I watched _Birds of Prey_ because of your recommendation, and to this day I think about that film more than all the other monster/robot-punching superhero movies put together. Thank you
In the 90s there was this brief kick of "super hero" movies based off of classic radio show characters. The Shadow, The Rocketeer, The Phantom. None of these movies ever aspired to create a sequel, much less a "cinematic universe". They were genuine, earnest, and fun. Quality entertainment at its finest. I don't know if any of them is "the greatest superhero movie ever made", but they have something that almost no movie made in the last decade or more has: heart.
To be completely fair, all of those movies were made with the intent of making a franchise because they were made in the shadow of Batman. Not saying that makes them phony whatsoever, but they weren't made with complete purity. That being said, I love The Rocketeer and The Shadow.
Matrix is an inspired choice. I'm crying thinking about the ending and the refusal of the dead name. My name is Neo! I'm trans so it means so much to me and yes seeing through the systems of gender, capitalism, American exceptionalism and Evangelical Christianity really is a transformative experience that is as empowering as it is weighty with the responsibility it entails.
Guardians 2 might be my favorite superhero movie ever, for the reasons you stated. Like Peter, I was also raised by a single mother with no idea who my father was and I also gained a step father at the start of my teens who I did not appreciate in the ways I should have. Therefore, when Yondu said: "He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn't your daddy. I'm sorry I didn't do none of it right. I'm damn lucky you're my boy", I was hearing all the words I had ever wanted to hear. That's one of the most powerful personal moments I've had while watching any of the thousands of films I've seen in my lifetime. That cut so deep.
I'll never forget that everyone gave Elysium so much shit for being too on the nose, embarrassingly literal, etc. but now it's overwhelmingly clear how accurate it is.
They say that about every futuristic film. The problem with Elysium was that it was too predictable. When they introduced the sick daughter, I knew exactly how the movie was gonna turn out.
@@Devilsblood Its really not that prophetic to have a basic plot about the rich opressing the poor. Its a standard plot in sci fi especially sci fi with a cyberpunk influence.
Birds of Prey, beside being one of my favourite superhero movies, was also one of my best cinema experiences. It was about a month before the pandemic truly hit and my country locked down. I was on inter-semestrial break at uni. I went to the movie by myself, as I like to do, and I was alone in the room. A room capable of welcoming over a 100 people and yet I had a private screening. Wonderful memory, that probably made me enjoy the film even more than I normally would have. This anecdote aside, thank you for all your great videos. It's always a joy to see you appear in my TH-cam notifications :)
You're the only TH-camr who could get me to sit still for a half-hour essay about superhero films. Still, I'm surprised you didn't include Logan on your list.
Every mention of the legendary MASTERPIECE that is Astérix et Obelix: Mission Cleopatre fills my little French heart with a sense of bountiful joy and completion…!
I just wanted to say - I love the clips you choose to showcase these movies. They either convince me to watch it, or make me want to rewatch it. I can really tell you're a filmmaker, you understand what makes these movies so good
I'll never forget that Unbreakable came out right before the big ramp in super hero movies. It has always informed my way of thinking surrounding the movies. It feels honestly very prophetic that it came out when it did.
Between Judas Priest, Hellraiser, and The Matrix, gay S&M's responsible for a lot of cool stuff! (I'd personally add Depeche Mode and Elmstreet 2 to the list as well.)
Thank you so much for the European explanation! So many channels don't even consider the possibility that viewers might not understand abbreviations, I really appreciate your attention to this.
Great insights about your #1. It's always cool to hear an interpretation of a work of art/entertainment that makes me think, "I think that is exactly why it resonated with me, even though I didn't fully realize it until just now."
You explanation of being happy the DCEU existing just for Birds of Prey is probably my favorite statement in the whole video. I honestly think my disappointment in superhero films since lockdown is plain and simple that BoP was to me just that good and everything else has just felt struggling to keep the status quo.
The Blade placement and the shirt got me to subscribe instantly, love to see Blade get the love it deserves! And Birds of Prey is so fun! Genuinely has some of my favorite costume design not just out of superhero films.
Calling Elysium or The Matrix superhero movies is interesting because it highlights how the superhero genre… doesn’t really exist, in my opinion? The superhero is a mostly-relational construct. There are some superheroes who are JUST superheroes - Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc. But most of them can be easily changed into other genres if you put them in a world in which other superheroes don’t exist. There isn’t much difference genre-wise between Doctor Strange and The Dresden Files, or between Nick Fury and James Bond, or between the Guardians of the Galaxy and Farscape. The classic DC character of Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth was initially designed as a take-off of Planet of the Apes. Patsy Walker (aka Jessica Jones’ best friend from her show, if you watched that) was the lead of an Archie-style teen-comedy who, decades after her creation, got retooled into a traditional superhero. Jonah Hex is your classic grizzled cowboy. Lobo often feels like he just walked out of 2000AD. I’d personally call Sandman a superhero story, because its foundation was built on a superhero universe, and it’s a similar deal for Lucifer, despite how both of their adaptations jettison full-on superheroes. And so on. But the inverse is true as well: A preexisting character who is traditionally not considered a superhero, when dropped into a setting with superheroes, becomes another superhero by default. It’s like when Marvel had their license for Conan the Barbarian and decided to have him time-travel to the modern day and join the Avengers. Like, Conan might not be a superhero most of the time, but when he’s on the Avengers… well, of course NOW he’s a superhero. What else would you call him?
