Top 10 Favorite Live-Action DC Movies

 

It’s a brave and bold new era for DC. The DCEU has come to an end, and the coming of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU is on the rise with the release of James Gunn’s “Superman”. I’m hoping this means DC is finally getting their act together with their live-action movies. I’ve yet to see “Superman”, but so far, I have heard nothing but praise for it. Granted “Peacemaker” Season 2 still has me asking questions about where the hell they’re going with the continuity on this one, but hopefully this will all go sorted out over time.

But to celebrate this new era of DC, I’m back with another countdown. I’ve talked about my favorite film DC’s animated adventures, now it’s time to look at my favorite live-action ones. DC’s live-action track record has famously been far less consistent than Marvel’s. As it seems like whenever DC puts out a bad movie, it isn’t just bad, it goes down as a blight on the history of filmmaking, and its legacy is to forever be a punching bag in the world of nerd culture. Sometimes it's “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace”, other times it’s “Batman & Robin”, or “Catwoman”, or “Green Lantern”, or…whatever the hell “Batman v Superman” was. But, all that being said, every now and then, DC puts out a film that not only stands toe-to-toe with the works of House of Ideas, but in some cases, even surpasses them.

Of course, we’ll begin with some…

Honorable Mentions:

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: I’ll admit, this one’s kind of a guilty pleasure for me. Is it even sillier and more nonsensical than the first? Does all of it make sense? Is the story kinda thin and is it very clear that certain plot elements were left extremely underdeveloped because the movie features a very controversial actress? Does it lack the amount of heart that the first film had? Yes to all of that, but I’ll be damned if it’s not still a lot of ridiculous fun. I don’t get as much genuine enjoyment out of this one as I do the first, like I said this one’s more of a guilty pleasure, but it’s good cheesy comic book fun.

Batman (1989): While far from being the perfect Batman movie, I definitely respect it for being the movie that pretty much started Batman’s rise to fame in the mainstream. When this came out, it was more than just comic book readers who were fans of Batman. This was the movie that helped make Batman the icon he is today. So while I don’t love it, I do certainly have a lot of respect for it.

Batman Returns: Not gonna lie, I always preferred the sequel to the original. Returns is also not perfect, and I can definitely see why Warner Bros wanted to go in a more kid-friendly direction after this, but I think this one is a lot of fun. I love the Christmas aesthetic of the film, and the villains absolutely steal the show. This still has one of my favorite depictions of Penguin and Catwoman. And I feel like Tim Burton’s style shined through a lot more with this film. So again, not perfect, but I still like it.

Joker: Even though I don’t like the idea of giving this much context to the Joker’s backstory, it was beautifully done in this film. Gorgeously shot, Joaquin Phoenix gives the performance of a lifetime, and the plot was surprisingly unpredictable and had moments that I wasn’t expecting.

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut: While I enjoy both versions of this movie, when looking over the details, I ultimately prefer the Donner version. Donner removes a lot of the awkward comedic bits, weird editing choices, and questionable new Superman powers from Lester’s version. Although there are a couple of small changes I like about the Lester version, and Donner’s still has its own problems as well, and both versions have kinda stupid endings. Sort of like my thoughts on the Star Wars Special Editions, I wish I could have my own cut of that keeps all the stuff I like about both versions, but without all the stuff that I don’t. But either way, I still love Superman as a character, his romance with Lois is adorable, and General Zod is a great villain.

Wonder Woman 1984: This is definitely another one of those controversial picks. Is it perfect? Definitely not, mainly when it came to the story, but the action, performances, and emotional weight all really worked for me. The villains were a major step-up from the first one, and the action, much like the first film, was incredible. I get why it’s hated, but this is another one that kinda falls into the “guilty pleasure” category for me.

With all that said, let's get into it. These are my top 10 favorite live-action DC films!

(Also spoilers, but you already knew that.)

