Reel Salazars: Francisco's Top Five Comic Book Movies

With the release of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," I will take a look at my favorite comic films of all time. Throughout the past years a number of great comic movies have come out. These include "X-Men: First Class," "Kick-Ass" "Iron Man" and the first two "Hellboy" films. However the following list are the comic book film adaptations that stood out.  

5.  "V For Vendetta" : The 2006 adaptation of V David Lloyd's Graphic novel was met with opposition from the author and fans. However that did not make the Wachowski's adaptation bad. It was quite the opposite. It was an intellectual and visual feast that proved to be powerful and striking. Hugo Weaving gives a virtuoso performance that is among the best in the genre and even though you never see his face, his vulnerability, strength and desire for vengeance come through with his vocalism and physicality.  Natalie Portman proves she can pull off a British accent and Dario Marianelli's score mixed in with Tchaikovsky's "1812 overture" give an emotional weight to James McTeigue's stylish direction.  

4. X2: X-Men United: When Bryan Singer's first film came out in 2000, Singer proved that he could focus on multiple characters and still make a compelling action film. However in 2003 Singer raised the bar with a story that questioned the origins of Wolverine which would later be made into a terrible film. However this 2003 feature was an emotionally engaging experience that was both fun and memorable. It also featured Hugh Jackman at his best as Wolverine and outstanding turns from Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellan.  

3. The Dark Knight Rises: Many may criticize a lot of plot points, Baine's voice and Marion Cotillard's death scene. However it is impossible to deny the fact that this film is one of the best conclusions in a trilogy and one that has epic proportions. Christopher Nolan's escalates the conflict in Gotham and creates one of most terrifying villains in any comic book movie. He also provides a number of intimate moments that give humanity to these larger-than-life characters that sometimes big studio movies avoid in order to insert more action sequences. As always Nolan's film is visually rewarding with stunning special effects.

2. Spider-Man 2: Sony may be releasing the second part to their reboot series but they still have yet to top this movie. Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Alfred Molina, Sami Raimi's second film continues Peter Parker as he continues to face his failing personal life and must also battle a brilliant scientist named Doctor Otto Octavius. The film has one of the most memorable villains, Doc Oc, played by an incredible Molina and features Maguire at his best. It also has some of the most memorable action sequences and most original CGI effects of its time.  

1. The Dark Knight: Christopher Nolan's sequel to Batman Begins redefined what a superhero movie would be like. The film featured a compelling story that took a number of risks and redefined the workings of a film noir. "The Dark Knight" tells the story of Batman's assault on the mob and his fierce battle against the Joker who is bent on turning Gotham on itself and bringing any heroes down to his level. Christian Bale gave a subtle performance that was balanced by Heath Ledger's enigmatic portrayal which won him the Oscar. Wally Pfister's night exteriors coupled with Hans Zimmer's rousing score make Nolan's epic one of the most memorable superhero movies of all time.