THE 10 BEST – Superhero franchises/films of all-time…including THE DARK KNIGHT Trilogy!

Ahhh…the superhero movie.  There have been many films in this genre over the past 35 years, but only in the past decade have we seen the numbers of films rapidly increase.  Credit must be given to Warner Bros. and director Richard Donner for creating such a crowd pleasing movie in 1978 called Superman.  It set the standard for which all future superhero films would be measured by.  Over a decade later, Tim Burton and Warner Bros. struck gold again with Batman.  The keys are this – hire actors that suit their roles to perfection…stay as true to the comics as you can while at the same time making an overall pleasing film for the average moviegoer…and develop a story arc that can continue for future films to come.  Lately, Marvel has been the hero of the comic book universe.  The company struck gold with The Avengers.   Each solo Avenger effort has done extremely well at the box office and there are several more sequels to come.  Today, Marvel has set the tone for what the future holds for superhero films…well, them and Christopher Nolan, who single handedly resurrected a completely dormant Batman franchise (thanks to Clooney, Schumacher, and company).  Hopefully, DC will follow in Marvel’s footsteps and bring us a Justice League film sometime during the next decade.  In the meantime, the genre is in full swing and the films are, for the most part, quality entertaining productions that manage to bring all different age groups to the multiplex.  So, since the release of the highly regarded Superman, what have been the ultimate superhero films?  The ones that have it all…humor, the proper tone, amazing action sequences, great special effects, wonderful performances, dramatic moments that pull you in, and films that keep you wanting more.  Some on my list are obvious choices to most, but there are a couple that you might have forgot about…or perhaps you never considered to be a true superhero film.  The top 10 movies (or pair of movies) are…

1.  BATMAN BEGINS / THE DARK KNIGHT / THE DARK KNIGHT RISES - Christopher Nolan took on the dubious task of resurrecting a franchise that appeared dead in the water (thanks to the debacle that was Batman and Robin).  He chose to go a completely different route than his predecessors (Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher) by making Batman exactly what he is supposed to be – dark, mysterious, and physical.  Batman Begins gave the audience more backstory to Bruce Wayne than we had previously seen.  The Dark Knight took the action and drama to a level most superhero films never get to by having Batman take on his craziest foe in the Joker.  The first entry in this new trilogy set the tone and gave us an idea of Nolan’s vision.  It was psychological and really serious and it made Bruce Wayne far more ‘human’ to audiences.  The casting of Christian Bale was a very wise decision.  Bruce Wayne became more of a physical force as Batman and we could finally distinguish him from his Batman alter-ego.  In the prior films, I found myself asking “how can they not see that Batman is Bruce Wayne?”  It was far more obvious.  Not so much here.  When TDK opened, it became the most eagerly awaited film in a very long time due to the untimely death of star Heath Ledger.  Word spread quickly from early screening that Ledger not only did an amazing job portraying Batman’s arch-nemesis, The Joker, but he completely owned the character.  Many people, including myself, wondered how his performance would compare to Jack Nicholson’s in Tim Burton’s first film.  Two different visions of the character…two wonderful portrayals.  Besides Ledger’s blow-your-mind performance, the film itself was a lesson in how to properly incorporate two villains into a movie without making one look like it just doesn’t belong.  Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent (who eventually becomes Two-Face) spends most of the film being a hero in his own right…only to succumb to the evil Joker’s master plot in the end.  The addition of the always charming Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine only add more class to a production that definitely has plenty of it already.  Although Katie Holmes performance was just so-so in Batman Begins, I really enjoyed Maggie Gylenhaal in TDK.  She made Rachel Dawes strong and emotional, thus making her death far more dramatic than it could have otherwise been.  TDK is the better of the two films and in my opinion, the best overall superhero film to date.  Strong performances and solid casting across the board have been important pieces of why these films have been successful with fans and critics.  However, the majority of the credit must be given to the Nolans.  Christopher, for co-writing and directing the films with a distinct dark vision in mind, and Jonathan for creating the story for which his brother put on the big screen.  After seeing The Dark Knight Rises, I can officially call Nolan’s trilogy the best superhero franchise of all time.  Click this link for my full review of The Dark Knight Rises…which I absolutely loved!

Review of The Dark Knight Rises

2.  THE AVENGERS – Everything went right with this one.  Solid casting, incredible direction, and a marvelous script that managed to bring all of the standalone superhero storylines together for one amazing film.   Review of The Avengers.

