I’m a big fan of superhero movies, which means I’m a pretty happy camper these days when it comes to so many big-budget and also high-quality movies and series coming out at a rapid pace (2020 notwithstanding). Most of that content comes from either the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) or DC. But, recent years (and further back) have provided plenty of great superhero flicks from other content creators for fans of all ages. Here are just a few fun superhero-themed movies from the past 20 years or so. We’ll do another list of great TV and streaming series as well since there are some great entries into that library as well.
The Incredibles
The first entry on our list is an animated feature from the constantly amazing Pixar. The Incredibles was Pixar’s first foray into the superhero genre and they nailed the superhero landing. The story gives us a look at retired husband and wife superheroes Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl with their three young kids, all with emerging superpowers of their own. It delivered a funny, heartfelt, and highly entertaining look at what a super-family might look like and what a super dad’s mid-life crisis might look like.
The movie was hit with critics and audiences alike, earning a 97% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. It also generated a sequel (Incredibles 2).
Sky High
So, Sky High may not be a true superhero classic, but it delivered a fun (if not entirely original) look at what a high school for superpowered kids might look like, in a very Disney-esque style. It includes the typical coming of age story for young Will Stronghold, son of the world’s mightiest hero (Captain Stronghold), and his mom Josie (aka Jetstream). There’s a lot of pressure on a kid who happens to be the son of two of the world’s most powerful and famous superheroes, while also navigating the generic challenges of high school.
But, if you let yourself just enjoy the silliness and over-the-top story a bit, it’s a fun ride.
Unbreakable
This one is a very outside-the-box superhero movie from director M. Knight Shyamalan. The movie was a follow-up to Shyamalan’s huge hit, Sixth Sense, also starring Bruce Willis. Add in the always awesome Samuel L. Jackson and you have two serious actors taking on the genre in a more serious way than many films. Without spoiling the twists and turns too much, Bruce Willis is our protagonist, coming to grips with the idea that he might in fact be a superhero, with beyond human strength and possibly invulnerability to just about everything. The movie plays with the idea that for every superhero, there must be an opposite supervillain.
It’s an interesting take on many of the superhero topics we have seen in comics and on-screen for years.
Megamind
Pixar comes into the mix with another fun animated film with a stellar voice-cast (Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller, etc.). The movie looks to put a different spin on the standard superhero story, by telling it from the viewpoint of the villain. In this case, we see a villain (Will Ferrell’s Megamind) finally achieve his lifelong dream of defeating the hero (Brad Pitt’s Metro Man) only to find realize that without an opponent, he doesn’t really have much of an identity. Through his own slightly warped hero’s journey, Megamind actually becomes the hero he was always meant to be.
The movie is fun for kids, but definitely not a snoozefest for adults either.
Hancock
If you go strictly by Rotten Tomatoes, this one is a definite pass, with only a 41% Tomatometer score. But, the movie gets points from me for trying something a bit different. It creates very much an anti-hero as our superhero (Hancock), played by Will Smith. Every time Hancock tries to play the hero, he leaves a path of mass destruction in his wake. Hancock himself doesn’t really care much, as an amnesiac superpowered person with limited interest in any real human connection. This changes when a hard-charging and on his last idea, PR exec played by Jason Bateman tries to sell Hancock on cleaning up his image. Hancock then meets Bateman’s wife, played by Charlize Theron, and realizes that they have a history. The rest of the story does leave a lot of plot holes, but it delivers an enjoyable superhero redemption story with a number of enjoyable performances.
Definitely not your standard superhero story, but another one that is worth a second look, if you love the genre.