Number #10: The Dark Knight Rises

Eight years have passed since the events of the previous film. Bruce Wayne has become a broken and tired recluse. And at a bad time as Gotham faces a new threat in the form of Bane. A masked terrorist who, at first, appears to just be under the employ of Bruce’s business rival, John Daggett. However, it’s soon revealed that Bane is actually a former member of the League of Shadows, and plans to tear down Gotham City in the name of the late Ra’s al Ghul. So with the help of young but optimistic police detective, John Blake, and a cat burglar with questionable motives, Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, the Batman must find the will to live once again and discover how much he’s willing to sacrifice to save his city. Right off the bat (no pun intended) we’re getting controversial. I know a lot of people really don’t like this movie, even downright hate and despise it. I’ll admit…I get it. I don’t agree, but I get it. I’ll say that it is the weakest of the Dark Knight Trilogy, but I still really like it. I think each movie in the trilogy does one particular thing better than the other two. Rises I think does the best job at handling emotional weight. Not that there wasn’t any in the first two, or at least an attempt, but this really got me to feel something. In a way this third movie combines themes from the first movies to tell a new story. Exploring how Gotham has changed without Batman’s influence, how people like Jim Gordon and John Blake have their own perspectives on Batman's role in this city, and how Batman’s presence invites new kinds of threats to Gotham like Bane. We see Bruce’s struggle to put on the mask once again. He's lost the will to live, and it isn’t until he learns to fear death again that he’s ready to finally be the hero Gotham needs and deserves this time. It’s an incredibly moving character arc in my opinion, and it’s also one of the few times that I’ve seen a movie with the word “rise” in the title and have it actually mean something within the movie. Despite the fact that the film's plot is basically a mish-mash of “Knightfall”, “No Man's Land”, and “The Dark Knight Returns”. The action is a major step up from the previous two movies, Nolan definitely took advantage of the IMAX style of filmmaking when it came to this one, the cinematography is incredible, and I personally didn’t have much of an issue with the movie’s length, I thought it was paced pretty perfectly until the last act. John Blake is probably my favorite character. He’s just an honest down to earth guy trying to do some good during such a bleak time in Gotham. Catwoman also adds a bit of levity to the film. She’s playful and mysterious as Catwoman should be, I like seeing her ride the Batpod, and Anne Hathaway is clearly having a lot of fun in the role. The only reason it’s at the bottom of the list is because, again, I do agree it is the weakest of the trilogy. There are quite a few glaring issues I have with this film’s story. Like Bane’s underwhelming defeat, the hasty and sloppy inclusion of Talia al Ghul as the final boss, Talia’s death scene also being really lame, Bane revealing the truth about Harvey Dent doesn’t really go anywhere, the romance between Bruce and Selina felt incredibly forced in my opinion, and John Blake is apparently Robin, but also…not? But even with my issues, I think I ultimately just appreciate this movie is allowed to actually be an ending. In an age where it feels like nothing in pop culture is allowed to have an ending anymore, I love that this movie actually said “this is the end” and meant it. Nolan told his story, and when it ended, he closed the book. The movie ends on a great and satisfying final note in my opinion. Including this speech from Michael Caine’s Alfred that genuinely had me on the verge of tears. I don’t think very often about how Bruce Wayne’s journey would end, but I gotta say, this certainly wasn’t a bad way to say goodbye to the Batman.

Number #9: Wonder Woman

In 1918, the first world war has ravaged mankind. The mythical Amazons, a society of warrior women created by the Olympian gods to protect the human race, have refused to do so after thousands of years. However, when US pilot Captain Steve Trevor crash lands on their hidden island of Themyscira, their princess, Diana, suspects that the war is being orchestrated by Ares, the Greek God of War. So she disobeys her mothers orders and leaves the island with Captain Trevor to end the war and save mankind from total destruction. I’ll be honest, for the longest time, I was never the most diehard Wonder Woman fan in the world. I’ve certainly never disliked the character, it’s just that none of her adaptations really grabbed me quite the same way as the ones for Superman and Batman. The Justice League animated series and the 2009 animated movie were the ones I enjoyed the most, but even then her JL and JLU episodes were some of the weaker ones of that show in my opinion, while and the animated film was really good, I just felt it wasn’t as good as most of the animated movies they were doing around that time. Then I watched this movie and, well…insert that one Danny DeVito meme here. This movie made me finally fall in love with Wonder Woman. After watching this, I finally grappled with her character, and became invested in her and her mythos. This movie helped me really love Diana’s character. I love her for the same reasons I love Mulan. While previous adaptations I felt mostly limited her to “the uber feminist” and “the mythical powerhouse” which I just didn’t find interesting. Like Mulan, I love DCEU Wondie because she fights and protects people just because she knows it’s the right thing to do, and that people will get hurt if she doesn’t act. While at the same time still being the ultimate example of what a female superhero can do just as well as the boys. I also don’t know what happened with Gal Gadot after this movie. She did great in this film, but after this, it feels like she’s been putting in less effort with each movie she’s in. Maybe it was an ego problem, maybe she just grew less passionate about acting, maybe she just genuinely doesn’t have what it takes anymore, who the hell knows. Chris Pine is great as always and makes Steve Trevor feel dorky but very charming and likeable, and his chemistry with Gal helps you buy their romance. Their team of war buddies don’t get a ton to do, but are still a lot of fun and add some needed levity to the film. Again, similar to “Mulan”. The action is some of the best I’ve seen in a superhero movie. The “No Man’s Land” scene actually kind of took my breath away. The film raises a lot of more ethical questions that you didn’t see in many comic book movies at the time, and in my opinion, handles them in a much more mature and interesting way than Zack Snyder’s DCEU movies. And on that note, like a lot of people, I feel like the film kinda falls apart a little in the climax. Ares isn’t a terrible villain, just kinda bleh. Visually I think he looks pretty cool, even if he falls into the “big grey villain” trope, but the film’s conflict was already interesting with the idea that the war itself was the true villain. That was enough for the story to work. But no, turns out Diana was right along, there really is one big singular evil bad guy secretly pulling all the strings from behind the scenes. And yeah, sometimes that’s the case in real life, but the story was already working fine without this. The fight itself is certainly cool, and credit where credit’s due, David Thewlis gives a solid performance, it’s just it feels so thematically and tonally distant from the rest of the film’s story up to that point. I think it would’ve been better if they either A, didn’t make him a twist villain and established him working behind the scenes early on in the story, or B, they saved Ares for a potential sequel. But despite that, “Wonder Woman” is a great war movie, a great comic-book movie, and set a new standard for future superhero films to follow.