3.  SPIDER-MAN AND SPIDER-MAN 2 – Tobey Maguire was not the first choice to play Peter Parker when casting began for the big screen version of Spider-Man.  Actually, Leonardo DiCaprio was the studio’s first choice for the role.  Sam Raimi was also not the first choice for director.  James Cameron, Tony Scott, David Fincher, and a few others were actually considered before he got the job.  At the end of the day, Maguire and Raimi were probably the best choices for both jobs.  The Spidey films took the technical aspects of superhero films to a whole new level.  Watching Spidey shoot out webs and sling from place to place was something that audiences were dying to see for decades.  Raimi and his team got it right.  The first film was a solidly written piece that smartly introduced us to Peter Parker as a nerdy teenager who longs for a better life just so he can get the girl of his dreams.  Willem Dafoe gives a menacing performance as the Green Goblin (Nicolas Cage and John Malkovich were actually offered the role but turned it down).  James Franco and Kirsten Dunst fit their roles nicely also and like Nolan did with the Batman franchise, Raimi set the tone for how ‘his’ Spider-Man franchise was going to be.  My favorite of the series is the second film.  I think Alfred Molina’s portrayal of Doc Oc is amazing.  Molina’s performance is more memorable than Dafoe’s, but both are impressive in their own right.  Actually, before the arrival of The Dark Knight, the first sequel in the webslinger’s saga was my favorite superhero film.  The pacing, story, humor, and drama involved during the 2 plus hour run-time keeps you on the edge of your seat and eager to see what happens next.  Like TDK, it is a film that has a little bit of everything going for it.  It takes what was done right with the first film and amplifies it.  The effects are better (of course, it did have a bigger budget), the players who returned seemed more comfortable in their roles, and the last act is incredibly entertaining.  Unfortunately, Raimi and company failed to keep momentum going when Spider-Man 3 disappointed fans and critics alike.  That brings us to this summer’s appears-to-be-too-soon reboot of the franchise, The Amazing Spider-Man, which actually goes deeper into the backstory of Peter Parker and gives us the first Spidey film in 3D…which should be ‘amazing’ in itself to see.

4.  IRON MAN AND IRON MAN 2 – Robert Downey, Jr…the superhero?  Fans were in an uproar when it was announced that Downey was going to be cast as the engineering genius playboy Tony Stark.  That quickly changed when the film was released.  There was no doubt that Downey could pull of the billionaire playboy part of the role, but there were lots of doubt about him being physical enough to play Iron Man.  Downey not only silenced the doubters, but he made believers out of them, as well as critics.  Downey actually goes down in history as being one of the best casting decisions of all time.  I can’t really imagine anyone else portraying Tony Stark.  Yes, we’ve had Bruce Wayne’s come and go…as of this July, Tobey Maguire will no longer be Peter Parker, and Clark Kent is getting a makeover in next summer’s Man of Steel.  Robert is Tony Stark.  He has the perfect personality that actually matches his character quite well and as with the Sherlock Holmes films, has proven to be quite astute at handling the physicality of the character.  Downey is the engine that makes Iron Man work to perfection, but credit must also be given to director Jon Favreau, who like Downey, initially seemed like an odd choice to headline such an important Marvel production.  Favreau studied the material and knew exactly what he wanted his films to be.  Light hearted, fun, and crowd pleasing while at the same time carrying a serious undertone, Iron Man and Iron Man 2 are a joy to watch back to back.  The first film gets a slight edge due to it being slightly more engrossing than its sequel.  However, I enjoyed the sequel nearly as much and actually preferred Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash villain over Jeff Bridges’ Obadiah Stane.  The introduction to Scarlett Johannson’s Black Widow character was also nicely handled.  The sequel is a bit more dramatic than its predecessor, which takes a bit of the fun out.  However, it was a necessary move that allowed us to see a bit more of the demons inside the mind of Tony Stark.  The third entry in the series in currently in production and scheduled for release next summer.  However, you can also see Iron Man in The Avengers, which opens this week.

