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

[The Panda]

 

Watchmen (2009)

Directed by Zack Snyder

Based on "Watchmen" by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore

(61 Points, 17 Votes)

 

"I'm not a comic book villain. Do you seriously think I would explain my master stroke to you if there were even the slightest possibility you could affect the outcome? I triggered it 35 minutes ago."

 

Top 6 Placements: 4

Top 10 Placements: 6

Awards Count: One Golden Reel Nomination

Box Office: 107.5m (129.8m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 56

Synopsis: In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so discover a deeper and far more diabolical plot.

Critic Opinion: "Happiness is a relative thing in Watchmen, like the blood-spattered smiley face that is its most powerful symbol.  The surly superheroes of the film's titular collective don't particularly care about saving the planet – and why should they? Their most powerful member, glowing blue quasi-deity Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), can stop most but not all of the bombs in an impending U.S.-Soviet nuclear war. Earth would only be relatively ruined.  Such cynical fatalism hangs heavily over Watchmen, Zack Snyder's exceptional live-action adaptation of the apocalyptic 1980s comic satire by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Most of the visual details and all of the character shadings of the source tale – first a comic book series, later an award-winning graphic novel – arrive with gratifying exactness and astounding depth." - Peter Howell, Toronto Star

User Opinion: "Watched the director's cut. I've never seen this film before till now. That was very interesting. Will need to watch again. So the "bad guy" is the hero? What does that make everyone else? I'm honestly amazed they somehow sold this to WB. It was R rated and without any major name actors. Not to mention those sex scenes." - @BoxOfficeZ

Commentary: And the highly polarizing comic book director Zack Snyder finally makes his first appearance on the list.  Watchmen was a slow moving and mature comic book spectacle, especially given its time.  While we've had a few more risk taking superhero films in the 2010s, Watchmen was especially unique for its serious attempt at deconstructing the genre.  Maybe this is why the film ended up becoming fairly polarizing, some are bored to death as it defies these conventions, while others have found a deep appreciation for the film.  Needless to say, it's hard to find many comic book movies with sex scenes like this one.

Box Office Count: Under 100m (9), 100m (4), 300m (2), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 80s (2), 90s (2), 00s (4), 10s (8)

Director Count: Miyazaki (2), Watts (2), Black (1), Boden (1), Cronenberg (1), Lester (1), Oshii (1), Radomski (1), Rodriguez (1), Sandberg (1), Snyder (1), Timm (1), Travis (1), Vaughn (1), Wachowski (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (4), Spider-Man (2), Studio Ghibli (2), Iron Man (2), DCEU (1), Dredd (1), Batman (1), Superman (1), X-Men (1)

 

 

 

[Avatree]

28 minutes ago, Morieris said:

 

I forgot ☹️

Though with the Holland Spidey movies being so low, I hope ItSV is like super high.

Oh, this dumpster fire of a forum will ensure Spider-Verse is #1, don't you worry about that...

[Avatree]

Oh wow I just found out that the main character in WATCHMEN is called @Rorschach! 

[The Panda]

 

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Directed by Joe Johnston

Based on "Captain America" by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

(66 Points, 19 Votes)

 

"I knocked out Adolf Hitler over 200 times."

 

Top 4 Placements: 1

Top 10 Placements: 5

Awards Count: Art Directors Guild Nomination

Box Office: 176.6m (200,5m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 66

Synopsis: It is 1942, America has entered World War II, and sickly but determined Steve Rogers is frustrated at being rejected yet again for military service. Everything changes when Dr. Erskine recruits him for the secret Project Rebirth. Proving his extraordinary courage, wits and conscience, Rogers undergoes the experiment and his weak body is suddenly enhanced into the maximum human potential. When Dr. Erskine is then immediately assassinated by an agent of Nazi Germany's secret HYDRA research department (headed by Johann Schmidt, a.k.a. the Red Skull), Rogers is left as a unique man who is initially misused as a propaganda mascot; however, when his comrades need him, Rogers goes on a successful adventure that truly makes him Captain America, and his war against Schmidt begins.

