Over the past few weeks I’ve been on a real DC movie kick. I’m a huge fan of comic book movies in general, but over the past decade I’ve really tuned into the genre. I absolutely love what Marvel has done with their Cinematic Universe and how it ties over 20 movies together. But like many people, I started watching superhero movies with DC’s line-up because they were the first to be successful at it. From Superman to Aquaman, DC’s live-action films have always had a particular look and feel that separates them from other films. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been watching a lot of DC’s movies. I haven’t been watching just the live-action films, but DC’s animated stuff too, but I’ll save the animated films for another day. For this post, I want to go over some of the best moments in DC’s live action films. My requirements are fairly simple for this one: Only one moment from each movie. There are many moments from each movie that are amazing, but there is really only one that kind of defines that film in my eyes. Sequels and reboots are also allowed. So…let’s get this party started.
Superman: The Movie
There is no doubt in many people’s minds that Superman: The Movie is one of, if not, the greatest superhero film of all time. It’s really hard to argue that point. This film is damn near perfect in terms of casting, characterization, direction, music, and visual effects. So, picking one great moment out of many was not necessarily easy, but not as hard as you would think. This scene in which Superman reveals himself to rescue Lois Lane sets up the rest of the film for what we can expect. This scene pretty much has it all. It’s thrilling, scary, funny and a lot of fun. It’s also done to John Williams’ iconic score. This scene is worth the entry price alone.
Batman(1989)
Like Richard Donner’s Superman, Tim Burton’s Batman is an iconic piece of film-making. Not just because Burton jettisoned the overly campy tones of previous incarnations of the character, but also in how he reintroduces Batman to the audience and takes a much darker approach to the material. A superhero is only as good as his villain, and Batman has a lot of villains. His most infamous villain is the Joker. It’s important to not only introduce the main character, but you also have to introduce the villain, or in this case, a rebirth of sorts. In the film, Jack Napier is a gangster working for Carl Grissom in Gotham City only to be dropped into a vat of chemicals and becomes the maniac that everybody knows and loves. This scene is the first one in which the Joker appears in all his glory, killing Grissom and taking over the crime syndicate. It’s wild.
Man of Steel
Re-introducing a character as popular as Superman was never going to be an easy task, but for director Zack Snyder, he succeeded. Not only did he take a different approach to Kal-El that made the character more flawed, but also more relatable. He makes mistakes and his actions have consequences, but he still ends up trying to bring hope to the people of Earth. This sequences where Superman learns how to fly is going to go down as one of the most iconic sequences in DC’s movies. It’s also the first scene in which Clark steps out in his iconic outfit for the first time. It all happens while Jor-El is still speaking to his son with Hans Zimmer’s rousing music playing in the background. While the overall film isn’t perfect, this scene is, because it shows that Superman isn’t perfect but strives to do better.
Wonder Woman
Setting Wonder Woman during World War I was a brilliant idea. Not only does the film sidestep the errors that Batman V. Superman made, it also gives Gal Gadot’s character her first movie and it’s a hell of a starter. This particular scene is extraordinary and will become one of the most well-known sequences in comic book movies for decades. By all accounts, No Man’s Land was a terrifying place to be for soldiers on either side. After seeing a good deal of suffering, Diana decides to take action and steps onto the field blocking bullets and paving the way for Trevor and his men as well as their battalion. Not only is this her first appearance in the film with her full outfit, she does it with confidence and it’s a powerful sequence.
Aquaman
While a lot of the moments that I’ve shown so far have featured some pretty big action, sometimes it’s the smaller character moments that make the most impact. Aquaman, while cheesy and a boatload of fun(pun intended), there are some moments that have some real emotional weight. This little quiet moment between Arthur and Mera is fantastic. Obviously, there’s definitely a connection between the characters, as the banter between the two over the course of the film bordered on antagonistic, but this boat sequence brings it down to a more personal level. It’s a turning point for these characters. Arthur finally admits that he’s not really good at being anything but a blunt instrument as he puts it, but Mera finally sees who he is and what he is capable of becoming. You can have all the spectacle and big battle sequences in the world, but they don’t mean a thing if you can’t connect to the characters. As goofy as Aquaman is at times, there is definitely a focus on the characters….mostly, and it does it well.
