In recent years, it has sometimes seemed like superheroes have taken over multiplexes. Although they have been found in cinemas off and on for many years, their extraordinary multi-platform popularity suggests a more enduring trend. Luckily, the genre is home to some of the most inventive, complex characters seen in blockbusters today. Whether rebooting the stories of characters long ingrained in the popular consciousness; lone-wolf anti-heroes; troubled adolescents; or dysfunctional families, it seems audiences cannot get enough of them. Their approach to characterisation, the themes explored and visual extravagance has become increasingly ambitious. However, other films are seemingly reacting against this, grounding their stories in something more human and relatable. Others still look to question why it is we are drawn to superheroes in the first place and what their function is in the "real world". Studios are sensibly mixing their content up where they can, to avoid audience fatigue, without tampering too much with a winning formula. While we love many of the heroes currently on screen, we also look forward to enjoying superhero films with more gender and racial diversity. Once that has been fully embraced, it may well be that the superhero film really is here to stay. In the meantime, here are some of our favourites.
Cert
Age group8+
Duration145 mins
Brilliantly entertaining 1970s movie version of the Superman story, starring Christopher Reeve.
For many, superhero films truly began – and may yet to be surpassed – with Christopher Reeve’s iconic take on the Man of Steel. As the tagline famously put it, “you’ll believe a man can fly”, but there is also something charming and human about this film, thanks largely to Reeve’s gently humorous performance, as well as nods to screwball comedy and Americana.
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Cert
Age group8–15
Duration104 mins
Colourful, fun caper in which superhero Batman battles villains intent on taking over the world using a device which dehydrates people instantly.
Supes was beaten to the big screen by the caped crusader in this adaptation of the cult 1960s television show. Bringing together a rogue’s gallery of all his greatest foes, this is unashamedly camp and gloriously silly. Infused with the spirit of the era, it’s a considerably lighter take on the character compared with what was to come.
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Cert
Age group15+
Duration121 mins
Michael Keaton is Batman and Jack Nicholson is The Joker in this movie version that reclaimed Batman's brooding menace after the camp 60s TV show.
Batman was also at the front of the next cinematic revival of the genre, directed by Tim Burton. Anticipating the trend for “darker” films, but still rooted in a comic-book world, the film (alongside its sequel) borrows from gangster movies and film noir, emphasising mood and character over action. It is one of the most culturally significant blockbusters ever made.
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Cert
Age group12+
Duration146 mins
Brilliant sequel to Batman Begins, as erstwhile Bruce Wayne must battle the manic Joker, whilst maintaining the support of the charismatic Harvey Dent
Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale had already successfully resurrected the character in Batman Begins, but in 2008 he truly became a phenomenon. Creating a world of danger, menace and corruption, the film balances spectacle with substance, and in Heath Ledger’s Joker has arguably the most chillingly memorable villain in all superhero films.
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Cert
Age group12–16
Duration148 mins
An edge-of-your-seat reboot of the Superman series, in which the caped crusader returns to Earth from Krypton to find much has changed.
Not all revivals of legendary characters are a success. Bryan Singer’s loving, reverent take on Superman failed to spawn a sequel, but its reputation is perhaps starting to grow. Full of bright primary colours and a warm-hearted innocence, the film stands in contrast to modern versions of the character, explicitly playing up the Christ allegory that has always followed him.
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Cert
Age group8–16
Duration132 mins
Action-packed, modern take on '30s hero Zorro, a legendary swordsman who thwarts villains and signs his handiwork with a trademark "Z".
Technically not a comic-book, this deliciously fun outing for the heroic swashbuckler contains many of the elements of a great superhero movie, leaving its audience desperate to emulate the man behind the mask. Action-packed, romantic, and witty, the film contains a gentle history lesson for anybody studying the founding of America.
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