Top 5 DC Films (SPOILERS)

For every Marvel contribution, there's a touch of DC to even out the playing field. As I mentioned in my last post, Marvel and DC are the pantheons of the comic book industry. Of course, this list is for the movies, so I'll be picking five films that truly stand out as the best DC has to offer, starting with:

5. Superman: The Movie: Now let me get this out of the way: I've never enjoyed Superman as much as I do others. Compared to many of the other heroes that populate the comic book world, he stands out as the most simple and therefore the most boring to me. However, I do enjoy his supporting cast and his rogues gallery even more, so I can't say I outright boycott anything related to the character. All that being said, I do enjoy some depictions of him in the media, with my personal favorite (and the one for many others as well) being the 1978 film starring Christopher Reeve. Reeve, for all intents and purposes, IS Superman, as he not only nails the part of making Superman charming, likable, and heroic, but he also manages to maintain the part that makes him human and relatable, which is important when dealing with a character like this. While it's quite clear that he's the star, he's also backed by an amazing supporting cast, with Margot Kidder as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor being standouts. All in all, this is a truly great interpretation of the Man of Steel. And who can forget the theme song!

Best Moment: Superman turns back time

4. Wonder Woman: The DCEU has had it rough the past few years. Thankfully, their bad luck has finally changed with this movie. Wonder Woman is fantastic in that unlike the previous DCEU films, it has a hopeful, optimistic tone that makes one feel good about the future, and Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman just as much as Christopher Reeve is Superman. Backed by Chris Pine and a terrific supporting cast, Gadot really brings things to the next level. While the villains were underdeveloped, the romance was a little rushed, and the DCEU still has a lot of fixing to do before it can truly be saved, Wonder Woman is a true standout and one that will be fondly remembered for times to come! Please don't let its success go to waste, Justice League!

Best Moment: No Man's Land

Click here to read my review for "Wonder Woman"

3. Batman: Before The Dark Knight, before Ben Affleck, there was one definitive Batman movie and one definitive Live-Action Batman. Michael Keaton does a fantastic job in the role, and the whole movie has a great story and cast to put it all together. Of course, who could forget Jack Nicholson as the Joker? Quite frankly, as fantastic as Heath Ledger was, I feel Nicholson felt closer to capturing the true spirit of the character even if he is no Mark Hamill. All in all, this movie was very well done and memorable, and like Superman: The Movie has a theme song that fits the character and his world so well!

Best Moment: "I'm Batman"

2. Watchmen: Zack Snyder is an extremely divisive director when it comes to comic book movies and this movie may be just as divisive as him. Watchmen is a monumental work of fiction in the comic book industry so this movie had a lot to live up to. For the most part, fortunately, I think they did a damn good job. It's about as faithful as it could be with changes that I feel were necessary, because quite frankly, how exactly were they going to work the giant squid from the end into the movie? This movie also has a great cast, with the clear standout being Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Watchmen is a story unlike anything in comic book history, and I think the movie did a fine job replicating it as faithfully as possible.

Best Moment: "Men get arrested, dogs get put down"

And my favorite DC movie (or movies) is...

1. The Dark Knight Trilogy: What can be said about these movies that hasn't already been said? This series is not only the greatest DC movie trilogy, but one of the greatest movie trilogies period, so it was too hard to pick just one! With Batman Begins, you have a great telling of how Bruce Wayne came to be Batman and the challenges he faces entering this sort of business. It provides a truly compelling origin story and is propelled by a great cast and director. Now in the case of The Dark Knight, the stakes are much higher, and Batman is pushed to his absolute limit, which provides some intense viewing. This one also gives us Heath Ledger and a performance unlike anything ever seen before! While I did say that I felt Jack Nicholson captured the spirit of the Joker, Ledger brought a whole new beast, giving us a Joker that was unlike the others and for that reason really stands out! God rest this man's soul! Finally, The Dark Knight Rises, as flawed as it was, offered the perfect conclusion to the story, having Batman hang up the mantle after being honored as the hero he was always meant to be, thus allowing a new hero to rise to the challenge. Throughout these movies, the psyche of Bruce Wayne is explored in heavy detail and Christian Bale does a great job portraying that, even if his Batman could've been a little better (seriously, that voice was ridiculous). Overall, these movies tell the story of Batman unlike any other and it gives Ben Affleck quite the challenge to face once his solo outing comes to pass (though I have high hopes he'll pull through :)

Best Moment: Batman Begins: "I'm Batman"

The Dark Knight: The Interrogation Scene

The Dark Knight Rises: The Ending 

Well that's it for this list, guys! Tune in for more coming soon :)