Critic Opinion: "This is a classic WWII meets superhero romantic drama, updated with a glorious show of restraint from its lead. Weaving might not have so much to play with but it helps to keep the thing rocking along nicely, with the right amount of humour thrown in for positive effect.  No clever messages here, just bang-on romance and action, with another fresh twist on 20th-century history woven in for the kids to dive into after the credits have rolled." - Ed Gibbs, Sydney Morning Herald

User Opinion: "I loved this movie so much when I first saw it, I think I said it was my favorite movie of all time for a brief time. it has gone down quite a bitfrom that, but the first two-thirds are pretty much bliss, Chris Evans is fantastic as Cap, Hayley Atwell, plays the best love interest to grace the MCU so far.  love the pulpy period feel Joe Johnson has created here, the third act is kind of a drag though. but overall very solid" - @Kalo

Commentary: The Marvel Cinematic Universe makes its way back onto the list with one of its phase one films that helped to kick everything off.  Chronologically the first film in the comic universe, Captain America: The First Avenger introduces Chris Evans as the leading titular man, and gave him a fresh comic book start after the not so fiery role of the Human Torch in two of the Fantastic Four movies.  The First Avenger introduces a small twist to the comic book genre by also being a period piece, something unique during its year which helped it stand out from some of the other superhero films that had preceded it.

Box Office Count: Under 100m (9), 100m (5), 300m (2), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 80s (2), 90s (2), 00s (4), 10s (9)

Director Count: Miyazaki (2), Watts (2), Black (1), Boden (1), Cronenberg (1), Johnston (1), Lester (1), Oshii (1), Radomski (1), Rodriguez (1), Sandberg (1), Snyder (1), Timm (1), Travis (1), Vaughn (1), Wachowski (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (5), Spider-Man (2), Studio Ghibli (2), Iron Man (2), Captain America (1), DCEU (1), Dredd (1), Batman (1), Superman (1), X-Men (1)

 

 

 

[Avatree]

First Avenger is probably the most underrated of the MCU - for some reason a lot of people seem to dismiss it?

Even though it's like super good? Great characters, excellent period setting, good action pieces, creepy villain, and decent love interest (only one in entire 23 films)

[Cap]

41 minutes ago, The Panda said:

 

Alan Menken was R O B B E D of an Oscar for this.  R O B B E D.  Not even a damn NOMINATION.  It's a TRAVESTY

 

 

[Plain Old Tele]

Boggled that any of the recent Spideys made the list. (Not that I’ve seen any of them, mind.)

[tawasal]

5 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

Boggled that any of the recent Spideys made the list. (Not that I’ve seen any of them, mind.)

This place has become MCU forums. 

[The Panda]

 

V for Vendetta (2006)

Directed by James McTeigue

Based on "V for Vendetta" by David Lloyd and Alan Moore

(71 Points, 17 Votes)

 

"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

 

Top 2 Placements: 1

Top 4 Placements: 3

Top 6 Placements: 4

Top 10 Placements: 6

Awards Count: Rated #149 of All Time on IMDb

Box Office: 70.5m (97m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 62

Synopsis: Tells the story of Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) and her unlikely but instrumental part in bringing down the fascist government that has taken control of a futuristic Great Britain. Saved from a life-and-death situation by a man in a Guy Fawkes mask who calls himself "V" (Hugo Weaving), she learns a general summary of V's past and, after a time, decides to help him bring down those who committed the atrocities that led to Britain being in the shape that it is in.

Critic Opinion: "JUST when we were ready to give up mainstream movies as braindead,along comes the controversial and gleefully subversive “V for Vendetta,” a piece of corporate-sponsored art that will have audiences rooting for a bomb-throwing anarchist.  Loosely adapted by Larry and Andy Wachowski (“The Matrix “)from an ’80s graphic novel by Alan Moore,and stylishly directed by the Wachowski ‘s longtime assistant director James McTeigue,this is a thoughtful and highly entertaining conflation of “The Phantom of the Opera ” and “1984 ” that draws on many other pop culture sources." - Lou Lumenick, New York Post

User Opinion: ""I hope that whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the worlds turns, and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that, even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you, I love you. With all my heart, I love you." A+" - @Noctis

Commentary: An internetbros classic, so much so that the mask in the film became the mascot for internetbro group anonymous, a group with grand plans and no direction.  It's easy to see why the mask became such a hit among the anti-government internet base, the film slaps you across the face with its message of freedom for the people.  V for Vendetta leaves you rooting for the crazy anarchists, and maybe stirs up some anarchy within you itself.  The film is entertaining and stylistic, and it's easy to see why it has made its cult impact.

