Best superhero movie of all time? (Nominations thread)

[Reynard]

I don't think so - I'd say the opposite, in fact, it's like saying The Expanse is not particularly good sci-fi, because it's primarily concerned with politics and intrigue (most of which is analogous to post-9/11 stuff) and fighting, rather than any kind of actual exploration of ideas. And that'd be slightly unfair on The Expanse, but I don't think deeply unfair. Whereas Bladerunner is about exploring ideas, is asking questions about what makes a human, human and so on, so is to me, much truer SF than The Expanse (likewise, Star Trek asks big questions constantly - and as much as I love DS9, and I think it's the better story and TV show, I would say TNG is "more SF" than DS9).

I don't think merely involving spaceships makes a show really SF in any meaningful sense, beyond the aesthetic. Nor does merely involving people labelled as superheroes really make it a "superhero story" in a real sense. It's also not, not one if that makes sense, but the question asked was "which is the best superhero movie", and I don't think, personally, that can be a movie that is barely interested in superheroes or superheroism beyond the aesthetic. Just my opinion man, but I don't think it's narrow.

Can you articulate what your definition is and give some examples of movies that do and don't qualify?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Can you articulate what your definition is and give some examples of movies that do and don't qualify?

Superhero movies? I thought I just did lol but now I'm confused.

 

[Andvari]

Spiderman 2 or The Dark Knight.

 

[The Soloist]

The Rocketeer (1991), is the best super-hero movie. Still very watchable.

 

[Reynard]

Superhero movies? I thought I just did lol but now I'm confused.

I mean, I'm curious to actually dig into what you think makes something thematically "superhero" outside of tropes and aesthetic.

 

[ilgatto]

There can be only three (in no particular order):

Avengers: Endgame (2019) - for its sheer superhero-ness
Wonder Woman (2017) - for its sheer pulp-fantasy-ness
Iron Man (2008) - coz it's the one I enjoyed most

But since there can be only one, I'd have to go for Avengers: Endgame, because my opinion is just that--my opinion--and the question was about superheroes--and not pulp fantasy.

 

[Zaukrie]

The Rocketeer (1991), is the best super-hero movie. Still very watchable.

Great choice.

 

[Ryujin]

The Rocketeer (1991), is the best super-hero movie. Still very watchable.

You have just reminded me that a burlesque performer, of my acquaintance, really wants to do a Lady Rocketeer act some day.

 

[Tonguez]

Superman (1978) - Christopher Reeves got the character right and the movie still stands as an outstanding exemplar of the genre

Upgrade (2018) - Tom Hardy gets an AI chip in his spine, a better version of Venom, with a darker twist

Toxic Avenger (Troma) - one of the best superhero parodies, and despite being Troma it managed to stay coherent and have both humour and pathos (or was it more bathos?) to the extent that it got mainstream recognition

Avengers (2012) - The Battle of New York remains the best superhero battle set piece ever staged

 

[billd91]

I don't think so - I'd say the opposite, in fact, it's like saying The Expanse is not particularly good sci-fi, because it's primarily concerned with politics and intrigue (most of which is analogous to post-9/11 stuff) and fighting, rather than any kind of actual exploration of ideas. And that'd be slightly unfair on The Expanse, but I don't think deeply unfair. Whereas Bladerunner is about exploring ideas, is asking questions about what makes a human, human and so on, so is to me, much truer SF than The Expanse (likewise, Star Trek asks big questions constantly - and as much as I love DS9, and I think it's the better story and TV show, I would say TNG is "more SF" than DS9).

I think it would be more than slightly unfair to The Expanse. While there are relatable conflicts in the Expanse story, the political viewpoints of each group are inherent to their different circumstances in the solar system - Belters with a history of exploitation, deprivation, and bad equipment, Martians united with a patriotic, multi-generational terraforming project, Earthers with the fairly extreme privilege of having a home not trying to kill them but overpopulated. And then we see what happens when interstellar travel suddenly becomes possible. Martian unity largely collapses with the shortcuts to livable alternative planets and Belters see the possibility of their own power, their massive natural resources in the outer system, bypassed by easier access that they can't control. Those are all pretty big sci-fi topics and questions to my eyes. They're just a bit more focused on materialist issues rather than spiritual or philosophical. And I don't see that as disqualifying with respect to a good sci-fi story.

But with respect to superhero movies/stories, I might argue that a story like Marvels wouldn't be much of a superhero movie if adapted for the big screen since it focuses on a normal person's perspective of these "marvels" who now walk among them rather than tell a story amid the usual superhero characters and their own environs and perspectives. But other than that, it's hard to rule out too many movies involving superheroes as not being "superhero movies". I'd be hard pressed to really think of a particular example. Eternals might be one that comes closest among reasonably recent stories.