Number #8: Aquaman

Arthur Curry was born the son of a human lighthouse keeper, Tom Curry, and an Atlantean queen, Queen Atlanna, and even though their love was never meant to be, they believed Arthur would one day unite their worlds. However, in order to keep her husband and son safe from Atlantean forces, Atlanna had to return to the sea, and has been missing and presumed dead ever since. In the present day, Arthur has returned to a life of battling pirates and spending quality time with his father. Despite his heritage, and his mentoring from his mother’s trusted advisor, Vulko, Arthur wants nothing to do with Atlantis. That changes when his younger half-brother, King Orm, begins making plans to wage war on the surface world. With the help of Mera, the no-nonsense princess of Xebel, Arthur must journey across the globe to find the Trident of Atlan, and take his rightful place on the throne. All while being pursued by Orm’s forces. Including the vengeful pirate and mercenary, David Kane, aka Black Manta. This one might be another controversial pick but for different reasons. I can understand why there are people who don't like this film. For some, it might be just a bit too campy, too silly, too over-the-top, and too comic-booky. But for me, all of those aspects are exactly why I love it. The movie is just a lot of fun! I love me a deep and thought provoking tale that’s a “psychological examination of man's inhumanity to man”, but I also just as much love a big ridiculous fantasy epic about a buff fish man who fights in a fish people war while dressed in a yellow and green suit. Visually, the movie looks like it was ripped right out of a comic book. Especially with the costume design. While the movie can at times feel like a CGI overload, for the most part, the CG is really good, and it helps it’s easy to digest because of James Wan’s fantastic direction. The man is absolutely a visionary genius. The film is full of breathtaking shots, and the sense of scale it creates is beautiful, whether we’re on land or in the sea. The action sequences are fast faced, intense, and insanely creative without their shot, edited, and how the characters are shown using their powers. The third act has this gigantic epic war scene straight out of something like “The Chronicles of Narnia”, and it concludes with a one-on-one duel between Aquaman and Ocean Master, and I’m in just awe of how cool they made Aquaman’s mythos look. This movie also very much feeds my love of worldbuilding. I love seeing all the different undersea kingdoms, all their disparate technologies and unique looks to them, from their soldiers to their vehicles to their weapons, like this is the kind of shit I live for. But the movie isn’t without genuine heart or characters either. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the romance between Arthur’s parents. Depending on how it's approached, I love a good interspecies romance story, and seeing them reunite at the end was really heartwarming. Jason Momoa is wonderfully charismatic as Aquaman. Although I am glad he’s finally getting the chance to play Lobo, a character much more suited for him. (Then again, given his acting career started with Baywatch, Aquaman might’ve been more appropriate for him than we thought). Mera makes for a fun foil to Arthur, Willem Dafoe is…Willem Dafoe, and both Ocean Master and Black Manta make for great villains. They’re not only cool during action scenes, but you understand where both are coming from to a certain degree. And it’s clear Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Patrick Wilson are having fun getting to play villain roles. The movie is extremely campy and over-the-top, but I think the main reason it works is because it’s done with a lot of sincerity as well. It knows what kind of comic it’s based on, and while the movie is very comedic, it doesn’t treat the Aquaman mythos like some kind of joke. The more fantastical elements were fully embraced while still being used to tell a story that still gives its character time just to have a moment. It’s a fun swashbuckling adventure that manages to be earnest and respectful in how it adapts its characters and mythos.