5.  X-MEN AND X-MEN 2: X-MEN UNITED – I would say that this effort of comic book to silver screen adaptation must have been the toughest to bring together.  The facts are that there are so many characters in the X-Men universe, so choosing the right ones to launch the franchise with had to be properly done.  Director Bryan Singer assembled a fine cast to bring to life these mutants who possess all different types of powers.  Every actor seems to fit their character nicely, especially Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Ian McKellan as Magneto, and Patrick Stewart as Professor X.  The others do solid work as well, but these are my favorites.  The first film featured a solid, simple storyline that properly introduced audiences to the likes of Rogue, Storm, Wolverine, Magneto, Professor X, Mystique, Cyclops, Sabretooth, Jean Gray, and Toad.  X2 is by far my favorite of the series and here is why.  I enjoyed the plot involving Stryker finding out about Charles Xavier’s secret school of mutants.  Watching Xavier’s mutants form an uneasy alliance with Magneto was interesting…all to rescue the kidnapped Professor.  The story here is much deeper than the first installment and the action is stepped up as well.  Hugh Jackman really settles into his Wolverine role here, as do most of the other actors in their respective roles.  There isn’t much of a time gap between the first two films, which makes them fun to watch back to back.  Nothing against X-Men: The Last Stand or X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but I find the first two entries to be superior.  There are some excellent sequences in the latter two films, but they are lacking in certain areas where X-Men and X2 excelled.  Overall, a solid series though…and there is more to come.  X-Men: First Class was a hit and a great film in it’s own right.  A sequel is currently being worked on.  Also, The Wolverine (aka Wolverine 2) is scheduled to begin filming early next year.  Solo Gambit, Deadpool, and Magneto films are also planned.  With so many characters, this is definitely a franchise that can go on forever.

6.  SUPERMAN AND SUPERMAN 2 -  Christopher Reeve was and always will be the perfect Clark Kent.  He was also the perfect Superman.  The first two films in the franchise that really got comic book movies rolling are high quality productions that feature solid acting, well thought out effects sequences, and the perfect director to bring it all to the big screen.  Richard Donner (probably best known for the Lethal Weapon franchise) was the man behind the camera in the first two installments and he created two excellent films that brought America’s favorite superhero to the masses.  Gene Hackman really had fun with his role as Lex Luthor, Superman’s archnemesis.  Margot Kidder became Lois Lane, the object of Clark Kent’s affection.  The first film gets credit for introducing us to Clark/Superman is such a grand way.  Marlon Brando taking the role of Jor-El (Superman’s daddy) was perhaps the biggest casting coupe of the decade.  He was briefly on screen, but he made such a memorable impression.  Each film has a different goal.  The first aims to introduce us to Clark…establish the romance between Clark/Superman and Lois…and set up confrontation between Superman and Lex.  The second entry amplifies all of that…plus, the addition of some geniune bad guys in the form of the Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod (marvelously portrayed by Terence Stamp) injects some much needed physical confrontation that was missing from part one.  Superman did not have an adversary in the first film that was nearly as powerful as he was.  Clark Kent goes through many highs and lows during the course of the sequel and watching his struggle between being a regular human and the Man of Steel ups the drama factor as well.  My favorite part of the sequel is when Superman watches his foes completely destroy area near the Daily Planet.  It’s Superman at his weakest…he realizes that he is defeated.  It is such a low point for our hero that it’s even more of a joy to watch when he finally rises up to defeat them.

7.  BATMAN AND BATMAN RETURNS – Tim Burton was the first big budget director to tackle the Caped Crusader and audiences loved his dark, yet somewhat humorous vision.  Burton struck a chord with audiences a year earlier when Beetlejuice was released.  Michael Keaton starred in that dark comedy and Tim eagerly wanted him to be Bruce Wayne.  Fans were anxiously awaiting the film, but initially balked at the idea of Keaton playing Batman.  Not physical enough…too funny to be Batman…too short.  Pretty much everything was thrown out there.  Fortunately for us, Keaton proved to be worthy of the gig.  He made a great Bruce Wayne and he handled the phyisicality of the role nicely as well.  Christian Bale is still my favorite to play the character, but Keaton is next in line.  Of course, being his first major film, Batman would definitely be battling The Joker, who is considered to biggest villain in Gotham.  Jack Nicholson was superb and was reason enough to go see the film.  The follow up was actually much darker in tone and choice of villains.  Burton chose to have two enemies for Batman in Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman and Danny DeVito’s Penguin.  Pfeiffer was an excellent choice for Selina Kyle aka Catwoman because she is a solid actress who could pull of ‘sexy’ easily.  DeVito was physically a good choice for Penguin, but Burton turned off some by making his backstory so dark and gloomy.  His vision of what Oswald Cobblepot would look like was a bit extreme and somewhat disgusting.  Despite this, the film works because of how well the screenplay is written.  Enough time is given to each villain, as well as Bruce Wayne.  It’s a very ‘even’ production the flows nicely.  The addition of Christopher Walken to the cast didn’t hurt either.  Tim Burton and Michael Keaton chose to move on after two installments, but credit must be given to them for igniting a franchise that hadn’t been touched in a couple of decades.