Box Office Count: Under 100m (10), 100m (5), 300m (2), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 80s (2), 90s (2), 00s (5), 10s (9)

Director Count: Miyazaki (2), Watts (2), Black (1), Boden (1), Cronenberg (1), Johnston (1), Lester (1), McTeigue (1), Oshii (1), Radomski (1), Rodriguez (1), Sandberg (1), Snyder (1), Timm (1), Travis (1), Vaughn (1), Wachowski (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (5), Spider-Man (2), Studio Ghibli (2), Iron Man (2), Captain America (1), DCEU (1), Dredd (1), Batman (1), Superman (1), X-Men (1)

 

 

 

[tawasal]

Ooh! 

 

This place really sucks, how could V for Vendetta and A History of Violence be out of the top 10 or top 5. 

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by tawasal

[Avatree]

[The Panda]

 

X2: X-Men United (2003)

Directed by Bryan Singer

Based on "X-Men" by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

(74 Points, 22 Votes)

 

"You picked the wrong house, bub."

 

Top 4 Placements: 1

Top 6 Placements: 2

Top 10 Placements: 6

Awards Count: Nominated for 9 Teen Choice Awards!!

Box Office: 214.9m (321.2m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 68

Synopsis: Several months have passed since the X-Men defeated Magneto and imprisoned him in a seemingly impregnable plastic chamber. One day, a mutant by the name of Nightcrawler infiltrates the White House and attempts to assassinate the President, setting off a chain reaction of anti-mutant measures by the government. Meanwhile, Logan is trying to discover his past. As scientist named William Stryker discovers Professor X's secret school and Cerebro, Magneto's partner, Mystique, is planning to break her leader out of prison. But when Professor X's school is attacked by Stryker's forces, Logan, Rogue, Iceman, and a few are lucky to escape. Those who remain meet in Boston, where they form an uneasy alliance with Magneto to stop Stryker and rescue Professor X.

Critic Opinion: "Hugh Jackman’s charismatic Wolverine brings an X factor of his own into the power balance, as he seeks the secret of his own identity while battling Stryker’s aggressions against the scattered mutant multitudes. He’s assisted by his fellow X-men, with telltale noms de mutant like Pyro (Aaron Stanford), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), Cyclops (James Marsden) and Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming).  Faithful Marvel readers can explain all the subtexts better than I can. Suffice to say that I was steadily engrossed and entertained and ultimately moved by a drama that is, in the end, more human than mutant. Even if, like me, you consider yourself too serious-minded to sit through an already certified blockbuster not entirely of this world with a cryptic title like X2 , give this prolonged splash of special effects a chance. It is better than its genre." - Andrew Sarris, The Observer

User Opinion: "Hmm back in the days this and Spider Man 2 were considering the best comic book films of recent times.

 

Still a great film that I have seen many many times" - @Lordmandeep

Commentary: The X-Men franchise makes another appearance on the list with one of the older 2000s film's that was once seen as one of the pinnacle movies for the genre.  X2 ups the stakes and the quality from the original X-Men movie and helped cement the legacy of one of the longest running superhero franchises.  X2 focuses not only on the action spectacle of the genre but has invigorating human drama which keeps people coming back to the film, despite its age.

