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1. Superman
(Director's Cut)
Richard
Donner's ode to the Man of Steel is arguably the best
comic-book inspired movie ever made. Tracing Superman's
origins from the destruction of his home world of
Krypton, to his arrival in Smallville, to his first
adventures in Metropolis, Superman really makes you
believe (as the film's tag line used to say) that
a man can fly. The movie features an all-star cast
including Christopher Reeve as the greatest Superman
ever, Gene Hackman as longtime nemesis Lex Luthor,
and Marlon Brando as Jor-el, Superman's father. Be
sure to check out the director's cut DVD which includes
improved special effects, and over half an hour of
additional footage including more material with Brando
and a great scene where Supes braves a gauntlet of
booby traps as he searches for Lex Luthor's underground
lair.
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2. Batman
(1989)
Michael
Keaton stars as a brooding caped crusader in Tim Burton's
visionary imagining of the origin of the Dark Knight.
Featuring Academy Award winning production design
by the late genius Anton Furst, a manic performance
by Jack Nicolson as The Joker, and an array of gadgets
and a Batmobile that would make James Bond jealous,
Batman is inspired comic book entertainment. Many
sequels have been made (including a dreadful turn
with George Clooney) but this is still the definitive
Batman for the silver screen.
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3. X-Men
This
tale of mutants trying to protect a world that hates
and fears them is a great and very faithful adaptation
of the Marvel Comic. The movie features a terrific
ensemble cast including Patrick Stewart as Charles
Xavier, the leader of the X-Men; Sir Ian McKellan
as the twisted Magneto; and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
Sporting a very intelligent script and a climactic
battle on the Statue of Liberty, X-Men is another
literate and intelligent comic book translation.
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4. Mystery
Men
Based
on the Dark Horse comic book, Mystery Men is a hilarious
movie about would be superheros with very questionable
super powers. Especially memorable are Ben Stiller
as Mr. Furious whose special power is to get very
very mad, Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) as the flatulent
Spleen, Greg Kinnear as the product placement happy
Captain Amazing, and Jeffrey Rush as the crazed villain
Casanova Frankenstein. Make sure to check out the
Invisible Boy, who can only become invisible when
no one is looking! Not your typical superheros.
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5. Judge
Dredd
Featuring
great stunts, stellar special effects, and Armand
Assante as one of the great comic book villians, Judge
Dredd takes us to the futuristic Mega City One as
we follow Dredd, a new breed of judge jury and executioner,
bring his unique brand of justice to the city's inhabitants.
A Sylvester Stallone movie that doesn't suck? Who
would have thought such a thing possible?
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Honorable
Mentions
Spider-Man (Widescreen Edition)
Sam Raimi's hit about the origin of the web slinger
and his battle with the crazed Green Goblin was one
of the most successful films of all time and this
past summer's biggest hit.
Batman - The Movie
(1966)
Filmed at the same time as the hit 60's series, this
campy take on the Caped Crusader has Batman and Robin
facing off against an all-star cast of villians (including
former Miss America Lee Meriwether as Catwoman). Hilarious
and still hugely entertaining, no one can spew lines
like "You filthy Criminals" with such straight-faced
conviction like Adam West.
Men in Black (Deluxe Edition)
Protecting Earth from the scum of the universe, Tommy
Lee Jones and Will Smith are agents K and J of the
Men in Black. Loosely based on an obscure comic book,
MIB is an entertaining mix of sci-fi, comedy, and
comic-book action with great performances and special
effects. Vincent D'Onofrio steals the show as the
hilariously disgusting Edgar Bug.
The Shadow
Alec Baldwin stars as the man who knows what evil
lurks in the hearts of men. Filmed as a 1940's period
piece, our hero matches wits with John Lone as the
last descendant of Ghengis Khan.
The Phantom
Based on Lee Falk's classic comic strip character,
The Phantom is a pure entertainment. Written by Indiana
Jones scribe Jeffrey Boam and featuring Billy Zane
as The Ghost Who Walks, Treat Williams as villianous
millionaire Xander Drax, and the pirates of the Seng
Brotherhood. The story centers on a struggle to gain
possession of three (or is it four?) mystical skulls
that will bring the bearer unlimited power.
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