BOT's Top Comic Book Movies of All Time! - WE’RE IN THE ENDGAME NOW

[The Panda]

 

 

Get ready for the big countdown!  Over the last few weeks I received 56 lists that have been tabulated, and it's now time for the big reveal.  The comic book genre has taken the last decade by storm, and these movies are constantly the talk of the forums, so it's about time we get a definitive ranking!

 

Just remember, as the countdown is going on, do NOT turn this into a franchise war thread.  If you are a Catwoman stan and are upset that it got beat out by Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, no need to start a riot about it.  This list is meant to be a fun consensus of what the 56 voters from the forums thought were the top comic book movies, this is hardly a rigorous or definitive list.

 

As the countdown goes on, I'll update this first post with links to the write-up for each movie as they're revealed.  That way you should have easy reference to them when the list is dead and done.

 

Also, as one special twist: I know that I asked for everyone's top 30 comic book movies, but there were so many votes that I only felt it'd be fair to go ahead and do a reveal for the Top 50 for all of you!

 

A few statistics I want to go ahead and reveal about the list.  38 Points was the bar to make the top 50, that means it would have required 4 users to list a movie as their number 1 for it to make the list (however, no movie made the list this way).  The barrier to make it into the Top 30 was 75 points, 123 points for the Top 15, 173 points for the Top 10 and 217 points for the Top 5.  To make the list, movies needed both broad support and high rankings for that broad support (there were some movies that missed the top 50 despite having over 10 votes for example).  Only 5 movies managed to make the top 50 with less than 10 votes, the four movies with the lowest number of votes to make the top 50 had 8 votes (none of these managed to break the Top 40).

 

The list will include Marvel, DC, and movies that belong to neither company.  At least 10 movies managed to make the list that weren't traditional superhero films.  There was also a movie that tied for fiftieth place in point totals, but had one less vote than the other films, and so it missed the list by a single vote (this one was also a fairly divisive film, so you'd either be thankful or disappointed in just barely missed out).  Some of the results of this list may surprise you, and some of them will definitely not surprise you.  Anyways, countdown will start soon!

 

THE LIST

Edited August 18, 2019 by The Panda

[LawrenceBrolivier]

Before this list is posted, which will surely anger some people, please others, and otherwise be the safest list this side of an imdb ranking... I wanted to say thank you for putting in the time and effort to host the poll, compile the results, and manage the madness... 

And now... on with the disappointment and outrage! 

[cannastop]

2 minutes ago, LawrenceBrolivier said:

And now... on with the disappointment and outrage! 

There's only one omission that would disappoint me.

[Porthos]

[Cap]

41 minutes ago, The Panda said:

Also, as one special twist: I know that I asked for everyone's top 30 comic book movies, but there were so many votes that I only felt it'd be fair to go ahead and do a reveal for the Top 50 for all of you!

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

The Wind Rises (2013)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Based on "The Wind Has Risen" by Tatsu Hori

(38 Points, 8 Votes)

 

"Inspiration unlocks the future."

 

Top 4 Placements: 1

Top 6 Placements: 3

Top 10 Placements: 4

Awards Count: Nominated for 1 Oscar

Box Office Total: 5.2m (5.9m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 83

Synopsis: Jiro—inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni—dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes. Nearsighted from a young age and thus unable to become a pilot, Jiro joins the aircraft division of a major Japanese engineering company in 1927. His genius is soon recognized, and he grows to become one of the world’s most accomplished airplane designers. The film chronicles much of his life, and depicts key historical events that deeply affected the course of Jiro’s life, including the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan’s plunge into war. He meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo. A tremendous innovator, Jiro leads the aviation world into the future. Miyazaki pays tribute to engineer Jiro Horikoshi and author Tatsuo Hori in his creation of the fictional character Jiro—the center of the epic tale of love, perseverance, and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.