Box Office Count: Under 100m (10), 100m (5), 200m (1), 300m (2), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 80s (2), 90s (2), 00s (6), 10s (9)

Director Count: Miyazaki (2), Watts (2), Black (1), Boden (1), Cronenberg (1), Johnston (1), Lester (1), McTeigue (1), Oshii (1), Radomski (1), Rodriguez (1), Sandberg (1), Singer (1), Snyder (1), Timm (1), Travis (1), Vaughn (1), Wachowski (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (5), Spider-Man (2), Studio Ghibli (2), Iron Man (2), X-Men (2), Captain America (1), DCEU (1), Dredd (1), Batman (1), Superman (1)

 

 

 

[Blankments]

nice, at #31 the first of my top 10 makes the list. guess this makes me basic tho

[Blankments]

3 minutes ago, Blankments said:

nice, at #31 the first of my top 10 makes the list. guess this makes me basic tho

going off of this, X2, Cap 1, Shazam, and Mask of the Phantasm are all too low, since I sent a list of 30 and all are at 31 or lower

[baumer]

1 hour ago, The Panda said:

 

Watchmen (2009)

Directed by Zack Snyder

Based on "Watchmen" by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore

(61 Points, 17 Votes)

 

"I'm not a comic book villain. Do you seriously think I would explain my master stroke to you if there were even the slightest possibility you could affect the outcome? I triggered it 35 minutes ago."

 

Top 6 Placements: 4

Top 10 Placements: 6

Awards Count: One Golden Reel Nomination

Box Office: 107.5m (129.8m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 56

Synopsis: In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so discover a deeper and far more diabolical plot.

Critic Opinion: "Happiness is a relative thing in Watchmen, like the blood-spattered smiley face that is its most powerful symbol.  The surly superheroes of the film's titular collective don't particularly care about saving the planet – and why should they? Their most powerful member, glowing blue quasi-deity Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), can stop most but not all of the bombs in an impending U.S.-Soviet nuclear war. Earth would only be relatively ruined.  Such cynical fatalism hangs heavily over Watchmen, Zack Snyder's exceptional live-action adaptation of the apocalyptic 1980s comic satire by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Most of the visual details and all of the character shadings of the source tale – first a comic book series, later an award-winning graphic novel – arrive with gratifying exactness and astounding depth." - Peter Howell, Toronto Star

User Opinion: "Watched the director's cut. I've never seen this film before till now. That was very interesting. Will need to watch again. So the "bad guy" is the hero? What does that make everyone else? I'm honestly amazed they somehow sold this to WB. It was R rated and without any major name actors. Not to mention those sex scenes." - @BoxOfficeZ

Commentary: And the highly polarizing comic book director Zack Snyder finally makes his first appearance on the list.  Watchmen was a slow moving and mature comic book spectacle, especially given its time.  While we've had a few more risk taking superhero films in the 2010s, Watchmen was especially unique for its serious attempt at deconstructing the genre.  Maybe this is why the film ended up becoming fairly polarizing, some are bored to death as it defies these conventions, while others have found a deep appreciation for the film.  Needless to say, it's hard to find many comic book movies with sex scenes like this one.

Box Office Count: Under 100m (9), 100m (4), 300m (2), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 80s (2), 90s (2), 00s (4), 10s (8)

Director Count: Miyazaki (2), Watts (2), Black (1), Boden (1), Cronenberg (1), Lester (1), Oshii (1), Radomski (1), Rodriguez (1), Sandberg (1), Snyder (1), Timm (1), Travis (1), Vaughn (1), Wachowski (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (4), Spider-Man (2), Studio Ghibli (2), Iron Man (2), DCEU (1), Dredd (1), Batman (1), Superman (1), X-Men (1)

 

 

 

I really shouldn't be this excited the watchman made an arbitrary countdown. But I really am. I absolutely love this movie and it would be in my top 10 superhero movies of all time. So thank you everyone at the forums who voted for this movie.

[75Live]

4 minutes ago, baumer said:

I really shouldn't be this excited the watchman made an arbitrary countdown. But I really am. I absolutely love this movie and it would be in my top 10 superhero movies of all time. So thank you everyone at the forums who voted for this movie.

 

I had it in my top 10 and top 6  

 

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by 75Live

[baumer]

2 minutes ago, 75Live said:

 

I had it in my top 10 and top 6  

 

 

But of course you did. 🙂

[75Live]

46 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

Boggled that any of the recent Spideys made the list. (Not that I’ve seen any of them, mind.)

