2018 Superhero Movies Ranked
7. Incredibles 2
Disney Pixar
Directors: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Catherine Keener, Eli Fucile, Bob Odenkirk, Samuel L. Jackson
Make no bones about it, Incredibles II was one of the year’s most hotly anticipated movies. The original Pixar classic had gathered somewhat of a cult following, with many listing it among the very best superhero movies ever made, but this year’s sequel felt like a replay of the first film more than anything original in its own right, with each character’s arc from the first movie seemingly forgotten in order to replay them all over again in this film, only with Elastigirl in the lead role.
The choice to centre the picture on Elastigirl made for some funny moments, but the narrative was let down by a twist about as easy to foresee as it gets – the true bad guy of the piece was quite literally called Evelyn Deavor ie, Evil Endeavor – and just about everything else was so frighteningly similar to the original that it just didn’t quite hit like it perhaps should have done, the spark of The Incredibles 1 seemingly dimmed a little by an adequate sequel that holds a lot of enjoyment but isn’t quite the follow-up we deserved after all these years.
Recommended for you: Every Pixar Movie Ranked
6. Aquaman
Warner Bros
Director: James Wan
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temeura Morrison, Ludi Lin, Michael Beach, Randall Park
Another divisive superhero film? Never!
The only live-action superhero film to come from DC and Warner Bros in 2018 was Aquaman, a movie that looked and at times even felt like an underwater Thor complete with battles lifted directly out of Star Wars, but also suffered from some absurdly poor dialogue exchanges, predictable and overplayed character arcs, and a few small hints that it was, at times, playing it safe.
The qualities of director James Wan inevitably dragged this film into the realm of at least being passable (even to DC’s most hardened critics), while Jason Momoa came across as a charismatic new presence in the superhero sphere.
This was hardly blow-your-socks-off cinema, but it was a step in the right direction for DC and a visually compelling movie in of itself.
Recommended for you: DCEU Movies Ranked
5. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies
Warner Bros Animation
Directors: Aaron Horvath, Peter Rida Michail
Starring: Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, Hynden Walch, Will Arnett, Kristen Bell, Michael Bolton, Greg Davies, Nicolas Cage
This unexpected gem of a TV series movie was packed to the brim with Deadpool levels of fourth wall breaking and puns galore, and unexpectedly had fun for both kids and grown-ups.
The narrative itself was simple enough – the story following famed Batman sidekick Robin’s pursuit of becoming a film star just like his DC brethren (each of whom appear) – but it was the level of comedy on offer in this Warner Bros Animation that truly set the film apart.
To quote some of the better lines:
“You’re not the Justice League? Then you must be the Guardians of the Galaxy?”
“I did have a movie, but we don’t talk about it” – Green Lantern
“The plutonium crystal, the perfect plot device.” – Slade (ie, “Not Deadpool”)
What really sent this movie over the edge was a Stan Lee cameo to remember, the famed Marvel creator popping up in animated form in this film “by accident” because he “simply loves cameos!” It was quite a fitting way for one of the comic book industry’s greatest names to make one of his final appearances, and a truly memorable moment in a film filled to the brim with creativity, cameos and fun.
