Superhero movies have become the most popularform of modern entertainment and make up the most significant percentage of the most successful box office hits each year. The good thing is that many of these recent films are quite good;Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knightis regarded as a modern American classic;Loganoffered an emotional send-off to one of the beloved superhero characters of all time, andAvengers: Endgamebrought the wild experiment of the Infinity Saga to a conclusion.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few terrible superhero movies, and it’s not all that surprising thatmany fans feel fatigued with the genre. Nonetheless, some truly terrible superhero movies are worth rewatching for their ironic value.These superhero movies are widely considered bad but remain highly rewatchablebecause of their lesser qualities. They will be ranked by how awful they are and how entertaining they remain despite their shortcomings.
10‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007)
Directed by Sam Raimi
Spider-Man 3contains all the excellent visuals and exciting action prominent within the first two entries inSam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy, but it just falters when it comes to the story. While the idea of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) having to unleash his dark side was an interesting one, the film was still overstuffed with too many villains, including the New Goblin (James Franco), Eddie Brock/Venom (Topher Grace), and the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church).
There’s enough cheeky humor to makeSpider-Man 3entertaining, as the now infamous dance scene with Maguire has become a popular internet meme for a reason. The film is also interesting because of how muchhorrific content Raimi incorporatedinto a PG-13 film, as there are moments inSpider-Man 3that feel like a throwback to his work onThe Evil Deadfranchise. However, it’s nowhere near on the same level as its two predecessors, even if it remains thoroughly enjoyable.
Spider-Man 3
Watch on Disney+
9‘Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer’ (2007)
Directed by Tim Story
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surferis perhaps the best film to feature Marvel’s first family. That isn’t saying that much, though, considering the 1994 film was never officially released, the 2005 film didn’t put the characters into their suits until the end, and the 2015 reboot is one of the worst comic book movies ever made.
Despite its cheesy tone and continuous logical flaws,Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfergets a lot of the characters right, withChris Evans’ work as Johnny Storm perfectly embodyingStan Lee’s original version.Julian McMahonis also not given nearly enough credit forhis performance as Victor Von Doom. At a time when there’s a tendency to give every supervillain an overtly tragic backstory, McMahon seems to embrace the fact that Doom is simply pure evil and has a great time chewing the scenery.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
8‘Hulk’ (2003)
Directed by Ang Lee
Hulkwas largely ahead of its time, as it’s easy to imagine thatAng Lee’s comic book adaptation would have been much better received had the visual effects been slightly more advanced. Although the story itself is a bit of a mess,Hulkfeatures some incredible visual staging, in which shots are designed to resemble the frames of a comic book.
Beyond its flaws,Hulkfeatures a very committed performance byEric Bana, an underrated actorwho should’ve been given the opportunity to reprise his role in a sequel or at least given aDeadpool-style cameo. The film is also worth revisiting as a product of its time, as Lee makes clear references to the military-industrial complex and its failings that serve as a sharp criticism of the Bush administration and the subsequent wars in the Middle East.
7‘Daredevil’ (2003)
Directed by Mark Steven Johnson
Daredevilis a completely cheesy blast and further suffers compared to the much better-reviewed Netflix show of the same name that starredCharlie Cox. WhileDaredevil’s fatal flaw is the lack of chemistry betweenBen AffleckandJennifer Garner, the film features many underrated performances that pay tribute to the comic book characters and their origins.
ColinFarrellgives a very underrated performanceas Bullseye and completely embraces the absurdity of one ofDaredevil’s most imposing villains. Also strong is the late greatMichael Clark Duncan, who has the physical dominance and ruthless demeanor that makes Wilson Fisk one of the most powerful villains in all of New York City. The eventualElektraspinoff film was quite simply unwatchable, but 2003’sDaredevilis still relatively entertaining as a cheesy action film, and the R-rated extended cut does redeem some elements.
6‘Superman III’ (2003)
Directed by Richard Lester
Superman IIIis in an odd position in the Superman franchise. It lacked the emotional power and pure imagination ofSuperman: The MovieorSuperman II, but it certainly didn’t become a complete embarrassment in the same way thatSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace.Superman IIIismore of an outright comedythan anything else, and gettingRichard Pryorto co-star was a good way to get audiences to laugh.
