With the Marvel Cinematic Universe ranking in billions of dollars each year, it’s safe to assume superhero and comic book films are here to say. Some may see the rise of these massive films a war on more artful films while others see it as great escapism. Sure, some filmmakers see them as nothing more than fluff when compared to more artistic fare, there is still a lot of merit to some superhero films.
Whether they combine different genres, take advantage of a unique medium, or even have the backing of auteurs behind the camera, these are the best superhero films that non-superhero fans can appreciate.
Mystery Men
Good parody is hard to pull off but thankfully, Mystery Men manages to carve a wonderful little niche. Before the age of meta films, Mystery Men deconstructed them with this sharp comedy starring one of the best ensemble casts assembled, featuring the likes of Hank Azaria, Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Eddie Izzard, Greg Kinnear, and others.
It’s goofy fun that fits in perfectly with our current age of self-referential humor. It is also important to note that this film also included the magic of Smash Mouth’s ultra-hit “All-Star,” a gift that keeps on giving.
Guardians of the Galaxy
For fans of schlocky sci-fi operas, 1970s pop music, and actors like Glenn Close, John C. Riley and Benecio Del Toro saying a bunch of strange space stuff, this is the movie for you.
Written by the always-irreverent James Gunn, the first Guardians of the Galaxy acts as both a fun time and proof that Marvel can throw any B-tier character on screen and still make millions. Even with that, it’s a great science-fiction film that echoes the likes of Star Wars, Last Starfighter, and even a bit of Spaceballs.
Thor Ragnarok
Sure, this film exists in a massive, serialized movie series that all bleeds together. It also devolves into a large-scale, CGI-fest like most Marvel films. In spite of all that, Ragnarok feels like such a breath of fresh air compared to other MCU films. Director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Boy, Jojo Rabbit) used his unique brand of humor to craft one of the funniest superhero films around.
Fans of Flash Gordon will love the more campy approach to this Norse god, as it drops all the conventional and strangely pro-military feel of the other Marvel films.
The Lego Batman Movie
2014’s The Lego Movie should not have worked as well as it did. A movie based on toys that actually had substance? Ridiculous, right? Even more surprising was its spinoff film, starring a Lego version of Batman (voiced by Will Arnett).
Thankfully, none of the humor or charm from the first, brick-fueled adventure was lost. This one features a lot of references to not only Batman lore but plenty of other massive Warner Bros. properties. It also has a wonderful message about the importance of family, friendship, and self-love, something most superhero films don’t tend to offer.
Hellboy/Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Guillermo Del Toro is one of the best modern visionaries of film. His love of old monster films coupled with his knack for visually-stunning pictures has produced some truly unique projects. His Hellboy duology are some of the most creative films of the 2000s. Ron Pearlman’s turn as the titular hero is an entertaining performance and one of the best casting decisions ever.
Full of practical effects, dark humor and just the right amount of horror, the Hellboy films are truly unique in the superhero film canon. Also, the second film features a really funny Seth MacFarlane performance.
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
“Tra-la-laaa!” The film adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s super popular children’s books is a fun time for families. Debatably the best Dreamworks film released in ages, Captain Underpants tells the origin of the underwear-clad hero created by two young friends. The twists? Their principal ends up becoming that superhero in real life.
It’s a film full of humor, heart, and shows how important imagination can be. It features an all-star cast and an animation style that closely matches the books. It’s the perfect film for young fans and for those who appreciate creative animated films.
Deadpool/Deadpool 2
It’s hard to revisit a lot of the X-Men films in the wake of more modern superhero films. Thankfully, Deadpool kicked off a very fun direction for the mutant-led franchise. Ryan Reynolds plays the merc with a mouth in one of the funniest superhero films ever. Full of meta-humor and a lot of jokes at the expense of other superheroes (particularly Green Lantern).
Its sequel is also really good, featuring Zazie Beetz as Domino and Josh Brolin as Cable. It takes a much more action-orientated direction, thanks to John Wick co-director David Leitch taking the project on.
The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan crafted a mature crime masterpiece with this 2008 thriller. Instead of focusing on superhero antics, Nolan made a film that echoes the likes of Heat that just so happens to feature a masked character. Both Christian Bale and Heath Ledger are in top form, with Hans Zimmer’s score being among the best.
While it often feels a bit pretentious and spends too much time explaining very simple metaphors, nobody can deny the epic feel of this film. It’s great. It’s still referenced nearly 12 years since its release even with Joker. That is no small feat.
Logan
James Mangold directed the perfect sendoff for Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in this bloody, emotional, and thoughtful film. Combining elements of westerns, action films, and science fiction to craft arguably the greatest modern superhero film. Dafne Keen’s turn as X-23 is great, with Patrick Stewart playing Charles Xavier for the last time.
Logan elevated the genre to prestige. It feels like an important film because it is. It ended a 17-year old character arc with poise and grace, something that is hard to achieve in this day and age where every movie needs to be a CGI-fest with magical MacGuffins. It’s the No Country For Old Men of comic book movies.
Batman
Tim Burton’s 1989 film based on the popular character set the industry ablaze. It kickstarted the modern superhero craze and proved to the world that Mr. Mom could be the Dark Knight. What elevates this movie above other superhero films is its style.
Gotham City feels like a character. It’s a beautifully designed place that feels like a painting. That style bleeds into its storytelling, where it feels like a great noir thriller. Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier/The Joker is one of the best mob bosses in movies ever. Batman may not be talked about as much as The Dark Knight but it deserves to be.