In my post yesterday about the Marvel Cinematic Universe Vs. the DC Extended Universe, I laid it all out as to which universe had the upper hand in the comic book film arena. While Marvel clearly has the upper hand at the moment, that doesn’t mean that DC doesn’t have it’s successes. It really does. But when it comes to the DCEU, they got off on the wrong foot, and I hope they get on track with movies like Wonder Woman and Justice League. For a while, DC movies were pretty much the only game in town, up until 1997, for somewhat obvious reasons: *cough* Batman And Robin. *cough* I should warn you that this list will be somewhat limited to Batman and Superman right now, because those two characters are the ones that are getting the most attention right now, for better or for worse. We won’t see Wonder Woman in her own movie until next year, and the same goes for Aquaman and The Flash. I will be including some animated features on this list, because some of them are simply amazing. With that in mind, let’s get into some of my favorite DC-based movies.
Batman(1989)
When it comes to superhero movies, Tim Burton’s Batman is one of the most memorable, because it was the first Batman film to take the character into a much darker territory, and it really worked wonders. People were really skeptical about Michael Keaton as Batman, as he’s more of a comedian. Anybody who has seen the film now can tell you that Keaton’s performance was exceptional. The Batsuit was/is one of the most iconic superhero outfits of all time. But a great superhero needs a great supervillain, and The Joker is Batman’s greatest adversary. Jack Nicholson’s performance is completely off the charts. He nearly steals the show in every scene that he’s in. The design of the film was unique, as was the design of the Batmobile which was very sleek, stylish and intimidating. The whole movie dripped with atmosphere and it was a whole ton of fun. It remains one of my favorite movies ever.
Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice
This one may come across as a controversial decision on my part, but I really, really like this movie. Honestly, if you’re going to see this movie, watch the extended version. It’s a much better film than the theatrical release. I happen to be a big fan of Zack Snyder as a director. He has a very unique way of shooting his movies, and I like the darker tone of his interpretation of Superman. While the overall tone of Batman V. Superman may come across as a bit too grim-dark, there really is no denying the talent that’s on display here. While Henry Cavill is still good as Superman, it’s Ben Affleck that steals the show as Bruce Wayne/Batman. He brings an older and much harder edge to the character than we’ve seen before. I mean, he makes the character legitimately scary, and that’s a good thing. Jeremy Irons is also fantastic as Alfred. He’s Bruce Wayne’s conscience as it were, as well as his mechanic and butler. The more I watch the film the more I’m actually digging Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Yeah, he comes across as a bit goofy at times, but with the extended version of the film, you start to understand how manipulative the character really is. While people are still questioning the appearance of Doomsday in this film, not many people can deny that Wonder Woman’s appearance is something to behold. This is the first time that we’ve seen the character of Wonder Woman in a live-action film. Gal Gadot gives it a 110% and proves that she can hold her own with the big boys. I’m legitimately looking forward to her solo film. While the film is more or less a mixed bag, I actually really like it.
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
When Superman: The Movie was released back in 1978, most people didn’t realize that Richard Donner had actually filmed both Superman and Superman II at the same time. The problem was is that the Salkind’s didn’t particularly care for the way that Richard Donner was going to take Superman II, so they fired him and brought in Richard Lester to reshoot most of the movie. While Lester’s version was serviceable, there was something missing from that film. About 12 years ago, a group of film-makers along with Richard Donner had found the footage that he had shot for Superman II, and with some updated visual effects, and the use of some rehearsal footage, Richard Donner finished the movie that he had set out to create so many years ago. The result is a completely different look at Superman II. A lot of Lester’s elements were completely removed, along with the entire terrorism in Paris plot-line. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is more in tone with the original film as it should be. It even uses John Williams’ real score instead of Ken Thorne’s interpretation. It feels more like a legitimate sequel this time around. I highly recommend it.
The Dark Knight Trilogy
I’ve decided to include an entire trilogy here, because Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy is absolutely amazing. After the disastrous Batman and Robin, Warner Bros. took some time to rethink how to approach the character of Batman again, without becoming a total joke. In 2005, with Christopher Nolan at the helm, we get Batman Begins, an extremely solid, realistic and entertaining film that feels more like a crime drama than an actual superhero movie. However, it was the sequel, The Dark Knight, that gave Batman the boost that he needed, with Heath Ledger’s mesmerizing performance as The Joker. It was dark, violent, and extremely compelling. The Dark Knight Rises, while not as good as the previous film, ends the trilogy on a high note, with a confrontation with one of Batman’s most notorious villains: Bane. Tom Hardy is unrecognizable as the masked terrorist. Anne Hathaway is stunning as Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt is great. The Dark Knight Trilogy is one of the best trilogies that I have had the pleasure of watching. These are great movies, every single one of them.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is significant for a number of reasons. One: It’s the first full-length animated movie produced by Warner Bros. Two: It shows us a side of Bruce Wayne that we have never seen before. There are moments in this film when we see Mr. Wayne actually happy when he meets his girlfriend, and yet he seems very guilty for feeling that way. He’s known almost nothing but hate, anger and sadness for the death of his parents. The film was released during the height of the popularity of the animated series in 1993, but it doesn’t feel like a kid’s movie. There’s a good deal of mature subject matter that the film deals with that really isn’t suited for children. I find that very refreshing in an animated feature. It’s just a shame that Mask of the Phantasm didn’t get the attention it deserved when it was first released. I managed to procure a copy of the film on DVD, so I’m proud to have it as a part of my collection. It’s a really good movie with solid voice acting from Kevin Conroy(Batman) and Mark Hamill(The Joker). I don’t think I can recommend it enough.
Superman: The Movie
This is it. This is the one. This is the movie that really got DC Comics into the movie business. While there have been live-action adaptations of the Man of Steel, none have come even close to what Richard Donner has achieved with Superman: The Movie. The tag line for the movie was: “You will believe a man can fly.” Many consider this one to be the greatest comic book movie of all time, and it’s genuinely hard to argue with that assessment. It’s phenomenal. It has a phenomenal cast featuring Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, Terence Stamp and Margot Kidder. But the real star of the show was Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent. I don’t know what else I can say, except nobody else played Superman the way Reeve did. You also can’t forget that amazing soundtrack by John Williams. Wow is the best word to describe Superman’s theme. It’s phenomenal.
Well, there you have it: My list for the best movies that DC Entertainment has produced over the years. While recent films like Batman V. Superman may have stumbled and fallen on their faces, DC still has time to turn things around and hopefully craft a universe that’s as compelling, if not more so, than Marvel Entertainment. So, I’m hoping that they can get their act together and start really producing some top quality films.