Superhero Movies of 2018: The Good, The Bad and The Just Okay
It seems that each year there are more and more superhero flicks, whether it’s DC favorites, Marvel juggernauts or antiheroes from both. 2018 was no exception - and we covered all the bases, mostly Marvel but a rogue DC and even an animated flick in the mix.
I’m a sucker for a good action flick, especially if it’s related to a member of the Avengers (it’s been a year and a half and I’m still not over Thor: Ragnarok), so here’s my - extremely shortened - thoughts on the the comic book films that graced the big screen over the last year.
1.
Avengers: Infinity War
By virtue of existing this one has to be first, right? I mean, it’s what a decade of superhero flicks were building towards, and in my opinion, it didn’t fall short by any means. Rather than wax poetic about Captain America with a beard, you can see my full thoughts in my review from the summer.
2.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
This was a surprise second place, and a last minute one at that. But I feel confident in saying there is truly no other superhero movie like this one. The animation is phenomenal and it brings the comic book to life in a brand new way. Don’t count this one out - and see it on the big screen if at all possible.
3.
Black Panther
This one can’t go much further down the list without being completely untrue to what it is. Black Panther isn’t just a solid movie within the Marvel universe but a groundbreaking one. It opened up viewers’ eyes to a world not seen before - and one filled with people of color. Read the rest of my review from 2018 here.
4.
Deadpool 2
A movie so nice, they released it twice. The merc with a mouth was back in 2018 for both an R-rated version and a more kid-friendly one. This one is chock full of cameos, more snark and the same fourth-wall-breaking humor that fans of the first one loved the second time around.
5.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Paul Rudd does his best to carry this next installment of the Ant-Man story, but it falls a bit short compared to its first run. The humor is still there, but something is missing from this story featuring Marvel’s tiniest superhero. However, it builds intrigue to see just how these characters will fare in the next Avengers.
6.
Venom
Okay, so I laughed a lot at this movie. But I’m not sure I was supposed to. At least not the parts that I thought were funniest. There are quite a few things wrong with Venom, but I’d say it could still be worth a Redbox rental. I have some more thoughts on the 2018 antihero movie in my review.
7.
Aquaman
I know this isn’t the majority opinion here, if the Rotten Tomatoes score and box office figures are to be believed. However, to me, Aquaman couldn’t find its footing and didn’t know exactly what kind of movie it wanted to be: silly action movie, hero epic, origin story, romcom or what. Here’s the rest of my thoughts.
What was your favorite comic book movie of the year? Which ones are you most looking forward to in 2019? Let me know in the comments below.