I wasn't exactly the target market for Multiverse of Madness, but when I read spoilers I was like "I am absolutely never gonna get around to seeing that."
@@coldcrashpictures The MCU is so consistent in it's characterisation MoM finally adapted a vital element of comics, having your fave character be given to a different writer which bastardizes them in their run, but still reading because at least the artist does cool shit when puppeting their corpse. MoM Wanda is a great horror villain, but a horrible Wanda, I wish the film had more time in the oven to plan itself and the freedom to embrace its desired aesthetic.
Wandavision was AWFUL. I genuinely wonder what people mean when they say "at least we got Wandavision". Taking a step back from the racism on multiple counts, the story itself wasn't that deep or profound in my opinion. Like I get it that people loved her single line about grief or whatever but the entire show felt like a waste of time past episode 3 when it went back into boring Marvel space.
Thanks for the video! Editing my stock 'boosting engagement' comment now I have something more specific to say: first off, I really enjoyed the timing of this-I've been in superhero burnout mode and hadn't watched anything of the genre for a long time, but for some reason I gave Loki s2 a go, and-I thought it was good?? Good on the bell curve of the cinematic MCU, but still a genuinely good show that feels like it was made by individuals more interested in telling a story than promoting an IP. That gosh-darn Marvel show made me feel actual real emotions. It didn't win me back to the MCU more broadly, but it did remind me that superhero stories can be cool and fun. So this video came at just the right time for me to actually pay attention-I've added a few of your recs to my list! :D Also: 1. I really appreciated your take on Infinity War. I was well done with the MCU by the time that one came out and only saw it because it was sort of a family event, so I already didn't want to be there and was mostly staring dead-eyed at the screen while watching characters I'd lost connection to be Big Sad for a couple hours. But your pitch for it was compelling, and while I don't know that it'll be one I'll return to, I think I'll look back on it a little more kindly now. 2. I saw The Matrix ages ago, and I thought it was fun! Didn't give it much more thought than that. However, seeing how since then I've deconstructed American exceptionalism capitalism and evangelical Christianity AND transed my gender ... might have to give that one a rewatch 😆
I just rewatched all the Blades. I had forgotten how great the second one is, but the first is one of my most watched movies. It's incredible. Even though the third one is a steep decline in quality, it still had some fun bits.
Thank you for vindicating my feelings about Elysium. Ever since i first saw it in theaters i always had this dread of becoming sick to the point where it'll be cheaper for me to die than heal me. I hope we implement a socialized Health care system In my life time. Once you turn 25 health problems really start to get serious.
Our tastes in superhero films is vastly different, so this was fun to watch, because for the life of me i couldnt guess what was coming next~ Oh, and speaking of matrix and the realisation being the triumph, it always reminded me of that one Discworld novel, i can't remember if it was Witches Abroad or Lords and Ladies, but in any case, one of the protagonists is sort of having a crisis-of-faith-ish mental breakdown, and her realisation of herself is the triumph there too, and it's this wondrous, heartwarming moment, so i get the direction ☺️☺️☺️
I'm proud of calling the number one. Once you starting going down your list, I knew it. And yes, that is maybe the best super hero film. And yes, the sequels are good, too.
When they were released neither Blade and or The Crow were considered "Super Hero" movies. Blade was marketed as a vampire-action movie. And the first two movie he was the only one fighting vampires - no other super heroes in that world. The Crow was "Bladerunner for the MTV generation - the ultimate revenge movie. They are both very good and I have rewatched them many times.
I fucking love that this channel isn't monetized and there's something profoundly glorious about watching someone my age taking the same path as me of just becoming super leftist over time for life experience reasons.
Realised today that I never watched this video. Belated congrats on ten years of video essays! Always a joy to see one of your videos appear in my subscriptions.
Love this, love the original and the update. Appreciate and agree with many of your takes...added several to my watch again, it's been too long list. Always excited to see your new videos. Bring on the Redux! ....10 YEARS! 😂🎉
There's not a whole lot of overlap between your list and mine, just Blade and Birds of Prey, but that's what makes these things favorites lists. It's subjective! Except for Birds of Prey, you're objectively right about how great it is. Every time you rave about it makes me so happy bc it means more men might give it a try.