Number #7: Batman Begins

To be honest, I think “Batman Begins” is a little underrated. While we may all know Batman’s backstory, this particular take on it and how it shows just how he created the legend is really interesting. This movie asks the question, “What if Batman really existed in our world?” What would that look like? It’s very much grounded in our reality, but still feels larger than life. So the fact that our main character dresses like a bat doesn’t clash with the tone in any way. And this is one of the few times where I felt the non-linear storytelling in a Nolan flick didn’t feel pretentious as hell. That said, the movie’s sense of fun is also really underappreciated I think. Everyone stereotypes these movies as being nothing but dark, and grim, and serious the whole way through, but all three of these are a lot funnier than people give them credit for. They’re not full-on comedies, but there are dialogue exchanges thrown around that get a laugh out of me. Like the training montage between Bruce and Henri Ducard (aka Ra’s al Ghul in disguise). And Ducard says, “You haven’t beaten me. You’ve sacrificed sure footing for a killing stroke.”, before just lightly tapping his sword on the ice and making Bruce fall in. Or pretty much anything Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow says. He’s in all three of these movies, and he’s a treat every time he’s on-screen. And Alfred remains his wonderfully sarcastic self. It’s little things like that make the movie just as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. As an origin story, I think what makes this work especially is that it does more than just go, “this is where he gets the Batmobile, and this is where gets the bat cave”. It has those moments, but it mainly focuses on the motivations behind its characters and what drives them to become the people we all know them as. Chief among them, Bruce Wayne. I just love Bruce’s character and his arc in this. Seeing how he came up with the idea for becoming “the Batman” specifically, how he developed his philosophy, and what motivates him beyond just the death of his parents. I like that he stands his ground with his morals against the more cynical League of Shadows. I think Christian Bale is overall a great Batman, and while his voice is a little silly in this one, this before he got so into it that it just became comical. Both Ra’s al Ghul and Scarecrow are great villains, and while I love their characters, it’s mostly because, once again, you can tell Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy are having fun getting to play the theatrical villains for a change. And while not my favorite Alfred overall, Michael Caine is definitely my favorite live-action Alfred. My only big issues with the film are that the dialogue can feel a little forced and too on-the-nose, and the fight scenes kinda suck. The action as a whole isn’t bad, but it’s the hand-to-hand fights that are pretty distractingly poorly edited and lit, and sadly it’s something that would carry over to its sequel before they finally got it right with Rises. This movie had to revive Batman on the big screen after the critical and financial failure of the 2 hour long toy commercial known as “Batman & Robin”. And this was at a time when rebooting a franchise, especially a film franchise, was very unheard of. It was one thing when Transformers did it, and now Batman was doing it. There was a good chance this reboot would fall flat on its face, but amazingly, they pulled it off. You could argue that Batman hadn’t been this popular since the first two Tim Burton films. And it succeeded thanks to not only its portrayal of Batman and his corner of the DC universe, but also just being damn good cinema.

Number #6: Blue Beetle

Jaime Reyes is a young Mexican-American still figuring his life out, and trying to help both himself and his down-on-their-luck family get by. When his latest job opportunity goes awry, a woman named Jenny Kord gives him a seemingly normal Big Belly Burger to-go box. However, upon opening it, Jaime finds a bug shaped relic called the Scarab. After (violently) bonding with his body, Jaime finds himself with a new suit of armor that he can command to do all sorts of cool superpower type things for him. From flying to a badass Final Fantasy sword. Unfortunately, Victoria Kord, Jenny’s aunt and the CEO of Kord Industries, isn’t happy about any of this, and wants the Scarab back. So now Jaime must learn to master the powers of the Scarab, and uncover the secrets of the Kord family, and protect his own as the newest superhero on the scene, the Blue Beetle! Some of you might raise your eyebrows at me putting “Blue Beetle” this high on the list over two Nolan Batman films and “Wonder Woman”. To be honest, I just really loved “Blue Beetle”. I need this to go down with the likes of “Spider-Man”, “Batman Begins”, and “Iron Man” as one of the best examples of how to do a superhero origin movie. I was never particularly invested in Jaime Reyes before this, but this is another great adaptation that made me fall in love with this character. Xolo Maridueña gives an outstanding performance, and I sincerely hope he continues to get work after this. I think the movie’s biggest strength is that it’s just likeable. It’s a movie that, at its core, is about Jaime and his family, and you quickly grow to like seeing them interact. The cast play off each other really well, and their dynamic feels very believable. I buy that these people have known each other for years, and have been through hell and back together. It was cute seeing them support Jaime as he went to his job interview. I liked seeing them pilot the Bugship and taking out bad guys together. And I won’t lie, I may have cried a little bit when Jaime said goodbye to his dad. The movie is just oozing with heart to the very brim. It’s just charming and fun that I kept smiling most of the way through, and if a movie can do that, I know it’s doing something right. Now I couldn’t tell you how well it represents Mexican culture, but most Mexican-Americans I’ve seen talk about this seem to like it well enough, so I’ll take that as a good sign. Jenny Kord is pretty likeable as far as love interests go, I love his snarky sister, I love his kind of crazy but also kinda badass grandma, and George Lopez is, of course, hilarious. The movie as a whole is really funny, with most of the laughs coming from Jaime’s family, or even just Becky G as the Scarab (I won’t lie, I did laugh at the “My Sensors Indicate You Want to Tap That” moment). Although it is kinda funny how now Becky G has been in two different superhero movies that I loved but flopped and are unlikely to get a sequel. But hey, I feel less like I’m in the minority on this one than I am with “Power Rangers”. The only major criticism I have is that the villains were kinda weak. Victoria Kord is just kinda generic, and Carapax is mostly just an obstacle for Jaime and doesn’t get interesting until the very end. I think it’s a shame this didn’t do well at the box office, because I want to see more of this character and his mythos. James Gunn had said that this fits well into his DCU, and there’s still an animated series on the way, so the chance for a sequel isn’t entirely out of the question. But even if we don’t get one, I am thankful for the fact that we even have this one at all. While it may not be my number one favorite live-action film from DC, I’d definitely say it’s the most underrated.