Critic Opinion: "By the start of the 1930s, Jiro has begun work on the design of a carrier-based fighter that will become the Mitsubishi A5M (the precursor of the A6M). And though Miyazaki has stated that the intention of the film is not to condemn war, “The Wind Rises” continues the strong pacifist themes of his earlier “Nausicaa” and “Princess Mononoke,” marveling at man’s appetite for destruction and the speed with which new technologies become weaponized. On vacation in the countryside, Jiro meets a German expat, Castorp, who quotes from Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain” (a novel whose allegorical portrayal of pre-WWI Europe is echoed in the structure of Miyazaki’s film) and warns of Japan and Germany’s road to ruin. It is also there that Jiro reconnects by chance with Nahoko, now a ravishing young woman, albeit one suffering from TB. Nevertheless, they fall into each other’s arms and “The Wind Rises” takes on yet another dimension — that of an old-fashioned, tragic Hollywood romance." - Scott Foundas, Variety

User Opinion: "This might not be Miyazaki's final film, but from an artistic standpoint, it honestly makes sense that he made this with a conclusion in mind. It's a graceful reflection of his career in the though about the personal cost of making something beautiful, explained in the context of a visionary plane designer in early 20th century Japan. Jiro just wanted to make beautiful airplanes, insisting to himself that he knew why they would be use, but when it finally becomes painfully clear to him at the final scene, it's a moment of haunting yet subtle catharsis. The entire movie works like this, acting as a work of sheer beauty and wonder (the Ghibli charm, despite the more grounded setting in reality, is all over this film.) of the world that Miyazaki has created, yet never shying away from creating a powerful message.

 

The Wind Rises is a masterpiece. Go see it!" - @Mr Pastaffelees

Commentary: The Wind Rises kicks off the countdown as the first non-superhero film to make the list (don't worry, there'll be plenty of men in tights to come).  Based off a manga, this wouldn't be the first film you'd think of when you think of the best comic book films, but there were enough users passionate about this work to push it on here.  The Wind Rises is a tradition Ghibli film, in that while it's a Japanese anime, it remains universal and available to all who watch the film.

Decade Count: 10s (1)

Director Count: Miyazaki (1)

Franchise Count: Studio Ghibli (1)

 

 

 

[cannastop]

3 minutes ago, The Panda said:

The Wind Rises (2013)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Based on "The Wind Has Risen" by Tatsu Hori

(38 Points, 8 Votes)

 

The manga was by Miyazaki, too.

[cannastop]

Oh wait this is top 50. @The Panda did you mean to list the rank in each of the posts?

Edited August 13, 2019 by cannastop

[The Panda]

 

Ghost World (2001)

Directed by Terry Zwigoff

Based on "Ghost World" by Daniel Clowes

(38 Points, 8 Votes)

 

"I can't relate to 99% of humanity."

 

Number 2 Placements: 1

Top 4 Placements: 3

Top 10 Placements: 4

Awards Count: Nominated for 1 Oscar

Box Office Total: 6.2m (9.9m Adjusted)

Metacritic Score: 88

Synopsis: Based on the well-known comic, Ghost World tells the story of neo-cool Enid (Birch) and Rebecca (Johansson) who, faced with high school graduation take a hard look at the world they wryly observe and decide what they really want.

Critic Opinion: "I wanted to hug this movie. It takes such a risky journey and never steps wrong. It creates specific, original, believable, lovable characters, and meanders with them through their inconsolable days, never losing its sense of humor. The Buscemi role is one he's been pointing toward during his entire career; it's like the flip side of his alcoholic barfly in "Trees Lounge," who also becomes entangled with a younger girl, not so fortunately.

 

The movie sidesteps the happy ending Hollywood executives think lobotomized audiences need as an all-clear to leave the theater. Clowes and Zwigoff find an ending that is more poetic, more true to the tradition of the classic short story, in which a minor character finds closure that symbolizes the next step for everyone. "Ghost World" is smart enough to know that Enid and Seymour can't solve their lives in a week or two. But their meeting has blasted them out of lethargy, and now movement is possible. Who says that isn't a happy ending?" - Roger Ebert

User Opinion: "certainly shares similarities to the faux-indie branch of the hollywood aesthetic ala juno, but dismisses with most of the pseudo-realistic, glossy nonsense of that, and instead brings a drama that really rings true. most of the mai n characters are degenerate and suffering in all sorts of subtle ways, and life is pretty shit in general, but it affirms the characters as real people and in the end is really sympathetic. quite amusing too." - @luna

Commentary: Another non-superhero movie to make it onto the list, and the first showing from Scarlett Johansson (and not in her iconic Black Widow role!).  Ghost World is a young adult comedy that's much more down to earth than most of the films we'll be seeing on this list.  This is a film that went around many traditional Hollywood trademarks and cliches, and managed to nicely blend together tragedies in life with the comedies.  Ghost World is a small gem that managed to sneak its way into the Top 50 of the list!