"some mofos are always trying to ice skate uphill" Such an amazing line that even if the rest of the movie wasnt fun, it would still make up for everything
I'm surprised you didn't bring up the other Matrix films at all. I feel like the cultural tide has been slowly shifting on them, so I think it's worth pointing out that, while none of the other entries quite capture the sheer perfection of the first film, none of them are bad, and every single one adds something that makes it worthwhile: The Animatrix fleshes out the series' worldbuilding, and adds a level of complexity to its central conflict; Reloaded & Revolutions have a greater sense of scale, go deeper into the philosophy, and subverts many of the tropes set up in the first film by showing how rebellion can be itself part of the system; Resurrections is the most emotional of the franchise, showing how genuinely difficult and scary it can be to "wake up" from an inauthentic status quo, especially as you get older, and centers the love story between Neo & Trinity, all the while contending with the franchise's legacy, and both the good the bad ways it has shaped the collective imagination over the past two decades. 10/10 franchise, honestly. The Wachowski Sisters are on another level!
@coldcrashpictures hi man, I recently discovered your channel and I've been really enjoying your videos! At 33:20 you spoke about your one previous issue with the matrix and your opinion on the trench run scene of a new hope, there's another guy I watch called Ben from Canada who has a video called "the targeting system was never going to work" which you might find interesting. It's a new perspective on an iconic scene presented in his very entertaining way! (Even the raid shadow legends ad isn't that imposing 😅). Also, thanks for giving Elysium some love, a low key favourite of mine 👍🏻
6:50 aw man, how'd you miss adding The Amazing Spider-Man in there lmao, like it very much is a deconstruction of power fantasy and redemptive violence (although i do love the BOPATFEOOHQ inclusion, of course)
I found your description of Infinity War, and the broader Avengers films quite frustrating to listen to. At some point I may create a critique of the points and claims laid here in some format, but what "status quo" are the Avengers protecting? What are they even "reacting" to?
Re: the politics of TDK trilogy-to be fair, Nolan has always said that he did not write his films with a specific political leaning in mind and that he likes the fact that people with different perspectives got such different readings out of the films (especially TDKR)
ah, the foreshadowing when you were talking about heroes with leather jackets and i thought "is one of those really a superhero movie?" but then you listed all the criteria a #1 would need and it was clear where you were going. and yeah, while i may not traditionally think of the matrix as a superhero movie, even hearing someone call it one makes a lot of sense after thinking about it even a little bit.
Love your videos ❤ I actually didn't watch Birds of Prey yet, I had wanted to watch in cinemas when it came out but couldn't afford it, then I saw your video on it and wanted to watch it even more.
I was wondering what your #1 might be, and my thoughts went to Robocop. So when you were listing the traits that go into a great superhero movie, in your opinion, I was increasingly _certain_ that you were headed to Robocop, until you mentioned the trenchcoats, at which point I immediately said, "oh! it's The Matrix" haha!
I will forever be shocked, stunned and highly confused at the negative reaction to Birds of Prey. That movie is so unique, unhinged, colorful, masterfully directed and acted… it’s crazy. So good. Justice for Birds of Prey!
I can't really get behind your complaint that bringing everyone back in Endgame didn't cost anything. Last I checked, it was heavily, heavily, HEAVILY implied that the only they could ensure that their victory against Thanos was permanent one was that Tony Stark sacrificed himself. That he died. Literally the most famous and influential superhero in their world is dead. Now the Avengers and the world has to continue on with one of their biggest symbols of hope.
Don’t you mean “Without”? But Yeah, I agree with your Statement! In Fact I’ll Add Onto it! Endgame didn’t Just begin with a Defeated Team! They still tried and Searched for Thanos, only to find him, yet he Successful Destroyed the Stones! The Events of Endgame had our Heroes both feel Triumphant in some Aspect, but they all were left with a Bitter taste of failure. Ant-Man was locked inside the Microspace in a Van for 5 Years, while the Whole World on earth is Still recoiling from Loss! There are Still characters from the MCU that still feel the Weight of Regret as those 5 years pass! Hulk/Banner had to rebuild themselves after their first Ass Beating by Thanos, Natasha (Widow) was dealing with guilt and despair as she felt she didn’t DO enough and Didn’t Sacrifice Enough. Cap is an Optimist but even he was internally struggling to hold everyone together. Tony/Ironman was defeated and retired and he did his best to live life, but even he felt so much regret from seeing Peter/Spider-Man fade in to nothingness! Clint and Thor got it bad in this Movie! Clint because he lost faith and Just wanted to Kill someone, ANYONE just to make himself forget his family being gone. While Thor, Lost Everything that meant something to him, ended up depressed and is just trying to pass it all off. But near the End of the Movie, he ditches his bumbling failure mindset just to Go and Try to Kill Thanos Again! He seriously flipped his own Kill Mode when he armored up in that Scene! Endgame has so many great moments in it. It’s meant to be what it is, a Clearing up of Story details, and a Well Crafted End to one Chapter of the MCU and the start of the Next.
While my list varies greatly from yours, i do have a couple the same, including "Unbreakable," which was ahead of its time. This list shows that films are very subjective and that's awesome
This was fun! Maybe I finally will be watching The Crow now. Would you ever consider doing a list like this for superhero shows, or are they less up your alley?
