Maximus Rex
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15. Chronicle (2012)
Wanna see how someone becomes a supervillain? Boom. Josh Trank's out of nowhere hit is also one of the few movies to make the found-footage conceit work in its favor, and not just feel like a gimmick.
14. Spider-Man (2002)
As with been told time and time again, with great power comes great responsibility. But there should also be some fun-and that's what Sam Raimi's take on Marvel's biggest hero delivered. Swinging through Manhattan has to be a stone-cold blast.
13. Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014)
If you're gonna to take a comic book flick that's also a '70sesque political thriller, you could do far worse than put Robert Redford at the center of it. The end gets too shooty-shooty-punchy-explodey, but there are some smart reveals and terrific character moves along the way.
12. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Remember when we said that no other movie looks like a Guillermo del Toro movie? This is the most Guillermo del Toro-est movie ever. The man's imagination is an international treasure.
11. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
There is not a whiff of irony anywhere near this movie-and coming after Iron Man, which used irony and sarcasm like a cologne, that's saying something and given this is the story of a man who is chosen to be America's super-soldier because he's unfailing good, straight is the only way to play it.
10. Superman II (1980)
Like the Stones said, you can't always get what you want (giving up your powers to live a life with Lois Lane), but if you try sometimes, you'll find, you get what you need (your powers back and to beat the shit out of General Zod).
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLOMdddg11A9. X2: X-Men United (2003)
Bryan Singer really stepped his game up with this sequel: his tentative handling of action in X-Men gave way to sure confidence. The metaphors at the center of the X-Men-mutants are social outcasts are a proxy for whichever marginalized group you prefer-were sharper. And there was an operatic tragedy at work, sadly, wouldn't get paid off.
8. The Avengers (2012)
Lots of people have pointed out the various plot conveniences of Joss Whedon's box-office behemoth. (Why does Loki need Hawkeye, anyway?) Thing is, none of it mattered because The Avengers was the culmination of every comic book nerd's dream. Also, super-fun.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYs5NGw2EYc7. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
If The Avengers was super-fan, this one is super-duper fun. I still don't know what Peter Quill wants or why Ronan is called "The Accuser" or for that matter, what the movie is about. And I also don't care. Perfect synthesis of mood and humor.
6. Iron Man (2008)
Here's the thing about Iron Man: This film lives and dies on Robert Downey Jr's shoulders. The entire second act of the movie is just him, in his garage, building a thing. No bad guy, no conflict; just the sheer joy of watching RDJ will himself into being a movie star again.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTL4qIIxg8A5. The Matrix (1999)
The Wachowskis wanted to create a kung-fu Superman, and wouldn't you know it, they absolutely did. Pure mythic invention.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhCm66QhW_Y4. Superman (1978)
We all believed a man can fly. And, for the first time, we understood how Superman made everybody believe that he was Clark Kent, thanks to the great-granddaddy of casting master strokes, Christopher Reeve.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K3E5tLoado3. The Dark Knight (2008)
The first movie to understand that The Joker isn't a character as we know characters. He doesn't want anything, besides chaos. He doesn't need anything, besides the warm glow of an explosion at his back. He is the elemental trickster god, which makes him the perfect Batman villain. He's a thing that you can beat punching.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_44L4Ffff9w2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Nuff said.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5v2qBBD-gE1. The Incredibles
Not only did writer-director Brad Bird make the best Fantastic Four movie thus far, he also made the best James Bond movie in 20 years. All while telling a searing story of a couple in the throes of a mid-life crises, wrapped in a film ostensibly for children. This film is not just art, but high art.
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