Box Office Count: Under 10m (2)

Decade Count: 00s (1), 10s (1)

Director Count: Miyazaki (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: Studio Ghibli (1)

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

1 minute ago, cannastop said:

Oh wait this is top 50. @The Panda did you mean to list the rank in each of the posts?

I mentioned that I decided, after tabulating all of the scores, that the list was competitive enough to go ahead and just reveal the Top 50.

[The Panda]

 

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm

Based on "Batman" by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

(38 Points, 12 Votes)

 

"You walk the edge of that abyss every night, but you haven't fallen in and I thank heaven for that."

 

Top 10 Placements: 4

Awards Count: 1 Annie Nomination

Box Office Total: 5.6m (12.2m Adjusted)

Tomatometer: 84% (7.02 Avg Rating)

Synopsis: This stylish animated adventure is based on the '90s animated television series, which in turn is based on the original comics and Tim Burton's live action "Batman" films. Unlike the campy 1960s version of Batman, this version is half-mad from the superhero's obsession with justice. It is only his unusual sense of ethics that keeps him from becoming a full-blown psychotic. The story describes the origins of Batman as it follows the Dark Knight's attempts to capture the elusive, deadly Phantasm who kills a crime lord and makes it look as if Batman did it, causing a media smear campaign against the Caped Crusader. At the same time, millionaire Bruce Wayne holds a party at his mansion. There he meets Councilman Arthur Reeves, the man behind the accusations. Reeves derides playboy Wayne for allowing his college sweetheart Andrea Beaumont to leave him. Suddenly Wayne flashes back to his pre-Batman days. He remembers how he met her while visiting his parents' graves to renew his vow that he would spend his life fighting crime to avenge their wrongful deaths. He has already devised an early version of his alter-ego Batman, but that is nearly forgotten when he falls in love with Andrea. The story then jumps from past to present and back as the mysterious Phantasm strikes again. Batman continues his investigation and discovers a disturbing link between Andrea, who suddenly shows up after many years absence, and the villain. Meanwhile, the Phantasm, feeling that Batman is too close to learning his/her identity hires the Joker to kill him. But the Joker has his own agenda and much action ensues before the mystery of the Phantasm identity is solved, Batman clears his name, and justice is served. 

Critic Opinion: "Mask of the Phantasm ends with two powerful epilogues, one with Alfred consoling Bruce after losing Andrea, the other with Andrea accepting the consequences of her actions. When Bruce put on the Batman mask for the first time earlier in the film, Alfred gasped in shock but also fear for his surrogate son. In their final scene, Alfred tells Bruce, “I’ve always feared you would become that which you fought against. You walk the edge of that abyss every night, but you haven’t fallen in, and I thank heaven for that.” Merriam-Webster describes “phantasm” as “a product of fantasy as delusive appearance.” That could easily describe Batman. The mask of the phantasm is the mask that Bruce Wayne puts on every day, and if he falls into the abyss, he risks a life like Andrea’s: completely alone." - Oliver Sava, The AV Club

User Opinion: "It's really the best "pure" Batman movie adaptation to date -- no surprise since Burnett/Dini/Timm rocked the Animated Series. And Hamill's Joker is iconic/ However, some minor points deducted for feeling a bit like a made-for-TV movie getting a theatrical release (due to budget and animation limitations)." - @Plain Old Tele

Commentary: The second animated film to make the list, and the first major franchise to make an appearance.  It'd be hard, if not impossible, to discuss comic book movies without taking a look at Batman.  Mask of the Phantasm was the first animated Batman movie to receive a theatrical release, and it ended up being a major bomb, despite being well received in its quality.  Part of this could be because it may have played out more like a TV special that managed to get a theatrical release.  Regardless, this film clearly had a strong amount of love from the users here.