Whelp I haven't watched the Matrix since I a) learned how revisionist, whitewashed and colonized my history classes were b) realized I was not, in fact, straight and c) really understood that the line from World War Z (the book not the movie) talking about how all advertisements sell is fear is ACCURATE. So... I suppose it's time to rewatch it XD I also still haven't seen The Crow and I need to rectify that.
You should watch V for Vendetta. You've watched V for Vendetta, right? IT hits a lot of the points you mentioned near the end, including something close to a black trenchcoat and the destruction of capitalism!
You named the requirements for you’re #1 and ngl I was extremely disappointed when you didn’t say the punisher , which is absolutely a underrated classic, and fits a lot better with you’re list then the matrix…….just me personally and it’s probably my favorite
As someone who's gotten in a habit of being a year or more behind on superhero media (blame COVID and phase 4 mostly), I was worried I'd have to pause this and come back to it when you got to something I hadn't seen. I should have known better :) I love the list and the reasoning behind it. Happy ten years!
Really enjoyed seeing this updated list come up. It's cool to look back and see how much has changed with time and shifting tastes. I always find that I appreciate your criteria, whether it's deep character motivations and themes or just sheer awesomeness. And I have to ask. Where did you get your shirt? I've found other shirts with the quote, but that design is perfect.
Side note about Age of Ultron - I believe Ultron **planned** to fail. He **intended** to be defeated. I've got a whole write-up on why posted on my website from years back in the day, but the tl;dr: is Ultron had access to advanced technology, all the knowledge of the planet, and materials science that makes Iron Man's suit look like a halloween costume - the ONLY possible reason he could be defeated is if he *allowed* it. Of course Marvel didn't really go with that direction the way I en*cough*visioned it, but that's what happens when a multibillion dollar company wants cookie cutter movies to pad their executive wallets.
Nice timing with this release. With a new breaking all the rules super hero film just doing a small limited theatrical release. I don't know if it's already too late where ever you are but you should look up The People's Joker and see if that's something you might want to watch. The website lists all the screenings ongoing. Given your list of criteria and some of your picks (Harley Quinn & The Suicide Squad and The Matrix) and you general interest in the super hero genre, this seems like something you might want to be following :) I personally cannot endorse it enough, I've actually seen it in theaters twice, which I think may be a first for me ever.
Congratulations on a decade. A decade of Serge!!! You’ve aged like a fine wine my friend. You’re my favorite contemporary philosopher.
I watched _Birds of Prey_ because of your recommendation, and to this day I think about that film more than all the other monster/robot-punching superhero movies put together. Thank you
The fact that your capability to judge movies has worsened after watching BoP shows... You should watch Blade instead
@@Vulpes_Shinbi I've seen _Blade_ many times. It's a classic, but it's not as good as the trendy hype would have you believe.
In the 90s there was this brief kick of "super hero" movies based off of classic radio show characters. The Shadow, The Rocketeer, The Phantom. None of these movies ever aspired to create a sequel, much less a "cinematic universe". They were genuine, earnest, and fun. Quality entertainment at its finest. I don't know if any of them is "the greatest superhero movie ever made", but they have something that almost no movie made in the last decade or more has: heart.
To be completely fair, all of those movies were made with the intent of making a franchise because they were made in the shadow of Batman. Not saying that makes them phony whatsoever, but they weren't made with complete purity. That being said, I love The Rocketeer and The Shadow.
Matrix is an inspired choice. I'm crying thinking about the ending and the refusal of the dead name. My name is Neo! I'm trans so it means so much to me and yes seeing through the systems of gender, capitalism, American exceptionalism and Evangelical Christianity really is a transformative experience that is as empowering as it is weighty with the responsibility it entails.
From France a BIG thank you for your work !! Many of my collegues from the Sorbonne share your videos with theirs students !
Omg you made your first video when i was 17. I'm almost 28, been following you for the entirety of my 20s. WOOOO! TEN MORE YEARS OF SERGE :D
Guardians 2 might be my favorite superhero movie ever, for the reasons you stated. Like Peter, I was also raised by a single mother with no idea who my father was and I also gained a step father at the start of my teens who I did not appreciate in the ways I should have. Therefore, when Yondu said: "He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn't your daddy. I'm sorry I didn't do none of it right. I'm damn lucky you're my boy", I was hearing all the words I had ever wanted to hear. That's one of the most powerful personal moments I've had while watching any of the thousands of films I've seen in my lifetime. That cut so deep.
People in my life keep trying to convince me Guardians 2 is the worst of the trilogy, so it’s always good to get validation otherwise
After watching 3rd, 3rd is definitely my favourite.
@@hermiona1147 I agree 3, 1 ,2
I'll never forget that everyone gave Elysium so much shit for being too on the nose, embarrassingly literal, etc. but now it's overwhelmingly clear how accurate it is.
I still remember the kind of grief and fear it brought me watching it during Trump's presidency. This movie was truly ahead of its time
They say that about every futuristic film. The problem with Elysium was that it was too predictable. When they introduced the sick daughter, I knew exactly how the movie was gonna turn out.