Number #5: The Dark Knight

I’ll admit, while I love this movie, I do think it suffers from what I like to call “Aladdin Syndrome”, where even years after the movie came out, people only seem to sing the praise of that one really great acting performance in the movie, despite the rest of the movie also holding a lot of merit. And I do have my own issues with the film itself. There is a lot of stuff within the plot that relies heavily on conveniences, Bale’s Batman voice is even worse here than it was in the first movie, to the point where I sometimes can’t even understand what he’s saying without subtitles, and the Bat Sonar, frankly, looks like shit, and I don’t like them taking away the mystery of exactly how Batman is able to move and sneak around so easily. I used to criticize the movie for not focusing much on Batman himself, and while I think that’s a fair criticism, I’ve come to realize that this movie explores another equally crucial aspect of the Batman mythos. And that is his influence. The movie has a lot of themes in it, one  of which is “cause and effect”. This movie explores just how much of an impact Batman has on Gotham City and its people. The good, the bad, and the ugly. As I said when talking about “Return of the Joker”. Batman is more than just some guy in a costume. Batman is the legend, the idea, the belief. Created by both the criminals who fear him and the people who are helped by him. We see that in how there are copycat Batmen running around trying to help him clean up crime, but of course, in a very “not Batman-y” way. As well as how the mob is so desperate to not get caught by Batman, they’re willing to flee the country, and hire someone as crazy as the Joker. The movie goes to great lengths to explore the idea that Bruce’s ultimate goal is to create a city–hell, a world–that doesn’t need Batman. The movie addresses Batman’s power, and the fact that even he won’t be around forever. If he were gone, who would protect Gotham? That’s where Harvey Dent comes in. Someone who can keep Gotham safe in his own way, and help it and its people in ways Batman can’t. We also explore the negative side to Batman’s influence. That namely comes in the form of the Joker. The presence of Batman invites a new breed of criminal to Gotham. Criminals are getting more dangerous, more elaborate, and are willing to go places that they wouldn’t in the past. The Joker represents this new era of crime. And it goes without saying that the Joker is a great villain. Heath Ledger absolutely steals the show, and I honestly feel like there’s not much I can say on the character of his performance that hasn’t been said already. Although I will say, while this is remembered as being the darkest and most realistic take on the Joker, I think people often overlook that he’s probably the most fun character in the movie. Obviously, “The Dark Knight” isn’t a comedy, but the Joker adds levity where he can get it. Like the scene where he meets with the mob bosses, he’s got a ton of great one-liners in that scene. Two-Face is also a great villain, but more so for how he fits into the themes of the story, and Aaron Eckhart gives a killer performance. As an adaptation of my favorite Batman villain, he’s kinda underwhelming. One common criticism I have for Nolan’s works are the endings to his films. His movies can be really great for most of their runtime, but he tends to drop the ball with their endings in my eyes. “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Interstellar” are probably my biggest examples. I used to not like the film’s ending, but I’ve come to better understand it over time, and I think it’s one of the better conclusions to one of Nolan’s films.