Box Office Count: Under 10m (3)

Decade Count: 90s (1), 00s (1), 10s (1)

Director Count: Miyazaki (1), Radomski (1), Timm (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: Batman (1), Studio Ghibli (1)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Captain Marvel (2019)

Directed by Anna Boden

Based on "Captain Marvel" by Stan Lee

(39 Points, 13 Votes)

 

"I have nothing to prove to you."

 

Number 2 Placements: 1

Top 6 Placements: 2

Top 10 Placements: 3

Awards Count: None, yet

Box Office Total: 426.8m

Metacritic Score: 64

Synopsis: Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes. While a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom. 

Critic Opinion: "After all of that, Captain Marvel is in the unenviable position of having to introduce a new character to the MCU, lay out her origin story, tie her in with the current MCU timeline, create backstories for several previously established characters, and set up even more significant elements for Avengers: Endgame. But Captain Marvel mostly bears the weight of those expectations. It rises to the occasion with strong performances and with its directors’ willingness to slow down and take their story seriously, balancing humor, action, and exposition in a carefully calibrated package." - Shana O'Neil, The Verge

User Opinion: "It was really great origin story that has setup Endgame for Carol and how it all started for the Avengers. The first act was surprisingly well paced after the review I have seen that said otherwise and Brie does great job as Carol and Ben, Sam and especially the cat are great additions to the movie. I didn't think it would be as funny as the past MCU movies, but it was really funny and not overdone at all. All the fun starts when the cat enters the movie." - @tawasal

Commentary: The first MCU and first traditional live action superhero movie to make the list.  Captain Marvel may have been benefited by the list by some recency bias, but the movie is also genuinely liked by quite a few members here (despite some of the controversy it got with some other not so pleasant areas of the internet).  Captain Marvel is the first female led MCU film, so it's nice to have that rep the list.  This is also the first box office hit to make the list, and there will be many more of those to come.

Box Office Count: Under 10m (3), 400m (1)

Decade Count: 90s (1), 00s (1), 10s (2)

Director Count: Boden (1), Miyazaki (1), Radomski (1), Timm (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: Batman (1), MCU (1), Studio Ghibli (1)

 

 

 

[tawasal]

[TalismanRing]

14 minutes ago, tawasal said:

Isn't Brie allergic and one of the reasons Goose was 80% CGI?

[The Panda]

 

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Directed by Shane Black

Based on "Iron Man" by Stan Lee

(39 Points, 16 Votes)

 

"Bloody hell. Bloody hell."

 

Top 10 Placements: 1

Awards Count: Nominated for 1 Oscar

Box Office Total: 409m (440m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 62

Synopsis: Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Critic Opinion: "Iron Man 3 is an ominously exciting, shoot-the-works comic-book spectacular. It keeps throwing things at you, but not with the random, busy franchise indifference that marked the hollow and grandiose Iron Man 2. Iron Man 3 is closer to a vision of the world teetering on the edge. (Imagine The Dark Knight Rises with less apocalyptic hot air.) The film was directed and co-written by Shane Black, the former high-testosterone action screenwriter (Lethal Weapon) who in 2005 directed the quirky, half-baked Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. His work here isn’t just skillful — it’s fast and furious. He wires each scene for maximum intensity, and the result is that rarity, a superhero thrill ride with something at stake." - Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

User Opinion: "Along with Liberace and Spring Breakers Iron Man 3 is a case where I grew to love the movie on repeated viewings. I think it's the second best blockbuster this year after Gravity." - @Jack Nevada

Commentary: A movie that was notoriously divisive upon its release, and was among the first MCU vs. DCU franchise wars given Man of Steel released in such close proximity to it.  Iron Man 3 is a quirkier MCU film, that has since found a lot of stans (many of which aren't your typical MCU stans).  Probably the biggest reason for this is Trevor, one of the great MCU villains who completely hams up the screen and became the center of the debate around the film.