 

Same here and I saw them.   I didn't have either on my list 

 

34 minutes ago, tawasal said:

Ooh! 

 

This place really sucks, how could V for Vendetta and A History of Violence be out of the top 10 or top 5. 

 

 

Yeah seeing V and, for me,  Dredd so low is shocking 

Edited August 15, 2019 by 75Live

[DAR]

I think I had Watchmen in the teens

[The Panda]

 

Batman (1989)

Directed by Tim Burton

Based on "Batman" by Bob Kane

(75 Points, 18 Votes)

 

"Batman... Batman... Can somebody tell me what kind of a world we live in, where a man dressed up as a *bat* gets all of my press? This town needs an enema!"

 

Top 4 Placements: 2

Top 6 Placements: 5

Top 10 Placements: 8

Awards Count: Won 1 Oscar

Box Office: 251.3m (567.2m Adjusted)

Metacritic: 69

Synopsis: Gotham City. Crime boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance) effectively runs the town but there's a new crime fighter in town - Batman (Michael Keaton). Grissom's right-hand man is Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), a brutal man who is not entirely sane... After falling out between the two Grissom has Napier set up with the Police and Napier falls to his apparent death in a vat of chemicals. However, he soon reappears as The Joker and starts a reign of terror in Gotham City. Meanwhile, reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) is in the city to do an article on Batman. She soon starts a relationship with Batman's everyday persona, billionaire Bruce Wayne.

Critic Opinion: "Jack Nicholson’s 1989 turn as The Joker in Batman (★★★★☆) provided an almighty bang to start what was to become a tetralogy of movies, all four being re-released to mark the Dark Knight’s 80th anniversary in DC Comics. This Joker is a purple-clad supervillain who upstages Michael Keaton’s diffident Batman with no difficulty and whose capering craziness is periodically supercharged by the sound of Prince on the soundtrack. Directed by Tim Burton, the movie has a brooding noir feel. It even showed prostitution on the streets of Gotham City. The Joker is given an origin myth; Jack Napier (the JN initials leaning heavily on Nicholson’s own legendary bad-boy status) is a mobster and former street hoodlum with a fateful connection to the young Bruce Wayne. When he accidentally falls into a chemical vat during a shootout in a pharmaceutical factory, the fumes cause his face to contract into that hideous grin. A bad-guy barmstormer from Jack." - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

User Opinion: "I still remember the whole experience when I saw this film, from the extremely long line and a whole story with that, the heat while waiting in the line, able to buy movie merchandise in the theater. yes I was able to buy a tshirt and a water bottle at the concession stand. The whole lead up, the Prince tie-in, etc, etc. It was truly a movie moment. Luckily for me, the movie did live up to the hype at the time. While the movie may have dipped a bit as I grew up, I can't necessarily remove everything that went along with it so it still give it a high mark.  Maybe the 2nd best Batman movie for me" - @75Live

Commentary: Making his first live action appearance on the countdown, and the start of the Top 30, is one of the superheroes who truly started the craze, Batman.  While Superman may have preceded Batman, this was the film that really took off at the box office and showed there was a lot of money high blockbuster potential in these films.  Tim Burton captures the brooding feel of the Batman comics, and in a world that can often feel dark, maybe that's why Batman's vigilante take has always resonated with audiences a bit more than the hopeful Superman.

Box Office Count: Under 100m (10), 100m (5), 200m (2), 300m (2), 400m (2)

Decade Count: 80s (3), 90s (2), 00s (6), 10s (9)

Director Count: Miyazaki (2), Watts (2), Black (1), Boden (1), Burton (1), Cronenberg (1), Johnston (1), Lester (1), McTeigue (1), Oshii (1), Radomski (1), Rodriguez (1), Sandberg (1), Singer (1), Snyder (1), Timm (1), Travis (1), Vaughn (1), Wachowski (1), Zwigoff (1)

Franchise Count: MCU (5), Batman (2), Spider-Man (2), Studio Ghibli (2), Iron Man (2), X-Men (2), Captain America (1), DCEU (1), Dredd (1), Superman (1)