Despite superhero movies being quite easily the most popular type of movie coming out in the modern age of cinema, not every single one blows up, takes off, or becomes a gigantic box office success. With such an oversaturated market, it’s a given that there will be plenty of superhero movies that fall to the wayside and not get the recognition they deserve.
Even amazing superhero flicks lose their chance in the sun, sometimes. Whether it’s because they aren’t from a major Marvel or DC franchise, had a lower budget, or aired on a platform that pretty much guaranteed that it wouldn’t find popularity, there are a few really amazing movies that never got the recognition they deserved. They go to prove that a filmmaker can make a great movie, and that doesn’t guarantee that it will automatically be a success, regardless of the quality that it holds.
6
‘Mystery Men’ (1999)
Everyone loves a good spoof movie, and a spoof movie starring Ben Stiller seems like a recipe for success, right? That was not the case with Mystery Men, directed by Kinka Usher. Unfortunately, despite Mystery Men being really dang funny, off the wall, and an all-around good time for any fan of the genre—hardcore or general audience.
With how large the superhero cinema landscape has become, Mystery Men is funnier today than it ever has been. Regardless of how much the space has evolved since the film’s release in 1999, the jokes in Mystery Men still hit and strike a chord. The cast—consisting of Stiller, William H. Macy, Janeane Garofalo, Hank Azaria, and more—is hilarious, having an incredible dynamic that holds the film up when it may lack at times, because no film is perfect.
5
‘Defendor’ (2009)
Defendor is one of those movies that people look back on as a unique indie flick that had a plethora of depth, making it a really nice character study. This is quite easily one of the best superhero character studies of the late 2000s. Aside from being the reason the movie worked so well, this also served as the reason it didn’t do as well as other superhero movies at the time. This caused some audience members to find it to be a little “slow”.
Among the indie cult superhero movies, Defendor is a lot more emotional than the others in the space, and definitely more gritty. Woody Harrelson delivers a genuinely great performance that really brings out the emotion within the story. Regardless of the fact that this is a much smaller movie, there’s a really strong cast through the likes of Kat Dennings, Sandra Oh, Michael Kelly, and more. They all bring great performances that help cement the emotional complexity of the project.
4
‘Super’ (2010)
Before he took the world by storm with Superman, James Gunn cut three letters and produced the great flick known simply as Super. Starring the hilarious Rainn Wilson, Super is another sort of spoof, featuring a fry cook who decides to become a costumed hero after his wife leaves him. Everyone knows—thanks to his work on the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, and, of course, Superman—that Gunn is masterful at combining hilarity with emotion, and that’s true for Super (one of his earliest examples, really).
Critics didn’t love Super, but audiences thought it was pretty funny, and it gathered quite the niche fanbase that can only be described as a cult following. Despite how great his career is right now, Gunn’s early project doesn’t get the attention that it deserves. Fans of Gunn’s work (which is a lot of people, given the response to his films) would definitely enjoy this 2010 project, and should certainly check it out. Plus, who could turn down seeing Rainn Wilson in tights and being hilarious?
3
‘The Powerpuff Girls Movie’ (2002)
Everyone knows the Powerpuff Girls from their hit television series, The Powerpuff Girls, but a lot of people don’t remember or acknowledge that they actually got a movie a few years after the show premiered, The Powerpuff Girls Movie. Not many may think this at their first look, but The Powerpuff Girls Movie is actually a really freakin’ good superhero movie. This movie went way too underappreciated and it’s a shame.
This animated flick not only captures the charm of the series, but all-around tells a really good superhero story that hits all the beats a good superhero film should. It’s akin to Shrek almost, in the sense that the film appeals to all ages, with some mature humor to entertain older audiences—not even close to as mature as Shrek‘s though, to be clear—while the little ones are captured by its spectacle. However, it seems to have fallen to the wayside, thanks in part to its mediocre box office return. Seriously, where’s the love for these super gals?
2
‘The Rocketeer’ (1991)
There’s a very good chance that if one were to ask modern audiences about The Rocketeer, they’d probably have zero idea what it is. Sure, it’s old as heck, but it’s still an enjoyable flick at the end of the day. While Superman is the modern wholesome, “hopecore” superhero film, one of the earliest out there is quite easily The Rocketeer.
Not only is The Rocketeer fun, but it’s got camp that could only be captured in the 1990s, making it feel like a breath of fresh air in comparison to today’s superhero movie climate. This project has a lot of charisma, style, and a plot that is consistently engaging. It’s old-fashioned and nostalgic, and while it hasn’t aged incredibly in some ways, The Rocketeer is still such a blast to watch today, despite the world pretty much forgetting about it.
1
‘Sky High’ (2005)
Absolutely no one would have expected an extremely low-budget Disney film like Sky High to have become a worldwide success… and it didn’t. However, those who did see it ended up really enjoying it, thanks to how well it was written. With only a budget of $35 million, Sky High did the best they could with the budget they had, and used their funds in a way that allowed them to pull off everything they needed to in a way that was, at the very least, serviceable.
The story of Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano), son of two of the world’s greatest superheroes—but powerless himself—is super compelling and most audience members found themselves able to relate to him. Everyone has struggled with feeling like they’re not enough, and Will’s story is the perfect example of how to do a story like this right. His plot makes Sky High such a fun watch, and makes some of the less-than-perfect visuals feel less offensive, because what people are watching is so dang good as it is.
Sky High
- Release Date
-
July 29, 2005
- Runtime
-
100minutes
Source link
