Greatest comic book movies of all time
by jackmzell | created - 01 Jul 2012 | updated - 01 Jul 2012 | PublicWe all love them and they make us feel good. There have been some awesome ones in the past, but there has also been some duds. It is my personal favorite movie genre and they will never grow old. Here is my list of the greatest comic book movies of all time
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1. The Dark Knight (2008)
PG-13 | 152 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Votes: 2,868,903 | Gross: $534.86M
This movie is AMAZING. It is the Batman movie we all wanted. The key moments were the opening bank robbing scene and Heath Ledgers performance as The Joker. He will go down as the most chilling and memorable comic book character of all time! It's not only the best comic book movie of all time, it's one of the best movies of all time period!
2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Peter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a former brilliant scientist named Otto Octavius.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco
Votes: 708,051 | Gross: $373.59M
Who doesn't love Spider-man, he is the superhero we can relate to the most and this movie perfectly explains to us that it's not easy to be a superhero. The train sequence is excellent and touching and definitely the best part of the movie!
3. Iron Man (2008)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges
Votes: 1,124,258 | Gross: $318.41M
The most comical and entertaining comic book movie of them all. Robert Downey JR's brilliant performance and Jon Favreau's great directing shine and prove the point that Iron man is badass! I can watch this movie over and over again and it never gets old.
4. American Splendor (2003)
R | 101 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.
Directors: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Shari Springer Berman, Harvey Pekar, Chris Ambrose
Votes: 52,333 | Gross: $6.00M
American Splendor is not your typical comic book movie. It's actually about the life of a Comic book writer. The story is told wonderfully told and holds your interest even know it is not a big budget blockbuster!
5. The Avengers (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
Votes: 1,458,768 | Gross: $623.28M
This is every Marvel fans dream. All your favorite Marvel superheros with their own respected movies all together fighting a master villain. The movie had very high hopes and exceeded all of them. Hats of to the cast and crew! Great performances as well.
6. Batman Begins (2005)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After witnessing his parents' death, Bruce learns the art of fighting to confront injustice. When he returns to Gotham as Batman, he must stop a secret society that intends to destroy the city.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson
Votes: 1,577,604 | Gross: $206.85M
This movie changed comic book movies forever! A bold choice by director Christopher Nolan by completely changing the formula of the Batman films and superhero films in general! A great accomplishment and there would be no The Dark Knight without Batman Begins.
7. X-Men (2000)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In a world where mutants (evolved super-powered humans) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood, and the pacifist X-Men.
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen
Votes: 646,219 | Gross: $157.30M
A satisfying movie that is very faithful to the comics! The first X-Men in my opinion is the best of the bunch!
8. Sin City (2005)
R | 124 min | Crime, Thriller
An exploration of the dark and miserable Basin City and three of its residents, all of whom are caught up in violent corruption.
Directors: Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba
Votes: 793,580 | Gross: $74.10M
Frank Miller's groundbreaking comic comes to life in this very stylized, violent and rewarding film for all the hardcore fans. Definitely one of the best looking movies ever made!
9. X2 (2003)
PG-13 | 134 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
When anti-mutant Colonel William Stryker kidnaps Professor X and attacks his school, the X-Men must ally with their archenemy Magneto to stop him.
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen
Votes: 575,791 | Gross: $214.95M
With a great script, awesome action scenes and all the characters you love from the first one what could go wrong with this ambitious sequel. The answer is nothing. Great movie all around.
10. Spider-Man (2002)
PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco
Votes: 879,103 | Gross: $403.71M
Who would have ever thought that Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire could team up to make a fun and action pack Spider-Man movie. The best part in my opinion is the final fight between The Green Goblin and Spider-Man!
11. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
PG-13 | 139 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A strange black entity from another world bonds with Peter Parker and causes inner turmoil as he contends with new villains, temptations, and revenge.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, Thomas Haden Church
Votes: 637,055 | Gross: $336.53M
Spidey is back and battles his dark side. Venom and Sandman are very cool villains and a good way to end the the Spider-Man trilogy. Lets hope the reboot delivers!
12. Iron Man 2 (2010)
PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Sci-Fi
With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle
Votes: 868,115 | Gross: $312.43M
Jon Favreau took what we love about the first Iron man and up the intensity and action. A fun ride just like the original.
13. Batman (1989)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure
The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl
Votes: 404,066 | Gross: $251.19M
Tim Burton made Batman cool! Not a very hard task but he did i nonetheless! The best of the first four Batman's by far!
14. Men in Black (1997)
PG-13 | 98 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
James, an NYC cop, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio
Votes: 612,534 | Gross: $250.69M
When you've got Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and alot of aliens... what could go wrong! well-made, fun experience!
15. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The human government develops a cure for mutations, and Jean Grey becomes a darker uncontrollable persona called the Phoenix who allies with Magneto, causing escalation into an all-out battle for the X-Men.
Director: Brett Ratner | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen
Votes: 540,448 | Gross: $234.36M
Now a lot of people didn't like this movie but it's my list and i dont give a damn what anyone thinks! It's not the best of the series but its still a kick ass action movie!
16. 300 (2006)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama
In the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. They face insurmountable odds when they are betrayed by a Spartan reject.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
Votes: 863,795 | Gross: $210.61M
This movie is very lukewarm to some people but I love it! It retells the graphic novel so well and gives us a very rich experience. Alot of quotable lines as well!
17. Superman Returns (2006)
PG-13 | 154 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Superman returns to Earth after spending five years in space examining his homeworld Krypton. But he finds things have changed while he was gone, and he must once again prove himself important to the world.
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, James Marsden
Votes: 291,289 | Gross: $200.08M
We all love the original Superman and with all the technological advantages we have had in the recent years, it's awesome to see Superman in the way we have always imagined him. Stunning visuals as well!
18. Men in Black II (2002)
PG-13 | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Agent J is sent to find Agent K and restore his memory after the re-appearance of a case from K's past.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Rip Torn, Lara Flynn Boyle
Votes: 403,386 | Gross: $190.42M
I'm a sucker for the Men in Black series and this is a very charming sequel to the beloved first film!
19. Batman Forever (1995)
PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Adventure
Batman must battle former district attorney Harvey Dent, who is now Two-Face and Edward Nygma, The Riddler with help from an amorous psychologist and a young circus acrobat who becomes his sidekick, Robin.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman
Votes: 266,466 | Gross: $184.03M
Joel Schumacher's first try at the Batman series is a fun adventure with a great performance by Jim Carrey as The Riddler! The only flaw in this movie is Val Kilmer as Batman.
20. Thor (2011)
PG-13 | 115 min | Action, Fantasy
The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Votes: 899,789 | Gross: $181.03M
I was always a big Thor fan growing up and I thought it was cool that he was a God! Thor has a very special place in my heart and it was a memorable movie!
21. Superman (1978)
PG | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando
Votes: 187,444 | Gross: $134.22M
This is the one that started them all! You gotta love the Man of Steel! Every comic book movie after this has a special thanks that they owe to Superman!
22. X: First Class (2011)
PG-13 | 131 min | Action, Sci-Fi
In the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a schism to divide them.
Director: Matthew Vaughn | Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon
Votes: 723,330 | Gross: $146.41M
I didn't have very high hopes coming into this movie because most of my favorite characters were gone! Boy was I pleasantly surprised!
23. Ghost World (2001)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Drama
Two eccentric best friends graduate high school and respond to a man's romance-seeking newspaper ad as a gag, only to find their lives becoming increasingly complicated.
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Steve Buscemi, Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Renfro
Votes: 126,793 | Gross: $6.22M
A witty adventure into the lives of two girls really caught my attention and won me over from beginning to end!
24. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a warmonger and a terrorist organization.
Director: Joe Johnston | Stars: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayley Atwell
Votes: 896,398 | Gross: $176.65M
The most patriotic superhero comes to life in this fun flick! The ending will leave you absolutely breathless!
25. Kick-Ass (2010)
R | 117 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a superhero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.
Director: Matthew Vaughn | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloë Grace Moretz, Garrett M. Brown
Votes: 593,083 | Gross: $48.07M
A kid wonders why no one has ever tried to be a superhero and acts upon himself to conquer his dream! exciting story of what we all wish we could do!
26. A History of Violence (2005)
R | 96 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt
Votes: 252,718 | Gross: $31.49M
Who ever thought that violence could be an interesting topic! Crime like you've never seen before!
27. Hulk (2003)
PG-13 | 138 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Bruce Banner, a genetics researcher with a tragic past, suffers an accident that causes him to transform into a raging green monster when he gets angry.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas
Votes: 278,502 | Gross: $132.18M
I love a good Hulk story! This movie tells a good story of the green monster just trying to get by!
28. Superman II (1980)
PG | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.
Director: Richard Lester | Stars: Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty
Votes: 114,581 | Gross: $108.19M
The second Superman has a top notch performance by Terrence Stamp as General Zod and is a nice sequel the the first!
29. Blade (1998)
R | 120 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
A half-vampire, half-mortal man becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires.
Director: Stephen Norrington | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright
Votes: 298,752 | Gross: $70.09M
Fun, very violent and an appealing comic book adaption!
30. Hellboy (2004)
PG-13 | 122 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A demon raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, Selma Blair, John Hurt
Votes: 349,832 | Gross: $59.62M
Who doesn't like to see a demon kicking ass!
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