Superman IIIstill respects the integrity of the character, asChristopher Reevesshows how Kal-El tries to balance his responsibilities as Clark Kent and Superman when given the opportunity to return to Smallville. Even though the villains and action are far less exciting than they were in the previous installments, Reeves’ clear passion for the character is still reason enough to giveSuperman IIIa rewatch.
Superman III
5‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret of the Ooze’ (1991)
Directed by Michael Pressman
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Oozeis just about as good as a live-actionTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlessequel could be. Although the costumes still look cheesy and the film lacks some of the extravagant sword fighting scenes that its predecessor did,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Oozealso contains theVanilla Ice“Ninja Rap,” which is reason enough to watch it.
The franchise often works best when it istrying to be a coming-of-age story, andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Oozeshows how Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo learn to take on more responsibilities as they learn from Splinter’s wisdom and face off with Shredder. It’s not great, but it’s certainly enjoyable for a live-action effort. The titular heroes are more at home in another medium, with the subsequent success of the animated filmTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemseemingly proving that the franchise is better suited for animation.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
4‘The Shadow’ (1994)
Directed by Russell Mulcahy
The Shadowwas based on a classic radio show character with powers of invisibility and immortality, and the 1994 adaptation fromRussell Mulcahydoes a great job of reflecting that era in culture in a relatively straightforward way. It certainly doesn’t win any points for originality, and while it may be a little bit too goofy,The Shadowis worth watchingbecause of how visually distinctive it is compared to other modern superhero films.
Alec Baldwingives a surprisingly charismatic performance as the titular hero, and the greatJohn Lonedelivers a wonderfully hammy villainous performance. Although there may come a day in whichThe Shadowwill be rebooted with a younger star and much more advanced visual effects, the 1994 film is likely going to bethe best adaptation that the character will ever receive.
The Shadow
Rent on Amazon
3‘The Phantom’ (1996)
Directed by Simon Wincer
The Phantomis completely in on the joke, so calling it “bad” almost does it a disservice. Instead of trying to make a dark and gritty superhero film in the vein ofThe CroworBatman Returns, directorSimon Winceroffered to make a classical adventure story that captured the zippy nature of the classic serials that inspired it.
Billy Zane gives a very fun performance as the titular heroand manages to wear the signature purple suit and tights with a straight face.The Phantomisn’t a film that anyone has ever taken seriously,even those who love the original comic book character. However, it may serve as a refreshing distraction for fans who have become overburdened by the highly complex nature of the modern DC and Marvel universes, which often feel like work to catch up with.
The Phantom
2‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ (2016)
Directed by Bryan Singer
X-Men: Apocalypseignored the serious, grounded approach ofX-Men: First ClassandX-Men: Days of Future Pastto tell a very silly disaster story that felt closer in tone toX-Men: The Animated Series. While the narrative arc is pretty weak, there are still some great scenes, including Quicksilver (Evan Peters) saving the students at the X-Mansion and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) releasing a captive Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).
Oscar Isaacgives a ludicrously over-the-top performanceas Apocalypse, which is unintentionally funny in all the best ways. While it may have disappointed those expecting a straightforward conclusion to theX-Menprequel series,X-Men: Apocalypseis stillworth enjoying as a camp classic that is unabashedly silly. It’s also lightyears better than the disappointing follow-upDark Phoenix, which is just unwatchable.
X-Men: Apocalypse
1‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Batman & Robinis one of the greatest “so bad that it’s good” movies of all time, as fans have enjoyed rewatching the film to make fun of its cheesiness ever since it was released to negative reviews in 1997. While it was obvious thatJoel Schumacherwas trying to emulate the tone of the originalBatmanseries starringAdam WestandBurt Ward,Batman & Robinsimply has too many cheesy moments and cringe-inducing comedic lines.
George Clooneydoes a pretty good job as Bruce Wayne. Anytime that he puts on the Batsuit (complete with the rubber nipples) looks absolutely ridiculous, but Clooney does manage to capture the suave, charismatic nature of Gotham City’s most attractive billionaire. There’s clearly some affinity for his version of the character, as Clooney’s cameo at the end ofThe Flashwas one of the better moments in a very underwhelming comic book movie.