Number #4: The Batman

Unlike the 90s films or the Nolan Trilogy, “The Batman” starts off with a Bruce Wayne who’s already two years well into his crimefighting career, and he’s already made quite the impression on its criminal underbelly. And he faces his next greatest challenge in the form of a serial killer known as the Riddler, who leaves cryptic clues at each of his murders. Clues that seem to target the caped crusader specifically. This sinister trail leads the Batman on a case that reveals the dark secrets of not only Gotham, but Bruce Wayne’s own family. Yup, for as much as I love the Dark Knight Trilogy, “The Batman” takes the cake for me as my favorite live-action Batman film. Which is weird because, I’ll admit, I wasn't initially excited for this. At the time, compared to all the other more interesting looking DC content on the horizon, another gritty live-action Batman film just didn’t grab me. That said, when DC Fandome hit, and they released the first trailer, my interest did peak. So like always, I decided to keep an open mind, and give the film a chance. And it ended up being way better than I could’ve ever expected. One of my main concerns with the film was that we were getting another Batman film set in a heavily grounded and realistic world. After the Dark Knight trilogy, I wanted to see something new. And while this film is grounded and gritty, this Batman’s world feels noticeably more (for lack of a better word) stylized compared to the Nolanverse. And boy does it work, because this is hands down my favorite depiction of Gotham City, probably in any adaptation. For the first time, I actually believe that this is the most crime ridden city in the world. You really do get the sense that it is just a complete shithole, and that makes Batman’s quest to keep it safe that much more admirable. One issue I took with the Dark Knight Trilogy is that we’re constantly told that Gotham is this broken city that rotting from the inside, but we never really saw that outside of its criminal factions and some poverty. Here, we see not only criminals running amuck and poverty, but a big point in the film’s story is the Riddler exposing many of the city’s corrupt officials. The Riddler himself is a great villain. While I’ve never been a fan of the “Edward Nashton” alias, and I kinda hate his costume, he’s still the smug, self-righteous, egomaniac that we know and love, and Paul Dano delivers an impeccable performance. Penguin is also great, even though he’s not in it much, and the make-up on Colin Farrell is great. Zoë Kravitz is also a scene stealer, and I will never say no to black Catwoman. And I don’t care what anyone says, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon was perfect casting. And like a lot of people, I was cautious about Robert Pattinson taking on the role of Batman, even though I know he’s more than just “the Twilight guy”, but he ended up giving a great performance. I also love that this film also gives more attention to the detective side of Batman. He is “the world’s greatest” detective, and this actually shows him putting those skills to great use. But my favorite aspect of this film is that, similar to “The Dark Knight”, it touches upon Batman’s influence on Gotham. By the end of the movie, Bruce learns that, as Batman, he has to be more just the gritty angry guy who beats up crooks in hallways. As a symbol, Batman also needs to give people hope. It can just be about chasing vengeance and creating fear, it has to also be about giving the people he’s protecting someone to believe in, and someone worth looking up to. Because Batman and his actions matter to so many people when the world is at its darkest. For such a bleak and dirty film, it’s also oddly uplifting. Never thought I’d say this about this film when it was first announced, but: Bring on the sequel!

Number #3: The Suicide Squad

In this sequel to the 2016 film that’s literally just missing the “the” in its title, the Suicide Squad is sent to the South American island nation of Corto Maltese to destroy something known as experiment "Project Starfish", which is soon revealed as a giant mind-controlling alien starfish known as Starro the Conqueror, before it’s unleashed on the world. Amongst this team of mercs, monsters, and convicts are Bloodsport, the begrudging leader of the team who’s only in this to protect his estranged daughter, Harley Quinn, the clown princess of crime who was initially part of a decoy team sent in just to get killed as a distraction, but miraculously survived, Peacemaker, a trained killer who is basically, as John Cena described him, a "douchey Captain America", Ratcatcher 2, a kind-hearted thief with a device that allows her to control rats which is actually a lot more OP than it sounds, Polka-Dot Man, a chronically depressed walking science experiment that can fire destructive polka-dots at people which, again, is way more OP that it sounds, and King Shark, a big dumb, but kinda sweet, man-shark with the personality of a toddler and the killing instinct of Jason Voorhees. To say DC took a gamble with this film would be gross understatement. It’s a sequel to one of their most panned movies, starring a bunch of obscure DC characters, many of whom even the most diehard fans might struggle to name off the top of their heads, it’s directed by a guy who, just before this, was working for their biggest competitor, and it’s their first R-rated movie.

Sees “Watchmen”

Oh. Well, it was still their first R-rated film in a long time.

Sees “Joker”

Ok, but at least it's the first R-rated movie of the DCEU.