8.  UNBREAKABLE – Not a superhero film in the traditional sense of the term, but that is undoubtedly what M. Night Shyamalan’s film is.  What I consider to be his overall best film, M. Night writes a screenplay here that really pits hero vs. antihero.  Bruce Willis’ David Dunn is a man who can’t be hurt.  He is the sole survivor of a train crash and everyone wonders how he could have done this without even having one scratch on him.  Samuel L. Jackson’s Elijah Price is his complete opposite.  He is a fragile man that has a painful disease that causes him to break bones easily.  Elijah seeks David out knowing that there has to be something special about the man but also to find out what the one thing is that can hurt him…because…every superhero has their own kryptonite.    Elijah is an avid comic book reader and believes that David is a superhero posing as an average everyday working man.  Once the truth comes out in the end, David severs all ties with the insane Elijah…see the movie to find out why.  As with most M. Night films, it’s quite an interesting twist.  Watching David’s story unfold from when he is high school to adult and fatherhood is cleverly written and pulls the audience in.  You can’t help but want to know more about the man.  Rumor has it that M. Night has an idea for a sequel.  I would definitely be interested in seeing it.

9.  THE INCREDIBLES – When most people think of superhero films, this Pixar gem rarely comes to mind.  It is truly a film about heroes…albeit heroes that come from the same family.  For an animated feature, the film does contain some ‘incredible’ action sequences, witty dialogue, and unforgettable characters.  Why Disney/Pixar has not made a sequel to this is beyond me, considering that they have done so with Monsters, Inc. (Monsters University comes out next year), Cars, and two Toy Story sequels (which were great by the way).  Also, consider the fact that this flick made over $600 million worldwide.  Hello?  Greenlight the sequel.  Back to the film.  The voice-over work in this movie is ridiculously good, especially Holly Hunter as Elastigirl.  The film basically makes a plea against mediocrity, breaking with the politically correct idea that “everybody is special” (and thus nobody really is).  It also encourages people to use they talents they were born with.  Pixar’s films always have good messages within them, and The Incredibles is no exception.  Little known fact – Director Brad Bird also directed The Iron Giant, Ratatouille, and Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol. 

10.  HELLBOY AND HELLBOY II - Yes, demons can be superheroes too.  Hellboy, 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.  Love or hate Guillermo del Toro’s directing style, most people agree that the Hellboy movies are very entertaining, action packed, and humorous.  Del Toro’s visual style completely suits the world of Hellboy.  The sequel, which actually is slightly better than the original, focuses more on the characters and amplifies the action at the same time.  It’s an impressive feat, considering how well the first film was received.  Ron Perlman is the perfect actor to play the title character.  He has the physicality and just the right amount of humor to pull it off nicely.  The films are also accompanied by a great Danny Elfman score.  Currently, there are no plans for a third entry in the series.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

It was difficult narrowing down all superhero films to a top 10 list and I don’t want to leave other quality films out, so here is a rundown of some of my other favorite films in the genre.  Even though they are just outside of the 10 best, these films come highly recommended and each of them are memorable for different reasons.

BLADE AND BLADE II – You might be somewhat surprised to see these films on my list.  In fact, I was surprised myself as to just how much I enjoyed them.  Wesley Snipes does probably his best work here as a half-vampire, half-mortal man who becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires.  The first film stays rather true to the comic that it’s based on.  Both films are easy to describe in just one word…’cool’.  The action is top notch, the tone is perfect, and the effects are fantastic and in your face bloody.  Another highlight of the first two Blade installments was just how much the filmmakers paid attention to the details of the Blade universe.  Snipes may never make another character as memorable as Blade, but that’s ok.  At least he gave us the coolest vampire killer to ever hit the silver screen.  Blade: Trinity (or Blade 3) didn’t strike a chord with me as much as the first two and there are no plans for another entry or reboot at this moment.

