All five comic book films also resemble other genres (such as crime dramas and Westerns) in order to display stories that cross a fine line between justice and revenge, as well as heroism and vigilantism. Each picture challenges the characters involved, causing spectators to question whether or not superheroes are necessary in the world.
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Aside from X-Men, comic book films would generally contain one or two heroes working together to stop evil villains from destroying the world. However, The Avengers is a monumental superhero picture because it contains several popular Marvel characters joining forces to fight a common enemy. This is a rare occasion in which six or seven powerful heroes collide to form a strong, unified team.
Infinity War and Endgame are both emotionally powerful and worthy of best picture nominations as well, but the first Avengers film set the stage for the MCU going forward due to its ability to combine intense action and comic relief, as well as getting the concept of building a team the right way. Iron Man and Captain America’s complex bond, Thor and Hulk’s friendly feud, Loki’s mischievous schemes, Black Widow and Hawkeye’s friendship, and Nick Fury’s commanding presence are all crucial ingredients that make The Avengers work as an ensemble piece.
For nearly two decades, Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine has been applauded by fans and critics for his physicality, his emotional pain, and his funny one-liners. His action sequences are always top-notch, but Logan gave the clawed hero the opportunity to unleash some great R-rated carnage that makes other superhero films pale in comparison. Along with the bloody action is an emotionally impactful story that transcends Wolverine and Charles Xavier in terms of getting older and questioning whether powerful mutants are relevant in a divisive world.
While Logan wasn’t nominated for best picture, it did become the first superhero/comic book film to be nominated for screenwriting, and it is well deserved, especially for its combination of genres. Like Unforgiven and No Country For Old Men, Logan resembles a Western due to the dusty and sandy atmosphere of the Mexican border in the beginning, and for depicting Logan and Charles as older, vulnerable heroes who still have some fight left in them to protect a young mutant. There are also elements of a horror/slasher film, including the bloody scene in which X-24 (an evil version of Wolverine) stabs Charles, kills a family in a small house, and beats up Logan. Logan gave fans an emotionally bloody ride, but also a satisfying end to two of the most beloved superheroes to grace the screen.
V For Vendetta isn’t for everyone because it is an intense picture that combines the effects of a revolutionary war with vigilante justice. The protagonist (who calls himself V) is enigmatic and charismatic in terms of how he presents himself. V is a man who has endured tremendous pain and torture from those who wronged him and seeks vengeance. Unlike Batman, V is a more traditional vigilante hero, but a powerfully bloody one due to his tactics with knives, hand-to-hand combat, and use of explosives.
While he wears a Guy Fawkes/Anonymous mask throughout the entire film, Hugo Weaving (best known as Agent Smith in The Matrix) delivers a powerful performance as V, who can be sinister and deadly when killing off his enemies, and charming during his interactions with Natalie Portman’s female protagonist, Evey. Music and dance also bring out V’s charm, displaying some moments of happiness amidst his vengeful gloom. The late John Hurt (who starred in another dystopian film, Nineteen Eighty-Four) is menacing as an evil dictator in Britain, yelling out orders and demanding that people refuse to follow V’s revolutionary act against corrupt authority.
No film looks and feels like a comic book more than Sin City, Robert Rodriguez’s depiction of Frank Miller’s graphic novel. With its black and white look, along with some colorfully stylized bloody violence, Sin City is a skillful combination of small stories filled with macho men and dangerous femme Fatales. Each character has their fair share of conflicts and vengeful agendas. The scenarios of love, revenge, corruption, and redemption may be familiar from countless other action and comic book films, but it’s how each story is presented, and the way the talented cast portrays these hard-edged characters, that make Sin City cinematically innovative.
From Bruce Willis’s beat-up police detective trying to protect a young woman from an ugly, violent rapist, to Mickey Rourke’s buffed-up role as a guy who goes above the law to seek vengeance for the death of a woman he briefly knew but deeply loved, the heroes in the film face strong villains who are sadistic and unrelenting (some of which are sons of dirty politicians and corrupt priests). The women played by Rosario Dawson, Jessica Alba, and several others, are also fierce heroines who successfully combine beauty with toughness. Even smaller characters, such as Josh Hartnett’s smooth assassin, Benicio Del Toro’s crazed dirty cop, and Powers Boothe’s evil senator, also stand out due to their extreme measures. The narration by the primary characters is also key in exploring the dark and psychologically complex nature of these people in a city filled with constant danger.
No other film has made a stronger impact on modern superhero movies than Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. His entire trilogy not only deserved best picture nominations but should be recognized as the greatest superhero series ever made due to its grittiness and its deep focus on the meaning of heroism. Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne/Batman character is one of the best portrayals of a hero on screen because of how he has transformed himself from a lost man seeking vengeance for the death of his parents, to becoming a strong hero with moral principles. However, as The Dark Knight unveils, Batman’s heroics are constantly tested, from the challenging villains he faces, to several police officers believing that a vigilante hero only makes crime in Gotham City worse.
Along with Bale’s Batman, the late Heath Ledger delivers a memorable Oscar-winning performance as arguably the most methodical Joker yet, who is also darkly funny in an unsettling way. Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey ‘Two-Face’ Dent is an ambitious attorney who believes he can take away crime in Gotham until he loses himself in corruption and emotional turmoil. Batman’s allies, such as Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), Alfred (Michael Caine), and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), provide the right amount of emotion and drama in Batman’s crusade. The inclusion of cops, criminals, and gangsters also makes The Dark Knight feel like a crime drama.
These comic book/superhero films are not only action-packed and entertaining, but they also display some sense of realism in terms of how dangerous it can be for heroes to fight crime in order to defeat tough criminals and powerfully corrupt people. These heroes may be physically strong, but they also have deep human emotions, making them complex characters. Hopefully, the Academy recognizes more of these movies because they also tell powerful stories of heroism and redemption.
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