Sees “Birds of Prey”

OK FINE, POINT MADE! Look, it may not be DC's first R-rated movie, but it was by far their most vulgar, raunchiest, and bloodiest film to date. This could’ve easily fell flat on its face, but it ended up being kind of incredible. The film basically is just a Guardians of the Galaxy film, but without the Disney filter. Now, with that said, the Guardians are absolute saints compared to these guys, at least in terms of the stuff they did to wind up as criminals. The Suicide Squad is made up of known killers and murders with zero qualms about shedding blood. Bloodsport literally shot Superman with a Kryptonite bullet. But the film knows this and doesn’t try to paint them as another superhero team. They’re just some bad guys who you can understand why they are the way they are, and by the end, can at least do some good in the world. And the cast is great. We have quite few returning actors from the Guardians films in this, but we also have Idris Elba, John Cena, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, among others. Cena especially really impressed me. This really sold me on him as a wrestler-turned actor, and he gets a lot of the movie’s funniest lines. They also managed to make Starro surprisingly scary, but also kinda sympathetic. While I would’ve preferred to see him in a Justice League movie since he was literally their first villain, I’m glad they at least did him justice (no pun intended) here in his feature film debut. This is also, by far, the funniest film on this list. I was laughing a lot during this, and while it does rely on a lot of swearing and gore, the acting really does sell a lot of the comedy. It’s completely balls to the walls insane with its unashamedly uncensored humor and its crazy action. They get really creative with the action sequences. Being both very inventive and extremely gory. The scene where the squad sneaks into a camp and murders everyone there thinking they’re the bad guys, and Peacemaker and Bloodspot are just competing to see who can get the most insane kills and it’s hilariously dark. But it’s also a very emotional film. The movie knows when to slow down and just let the characters be real characters and have a moment. I was not expecting to get teary eyed when they killed off Rick Flag, but this film did it. This perfect balance of absurd comedy and gut-punching emotion helped cement James Gunn as one of my favorite filmmakers right now. And it’s a big reason why I don’t think the future of DC could be in better hands.

Number #2: Shazam!

Sinbad– I mean, Shaquille O'Neal– I mean, Billy Batson has been a foster kid in and out of different homes for the past 10 years, as he still searches for his birth mother. Refusing to give up his quest, he once again rejects his latest home in the form of the Vasquez couple, Victor & Rosa, along with the other foster kids they’ve taken into their care. However, after defending his new foster brother, Freddy Freeman, Billy is chosen by an old wizard as his successor, and bestows upon him great power. Just by uttering the word “shazam” Billy is able to transform into a full-grown adult, and one with incredible magical powers. With some help from Freddy, Billy decides to become a superhero and protect his home of Fawcett City, Philadelphia. As well as face the dark power of the Seven Deadly Sins, along with their own champion, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. This is another one where I can understand why someone people might be confused as to why I put this above the Dark Knight Trilogy and “The Suicide Squad”, but I really did love “Shazam”. For me, Shazam is the perfect example of a “feel-good” movie. Much like “Blue Beetle”, it's just so damn likeable and charming that I spend most of it just smiling. While I of course enjoy the usual superhero antics, the main thing that holds this movie together is the heart. This is a movie that wears its heart on its sleeves, and really gets you to connect with its central characters. You quickly begin to empathize with Billy Batson despite the fact that he comes off like a bit of a d-bag at the start. And his foster family you also get attached to pretty quickly. They’re a lot of fun, and have a really sweet found family dynamic going on. And seeing the other kids get powers was also really cool, and felt earned, because Billy came to love and trust them like a real family. It’s just beautifully wholesome. And speaking as someone who, while not adopted, does come from a very interracial family, I feel personally seen here. The tone and approach to the story very feels intentionally in homage to the classics of the 80s, like “Big”, “The Goonies”, “E.T.”, “Back to the Future”, “The Breakfast Club”, “Ferris Bueller's Day Off”, “The NeverEnding Story”, etc. That childlike whimsy the film gives off, the sense of adventure, and overall wholesome sincerity that can be felt throughout the whole movie. It feels like a loving tribute to that era of film. Zachary Levi and Asher Angel both deliver great performances, and capture that youthful boyhood energy, and make Billy feel both shy and dorky, as well as confident and heroic. I’ve heard some say that their performances feel too dissimilar to each other, and I can understand that. In my opinion, they feel just similar enough to where I can believe Billy is allowing himself to be more bold and confident when he’s the Captain. It’s only in the sequel where I feel they kinda let Levi insert too much of himself into the role to where it feels like a completely different character. Only major critique I have is that Dr. Sivana is kind of a mixed bag as a villain. He has the same problem as Unalaq from “Legend of Korra”. The motivations they give him are great. In the comics and most adaptations, he’s a pretty generic mad scientist. Here, they actually give him a lot of layers, and you understand what drove him down a dark path. He makes for a good contrast to Billy. But his personality is pretty lackluster, and when he’s interacting with Billy, he’s just talking about taking his power and whatnot. It doesn’t make for very interesting conversation. Other than that, “Shazam” is a fantastic movie, and one I am always going to hold very near and dear to my heart.