Box Office Count: Under 10m (3), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 90s (1), 00s (1), 10s (3)

Director Count: Black (1), Boden (1), Miyazaki (1), Radomski (1), Timm (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (2), Batman (1), Iron Man (1), Studio Ghibli (1)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

 

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Directed by Mamoru Oshii

Based on "Ghost in the Shell" by Masamune Shirow

(40 Points, 10 Votes)

 

"There's nothing sadder than a puppet without a ghost, especially the kind with red blood running through them."

 

Top 6 Placements: 1

Top 10 Placements: 3

Awards Count: Nothing significant

Box Office Total: 0.5m (1.1m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 76

Synopsis: In the year 2029, cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master”—a mysterious and threatening computer virus is capable of infiltrating human hosts. Working closely with her fellow agents from Section 9, the Major embarks on a high-tech race against time to capture the omnipresent entity.

Critic Opinion: "There are gripping chases and balletic combat scenes, painstakingly realised by Oshii’s animators, but the mood is mostly cold and melancholic, as Kusanagi broods over the fleshly implications of living in a world of data.

 

In the film’s centrepiece scene – one of the single greatest animated sequences ever created – Kusanagi wanders through the nameless city, while the people around her make their way silently from place to place, hypnotised by advertising, defeated by the rain. Is she still human? Are they? This is a work of profound and melancholic beauty; every bit as essential in the 21st century as it was in the 20th." - Robbie Collin, Telegraph

User Opinion: "the animation sequences are generally well done, with some really inspired action. The plot and worldbuilding are also enticing, and it's short enough that the slow pace isn't a detriment." - @Blankments

Commentary: Ghost in the Shell marks the third animated comic book movie to make the countdown, and the second manga based film.  Not to be confused with the white washed one starring Scarlett Johanson, this Ghost in the Shell is a more authentic anime adaption of the source material.  With 40 points and 10 votes, this film averaged making the top 15 of each user that voted for it on the list.  Ghost in the Shell is a visually stunning film and one of the more mature animations and comic book films to make the list.

Box Office Count: Under 10m (4), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 90s (2), 00s (1), 10s (3)

Director Count: Black (1), Boden (1), Miyazaki (1), Oshii (1), Radomski (1), Timm (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (2), Batman (1), Iron Man (1), Studio Ghibli (1)

 

 

 

[tawasal]

27 minutes ago, TalismanRing said:

Isn't Brie allergic and one of the reasons Goose was 80% CGI?

Yeah, she is but this is strangely the only picture out there in google with her featuring a cat. 

 

Edit: This is also a photoshoot, so celebs will suppress anything for money shots. 

Edited August 13, 2019 by tawasal

[The Panda]

 

Speed Racer (2008)

Directed by the Wachowskis

Based on "Speed Racer" by Tatsuo Yoshida

(41 Points, 8 Votes)

 

"Cool beans."

 

Number 1 Placements: 2

Top 2 Placements: 3

Top 6 Placements: 4

Awards Count: 1 Razzie Nomination

Box Office Total: 43.9m (55m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 37

Synopsis: Hurtling down the track, careening around, over, and through the competition, Speed Racer is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive, and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized--the legendary Rex Racer, whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill. Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer, the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner but uncovers a terrible secret--some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless tycoons who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that Speed never crosses another finish line. The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie, Speed teams with his one-time rival--the mysterious Racer X--to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as the Crucible. Yet, the ultimate test of Speed Racer's true racing grit will be at the pinnacle event of the World Racing League, the Grand Prix. But standing between Speed and the checkered flag are the world's best--and most cutthroat--competitors, fueled by a million-dollar bounty from Royalton to the driver who takes Speed out once and for all. 

