Top 10 Superhero Movies That Have Aged Badly
Top 10 Superhero Movies That Aged Badly
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We’re sorry, but in the age of the MCU, we just cannot go back to these movies. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 superhero movies that aged badly. For this list, we’ll be looking at superhero movies that don’t hold up today, whether because of shoddy visual effects or an outdated story. Some of these movies weren’t even that good to begin with, but they seem even worse in retrospect due to the quality of more recent offerings.
#10: “Hancock” (2008)
“Hancock” had a lot going for it. It had an amazing cast, it was written by “Breaking Bad’s” Vince Gilligan, and it told a fresh and intriguing story about a washed up, alcoholic anti-superhero. Unfortunately, we’ve been inundated with anti-heroes as of late. Characters like Deadpool, Wolverine in “Logan,” Snyder’s deconstructed Batman, and the Suicide Squad have all capitalized on the trend with varying degress of success. While the anti-superhero was once a novel idea, it’s since become normalized and expected, meaning that for it to work nowadays, the character in question really needs to stand out. “Hancock” remains a fun enough movie, but its impact and primary selling point feel dated.
#9: “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006)
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The third “X-Men” wasn’t particularly well-received. At the time, the wobbly script earned ample criticism from fans. But few could have predicted just how poor of a legacy the film would have. “The Last Stand” became the subject of retroactive behind-the-scenes drama when director Brett Ratner was accused of sexual harassment by multiple women in 2017. Around the same time, X-Men actor Ellen Page accused him of “homophobic and abusive behavior” during production. While not a reflection of the film, it certainly doesn’t bolster its already underwhelming appeal. Furthermore, The Dark Phoenix Saga was re-adapted with a new cast in 2019, effectively making the film obsolete. Granted, there are many who thought that “Dark Phoenix” was even worse.
#8: “Ghost Rider” (2007)
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“Ghost Rider” is certainly one of the hammiest superhero movies ever released. And it’s a shame, because the character has a passionate fanbase that was looking forward to seeing this gritty antihero brought to life on the big screen. Unfortunately, they instead got Nicolas Cage chewing the scenery, and a movie jam-packed with truly dreadful dialogue and visual effects. The CGI Ghost Rider sequences look like graphics from an early Xbox 360 game for crying out loud! CGI tends to quickly age a movie, especially when it’s implemented as poorly and cheaply as it is here. “Ghost Rider” had potential, and he’s definitely a cool and interesting character, but this movie is borderline unwatchable.
#7: “Fantastic Four” (2005)
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The 2015 “Fantastic Four” reboot is truly dreadful, but that doesn’t make the original any better. This movie was released in 2005, the same year as Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins,” and that comparison doesn’t do it any favors. Even in 2005, this movie seemed like it was from a different era - one of cheesier and lower-budgeted superhero movies. The acting is wooden, it has a childishly bright color scheme, and the costumes appear cheap and unconvincing. Nothing against Michael Chiklis, but his Thing feels like a supporting character in a children’s television series. It also has that palpable cheesy tone that plagues a lot of older superhero movies. It felt dated and out-of-touch in 2005, and time isn’t doing it any favors.
#6: “Spawn” (1997)
Todd McFarlane’s “Spawn” comics were hugely popular in the 90s, and many fans really, really wanted to like 1997’s feature film adaptation. Alas, the movie proved disappointing, and has only gotten worse with time. While mostly everything about it is bad, it’s the horrendous visual effects and CGI that really date it. Just look at Spawn’s descent from the ceiling, and the climactic fight with Malebolgia. The latter is particularly appalling, and it genuinely looks like the final level of a PlayStation game. Honestly, in retrospective viewings, it kinda looks like a parody of itself.
#5: “Steel” (1997)
“Steel” stars Shaquille O’Neal as the very subtly named John Henry Irons, who is nothing but a blatant Iron Man rip off. Irons is a weapon designer for the military, and when his weapons find their way onto the streets, he uses his technological prowess to fight crime under the moniker Steel. It is a dreadful movie in every sense of the word, and it’s as obnoxiously 90s as they come. You’ve got cheesy costumes, terrible production design and visual effects, and of course, Shaq trying to be a movie star. It’s one heck of a nostalgia trip, but as a movie, it is truly horrific.
#4: “Superman Returns” (2006)
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“Superman Returns” might not be nearly as bad as “Spawn” or “Steel,” but it has certainly aged in other ways. And not just because it stars Kevin Spacey and was directed by Bryan Singer - both of whom have faced allegations of sexual abuse. The movie just feels unnecessary, awkwardly sandwiched between the Christopher Reeve series and the rebooted DCEU franchise. A sequel to “Superman” and “Superman II”, it ignored subsequent sequels, making it even more of an outlier in the franchise. It received mostly positive, but somewhat lackluster reviews at the time; today, diehard Superman fans will likely return to the Reeve films or watch the DCEU, effectively forgetting this movie.
#3: “The Punisher” (2004)
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This is another case of later installments making a movie redundant. “The Punisher” was critically eviscerated when it was released in 2004, but general audiences seemed to enjoy it well enough. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gotten much love since. Thomas Jane left the series, and a sequel called “Punisher: War Zone” was released in 2008. It was tough to watch. Following that, the character faded into obscurity and was not heard from for nearly a decade before returning with a vengeance, this time as part of the Netflix Marvel universe. Compared to this gritty modern take, the 2004 film comes across as cheesy and painfully tame; Jon Bernthal eclipsed Thomas Jane in every way imaginable.
#2: “Daredevil” (2003)
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The MCU really killed these old Marvel movies. Then again, maybe that’s the point. After all, do we really want to remember “Daredevil?” The 2003 movie has always been considered one of the most disappointing superhero movies todate, and the Director’s Cut, while admittedly superior, isn’t enough to untarnish that legacy. Much like “Fantastic Four,” it seems older than it actually is. The cinematography is flat and unassuming and the action sequences come across as amateurish. That playground fight alone is enough to give you second-hand embarrassment. In every way, the film pales in comparison to the far superior Netflix show - making it even harder to go back to.
#1: “Batman & Robin” (1997)
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The mid 90s were a truly dark time for The Caped Crusader. “Batman Forever” took the series in a truly unfortunate direction. It swapped the grim, Burton-esque atmosphere for a more colorful and campy tone, and it saw Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones hamming it up as the Riddler and Two-Face. And then “Batman & Robin” happened. We don’t need to tell you how awful this movie is, because you are well aware - it’s infamously bad. And if it wasn’t unwatchable enough in its own right, the infinitely superior Christopher Nolan trilogy effectively ensured that no one will ever watch it again. We’re sure someone has rewatched “Batman & Robin” since 2005, but we highly suspect that it was done ironically.
