Marvel vs. DC: Round 1: Pre 2008

Pre 2008 DC Films VS. Pre 2008 Marvel Films

VS

First of all, I am not counting anything before Superman: The Movie, which I consider the birth of the REAL comic book movie. Batman: The Movie has it's place but not on my blog.

Let's go over the movies up for discussion here: 

DC releases pre 2008: 
Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Swamp Thing (1982), Superman III (1983), Supergirl (1984), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), The Return of Swamp Thing (1989), Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995), Batman & Robin (1997), Steel (1997), Catwoman (2004), Batman Begins (2005), Superman Returns (2006)

Marvel releases pre 2008:
 Howard the Duck (1986), The Punisher (1989), Captain America (1990), Fantastic Four (1994), Men in Black (1997), Blade (1998), X-Men (2000), Blade II (2002), Spider-Man (2002), Men in Black II (2002),  Daredevil (2003), X2 (2003), Hulk (2003), The Punisher (2004), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Blade: Trinity (2004), Elektra (2005), Fantastic Four (2005), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Ghost Rider (2007), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

THE GOOD:

This is the story of the Big Five.

Superman: The Movie is the foundation on which all the great comic movies have been built. With big stars in supporting roles (Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman and Ned Beatty), huge set pieces, glorious tellings of iconic back stories, and some out of this world special effects. (Christopher Reeve flying stands the test of time.) John William's music made us soar, Christopher Reeve was the perfect everyman and superman and Gene Hackman was so damn fun! Like all super hero movies it has it's flaws, (Earth spinning time travel, Margot Kidder.) but after Watergate, it made america believe again in truth, justice and the american way.


Batman 89 is one of my all time favorite comic book movies. Based on Alan Moore and Frank Miller's ground breaking work in the comics, Tim Burton created the Batman we know and love today. The Dark Knight, the brooding, man of the shadows. Gone was the 60s camp. The art decco set design, the mysterious Michael Keaton Bruce Wayne. Batman was hardly even a protagonist. We followed Kim Basinger's Vikki Vale and Jack Nicholson's Jack Naiper. Oh Jack's Joker. Ripped from the pages of The Killing Joke, this is still the bench mark super movie villain.  There was such joy in this psychopath, we saw a reason to the madness. Something necessary to all great Bat stories!

X-Men. The only movie on this list surpassed by it's sequel, its a great movie in its own right because of it's casting. Patrick Stewart HAD to be Professor X, and then you get Sir Ian McKellan to be Magneto? Hugh Jackman had just closed his run in Oklahoma. Today, he is the most dedicated superhero actor in the business. No matter the wolverine movie, you see him ALWAYS giving his all.  The story isn't the best, the special effect were low budget but the characters and themes were present. An allegory of issues facing our society, the X-Men movies as lead by Bryan Singer have been a revelation to the genre and to all long time x-fans.




Spider Man. While never my favorite character I am told this movie did wonders for long time spider fans. For me it was a perfect companion to Superman: The Movie. With a fun villain, iconic origin and strangely miscast girlfriend, it felt like we got to watch a man fly again. (please don't worry about where the web is connected)  Brought to us by fellow geek Sam Rami, Tobey Maguire was the perfect Peter Parker to William Dafoe's Norman Osborn. Everything swung into place and a new era of superhero blockbusters was born. Too bad Sony has all the rights. Oh yea...and Bonesaw.

Batman Begins. This changed the game. It was the hardest part of this particular head to head experiment not adding this to the head to head contest. But Iron Man and Dark Knight filled out the same exciting summer. Begins came out three years earlier. Still suffering from crap-lag after Batman & Robin, Warner Brothers made all the right choices. For director, they picked Christopher Nolan, known for a very indie, very edgy short list of films (Only the Following and Memento). They chose Christian Bale, an intense method actor with a devotion to his craft, to dawn the cowl. And for the supporting cast? Only Oscar Nominees would do. Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman (although not nominated till 2012 for Tinker Tailor). I even like Katie Holmes. They also changed the game with one big choice. This story wouldn't be about the villains. It would be about Batman.

By the way. Superman II, Batman Returns, X2 and Spiderman 2? Also solid flicks. I'm just running out of steam writing about this particularly long list of films.

Edge: DC, simple math.



THE BAD:

"I don't get it...why am I a controversial choice for Batman?"

DEAR LORD!!! LOOK HOW MANY BAD MOVIES!!!!!!!! Richard Pryor with Superman, Wesley Snipes, Shaq, Mr. Freeze, Halle Berry's Razzie winning performance as Catwoman, Ang Lee's Hulk, TWO awful Punisher movies (one with John Travolta), DAREDEVIL! As far as bad movies are concerned there are MANY faults with both comic giants here. Maybe Catwoman and Elektra balance each other out. Maybe we can forgive Richard Pryor, but I mean Joel Schumacher effectively shut down DC for eight years! Those early Marvel movies though? OH GOD! And the mid aughties nightmares of Hulk, Punisher, Daredevil and Fantastic Four? Really bad...really really really bad. So many BAD BAD BAD MOVIES. The post second sequels of the big four listed above maybe the worst things. I think about going into why Superman III, X-Men Last Stand, Spider-Man 3, Batman & Robin and Superman IV: Search for Peace are awful and it makes my soul hurt. If you want to hear more from me about these abominations, I am willing to hear your defense of these defecations in the comment sections. BUT, DC pulls out a win here with the best bad movie: Batman Forever; one of my guiltiest comic book pleasures. A killer soundtrack (SEAL!), a solid batman (Val Kilmer made me want to wear only turtlenecks and sportscoats) and the hottest Nicole Kidman looked in a movie ever, plus silly Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones. It's so awesomely bad, it maybe pretty pretty pretty good.

Edge: DC, MY BRAIN IS ON THE BOX!


THE UGLY:

WHY DOES BEING POSSESSED BY AN ALEIN PARASITE MAKE YOU PUT ON MAKEUP?

Eye-Liner, Bat-Nipples, Mr. Freeze, Bat-Girl, Howard the Duck, Michael Chiklis,  Swamp Thing, Shaq's Acting, Hulk CGI, Bat-Puns, "What happens to a toad...", World Spinning Time Travel, Wesley Snipes without sunglasses and most of all OSWALD FUCKING COBBLEPOT! 

Edge: DC Comics...uglier...

WINNER: DC COMICS BY A BAT NIPPLE

It's two groundbreaking super hits (Batman and Superman) with amazing sequels beat Marvel's (Spider-Man and X-Men)and it's embarrassments, while on a larger scale (Batman & Robin) are at least watchable (Captain America, Howard the Duck, Fantastic Four (94 and 05)) The knockout blow comes in the form of Batman Begins, which changes the game for DC and introduces the Nolanverse.

Marvel, you lose to this.