| Not all of the best
superhero movies are inspired by comics and as such
since the revival of the comic book movie, the superhero
film has taken on a sub-genre of its own. There are
plenty of films out there based on anime, manga, and
comic books, but sometimes directors and studios pick up
original properties that take on a life of their own as
potential comic book bait. From the animated to the
cult, these are the best superhero movies not based on
comic books. |
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Black Scorpion
1995-2002
One of my all time
favorite superhero franchises, "Black Scorpion" became a
comic book much later in to its shelf life. But before
it, it was a cult camp classic that transformed from a
one shot superhero movie to a schlocky series that also
became a short life science fiction television show. The
movies have just been an excuse to feature busty women
in scantily clad costumes who can emit sexual vibes to
one another, but on its surface, "Black Scorpion" is a
very fun and absolutely engrossing story of a cop who
becomes a Batman-like avenger when she tires of
following the law and decides to don the costume and
strike down the underworld. The later films in the
franchise are campier and much more erotic, but all
films hold a special place in my heart as being that
goofy female super heroine series with potential to be
something so much bigger. |
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Unbreakable
2000
Yet another not
necessarily tale about a superhero, M. Night Shyamalan's
"Unbreakable" took some time to become completely
appreciated among the mass of movie-goers. Not a horror
movie and definitely not a movie with a shocking ending,
"Unbreakable" is instead a love letter to the comic book
mythology we all grew up on. Bruce Willis plays David, a
man with amazing power that allows him to remain
invulnerable to bodily damage. Samuel L. Jackson plays
Elijah, a man capable of breaking at every turn. With
this "Unbreakable" unfolds the classic conflict of good
and evil in a realistic world where new abilities aren't
always appreciated and excellence must become mediocrity
to avoid being shunned like a monster. But Elijah
realizes his role in this grand dichotomy, thus
Shyamalan unleashes a hell of a dissection of the comic
book formula that works as a meta-movie and tale about
good ultimately breeding evil. |
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Push
2009
Not surprisingly, "Push" isn't the
most critically admired film, and that may be because
the film doesn't really know what it wants to be. Nor
does it seem to understand its own premise. But at the
end of the day I was so utterly enamored with the
superhero story behind this and the super powered beings
in this world that it didn't matter too much. At least
not to us. Pushers are people who can move things with
their minds. And there are groups of others who can do
incredible things like envision things with their minds
they lay out through pictures on a pen and a paper. And
of course they're on the run from the corporation that
wants them for nefarious purposes. Surely it's a routine
Fugitive flick, but it's a dazzlingly shot and well
acted bit of superhero cinema that works as pure
entertainment if you're willing to forgive its flaws. |
Sidekick
2005
Not necessarily a tale about a superhero, but we count
this if only because it's one of the best indie
representations of the modern comic book mythos we've
seen in years. An indie production we're constantly
raving about, "Sidekick" is the story of a man with the
capability for amazing super powers and the comic book
nerd who decides to become his Obi-Wan. But things take
a turn for the worse when the man wielding the powers
ends up being bitter, power hungry, and downright
murderous and now his mentor must figure out how to stop
his amazing power and hopefully undo the damage he's
done now that he's unleashed an incredible power on the
world that could corrupt society. What's so fantastic
about the comic lore is that whenever a major evil is
born, a major good is also born. So as this tells the
tale of a villain, you can only imagine across the world
a great good is being created to put a stop to it.
That's how the universe balances itself out. |
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Sky High
2005
Influenced by the classic era of DC Comics and the over
saturation of superheroes in the universe, "Sky High" is
an original family film that also manages to be damn
entertaining. Essentially the world is divided in to
heroes and sidekicks. Super Kids go to a special school
to decide if they should be treated as heroes or
sidekicks. But in the face of an ultimate nemesis and
their plans to rally a string of power hungry kids to
their side, the son of The Commander and JetStream rises
to the occasion to become a true superhero and teaches
other rejects how they can implement their powers to
fight against ultimate evil. "Sky High" has a lot going
for it including creativity, a sense of originality, and
its eye firmly placed on the cult. There's supporting
performances by Bruce Campbell, Lynda Carter, and Dave
Foley, features a central role by none other than Kurt
Russell who dons the cape and costume of The Commander.
And of course there's a role by then unknown Mary
Elizabeth Winstead. It's tough to enjoy comic books and
not enjoy what this movie tries to put across for fans. |
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Super
2010
Director James Gunn's film about fan boys becoming crime
fighters is a very similar to its predecessor to "Kick
Ass" and ultimately much more superior. Where as the
previous film glorified the fan boy becoming a
superhero, "Super" exposes the violent cruel nature of
crime fighting and what it can do to people whose fetish
becomes pain and human torment. Director Gunn spotlights
a man tired of being pushed around after losing his
girlfriend, and dons a red costume to shut up crime once
and for all. But the shit hits the fan when the
consequences of his crime fighting become all too real,
and his blossoming sidekick ends up becoming a
psychopathic rapist with a penchant for sadism. "Super"
is a marvelous film that puts to use much of its prime
talent and in the end I'll take it over the previous
monstrosity called "Kick Ass" any day of the week. |
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The
Incredibles
2001
Obviously based on the classic comic books of yor and
the genre defining graphic novel "The Watchmen,"
director Brad Bird's "The Incredibles" is a love letter
to the classic comic books of the golden and silver age
that demonstrates what life would be like if amazing
power had to be restrained in a ho hum world. After
Earth's greatest superheroes are sued by a man who was
attempting to commit suicide, they're all brought down
by the government and re-located to different towns
where they're forced to live day by day on ho hum jobs
and family life. Mr. Incredible aka Bob Parr is one of
them. He must deal with a world that demands the bare
minimum where he once stood as the almighty savior who
helped bring down Earth's greatest foes. And must also
deal with a family of super powered beings all of whom
are struggling to find their place in the world. When a
new villain garners interest in Mr. Incredible and his
family. Bob must help them come to terms with their
abilities and hopefully save the world. It's a dazzling
spectacle and one that remains one of our favorite
animated films of all time. |
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