The top three Superhero Films that aren’t Marvel
Our regular film column
Okay guys, seriously now, Disney is starting to scare me. Now that they own ESPN, ABC, Lucas films, Pixar AND Marvel the ludicrous amount of money they make could, theoretically (and I’m not saying this is a definite), fund a pretty decent world domination effort. I’m just saying. The only way to stop this is to not give their bloated superhero film franchise any more money. Here are some alternatives:
Watchmen (2009)
Based on the graphic novel of the same name by eccentric genius Alan Moore, Watchmen demonstrates that Zac Snyder is at least somewhat capable of making a decent superhero film, despite what his most recent offering might suggest. Despite condemnation from Moore himself (unsurprising, he hates all adaptions of his books) Watchmen actually manages to hold up. It’s not perfect – or as clever as the book – but its surprising faithfulness to the source material and gorgeous aesthetics make it a fitting complement.
Hellboy (2004)
Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy was my unchallenged favourite film in primary school. It’s not your typical superhero film, but its unique ‘del Toro’ nature is what makes it stand out. Today, I consider both the original and its sequel two of the most underrated cult classics of all time. I promise this isn’t just nostalgia speaking… Ok maybe it is a bit.
The Dark Knight (2008)
I don’t know why, but it feels a bit weird putting this film on the list. Everybody raves about it so much that a lot of people are bored of hearing about it. On the other hand, including it makes my job easier because I don’t need to do any convincing. The Dark Knight is one of the best films ever. Go watch it again.