@@Devilsblood Its really not that prophetic to have a basic plot about the rich opressing the poor. Its a standard plot in sci fi especially sci fi with a cyberpunk influence.
@florinivan6907 you don't watch enough movies to actually know that my friend.
@@Devilsblood They live?Sci fi with the rich being aliens opressing working class types?
Birds of Prey, beside being one of my favourite superhero movies, was also one of my best cinema experiences. It was about a month before the pandemic truly hit and my country locked down. I was on inter-semestrial break at uni. I went to the movie by myself, as I like to do, and I was alone in the room. A room capable of welcoming over a 100 people and yet I had a private screening. Wonderful memory, that probably made me enjoy the film even more than I normally would have.
This anecdote aside, thank you for all your great videos. It's always a joy to see you appear in my TH-cam notifications :)
You're the only TH-camr who could get me to sit still for a half-hour essay about superhero films. Still, I'm surprised you didn't include Logan on your list.
Every mention of the legendary MASTERPIECE that is Astérix et Obelix: Mission Cleopatre fills my little French heart with a sense of bountiful joy and completion…!
I never knew there was a movie. I will be looking it up.
It's so good
I really didn’t like it, felt the animated movie is still far superior
I'm Dutch and watched it as a kid a lot, great movie!
I just wanted to say - I love the clips you choose to showcase these movies. They either convince me to watch it, or make me want to rewatch it. I can really tell you're a filmmaker, you understand what makes these movies so good
Ah, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra... The most beloved movie in Poland. You're a man of culture.
Thank you for continuing to praise BOP, it was so good and did NOT deserve the hate/disregard it got. Great list in general--congrats on 10 years!
I'll never forget that Unbreakable came out right before the big ramp in super hero movies. It has always informed my way of thinking surrounding the movies. It feels honestly very prophetic that it came out when it did.
Between Judas Priest,
Hellraiser,
and The Matrix,
gay S&M's responsible for a lot of cool stuff!
(I'd personally add Depeche Mode and Elmstreet 2 to the list as well.)
Thank you so much for the European explanation! So many channels don't even consider the possibility that viewers might not understand abbreviations, I really appreciate your attention to this.
Great insights about your #1. It's always cool to hear an interpretation of a work of art/entertainment that makes me think, "I think that is exactly why it resonated with me, even though I didn't fully realize it until just now."
Truly one of my favorite channels of all time, congrats on a decade!
You explanation of being happy the DCEU existing just for Birds of Prey is probably my favorite statement in the whole video. I honestly think my disappointment in superhero films since lockdown is plain and simple that BoP was to me just that good and everything else has just felt struggling to keep the status quo.
The Blade placement and the shirt got me to subscribe instantly, love to see Blade get the love it deserves! And Birds of Prey is so fun! Genuinely has some of my favorite costume design not just out of superhero films.
hey, at least Ang Lee's Hulk and Thor made the runner-ups.
No movie soundtrack has ever surpassed The Crow. Trainspotting came close.
It's ironic that trainspotting was right
In a thousand years there'll be no men no women just w@nkers
Blade must be one of the coolest movies ever made. All the main actors also swing for the fences without shame or reservation.
Calling Elysium or The Matrix superhero movies is interesting because it highlights how the superhero genre… doesn’t really exist, in my opinion?
The superhero is a mostly-relational construct. There are some superheroes who are JUST superheroes - Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc. But most of them can be easily changed into other genres if you put them in a world in which other superheroes don’t exist. There isn’t much difference genre-wise between Doctor Strange and The Dresden Files, or between Nick Fury and James Bond, or between the Guardians of the Galaxy and Farscape.
The classic DC character of Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth was initially designed as a take-off of Planet of the Apes. Patsy Walker (aka Jessica Jones’ best friend from her show, if you watched that) was the lead of an Archie-style teen-comedy who, decades after her creation, got retooled into a traditional superhero. Jonah Hex is your classic grizzled cowboy. Lobo often feels like he just walked out of 2000AD. I’d personally call Sandman a superhero story, because its foundation was built on a superhero universe, and it’s a similar deal for Lucifer, despite how both of their adaptations jettison full-on superheroes. And so on.
But the inverse is true as well: A preexisting character who is traditionally not considered a superhero, when dropped into a setting with superheroes, becomes another superhero by default. It’s like when Marvel had their license for Conan the Barbarian and decided to have him time-travel to the modern day and join the Avengers. Like, Conan might not be a superhero most of the time, but when he’s on the Avengers… well, of course NOW he’s a superhero. What else would you call him?
That little bit about Wanda in Infinity War really hurt knowing what they did to her in Multiverse of Madness. At least we got WandaVision. 😢
I wasn't exactly the target market for Multiverse of Madness, but when I read spoilers I was like "I am absolutely never gonna get around to seeing that."
@@coldcrashpicturesif you like raimis Spuderman you making yourself a diservice by not watching MoM 😗
@@coldcrashpictures
The MCU is so consistent in it's characterisation MoM finally adapted a vital element of comics, having your fave character be given to a different writer which bastardizes them in their run, but still reading because at least the artist does cool shit when puppeting their corpse.
