Looking at the incredible films we’ve seen over the past twelve months, it would be reasonable and logical to crown 2017 the best year for comic book movies ever. From emotional dramas like Logan and Wonder Woman to outrageous comedies like Thor: Ragnarok, the genre has delivered a mixed bag of tones but now it’s time to pick a favourite.
In the list below you can read our ranking of every comic book movie that was released in 2017. As you can imagine, this was no easy task but we managed nonetheless.
Without further discussion, swipe through our ranking below:
Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, John Goodman, Rihanna, and Elizabeth Debicki.
Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets, Luc Besson proves that beauty on the outside is not perfection. While the film is undoubtedly beautiful its flaws are in the many.
“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is the kind of film that will divide critics. It’s even divided the crew at Monkeys Fighting Robots. Matthew Sardo and Ej Moreno liked it, and I have my issues with it. Should people go and see this film? Well, it depends on what your endgame is when you go to the movies. If your goal is to see something that’s lacking in substance but will blow audiences away with its special effects, then certainly this film is for you. If your goal is to watch something that has more to it, then this one is definite miss.” – Dewey Singleton
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Taron Egerton, Channing Tatum, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Mark Strong, Jeff Bridges, Pedro Pascal, and Hanna Alström.
Kingsman: The Secret Service was one of the most surprising comic-book movies in recent memory but it seems, lighting only strikes once.
“While I understand it’s all the rage these days to expand a cinematic universe, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a film that should never have been greenlit. If Vaughn and Goldman were ever going to attempt a sequel that matches the standard set by the original, they should have gone back and looked at what made the first film special. The first film has a tight narrative that is centered on an origin story. The action sequences in the movie were insane. The villain was strong and at any moment could steal the scenes he was in with Firth and Eggerton. Kingsman: The Golden Circle is bland by comparison and has too much of a storyline with few action sequences. If anyone loved the first film, then check it out and make your own judgment. Just remember to temper those expectations.” – Dewey Singleton
Justice League
Director: Zack Snyder
Starring: Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, J.K. Simmons, Amber Heard, Jeremy Irons, and Diane Lane.
After the financial and critical success of Wonder Woman, the DC Extended Universe is yet again in the dumps after Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
“While Justice League has moments where the film is entertaining, the poor writing and odd pacing of the film doomed the final product. If anyone in your family is a hardcore fan of DC Comics, they might be willing to overlook these flaws. However, with the price of a movie ticket these days, investing in a film that’s this mediocre doesn’t seem to be a wise choice.” – Dewey Singleton
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Kurt Russell, and Pom Klementieff.
James Gunn’s Guardians Of The Galaxy is undoubtedly one of the greatest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and arguably, one of the best comic-book movies of all-time. Unfortunately, Gunn couldn’t stretch out that magic for an equally great sequel.
“Even with all the issues surrounding Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the film will still be a major commercial success for Marvel. The narrative delivers just enough for the comic book fans to be satisfied. Average fans will forgive the thin plot line because they’ll still be guffawing over a line Rocket just yelled. The musical selections are so perfect that one can’t help but wonder if Gunn picked what songs were going to be on the soundtrack before he even wrote the screenplay. If you plan on going this weekend, don’t expect the same brilliance of the original film. That’s just a standard this film has no chance of reaching.” – Dewey Singleton
Atomic Blonde
Director: David Leitch
Starring: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Sofia Boutella, and John Goodman.
I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of seeing Charlize Theron kick some ass.
“If anyone is heading into this release expecting the best action movie of the summer, then they will be very disappointed. However, if fans head into this film realizing that the character development will be minimal, but the action will be brutal, then they will be very pleased. The mixture of cinematography, great action sequence, and great action sequences make Atomic Blonde the most fun you’ll have at the movies this weekend.” – Dewey Singleton
The LEGO Batman Movie
Director: Chris McKay
Starring: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Zach Galifianakis, and Ralph Fiennes.
As one of the most beloved comic-book characters ever, Batman has a very rich history and director Chris McKay dug up every detail for The LEGO Batman Movie.
“While The Lego Batman doesn’t reach the lofty standards set forth by The Lego Movie, this film is a highly entertaining spoof of an ever-growing genre. The animation is surprisingly crisp during the film (especially during the fight scenes). Is this movie perfect? No, I think in parts of it tries too hard to be relevant and the film could have easily been 80 minutes long. That being said, I can not remember the last time I’ve laughed that much in a movie. The Lego Batman movie isn’t going to win any awards, but it will certainly delight fans of all ages. Can’t ask for much more than that.” – Dewey Singleton
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Director: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Laura Harrier, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, and Robert Downey Jr.
While Sony Pictures gave fans a few great Spider-Man movies, seeing the character introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a truly special experience and with Spider-Man: Homecoming, Marvel Studios has proven that this is where Spidey belongs.
“Spider-Man: Homecoming is a welcomed example of originality in a genre that can be quite rote at times. The film is anchored by a great ensemble and solid performances from both Holland and Keaton. This certainly should be seen in theaters on July 7th. Hopefully, the success of this collaboration with Sony will lead to other ventures with Marvel. That certainly would be fantastic for all us.” – Dewey Singleton
Thor: Ragnarok
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston, Taika Waititi, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, Idris Elba, and Anthony Hopkins.
Where Guardians Of The Galaxy opened the door for Marvel to tell cosmic adventures, Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok tears the door from its hinges.
“Thor: Ragnarok is the first Marvel release that made me want to start reading comic books. Waititi’s approach has created a film which is full of visual splendor yet rooted in Thor‘s rich history. No one needs to be a comic book historian to enjoy this release. The bottom line is the film is highly entertaining and should be seen ASAP.” – Dewey Singleton
Wonder Woman
Director: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Elena Anaya, Lucy Davis, Ewen Bremner, Saïd Taghmaoui, and Eugene Brave Rock.
After two divisive films with Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, the DC Extended Universe was in need of a critical success and thankfully, Patty Jenkins delivered with Wonder Woman.
“Wonder Woman is a triumph for not only DC but the Comic Book movie genre. The film is enjoyable from the first beats of the opening sequence down to the final moment when the credits begin to roll. Patty Jenkins showed that you can take a comic book character and make a poignant film. Jenkins, Gadot, and Pine seemed to understand the importance of this film. It wasn’t just for super nerds and comic book geeks around the globe. Jenkins made this film for the Zoey’s, Scarlett’s, Grace’s, Joella’s, and Siena’s everywhere. Little girls everywhere now have their hero to look upon with wonderment.” – Dewey Singleton
Logan
Director: James Mangold
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Rochard E. Grant, and Elizabeth Rodriguez.
Saying goodbye to Hugh Jackman as Wolverine was never going to be easy, but James Mangold’s character-driven Logan turned out to be even more difficult and a million times better than anybody could have guessed.
“To just refer to Logan as a great superhero movie is a tad bit rudimentary. Logan is a fantastic, compelling film. The performances from Jackman and Keen are rich and nuanced. The writing in the movie is balanced and hits all the right notes. This is James Mangold’s finest directorial work since Walk the Line. I could go on and on about various parts of this film, but that would spoil the experience for everyone.” – Dewey Singleton