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
If you haven’t seen this little sequence before, that’s okay. It wasn’t in the theatrical release of Superman II when it was released. In fact, a lot of what Richard Donner had filmed for Superman II was redone when he was fired by the Salkinds following the original film’s massive success. Donner had about 70 percent of the film completed when he was fired. All the footage that he had filmed wouldn’t be seen again until 2006 when Richard Donner was able to release a version of Superman II that was closer to his vision of what it should. What we see in the 2006 release is almost a completely different movie, especially in how Lois Lane confirms that Clark Kent is Superman. The theatrical release had Superman accidentally stumble into a fire in a hotel. It was a pretty stupid sequence, but the original plan was what you see in this scene here. This was actually footage from a test screening between Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve. It’s flawed for sure as consistency between shots is all over the place. One second, Reeve has longer hair and in the next, it’s a lot shorter, but the effect of the scene remains the same. This is actually a very clever move on Lois’ part by shooting Clark. She then tells him that it’s a blank, meaning that she outwitted Superman. It’s one of the many changes that you will see in the Richard Donner cut of Superman II.
Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice
As much as I enjoyed Batman V. Superman, I’ll be the first to admit that the film has a lot of problems. While the Extended Cut is a much better film than the theatrical release, it still has a lot of problems. Leaving Doomsday out of the equation would have been a much better option, as the main conflict was supposed to be between Superman and Batman. That being said, this final battle with Doomsday is absolutely bonkers. The biggest moment in the movie and it’s one that a lot of people have been wanting to see for decades is when Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman step into the same sequence together. It would have been better had this team-up been in a better film, but even so, it’s really awesome to see the Superhero Trinity together for the first time in a live-action film.
Justice League
Like Batman V. Superman, Justice League has a lot of problems. Some of those problems were a result of Zack Snyder being forced to leave the project, but there was also a lot of studio interference involved. When Snyder left the project, Joss Whedon was brought on to lighten the film up with more humor and action. It worked to a certain extent, as the film is a lot more fun than BvS was. The chemistry between the heroes is fantastic and is easily the best part of the film. This scene where Cyborg, Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman are on a transport heading into battle against Steppenwolf is one of the funniest scenes in the whole film. Aquaman goes into this whole speech about going out with a bang until he decides that he doesn’t want to die. Batman then points to Arthur’s leg, as Diana’s lasso is tied around it forcing him to tell the truth. Moments like these make the movie worth watching.
The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy is one of the best movie trilogies ever released. It’s the second film that really sells the whole thing. It’s the darkest and most brutal of the three. It pushes the PG-13 rating to its absolute limits. While this is the second time that the Joker has appeared on this list, Heath Ledger’s take on the character is far more terrifying than Jack Nicholson’s character could ever hope to be. You can’t even recognize Heath Ledger here. He IS the Joker. Every time he’s on screen, he steals the show. This interrogation sequence illustrates the Joker’s brilliance and insanity all at the same time. There’s no rhyme or reason to why he does the things he does. He’s an anarchist/terrorist. This scene is absolutely intense. From what’s been revealed about the scene, Heath Ledger actually had Christian Bale punch him in the face. THAT is serious dedication to the craft.
Those are just a handful of outstanding moments from DC’s live-action movies. While Warner Bros. and DC have definitely stumbled a few times with their movies over the years, I think they got more right than they got wrong. I honestly can’t wait to see what they’ve got coming on down the road. Shazam! is set to be released in the next week or so, so I’m looking forward to that and the Wonder Woman sequel that’s coming next year. If there are any moments that you liked from DC’s line-up, feel free to share them in the comments below.