9 Hated Superhero Movies That Really Aren’t That Bad

Superhero fans are often a hard bunch to please. As you can tell by just dipping your head into social media, Marvel and DC lovers have very specific ideas about how their favourite characters should be presented. Therefore, when a film goes against this view, it doesn't take much for it too be torn to shreds by the fans at large. As such, this has led to a large number of comic book movies being deemed as outright terrible by popular consensus. But the thing is, do some of those infamous films actually deserve this sort of reaction? Sure, no one's going to dispute the fact that, say, Howard the Duck, Catwoman and, of course, the one and only Batman & Robin deserve to go down as some of the worst films ever committed to the silver screen. But should certain other movies be lumped in together with this lot? We'd argue that some actually pretty decent flicks have been unfairly tarred with the same brush as these truly awful messes. So, which films featuring flights n' tights do we think are due for a re-evaluation? Here are our personal picks, but feel free to leave any under-appreciated superhero movies that you think deserve more respect in the comments section down below. Iron Man 2 Iron Man 2 might not be as critically reviled as some other entries on our list, but it has to be said that it's routinely ranked as one of the weakest MCU outings ever. We suppose that's true, but that's only because of how tough the competition is. Sure, the sequel doesn't live up to the smash-hit 2008 opener of the franchise as it loses sight of telling a solid solo story amidst all the planning ahead for the Avengers. Still, all of that S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff is a lot of fun, introducing Nick Fury and Black Widow to us for the first time. In particular, Scarlet Johansson is immediately awesome as Natasha Romanoff, even if the film gets a little carried away with how attractive she is. Apart from being a fun ride, Iron Man 2 also gives Robert Downey Jr. the chance to dig a little bit deeper into the less quip-happy side of Tony Stark, paving the way for future dramatic takes on the character such as in Captain America: Civil War. Power Rangers Admittedly, we're not sure if too many people outright hated Power Rangers - though no doubt some old school fans did - but it was met with a collective shrug from most viewers. Due to a slightly surprising lack of interest, the film flopped at the box office and all talk of future installments has since stalled. Which is a bit of a shame, really, as there's much to like about the reboot. Director Dean Israelite was definitely right in approaching the franchise from a character-led perspective, eschewing the more toyetic approach of the classic children's show. The central young cast are also all very talented, with particular highlights being RJ Cyler, Dacre Montgomery and Naomi Scott. For Power Rangers fans, it was also intriguing and exciting to see the classic mythology shaken up and portrayed in fresh ways. There was more than enough promise in there to fuel a few more films, which no doubt would have tweaked the formula to make up for the flaws in this origins story. Hopefully Lionsgate and Saban come up with a plan to salvage the franchise soon, as we'd love to see more. Daredevil (Director's Cut) Back when Ben Affleck was first cast as Batman, many pointed to his first foray into costumed crime-fighting as evidence that he was a poor fit for the part. In fact, the actor later said himself that he was partly playing the Dark Knight to make up for his disappointment with 2003's Daredevil. It's unfortunate that he doesn't have more faith in his own work, though, as Daredevil really isn't that bad... as long as you watch the director's cut over the original theatrical version. Which is funnily enough something you can say about Affleck's debut as Batman, too (more on that later). In this case, the extended edition from director Mark Steven Johnson reinserts 30 minutes of deleted material, including whole subplots absent from the theatrical cut, which really helps reinstate the noirish feel of the acclaimed Frank Miller comics. It's still a bit dumb and pretty dated (particularly the soundtrack), but it's a decent stab at bringing the Man Without Fear to the big screen. Constantine We can't argue with one big criticism of Constantine: as an adaptation of DC's Hellblazer comics, it is a travesty. Keanu Reeves is nothing like the punkish, British John Constantine from the comics in his perfomance, something the film doesn't help by taking some major liberties with the character. However, if you're able to disassociate the movie from its source material, or if you're not particularly familiar with the original comics at all, Constantine is actually a pretty entertaining ride. Its theological themes mark it out as much smarter than other supernatural actioners around at the time, like the Underworld movies, and there's some genuine imagination on show. Reeves aside, the casting is spot on in the case of Tilda Swinton as the angel Gabriel, which wouldn't be the last time her androgynous looks got her a mystical part in a superhero movie (hello Doctor Strange). Now that we have a more faithful Constantine in the form of Matt Ryan, why not put your grievances aside and rewatch this film on its own terms? Thor: The Dark World Thor: Ragnarok received overwhelmingly positive reviews when it arrived last year, with many citing it as an immeasurable improvement on the prior movie starring the God of Thunder, 2013's Thor: The Dark World. While there's no denying that Ragnarok is the much superior effort, it's worth pointing out that Dark World is not that poor a film. Much like Iron Man 2, it's a weaker entry in the grand scheme of the MCU, but it's a perfectly well made superhero flick. If we ignore the problems with its villain, which isn't hard to do as Malekith is so forgettable, there's much to enjoy - particularly in the banter between Thor and Loki, as the warring brothers are forced to team up to stop the Dark Elves. