Batman Begins (2005)

Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman
Director: Christopher Nolan
Country: USA
Genre: Action

I’m the bat, man.

The Dark Knight is obviously herald as the superhero movies to end all superhero movies, but it wouldn’t be half as strong as it is without a firm structure to stand upon. Batman Begins is one hell of a film. It’s the reboot to put all other reboots to shame. The elements really aligned, from a suspiciously talented director to a dream cast that makes the mouth water. Add to it a script that stays faithful to the character while crafting an intriguing and thrilling story, plus cinematography by incredibly skillful up and coming director of photography, and you have a rock solid flick. Christopher Nolan has almost single handedly shown that even superhero movies should be taken seriously in addition to how entertaining they can be.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart
Director: Christopher Nolan
Country: USA
Genre: Action, Drama

Duh.

What can be said about TDK that hasn’t already been said? Not much. It’s obviously the greatest and best superhero film of all time. So, instead, I’ll just pay homage to it: Remember Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker? That was awesome. Remember the opening bank robbery? That was awesome. Remember the moral choices that Bruce Wayne had to make? Those were awesome. Remember the car chase in the tunnels? That was awesome. Remember when they replaced Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal? That was… a choice. Remember Batman’s voice? … Even the best things aren’t without their flaws…

Unbreakable (2000)

Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Penn
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Country: USA
Genre: Mystery, Thriller

In a decade completely over saturated with  superhero movies, Unbreakable brings an interesting concept to the table: a man who has lived half of his life not knowing his abilities. And it’s because of this concept, together with a decent performance from the always appealing Bruce Willis, that make this film work. It’s not very often that a film is both overrated and underrated simultaneously, but I think that the mass audience didn’t give Unbreakable the chance it needed, but I also think that people who are in love with Mr. Shyamalan’s gimmicky-schtick need to take a step back, M. Night Shyamalan’s directing is incredibly pretentious and arrogant and at points almost hinders the film. But when all is said and done, there is something in the very essence of the story that makes this film so alluring: a man coming to terms with his potential. And to me, that’s far more interesting than watching a climatic fight in the middle of a city between the hero and his nemesis.