THE CROW – The late Brandon Lee’s final film.  He actually died during the filming of this dark tale about revenge.  Film stays true to the source material and several people say that Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight actually bears a bit of resemblance to Lee’s Erik Draven.  Director Alex Proyas packs a lot into a relatively short film.  Lee gives us a glimpse of what might have been and he has a great screen presence here.  A few sub-par sequels followed, but a big budget reboot is scheduled to begin sometime next year.  Bradley Cooper was attached to star, but dropped out (thankfully…like Cooper, but not for this).  A replacement has not yet been announced.

BATMAN FOREVER – A far different look for this third entry in Tim Burton’s Batman franchise (he executive produced this one, but did not direct) provided a much lighter, somewhat campy Gotham city.  Val Kilmer is really good as Batman (underrated in my opinion), but Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent aka Two-Face is underused and somewhat silly.  We get a cool introduction to Robin (Chris O’Donnell) and what may have been the best casting of any film in the 90′s, Jim Carrey as The Riddler.  Carrey’s performance holds the film together and he has a lot of fun with the role.  Unfortunately, director Joel Schumacher and crew completely screwed things up with the next entry, Batman and Robin…which ultimately killed that part of the franchise.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN – A reboot that got it right.  The casting of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone was a very wise decision by director Marc Webb.  Their chemistry carries the film and the well written script gives us a more interesting backstory for Peter Parker than what we had seen before.  This film is a bit more grounded in reality than Sam Raimi’s films and while I still prefer Raimi’s versions, I can’t really find much fault with this re-imagining.  Looking forward to the sequels.  Full review soon.

DARKMAN – Before Spider-Man, director Sam Raimi crafted yet another superhero film that features a great performance by a relative unknown at the time, Liam Neeson.  Set in the mob world (sort of), a scientist seeks revenge on those who horribly disfigured him by blowing up his lab.  He finds ways to disguise himself by using prosthetics that only last for 100 minutes at a time.  By doing this, he tricks and tracks down his attackers and takes them out one by one.  Raimi creates a character that audiences really feel sorry for.  His anger is warranted and the love for the woman he lost is unfaltering…but at the end of it all, he knows what he has become.  He is Darkman.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK – I’m not a hater of Ang Lee’s first Hulk film that featured Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, and Nick Nolte.  In fact, there are certain elements of the film that are impressive, although it just doesn’t work as a whole.  It’s incredibly forgettable and in today’s superhero film world it seems like such a mediocre effort.  However, when Louis Letterier revisited the Hulk lore back in 2008, the result was a far superior film to Lee’s and fits nicely in whole Marvel scheme of how they want their films to be.  Edward Norton is a solid Bruce Banner (although I think Mark Ruffalo is a great replacement choice for The Avengers) and the Hulk is given a formidable foe in Tim Roth’s Abomination.  The physical battle at the end of the film is impressive. Perhaps if reaction to Ruffalo’s Banner/Hulk is positive, we can get another solo Hulk adventure sometime in the near future.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER - The man who eventually becomes the leader of The Avengers should have received a quality solo film.  Thankfully, director Joe Johnston did Captain America justice by crafting a nice, retro style action pic that nicely leads us into where The Avengers begins.  I enjoyed this more than Thor, but less than The Incredible Hulk or Iron Man, but as stated earlier, there really isn’t a ‘bad’ solo film for any of Marvel’s superheros.  This film will more than likely go down as one of the least memorable films in the Marvel package simply because it is a lot less flashy than the others and a lot of time is spent introducing us to Steve Rogers, the man.  Steve as Captain America really doesn’t get much of a chance to show his stuff as he will in The Avengers and the upcoming Captain America sequel.  Flashy is not what the film intended to be though, and I appreciate the filmmakers sticking to the origin story as well as they did.  Chris Evans also silenced critics and doubters by becoming a great choice to play Rogers aka Cap.  I will admit that I didn’t agree with the decision at first either (actually thought Evans was too short and wasn’t he Johnny Storm already?)…but I was wrong.  He is the perfect Captain America.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS – Instead of giving fans another direct sequel, the powers to be at 20th Century Fox chose to go a different.  The plan was to create standalone X-Men character films and do a prequel that showed us how it all began.  So far, Wolverine has been the only character to get the solo treatment and he is also getting a sequel, which begins filming later this year.  As of now, Magneto and Gambit projects are also in the works.  I had my doubts about an X-Men prequel, but the finished product actually ended up being one of my favorite films of 2011.  Director Matthew Vaughn cleverly integrated all of the characters into a storyline that was both entertaining and dramatic.  James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender did excellent jobs in portraying Charles Xavier and Erik aka Magneto, respectively.  Kevin Bacon’s casting as the evil Sebastian Shaw was also a stroke of genius.  After being a pessimist the first time around, I’m definitely changing my tune about another First Class film…which begins production early next year.

