‘Wonder Woman’
One thing to notice with superhero movies is that most of them center around men; if there are women superheroes, they are often supporting characters or part of an ensemble. “Wonder Woman” follows Diana (Gal Gadot), with help from an Allies pilot, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), during World War I as she tries to find and defeat Ares, the god of war, and end the violence. Not only is there a lot of action, but there are also more personal scenes with characters just walking, allowing the viewer to get to know them more. If you want a good female-led superhero movie, then this is a must-see.
‘Deadpool’
Getting tired of all these serious superhero movies and want something more comedic? Maybe you get annoyed of the tropes in these movies and want something that makes fun of them? If that’s the case then “Deadpool” is the movie for you. This film makes fun of traditional superhero movies and all of their cliches, but it still knows it’s a superhero movie so it never comes across as mean-spirited. This movie follows mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reyolds) who discovers he has cancer, so he goes to the Weapon X program to try to cure it. He ends up being cured but is left completely disfigured and as a result, he goes on a killing spree, trying to find the man responsible, in order to fix his body. What makes this movie work is that it knows what kind of movie it is and embraces it. It has action, romance, a cliche villain and a loveable comic relief, making for an easy recommendation.
‘The Dark Knight’
What can be said about this movie that hasn’t already been said? Not only is it considered by many to be the greatest Batman movie ever made, but also one of the greatest movies ever made. It got so much praise that the Academy Awards went from nominating five best pictures to 10 because fans were upset this movie wasn’t nominated. Not to mention Heath Ledger won a posthumous best supporting actor Oscar for his role as the Joker. The movie follows Bruce Wayne, aka Batman (Christian Bale), as he stops criminal after criminal in Gotham City, when the Joker (Heath Ledger) arrives, threatening citywide chaos unless Batman reveals his true identity to everyone. What makes this movie work is that it tries to set itself in the real world, feeling more like a crime drama that also happens to be a superhero movie. It talks about real issues and doesn’t have people flying around in a spaceship. Characters have consequences for their actions, and it shows that not everyone gets to have a happy ending. So if you want more realism in a superhero movie, then consider watching “The Dark Knight.”
‘Logan’
“Logan,” like “The Dark Knight,” received much acclaim for its realism. It’s dark, it’s gritty, it’s brutal, but most importantly, it’s human. The best part about this movie is the characters and the journey they go through, both literally and figuratively. They all have gone through hell and just want their suffering to end, and you feel that. The movie follows Logan (Hugh Jackman) as he protects a young girl named Laura (Dafne Keen), with the help of his aged mentor, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). While it does help more if you have seen the previous X-Men and Wolverine movies, you can still feel that these two characters have been through a lot and want them to have a happy ending. If you want a movie that’s brutal but still has heart, then this is definitely the movie for you.
‘The Avengers’
Now we talk about the infamous Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU is the highest grossing film franchise of all time, with a grand total of 23 movies and counting, along with several TV shows, tie-in-comics and more, giving people have their own pick of where to jump on the MCU bandwagon. Some say “Iron Man,” because it kicked off the franchise back in 2008. Others say “Captain America: The First Avenger,” because it’s the first MCU movie chronologically. A highlight of the franchise is the various interactions between the ensemble of superheroes. “The Avengers” highlights the first time most characters in the MCU met each other. “The Avengers” follows Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) as they team up to battle Thor’s brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who is trying to invade and conquer Earth with the help of the Chitauri alien race. Some of the best scenes are when the team argues with each other because it shows their different ideals clashing. But, when the movie focuses on them fighting together, it’s still exciting to see. If you want a fun ensemble movie with great characters, then this is a great film to add to your watchlist.
