MRQE Ranks: DC Comics' Best Movies

1

The Dark Knight (2008)

Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman

Director: Christopher Nolan

Synopsis: Christopher Nolan steps back into the director's chair for this sequel to Batman Begins, which finds the titular superhero coming face to face with... [MORE]

2

Superman (1978)

Cast: Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty

Director: Richard Donner

Synopsis: Richard Donner's big-budget blockbuster Superman: The Movie is an immensely entertaining recounting of the origin of the famous comic book characte... [MORE]

3

Batman Begins (2005)

Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman

Director: Christopher Nolan

Synopsis: The origins of the Caped Crusader of Gotham City are finally brought to the big screen in this new adaptation of the perennially popular comic-book... [MORE]

4

A History of Violence (2005)

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes

Director: David Cronenberg

Synopsis: David Cronenberg directed this screen adaptation of a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke which explores how an act of heroism unexpectedl... [MORE]

5

Road to Perdition (2002)

Cast: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Stanley Tucci

Director: Sam Mendes

Synopsis: The acclaimed graphic novel from crime writer Max Allan Collins becomes this big budget Dreamworks drama from director Sam Mendes and screenwriter ... [MORE]

6

Stardust (2007)

Cast: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Synopsis: A charmingly naïve boy from the English village of Wall travels to a magical, mythical world in search of the falling star that will help him win t... [MORE]

7

Batman (1989)

Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle

Director: Tim Burton

Synopsis: Behind the black cowl, Gotham City superhero Batman is really millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton), who turned to crimefighting ... [MORE]

8

Superman Returns (2006)

Cast: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey

Director: Bryan Singer

Synopsis: The Man of Steel returns to the big screen with this continuation of the icon's film legacy that picks up after the events of the first two Christo... [MORE]

9

V for Vendetta (2006)

Cast: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt, Stephen Fry

Director: James McTeigue

Synopsis: Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, V for Vendetta takes place in an alternate vision of Britain in which a corrupt and abusive totalitarian ... [MORE]

10

Superman II (1980)

Cast: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper

Director: Richard Lester

Synopsis: Between giving up his super powers, confronting criminals from outer space, and having problems with his girlfriend, it's a bad time to be the Man ... [MORE]

11

Watchmen (2009)

Cast: Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Matthew Goode

Director: Zack Snyder

Synopsis: 300's Zack Snyder brings Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' critically acclaimed comic book Watchmen to the big screen, courtesy of DC Comics and Warner ... [MORE]

12

Batman Returns (1992)

Cast: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough

Director: Tim Burton

13

Red (2010/I)

Cast: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban

Director: Robert Schwentke

Synopsis: A group of former government assassins fights back against the CIA after they're targeted for knowing too much in this adaptation of Warren Ellis' ... [MORE]

14

Batman (1966)

Cast: Adam West, Burt Ward, Lee Meriwether, Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero

Director: Leslie H. Martinson

Synopsis: Tongue-in-cheek humor prevails in Batman, a witty homage to the Dynamic Duo's exaggerated exploits. The Caped Crusaders (Adam West and Burt Ward) a... [MORE]

15

Constantine (2005)

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Hounsou, Max Baker

Director: Francis Lawrence

Synopsis: An ordinary man with an extraordinary gift must save the planet from evil in this action-packed fantasy. Unknown to most people, the world is crowd... [MORE]

16

The Losers (2010/I)

Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short

Director: Sylvain White

Synopsis: Director Sylvain White adapts the Vertigo comic about a team of mercenaries who wage war on the CIA after they're double-crossed in the field and l... [MORE]

17

Superman III (1983)

Cast: Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Robert Vaughn, Annette O'Toole, Jackie Cooper

Director: Richard Lester

Synopsis: In a major departure from the tone of the preceding two Superman adventure films, this mix of vile deeds and fantasy heroics drops the "S" out of c... [MORE]

18

Batman Forever (1995)

Cast: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell

Director: Joel Schumacher

Synopsis: Director Joel Schumacher inherited the Batman franchise from Tim Burton and began steering it in the campier direction of the Sixties television sh... [MORE]

19

Green Lantern (2011)

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Tim Robbins

Director: Martin Campbell

Synopsis: A test pilot embraces his destiny as a cosmic superhero in Casino Royale director Martin Campbell's adaptation of the popular DC Comics series. Eve... [MORE]

20

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

Cast: Sean Connery, Naseeruddin Shah, Peta Wilson, Tony Curran, Shane West

Director: Stephen Norrington

Synopsis: Based on the comic book miniseries by Alan Moore, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen takes place in an alternate universe where the characters o... [MORE]

21

Jonah Hex (2010)

Cast: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett

Director: Jimmy Hayward

Synopsis: 1970s-era DC antihero Jonah Hex makes his way to the big screen as co-screenwriters Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank, Gamer) team to follow t... [MORE]

22

Steel (1997)

Cast: Shaquille O'Neal, Annabeth Gish, Richard Roundtree, Irma P. Hall, Ray J

Director: Kenneth Johnson

Synopsis: Low-rent, poorly-lit superhero action is the order of the day in this film from television director Kenneth Johnson -- who makes several references... [MORE]

23

Batman & Robin (1997)

Cast: George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone

Director: Joel Schumacher

Synopsis: This was the third follow-up to Tim Burton's Batman (1989), the original revisionist look at the Gotham City legend, as well as the second in the B... [MORE]

24

Catwoman (2004)

Cast: Halle Berry, Benjamin Bratt, Sharon Stone, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy

Director: Pitof, Jean-Christopher Comar

Synopsis: Patience Philips (Halle Berry) seems destined to spend her life apologizing for taking up space. Despite her artistic ability -- she has a more tha... [MORE]

25

The Spirit (2008)

Cast: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson

Director: Frank Miller

Synopsis: A resurrected cop does battle with a villain whose quest for immortality threatens an entire metropolis in Sin City creator Frank Miller's adaptati... [MORE]

26

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

Cast: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Mark Pillow, Margot Kidder, Jackie Cooper

Director: Sidney J. Furie

Synopsis: Superman (Christopher Reeve) tries to save the world from nuclear destruction at the hands of Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) in this action film featuri... [MORE]