KICK-ASS - The superhero who is not really a superhero.  This fun movie features a lead character that is relatable and comedic.  The best part about this Matthew Vaughn directed film (who also directed X-Men: First Class) is that it really does kick ass.  Some greatly staged fight sequences make the film a must see for teenagers and action junkies alike.  Not only is this the best Nicolas Cage film in quite awhile, but it also introduces us to Chloe Grace Moretz, who is making a name for herself in the industry.  She can be seen next in the Carrie redo, which is scheduled for release next year.  A sequel to Kick-Ass is in the works.

MYSTERY MEN – Not considered to be a success from critics or most of the moviegoing public, this big budget parody of the superhero genre was extremely well written and one of the funniest films to come out in the late ’90′s.  What other superhero flick would feature characters such as Spleen, The Shoveler, Sphinx, Captain Amazing, Invisible Boy, The Bowler, The Blue Raja, , Casanova Frankenstein (love that name!), Big Red, and Mr. Furious.  The clever dialogue definitely outweighs the physical comedy, but that’s what makes Mystery Man still funny today.  If you haven’t seen it (and most of you probably haven’t), I recommend giving it a watch.  Even if you don’t like it as a whole, there are definitely certain parts that you will laugh at and have a hard time forgetting.  The cast includes: Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Paul Reubens, Janeane Garafola, Greg Kinnear, and Geoffrey Rush.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD – Another film that really made on impression on me after first viewing.  I had little to no expectations going into this one, but it ended up being one of the best films of 2010 and here is why.  The films visual effects are not only well done, but they stay true to the tone of the graphic novels on which it is based.  The movie is also extremely funny and Michael Cera slides into the lead role effortlessly.  The supporting characters are also well portrayed, especially Kieran Culkin’s Wallace Wells and Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Ramona Flowers.  The music is great and the film is rather fast paced, which is great.  It’s not a film for everyone though, and you have to possess a certain sense of humor to get all of the jokes.  It also features small roles played by former Superman Brandon Routh, The Punisher’s Thomas Jane, and Captain America himself, Chris Evans.  Scott is a superhero…his goal is to destroy his girlfriend’s evil exes and each fight is fun to watch.  This is a film that I can watch over and over again.

THE ROCKETEER – Before Joe Johnston became the man to direct Jurassic Park III and Captain America, he helmed this war against the Nazi tale that featured Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connelly.  Disney had high hopes for this superhero film when it debuted back in 1991, but audiences didn’t appear to be too interested in the project.  Perhaps a more well known lead would have helped its box office.  Not sure, but I really enjoyed the retro style feel that Johnston developed here.  The Rocketeer is probably one of the main reasons why he was hired to direct Captain America, due to the time frame as to which both films take place.  It doesn’t have as much shock and awe sequences as today’s blockbusters, but it is an entertaining tale nonetheless.  If you haven’t seen it, I recommend giving it a look…especially if you liked the style of Captain America.

There is no doubting the impact superhero films are making on the box office today.  We are getting a handful of superhero based films every year now and I don’t see the trend ending any time soon.  Just take a look at the following projects that are being planned or are in some part of the production process.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS 2

THE WOLVERINE (sequel)

KICK-ASS 2

SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL

IRON MAN 3

THOR 2

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER 2

THE AVENGERS 2

ANT-MAN

THE FLASH

THE FANTASTIC FOUR (reboot)

X-MEN ORIGINS: GAMBIT

X-MEN ORIGINS: MAGNETO

SPAWN (reboot)

DEADPOOL

GREEN LANTERN 2

There are also plans for a DC Comic’s Justice League film, but it appears to be years down the road.  Warner Bros. is also planning on continuing the Batman franchise without Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan.  A Wonder Woman film will more than likely hit the screen over the next few years and who knows how many Avengers films will actually be made.  As far as I’m concerned…keep ‘em coming.  Watching a superhero film is not a bad way to spend a couple of hours at the theater.