Number #1: Superman: The Movie

Superman: The Movie is comic-book movie perfection. That itself is an amazing feat since so much of the movie’s production was going against it. From it taking about 5 years for them to find a director, to Richard Donner demanding a complete rewrite of the already finished script after finding the original to be too long and too campy. They initially wanted a big name to play Superman, like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan, or Paul Newman, before gambling on the then completely unknown young and skinny Christopher Reeve. Marlon Brando not only asked for a whopping $19 million to be in the film, but also refused to memorize his lines and had to read off cue cards. The studio had little faith in the film due to the success of Star Wars possibly overshadowing the film, and they thought it would be nothing but 60s Batman style camp. Donner was constantly getting into disagreements with producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind. With all that in mind, the movie could’ve easily failed miserably. But instead it became the second highest grossing film of 1978, and has since gone down in history as a Hollywood classic. Inspiring many future films that have come out since then, and was even inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress if you can believe it. It’s not hard to see why, not only because of its impact, but it also really is just a great film. The story is very heartfelt and down to earth. It’s so sincere and earnest in its portrayal of Superman and his mythos. There’s not really a ton of fighting in the film, it’s more about building up Superman as this larger than life figure, and showing us how interacts with the world around, and people's different perspectives on him. While the movie does have a fun campy side to it, it treats the Superman character seriously and with respect, and doesn’t ever feel like it’s mocking certain aspects of the source material. It feels very comic accurate, just with a tone and style more fitting of a movie. As Donner himself put it, it has "verisimilitude". The cast is perfect. I stand by that Christopher Reeve is one of the most perfect castings in not only comic-book movies, but in all of film history. He just is Superman. He embodies everything we love about this character, and redefined playing the “hero” archetype on screen. He’s just so likeable and friendly, and has a special kind of warmth to him, but also with the way he carries himself as Superman, you believe that he is still this almost mythical being that wields godlike power. He also does a perfect job at making Clark Kent and Superman feel distinct. It's not just the glasses thing, it’s his body language and his manner of speech, he really does make you feel like they’re different characters, and he’s able to switch between the two in a single scene so seamlessly. Margot Kidder is a delight as Lois Lane with her endless wit and adorable chemistry with Reeve as Superman, Gene Hackman finds the perfect balance between making Lex Luthor feel campy but you buy him as a genuine threat, and the legendary Marlon Brando appropriately makes Jor-El feel ethereal and larger than life even though the character is dead for the most of the movie. A lot of the visuals, while definitely a little dated, are still very impressive considering this was the most expensive film ever made when it came out. You can really sense the time and effort that went into making Superman’s mythos come alive, especially when it comes to the sets. We’ve got Krypton, the Kent Farm, the Daily Planet, Lex Luthor’s evil lair, and of course, the Fortress of Solitude which still looks incredible. I’m not gonna pretend it's perfect. Lex Luthor’s plan feels needlessly complicated even by Luthor standards, and I still roll my eyes at the ending with Superman turning back time by flying around the earth really fast. But while sometimes a weak ending can ruin a film for me, here it doesn’t really bother me because the rest of the film was just that enjoyable and entertaining. It’s appropriately epic, it’s got a beautiful romance, memorable characters who are all expertly cast, it’s got jaw-dropping set pieces and action sequences, as well soft and quiet moments about the characters, and it is both a very fun movie and one that feels larger than life because that’s how they treated it. And a character like Superman deserves nothing less. It’s like the tagline says, “You’ll believe a man can fly”, and by golly, we did.

As I said at the beginning, as of writing this, I have not seen James Gunn’s Superman yet, but I have heard nothing but good things about it, and a sequel just got announced, with “Man of Tomorrow". But so far, James Gunn hasn’t let me down yet, so I have no reason to not be excited for the future of DC. Given that I’m not quite as invested in the MCU as I used to be, I’m hoping the DCU can give me that excitement and enthusiasm I used to feel again. All I can do is be like Superman and have hope for the best. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my picks, and what your favorite live-action DC movies are, but as always, I only ask that we try to keep it civil in the hopes that we can have a lively conversation.

Until next time, have a great night, be safe, and take care.