Critic Opinion: ""Speed Racer" creates a timeless, visually seductive world suspended somewhere between the pop '60s and the sci-fi future. Its biggest disappointment, strangely enough, is its raison d'être--the races themselves. They lack suspense. The danger of creating a videogame world, where the limitless freedom of CGI replaces the laws of physics, is that the competitions lack any real sense of risk. These flying, flipping racing cars, seemingly impervious to metal-crunching collisions, belong more to the world of Tom and Jerry or the Road Runner than they do to "The French Connection" or "Bullitt." (Even the races in Pixar's "Cars" seemed more down to earth.) "Speed Racer" is sweet and flashy and often fun, but its thrills are oddly abstract—more esthetic than visceral. It's the colors you remember, not the crashes." - David Ansen, Newsweek

User Opinion: "ust watched this for the first time since '08. It's a masterpiece of fluid editing and visual effects - which, because they are so stylized, haven't aged a day and will endure a lot better than the "realistic" CGI of most blockbusters - and, even more importantly, it doesn't have a single ironic or cynical bone in its cinematic body, which counts for more with each passing week. The plotting definitely isn't perfect (though this is only limited to the whole business with the Japanese company), but I hardly cared - it grabbed me right from that beautiful opening sequence, more specifically from the bit with Speed drawing smashing cars and the classroom around him turning into a race track. One of the main things that makes me admire the Wachowskis is that they're completely unafraid to go for pure, honest emotion, and in this movie they are basically doing it for two straight hours. I was completely won over." - @Jake Gittes

Commentary: One of the few critically panned movies to make it onto our list.  Speed Racer is a movie that flopped out of the gate and really didn't find love until post release.  This Wachowski film is one that's picked up quite a bit of love from a few select users on this forum, as you can see by the two number 1 votes that torpedoed this film right onto the list.  Speed Racer has a unique visual flair that isn't seen in most comic book films and is certainly one of the more unique choices by our users.

Box Office Count: Under 100m (5), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 90s (2), 00s (2), 10s (3)

Director Count: Black (1), Boden (1), Miyazaki (1), Oshii (1), Radomski (1), Timm (1), Wachowski (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (2), Batman (1), Iron Man (1), Studio Ghibli (1)

 

 

 

[Jake Gittes]

  

 

Damn I didn't expect this countdown to reach the #1 movie so quickly.

[The Panda]

 

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Based on "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" by Hayao Miyazaki

(41 Points, 9 Votes)

 

"Nice valley. Think I'll keep it."

 

Top 4 Placements: 1

Top 10 Placements: 4

Awards Count: Ranked #214 on IMDb Top All Time

Box Office Total: N/A

Metacritic: 86

Synopsis: An animated fantasy-adventure. Set one thousand years from now, the Earth is ravaged by pollution and war. In the Valley of the Wind lives Nausicaä, Princess of her people. Their land borders on a toxic jungle, filled with dangerous over-sized insects. Meanwhile, two nearby nations are bitterly engaged in a war and the Valley of the Wind is stuck in the middle.

Critic Opinion: "Since I've engaged in nothing but one big love-in for the movie, let me close with my single huge complaint about the movie: its indebtedness to the '80s sci-fi fantasy genre extends unfortunately to its second and third acts, which become rather aggressively routine. Big ships blow up; future war is waged; and while it's all very good, it's also all very noisy and it comes closer than it should to violating the pacifist spirit of the story to have everything solved by killing the bad guys dead (that other future Miyazaki hallmark, ambiguous villains, is not in strong evidence here). It's the one point at which I wish the filmmaker had resisted the tug of Star Wars a bit harder, but on the other hand, Nausicaä remains exciting enough, and so visually stunning, that I can hardly call it a "flaw"; more like a limitation that keeps a very excellent movie from being a masterpiece." - Tim Brayton, Antagony and Ecstasy

User Opinion: "Basically...Princess Mononoke...impressive to see..." - @cannastop

Commentary: One of the originals from Miyazaki and based off a manga that he wrote himself.  Nausicaa was Studio Ghibli before Studio Ghibli officially came to be.  There are some technical limitations seen in this movie that are often seen as keeping it short of being a masterpiece, and many will see Princess Mononoke, which comes along later, as the superior version of the story.  Regardless, Nausicaa is a highly regarded comic book film that's found strong love and appreciation over time.

Box Office Count: Under 100m (6), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 80s (1), 90s (2), 00s (2), 10s (3)

Director Count: Miyazaki (2), Black (1), Boden (1), Oshii (1), Radomski (1), Timm (1), Wachowski (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (2), Studio Ghibli (2), Batman (1), Iron Man (1)