MoM Wanda is a great horror villain, but a horrible Wanda, I wish the film had more time in the oven to plan itself and the freedom to embrace its desired aesthetic.
Wandavision was AWFUL. I genuinely wonder what people mean when they say "at least we got Wandavision". Taking a step back from the racism on multiple counts, the story itself wasn't that deep or profound in my opinion. Like I get it that people loved her single line about grief or whatever but the entire show felt like a waste of time past episode 3 when it went back into boring Marvel space.
@@klein8697I know Sam Raimi is a legend but I really want to know what Scott Derrickson's MoM could have been. We were robbed.
i was so sure nr. 1 would be megamind. Leather, gets his ass beat, screw up, kinda dies, doesn't like cops. It ticks all the boxes.
Thanks for the video! Editing my stock 'boosting engagement' comment now I have something more specific to say: first off, I really enjoyed the timing of this-I've been in superhero burnout mode and hadn't watched anything of the genre for a long time, but for some reason I gave Loki s2 a go, and-I thought it was good?? Good on the bell curve of the cinematic MCU, but still a genuinely good show that feels like it was made by individuals more interested in telling a story than promoting an IP. That gosh-darn Marvel show made me feel actual real emotions.
It didn't win me back to the MCU more broadly, but it did remind me that superhero stories can be cool and fun. So this video came at just the right time for me to actually pay attention-I've added a few of your recs to my list! :D Also:
1. I really appreciated your take on Infinity War. I was well done with the MCU by the time that one came out and only saw it because it was sort of a family event, so I already didn't want to be there and was mostly staring dead-eyed at the screen while watching characters I'd lost connection to be Big Sad for a couple hours. But your pitch for it was compelling, and while I don't know that it'll be one I'll return to, I think I'll look back on it a little more kindly now.
2. I saw The Matrix ages ago, and I thought it was fun! Didn't give it much more thought than that. However, seeing how since then I've deconstructed American exceptionalism capitalism and evangelical Christianity AND transed my gender ... might have to give that one a rewatch 😆
I just rewatched all the Blades. I had forgotten how great the second one is, but the first is one of my most watched movies. It's incredible. Even though the third one is a steep decline in quality, it still had some fun bits.
Thank you for vindicating my feelings about Elysium. Ever since i first saw it in theaters i always had this dread of becoming sick to the point where it'll be cheaper for me to die than heal me.
I hope we implement a socialized Health care system In my life time.
Once you turn 25 health problems really start to get serious.
Our tastes in superhero films is vastly different, so this was fun to watch, because for the life of me i couldnt guess what was coming next~
Oh, and speaking of matrix and the realisation being the triumph, it always reminded me of that one Discworld novel, i can't remember if it was Witches Abroad or Lords and Ladies, but in any case, one of the protagonists is sort of having a crisis-of-faith-ish mental breakdown, and her realisation of herself is the triumph there too, and it's this wondrous, heartwarming moment, so i get the direction ☺️☺️☺️
Honestly now I just want to see a Wachowski-directed Discworld movie
Serge! I’ve been waiting for your return and this is the perfect way to do so! 🎉
I'm proud of calling the number one. Once you starting going down your list, I knew it. And yes, that is maybe the best super hero film. And yes, the sequels are good, too.
Yes they are. Including Resurrections.
When they were released neither Blade and or The Crow were considered "Super Hero" movies. Blade was marketed as a vampire-action movie. And the first two movie he was the only one fighting vampires - no other super heroes in that world. The Crow was "Bladerunner for the MTV generation - the ultimate revenge movie.
They are both very good and I have rewatched them many times.
I fucking love that this channel isn't monetized and there's something profoundly glorious about watching someone my age taking the same path as me of just becoming super leftist over time for life experience reasons.
Realised today that I never watched this video. Belated congrats on ten years of video essays! Always a joy to see one of your videos appear in my subscriptions.
Love this, love the original and the update. Appreciate and agree with many of your takes...added several to my watch again, it's been too long list. Always excited to see your new videos. Bring on the Redux!
....10 YEARS! 😂🎉
I was just thinking about you the other day. Congratulations on 10 years!
Not even an honorable mention for Logan?!
Everything you said about the American healthcare system is correct. That’s all I wanted to say. ❤
What an interesting and unique superhero movie list. Love this, as always!😊
Congratulations! Always love your work.
I absolutely loved Blade. It's such an iconic film from the 90s. I watch almost every year!
There's not a whole lot of overlap between your list and mine, just Blade and Birds of Prey, but that's what makes these things favorites lists. It's subjective! Except for Birds of Prey, you're objectively right about how great it is. Every time you rave about it makes me so happy bc it means more men might give it a try.
"some mofos are always trying to ice skate uphill"
Such an amazing line that even if the rest of the movie wasnt fun, it would still make up for everything
I would humbly offer up The Flash (2023) as the first "so bad that it's good" superhero movie of the post-avengers era
Love seeing 'The Edge' in your blu-ray collection, one of my all time favourites.