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston have terrific comic chemistry and it'll never stop being fun to watch them bounce off each other. The Dark World also deserves a bit of credit for somewhat subverting the tropes with its big climax, moving the action out of New York and switching to London, something that makes the MCU feel like a bigger place. We're glad the Thor franchise got a shake-up with Ragnarok, but let's not forget the previous movies happened in the process. Man Of Steel Ah, Man of Steel. Its controversial ending caused such a stir with fans that it pretty much eclipsed the whole film. If you can get past Superman's shocking murder of General Zod, however, Zack Snyder's modern interpretation of the Last Son of Krypton's origins contains a lot to like. Firstly, the cast is possibly one of the finest ever assembled for a superhero movie. In particular, the two leads - Henry Cavill and Amy Adams - are perfect for their roles, though at times you wish the script would let the actors show their range a bit more. Meanwhile, Russell Crowe is great as Jor-El, and the opening scenes set on Krypton are so engrossing you kind of wish the film could stay there. Yes, Snyder probably went too far with the grittiness, but if you watch it again you'll find there's a lot more hope, optimism and even smiles from Henry Cavill than you might remember. Despite what some fans say, some parts of the movie are 100% faithful to the classic ideal of Superman. Fantastic Four (2005) No, we're not going to try and argue that 2015's Fantastic Four reboot is any good, because it isn't. Marvel's First Family just aren't a good fit for the Zack Snyder treatment... and that's something that 2005's original FF movie realizes. Sure, it's campy, but that tone goes a long way to somewhat recreating the feel of those original Stan Lee comics from the 1960s. While the cast is not as great as it could have been, at least half of the Four were well-picked. Michael Chiklis is actually a pretty faithful Ben Grimm for one. But it's Chris Evans who - yes, we're going to say it - is on fire as the Human Torch. Though we're not complaining that he graduated to Captain America, it's a bit of shame we didn't get to see more of him as Johnny Storm. The same thing goes for 2007's sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer, which has the added bonus of being the only movie to date to feature one of Marvel's coolest characters: the titular chrome-domed anti-hero. Let's just not get into the space fart that is Galactus in the movie. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - Ultimate Edition By this point, it feels pretty old hat to point out that Batman V Superman isn't actually as bad as initial reactions said it was. While the theatrical cut was a bit of a mess, the Extended Cut - which comes in at 3 hours - fixes many of its issues and really helps clear up the previously muddled narrative. Because, let's be honest, even if we were all calling for a change, BvS' grand, almost mythical approach to the DC universe is preferable to the Marvel-aping, soulless efforts like Suicide Squad and Justice League that Warner Bros. has put out since. Whatever you think of the man's style, Zack Snyder knows how to direct a scene and BvS is often a beautiful film to look at. And listen to. Seriously, Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL's score is the finest in the DCEU to date. We'd urge you to give it another chance. And can we please let the "Martha" jokes die now? It's not that Bats and Supes became best friends because their moms have the same name - the name was a trigger for Bruce's PTSD and a reminder that he wasn't about to kill an evil alien, but a heroic human being. Spider-Man 3 With Venom, starring Tom Hardy, on the way, it's worth revisiting the symbiote's first outing on the big screen. Spider-Man 3 is often blasted for its treatment of the Venom storyline, as well as just being an all-round lesser effort than Spider-Man 2. Well, while it's true that it doesn't live up to its predecessor, most of the criticisms leveled at the film aren't all that fair. Topher Grace isn't the comics' Eddie Brock, sure, but Sam Raimi clearly had an alternate vision for Eddie as a sleazier mirror of Peter Parker, which Grace is the right pick for. Complaining about Tobey Maguire's dorky dancing as embarrassing is also pretty redundant, as the scenes are clearly intended to be moments of cringe comedy that you watch through fingers (think David Brent's moves in The Office). And as for how Venom is reduced to a last-minute, third act threat, we'd like to play devil's advocate here: isn't that also true of Two-Face in The Dark Knight? Despite the initial plans for a Spider-Man 4, this film actually closes the trilogy in the perfect way, ending with the death of a long-running character and leaving Peter Parker and Mary Jane's romance in an ambiguous place, which only makes sense for the couple who were continuously flip-flopping.