Summary
Superheroes have become a genre of movie all their own, and the vast library and enduring popularity of the Marvel movies might give audiences the impression that superhero movies are fun for the whole family. It’s easy to forget that there was a before-time when superhero movies were filed under action or drama and could be written only for adults, especially now that the trend has been re-ignited.
Older movies from the 1980s weren’t always about Superman or Batman, although thesecharacters dominated the genrefor decades, their more terrifying and morally-ambiguous counterparts also made the occasional appearance. Some great superhero movies are rated R, which means not suitable for viewers 17 years of age or younger, that the grown-ups can enjoy when the kids aren’t around.
7Darkman
IMDb Score: 6.4
Darkmanis an early adaptation of an unorthodox comic, and it’s an interesting and strange experimental romp for anyone who likes the bizarre and unusual, even if they aren’t into superhero movies. There are some big names here, starting with the director Sam Raimi, continuing to composer Danny Elfman, andtopped off by Liam Neesonin the lead role.
The story begins with a tragic accident in a lab, which culminates in an attack involving the mob, and results in the main character being scarred and left for dead. Dr. Peyton Westlake survives the acidic burns to his hands and face, followed by the massive explosion that throws him out of the building, and lives on as the hidden vigilante Darkman.
6Blade
IMDb Score: 7.1
Years beforeBlack Pantheror Edward Cullen appeared on the silver screen, African-American dhampir superheroBlademade his debut in the dark and gritty environment of the late 1990s. The movie got mixed reviews from critics but comic book fans lost their collective minds, and the film remains a cult classic.
The opening scene of the rave in the slaughterhouse is still famous, and it does a great job of setting up the world in which Blade lives and hunts. There’s a schism in the vampire world, between the old folks who value tradition and young kids like the antagonist, an upstart named Frost, and Blade has to stop him before it’s too late.
5Dredd
Not to be confused with the 1995 movieJudge Dredd, which was a flop, this time it’s Karl Urban who dons the iconic mask in a visceral R-rated tale of terrorism that oozes blood, gore, and general urban mayhem. The twist is that almost the whole movie takes place within the idyllic-sounding Peach Trees, an apartment building so big that it could be its own city.
Judge Dredd is tasked with breaking in a new Judge, Cassandra Anderson, who only seems suited for the job because of her psychic powers but lacks the grit of a tough cop. Anderson proves her worth when theyface up against Ma-Ma, the don of Peach Trees, and her private mercenary army.
4Watchmen
IMDb Score: 7.6
If Zack Snyder is the director, you know it’s for adults, which is a definite plus to what’s not always the ideal directing style.Watchmenis an adaptation of a comic book series by the same name from Dave Gibbons, and the source material was so avante-garde that the general consensus was an adaptation was unlikely or impossible.
The plot is framed around the lore and legend of the Cold War in the 1980s, in a world that’s also seen a backlash against armed and costumed vigilantes, also known as superheroes. The story is set in motion when Rorschach, a detective who works outside of the law, discovers a plan to target superheroes. This re-ignites the activities of his former team, a group known as The Watchmen.
3Kick-Ass
Kick-Assis an action movie, a love story, and a comedy, so itfollows the stereotypical superheromovie template in a way. The characters in this story, however, are the kinds of superheroes that don’t have special powers, so more like aBatmanorigin story as opposed toSuperman.
Protagonist Dave Lizewski is an ordinary teenager who loves comic books and decides he wants to try the superhero lifestyle, but he gets his ass kicked, so to speak, and he’s just about to quit when two other masked vigilantes save him. Hit Girl and Big Daddy aren’t just fighting crime, they have a score to settle with a local crime lord. Kick-Ass, the name that Dave takes as his superhero pseudonym, decides to help them.
2Deadpool
IMDb Score: 8.0
It’s the movie that made R-rated superhero movies cool again, and the stories of its production are the stuff of Hollywood legend. It’s hard to believe what Ryan Reynolds had to go through to get this movie made, including paying the writers and actors out of his own pocket, but he proved the naysayers wrong andDeadpoolwas a blockbuster hit.
The plot follows the trope of the superhero origin story while also making fun of it. In keeping with the main character’s personality quirks and inability to be permanently injured or killed,Deadpoolis sarcastic, snide, foul-mouthed, and rude, all the while denying that he’s a superhero.
1Logan
IMDb Score: 8.1
If there’s such a thing as a postmodern superhero movie that sugarcoats nothing,Loganwould be a good example. WhileDeadpooltook the route of crass jokes and biting satire,Loganleans hard on the realism of Wolverine’s very likely future and doesn’t hold back, which is why the title is his real name as opposed to his X-Men pseudonym.
Logan isn’t the only hero that viewers have to watch degenerate; the former Professor X is here, too, and his condition as he descends further into dementia is heartbreaking. There is a ray of hope for the future in the form of Gabriela López, the first mutant born in twenty-five years, and Logan has to find a way to get her to a Sanctuary on the Canadian-American border.