This video rips! So good! Absolutely agree with numbers 1 and 2. Perfect video.
I'm surprised you didn't bring up the other Matrix films at all. I feel like the cultural tide has been slowly shifting on them, so I think it's worth pointing out that, while none of the other entries quite capture the sheer perfection of the first film, none of them are bad, and every single one adds something that makes it worthwhile: The Animatrix fleshes out the series' worldbuilding, and adds a level of complexity to its central conflict; Reloaded & Revolutions have a greater sense of scale, go deeper into the philosophy, and subverts many of the tropes set up in the first film by showing how rebellion can be itself part of the system; Resurrections is the most emotional of the franchise, showing how genuinely difficult and scary it can be to "wake up" from an inauthentic status quo, especially as you get older, and centers the love story between Neo & Trinity, all the while contending with the franchise's legacy, and both the good the bad ways it has shaped the collective imagination over the past two decades.
10/10 franchise, honestly. The Wachowski Sisters are on another level!
you showed a clip of star kid and my memories of watching that movie 25 years ago snapped back into my head so hard i flinched
I loved every word of this. Thank you!
wanting to destroy the world after 5 mins of reddits is pretty nornal
@coldcrashpictures hi man, I recently discovered your channel and I've been really enjoying your videos!
At 33:20 you spoke about your one previous issue with the matrix and your opinion on the trench run scene of a new hope, there's another guy I watch called Ben from Canada who has a video called "the targeting system was never going to work" which you might find interesting. It's a new perspective on an iconic scene presented in his very entertaining way! (Even the raid shadow legends ad isn't that imposing 😅).
Also, thanks for giving Elysium some love, a low key favourite of mine 👍🏻
Fascinating insights - I adore your channel.
The Iron Giant and The Incredibles: "Are we a joke to you?"
6:50 aw man, how'd you miss adding The Amazing Spider-Man in there lmao, like it very much is a deconstruction of power fantasy and redemptive violence (although i do love the BOPATFEOOHQ inclusion, of course)
Fabulous work cold crash
I found your description of Infinity War, and the broader Avengers films quite frustrating to listen to. At some point I may create a critique of the points and claims laid here in some format, but what "status quo" are the Avengers protecting? What are they even "reacting" to?
I need to know where that t shirt came from.
I just rewatched Blade last night and still loved it! So wish they would make another with Wesley
Re: the politics of TDK trilogy-to be fair, Nolan has always said that he did not write his films with a specific political leaning in mind and that he likes the fact that people with different perspectives got such different readings out of the films (especially TDKR)
Not with a gun to my head would I have guessed Elysium would be on a list of superhero movies but fair play 😂
I think you forgot that the electronic genre of Big Beat is a major factor in the the greatness of a superhero film.
ah, the foreshadowing when you were talking about heroes with leather jackets and i thought "is one of those really a superhero movie?" but then you listed all the criteria a #1 would need and it was clear where you were going. and yeah, while i may not traditionally think of the matrix as a superhero movie, even hearing someone call it one makes a lot of sense after thinking about it even a little bit.
That shirt is glorious, love it!
I adore Birds of Prey. You're not alone comrade!
Second Service is so great you forget to schedule a rewatch. Boom!
That musical sting on the eve of the reveal of #1… perfection
Felt so proud of myself for realizing what #1 was, only to have it confirmed that the musical hint was probably responsible for my “spark of insight”
Love your videos ❤ I actually didn't watch Birds of Prey yet, I had wanted to watch in cinemas when it came out but couldn't afford it, then I saw your video on it and wanted to watch it even more.
Mans really said "let's see how many people we can upset" at 2:50.
I was wondering what your #1 might be, and my thoughts went to Robocop. So when you were listing the traits that go into a great superhero movie, in your opinion, I was increasingly _certain_ that you were headed to Robocop, until you mentioned the trenchcoats, at which point I immediately said, "oh! it's The Matrix" haha!
Thank you for understanding "Emo" Parker.
I will forever be shocked, stunned and highly confused at the negative reaction to Birds of Prey. That movie is so unique, unhinged, colorful, masterfully directed and acted… it’s crazy. So good. Justice for Birds of Prey!
always nice to see another Ang Lee's Hulk enjoyer
Your recommendations have only improved with time!
I can't really get behind your complaint that bringing everyone back in Endgame didn't cost anything. Last I checked, it was heavily, heavily, HEAVILY implied that the only they could ensure that their victory against Thanos was permanent one was that Tony Stark sacrificed himself. That he died. Literally the most famous and influential superhero in their world is dead. Now the Avengers and the world has to continue on with one of their biggest symbols of hope.
Don’t you mean “Without”?
But Yeah, I agree with your Statement! In Fact I’ll Add Onto it!
Endgame didn’t Just begin with a Defeated Team! They still tried and Searched for Thanos, only to find him, yet he Successful Destroyed the Stones! The Events of Endgame had our Heroes both feel Triumphant in some Aspect, but they all were left with a Bitter taste of failure.
