Round 1: Spider-Man 2 vs. X2: X-Men United

Two truly impressive villains competing to ensure their legacies. Spider-Man 2 features the return of Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, but the beauty of this film lies in its focus. The struggle of a superhero to maintain his/her double life is a trademark of the genre, and this film plays it out perfectly. Plus, Alfred Molina […]

Round 1: X-Men: First Class vs. Spider-Man

The beginning of friendships that are destined to turn sour. X-Men: First Class takes on the origin story of Prof. X and Magneto and it does stylishly during the Cold War. McAvoy and Fassbender shine as Xavier and Magneto and both give their characters a youthful charisma that plays out perfectly. Matthew Vaughn gives this […]

Round 1: Guardians of the Galaxy vs. Superman

An earthling in outer space, and an alien on Earth. Guardians of the Galaxy was probably the biggest surprise of 2014. It follows a group of characters that weren’t well-known and very few people were in high anticipation of its arrival. But James Gunn proved that low expectations could work in his favor and he […]

Round 1: Logan vs. Superman Returns

Two unlikely parents dealing with the sudden revelation that they have superpowered children. Logan follows an older Wolverine as his healing abilities begin to fade and he faces his own mortality. This film works as a finale for one of the most well-known characters in the world and Hugh Jackman has the send-off that he […]

Round 1: Hellboy vs. The Avengers

One was an unlikely property to find success, while the other was a much awaited team-up. Hellboy comes from the mind of Guillermo del Toro, whose take on this fantastical comic book translated surprisingly well to the big screen. Ron Perlman plays the title character and gets completely into the role as the grizzled demon. […]

Round 1: Iron Man vs. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Two origin stories, both of which feature Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man is the gold standard to which all other Marvel movies are compared. This film is the origin story of Iron Man and features a game-changing performance by Downey, who was born to play the character of Tony Stark. What works so well about […]