Movies With Superheroes That Aren't Superhero Movies

[TheRay]

Doctor Dolittle

[Powerboy]

That seems to be a really weak definition of a superhero.

I wouldn't consider most of the characters in this topic superheroes. Superheroes need a superhero name and costume.

There's a big difference between a guy named Clark that has powers and SUPERMAN.

For purposes of a thread like this, movies with superheroes that are not superhero movies, I think it's almost a given that they don't meet the stock qualifications, like costumes and superhero names. They just do things that are blatantly superhuman.

I thought it was rather funny when Sylvester Stallone, in an interview, criticized the early MCU movies because the characters drew their abilities from technology or becoming a monster or a god or some formula rather than from training and human ability- says the guy whose characters are blatantly superhuman through "training" and "human ability".

In fairness, he apologized as soon as he said it because he said it sounded like whining about other people's successes with movies and, of course, he eventually did an MCU movie himself.

But I just generally consider all action movies to be movies about superhuman fantasy characters pretending they aren't superhuman fantasy characters. I prefer movies where they just outright admit that the characters are superhuman.

[Jim Kelly]

Any movie with a super-hero in it is by definition a super-hero movie.

But unlike a western, a rom-com, a space opera--super-hero movies are pretty open in what they can be--they just need to have a super-hero in them. They can be westerns, rom-coms, space operas. Any genre of movie can have a super-hero in it.

Coming at it from a different angle, here are some movies that have super-heroes in them--

• THE ICE STORM (1997), directed by Ang Lee, starring Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci
• CHASING AMY (1997), directed by Kevin Smith, starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Lee
• BREATHLESS (1983), directed by Jim McBride, starring Richard Gere, Valérie Kaprisky
• FREE ENTERPRISE (1999), directed by Robert Meyer Burnett, starring Rafer Wiegel, Eric McCormack, Audie England, William Shatner
• HELP! (1965), directed by Richard Lester, starring the Beatles

In all of these movies, super-hero comic books appear in the movie. In THE ICE STORM, Tobey Maguire's character is reading THE FANTASTIC FOUR; in CHASING AMY, it's all about comic book creators and super-hero comics are present in scenes; in BREATHLESS, Richard Gere's character is reading THE SILVER SURFER; in FREE ENTERPRISE, Wiegel and England's characters meet in a comic book store over comic books (a SANDMAN hardcover and an X-MEN back issue); in HELP!, Paul's organ has several different Superman comics in place of sheet music (ACTION COMICS 304 and 314, SUPERMAN 164, SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN 75).

There are also other comic book connections in these movies. The four family members in THE ICE STORM are each like the Fantastic Four in some way--and Maguire would go on to play Spider-Man. Comic book writer Kevin Smith directs CHASING AMY and comic books figure large in all his movie and you have Ben Affleck who has played a few different super-heroes in other movies. The main character in BREATHLESS identifies with the Silver Surfer and his journey is comparable to the Surfer's journey. In FREE ENTERPRISE, it's about a group of pop culture nerds obsessed with Star Trek and comic books. And HELP! was directed by Richard Lester who would eventually direct a couple of Superman movies--it's also an inside joke that Paul has comics for sheet music, because Macca could not read music but he could read comics (later writing and performing "Magneto and Titanium Man").

[williamtheday]

Midnight Cowboy 1969. On the bus to New York, a little girl is reading Wonder Woman.

[TheRay]

Hancock, the Meteor Man, Men in Black

[The One and Only]

CHRONICLE.
EVIL DEAD II:Dead By Dawn-goes a bit into superhero mode when Ash gets his groovy upgrade with the chainsaw.
ARMY OF DARKNESS.
THE WRAITH.
A Nightmare On Elm Street 3:The Dream Warriors-with Kristan's power to bring other people into her dreams, or go into others. And those could also become their dream selves in these dreams,and use their abilities to fight Freddy.
A Nightmare On Elm Street 4:The Dream Master-Kristen before she's killed off by the returning Freddy gives her dream power to her friend Alice Johnson to fight Freddy. And when each friend is knocked off by Krueger in the flick Alice gains the friend's skills.
A Nightmare On Elm Street 5:The Dream Child- Freddy uses the dreams of Alice's unborn child to get at her ,and her friends. One of which, Mark, a comic geek, becomes the character from his fan comic, the Phantom Prowler, to turn the tables on Freddy when in Mark's dream,he drags the comic fan into a comic he's reading. Unfortunately Freddyturns Mark's strategy back on him ,and becomes Super Freddy to take him out. We see a bunch of Marvel comics in Mark's collection. As some ANOES fans might remember Marvel published a magazine, black and white, ANOES book for only two issues. Despite healthy sales there was a backlash by the uptight citizens brigade over a slasher getting his own book. So Marvel cancelled it.
FRIDAY THE 13TH VII:The New Blood-serial slasher Jason Voorhees finds himself dealing with a final girl ,Tina Williams. A troubled, young lass possessing telekinetic powers able to match Jason.

[Jim Kelly]

I can't remember if it had any comic book placement in the movie, but DADDY DAY CARE single-handedly did more to promote the Flash than any other version on screen--and just through the movie posters alone. Still the most accurate version of the classic costume.

[Gaastra]

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3:The Dream Warriors-with Kristan's power to bring other people into her dreams, or go into others. And those could also become their dream selves in these dreams,and use their abilities to fight Freddy.

Read the book version. Kids are x-men pretty much and are a even match for freddy. Freddy has to work for his kills as kids can shape change, shoot fire and super strong. book is based on early script they cut half out of to save money. Shame it was a x-men film with freddy!

As for others--

Any chuck norris movie

Don from fatf can pull down walls with his bare hands and beat anyone. He is superman at this point.

Commando and any 80s and 90s arnold movie. He can survive anything and is super strong.

Rambo 2 and 3--can survive explosions, jumping from hills and kill 30 guys with one shot from a gun that never runs out of ammo!

Making contact--kid has psychic powers and can move things with his mind and even has a droid sidekick. Fights a ghost, evil dummy, talking burger and darth vader himself! (really!)

[Gaastra]