Ant-Man was locked inside the Microspace in a Van for 5 Years, while the Whole World on earth is Still recoiling from Loss! There are Still characters from the MCU that still feel the Weight of Regret as those 5 years pass!
Hulk/Banner had to rebuild themselves after their first Ass Beating by Thanos, Natasha (Widow) was dealing with guilt and despair as she felt she didn’t DO enough and Didn’t Sacrifice Enough. Cap is an Optimist but even he was internally struggling to hold everyone together. Tony/Ironman was defeated and retired and he did his best to live life, but even he felt so much regret from seeing Peter/Spider-Man fade in to nothingness!
Clint and Thor got it bad in this Movie! Clint because he lost faith and Just wanted to Kill someone, ANYONE just to make himself forget his family being gone. While Thor, Lost Everything that meant something to him, ended up depressed and is just trying to pass it all off.
But near the End of the Movie, he ditches his bumbling failure mindset just to Go and Try to Kill Thanos Again! He seriously flipped his own Kill Mode when he armored up in that Scene!
Endgame has so many great moments in it. It’s meant to be what it is, a Clearing up of Story details, and a Well Crafted End to one Chapter of the MCU and the start of the Next.
18:33 Fitting since Izzard was in Mystery Men. XD
While my list varies greatly from yours, i do have a couple the same, including "Unbreakable," which was ahead of its time. This list shows that films are very subjective and that's awesome
This was fun! Maybe I finally will be watching The Crow now. Would you ever consider doing a list like this for superhero shows, or are they less up your alley?
based af list, common coldcrash W, etc - great stuff
my favorite one of these is for sure asterix & obelix, glad my kings got a shout out
I have only watched 1m:27sec so far and giving a thumbs up for that tee alone. I quote that all the time and no-one ever gets it.... thank you.
A beautiful and poetic bird, a symbol gothic despair, a raven? No that’s just a Crow
Whelp I haven't watched the Matrix since I a) learned how revisionist, whitewashed and colonized my history classes were b) realized I was not, in fact, straight and c) really understood that the line from World War Z (the book not the movie) talking about how all advertisements sell is fear is ACCURATE. So... I suppose it's time to rewatch it XD I also still haven't seen The Crow and I need to rectify that.
You're visually morphing to Aragorn and I'm not unhappy about it.
OMG YASSSS the crow is here slayyy SLAYYYYY
Ironically I watched both Split and Glass after finding out they existed from this video.
You should watch V for Vendetta. You've watched V for Vendetta, right? IT hits a lot of the points you mentioned near the end, including something close to a black trenchcoat and the destruction of capitalism!
2:50 finally Hulk (2003) gets a mention; underrated film
Feel better with the wisdom teeth. I got mine taken out when I was 20. I are so much tofu and ditalini that week. 😂
Oh, that was a clip from my original video. My wisdom teeth have been gone for 10 years, I'm fine!
Oh I didn’t realize. 😂 I did think, you seem a bit old to be getting your wisdom teeth removed this year. Lol
Cool Blade shirt, Im also a big fan of The Matrix
You named the requirements for you’re #1 and ngl I was extremely disappointed when you didn’t say the punisher , which is absolutely a underrated classic, and fits a lot better with you’re list then the matrix…….just me personally and it’s probably my favorite
HE'S BACK
Thanks for the _Grosse Pointe Blank_ clips - hey, is that kind of a superhero movie?
As someone who's gotten in a habit of being a year or more behind on superhero media (blame COVID and phase 4 mostly), I was worried I'd have to pause this and come back to it when you got to something I hadn't seen. I should have known better :) I love the list and the reasoning behind it. Happy ten years!
Really enjoyed seeing this updated list come up. It's cool to look back and see how much has changed with time and shifting tastes. I always find that I appreciate your criteria, whether it's deep character motivations and themes or just sheer awesomeness. And I have to ask. Where did you get your shirt? I've found other shirts with the quote, but that design is perfect.
Fuck yeah, we love to see Matrix appreciation
Side note about Age of Ultron - I believe Ultron **planned** to fail. He **intended** to be defeated. I've got a whole write-up on why posted on my website from years back in the day, but the tl;dr: is Ultron had access to advanced technology, all the knowledge of the planet, and materials science that makes Iron Man's suit look like a halloween costume - the ONLY possible reason he could be defeated is if he *allowed* it.
Of course Marvel didn't really go with that direction the way I en*cough*visioned it, but that's what happens when a multibillion dollar company wants cookie cutter movies to pad their executive wallets.
My left ear enjoyed the narration on this video
Nice timing with this release. With a new breaking all the rules super hero film just doing a small limited theatrical release. I don't know if it's already too late where ever you are but you should look up The People's Joker and see if that's something you might want to watch. The website lists all the screenings ongoing. Given your list of criteria and some of your picks (Harley Quinn & The Suicide Squad and The Matrix) and you general interest in the super hero genre, this seems like something you might want to be following :) I personally cannot endorse it enough, I've actually seen it in theaters twice, which I think may be a first for me ever.