All this Batman talk has got me thinking about the other good superhero movies that have been made. I thought I’d share my top 10 with ye here and see how much disagreement there was.

A few things to point out first. I’m not familiar enough with the Richard Donner Superman film to accurately remember how good it was, so I’m leaving it out. Yes, I should have watched it before this post but really we’d be waiting till Christmas for me to get around to it. Maybe I’ll re-post when I watch it again.

Also I wasn’t interested enough by the trailers for Iron Man or the latest Hulk installment to bother with them, so they won’t feature either. God, I’m the wrong man for this list really!

So, here we go;

No.10 Unbreakable
A controversial start I’ll bet. This is a vastly under-rated film! Probably the best origin story out there. I’d urge anyone who didn’t like it to watch it again and view it as a comic book story. It moves along at the pace of a weekly comic story and I believe this is what put a lot of people off.

Unbreakable brought the superhero down to a more realistic level and inspired a lot of what came after it.

To anyone who hasn’t seen it, what are you waiting for?

No. 09 Hancock
When I saw the trailer I hoped for a good film, but feared that the trailer would be the best thing about it. Hancock didn’t disappoint though and had even more to it than the trailer suggested. I look forward to seeing it again on DVD.

No. 08 Spider-Man 2
Surprised it is so low? I’m always slow to put sequels ahead of the originals as the sequel is always living off the good things of the first. A fine movie on its own and a great sequel. A superhero film to be admired for delving deeper than normal into the protagonist’s struggle with giving up the woman he loves.

No. 07 Superman Returns
I was never a huge Superman fan. For me he had it too easy. I am a big Bryan Singer fan though so went along. Singer’s joy in working on a Superman film came across in the film and he managed to bring me with him. Hope he gets to make another one.

No. 06 X-Men
Singer again. The handling of Wolverine and particularly Rogue set this film apart from most superhero movies. X-Men 2 was less of a triumph and the Singer-less X3? Well the less said about that the better. Pity Singer isn’t back for Wolverine but I’m holding out hope for a return to form for Jackman anyway.

No. 05 Batman Begins
Lower than expected? I think that while Batman Begins is a fine film, and gains even more from seeing The Dark Knight, it only works in the context it is intended – as a beginning. That isn’t good enough to make higher than no.5 for me, but I’ll still watch it many more times. I have a lot of respect for this film though as it led to The Dark Knight.

No. 04 Batman Returns
I LOVE Tim Burton’s vision of Batman. Add in Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman and you have a must see movie. I put this film on a par to Batman Begins. It is a fine film itself but works best linked to what Burton created in his first movie.

No. 03 Spider-Man
You knew it was coming. Spider-Man I liked even less than Superman. The problems I have with him continue into this film but Rami added so much to him that it is a film I enjoy a lot. I have a problem with a few key elements of the casting but Kirsten Dunst as MJ was inspired. This film set the benchmark for superhero film for many years to come.

No. 02 Batman
Tim Burton’s Batman is one of the reasons I love Batman and movies so much. What a film. I had never seen anything like it and from 1989 on superhero films were never the same. In a good way. Took a while before any other superhero film came close to the level this movie set and even longer before it was topped. Michael Keaton’s Batman was brilliant and Gotham was amazing. I love Jack’s Joker too.

No. 01 The Dark Knight
Only Batman could top Batman really! Where Burton succeeded in creating an amazing timeless World for his Batman, Nolan drops his Batman right into the World we live in today. He doesn’t hold back, letting both Batman and The Joker be as rough and dangerous as they need to be. There were points in The Dark Knight where I felt The Joker could conceivably win. Yes, I quickly realised I was watching a Hollywood movie and remembered that Batman had to win, but for any film to be able to make me forget that for any length of time is amazing. It will be a long time before The Dark Knight is knocked off it’s perch.