green Goblin was a tad hokey. However, they did an acceptable job. Spider-Man still stands head and shoulders above most comic book movies.

4. X2: X-Men United (2003)

The first X-Men movie was good. But, it was little more than a setup to the second installment. X2: X-Men United is a stunning and entertaining interpretation of the X-Men comic book world. With Nightcrawler on the scene, and Mystique busting Magneto out of plastic prison, the mutant world gets turned upside down. Humans take extra steps to oppress and impugn the mutant population as paranoia toward mutants hits a new high. Can Prof. X hold his team together as they face multiple enemies, and even form an uneasy alliance with Magneto? Well directed by Bryan Singer, X2 is filled with a fantasy cast of wonderful X-Men comic book heroes.

3. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Taking the successful formula that created Spider-Man, Sam Raimi and company took the series to a whole new level. Turning up the emotion, intensity, and action, Spider-Man 2 is one of the best comic book movies ever made. As you know, special effects are a big deal to me. If you don't think so, watch one of the episodes of the 70's Spiderman show. This will show you just how bad effects can get, and how critical it is to the success of these movies. With that being said, Spider-Man 2 is a showcase of some incredible visuals. And, all the characters we love are back. Spidey must face Doc Ock, played brilliantly by Alfred Molina. It's one of those roles someone is pretty much born to play. We also see a continuation of the relationship arc between Peter Parker and Harry Osborn (James Franco). Well-paced, well written enough, visually awesome, suspenseful, and emotionally satisfying, Spider-Man 2 is a comic book movie success in every way.

The exciting conclusion to "best comic book movies" is coming soon, with the top two!

To Be Continued...