SpandexFan
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There are several blogs on the best and worst superhero movies, so here's an attempt to judge these movies by universal scales. This thread is a work in progress, so please be patient. Willing to change ratings based on feedback, so let her rip! 
t:
THE CATEGORIES:
Based on a 1 (worst) to 10 (best) scale.
#1... CRITIC REVIEWS: We'll use everyone's favorite review conglomerate site -- Rotten Tomatoes -- for this category since it sums up just about every review known to man. Unfortunately, older movies will have less input, but it's the best barometer we can use. If a movie doesn't have enough reviews, this will be purely subjective, but safe to say, I think anyone can call an older, less reviewed film such as the original Captain America a dud.
RT Score 0-10 = 1, 11-20 = 2, 21-30 = 3, 31-40 = 4, 41-50 = 5, 51-60 = 6, 61 -70 = 7, 71-80 = 8, 81-90 = 9, 91+ = 10
#2... PROFIT: Not how well it did in the box office, but how well it did compared to the budget. Was it a $120 million extravaganza that only made $18 million in the theaters? That to me is much more of a failure than a Roger Corman produced $1 million cheese fest that no one expected to be much of a flick anyways. Yes, DVD and merchandising revenues won't be taken into account, they're just too hard to find.
Double box office revenue of the cost = 8
Breaks even = 5
Half box office revenue of the cost = 2
With slight ups and down depending on the exact number.
#3... BOX OFFICE SUCESS: Critics be damned. For whatever reason, the people love it! Maybe it's because the previous film was just that good, but people stood in lines and made sure it was a movie they took the date, wife or family with. Spider-Man 3 or X3 may not be critical successes, but they're what the people wanted. On the other hand, the people let it be known how disappointed they were with Batman & Robin or Superman IV.
Top grossing movie of the year = 10, top 3 of the year = 9, top 5 of the year = 8, top 10 of the year = 7, top 20 = 6, top 30 = 5, top 40 = 4, top 50 = 3, slightly below 50 = 2, nowhere on the box office radar = 1
#4... COMIC BOOK TRANSLATION: So it doesn't have to be word-for-word from the comics, but when Superman is a black guy as once rumored during the making of Superman Returns with Will Smith as Supes, or the Punisher doesn't even wear a skull anywhere on is outfit such as the Dolph Lundren version, you know there's a problem. This category is also subjective in that the more well-known a character, the more people will hate what was altered. Men In Black could have been nothing like the original material, but maybe .00001% of the audience actually knew it.
Subjective ranking depending on how much was used from the source, and how well-known the source is.
#5... ACTING TALENT: Look... you're rarely going to find a 6'4" Greek God who can accurately appear like the character represented in the comics, so sometimes the best route is finding an actor who can bring out the best in the characterization. No one will ever master the Clark Kent to Superman transformation like Chris Reeve, very few can pull off the dark and gritty Batman like Christian Bale, and you'll be hard-pressed to find someone who will bring the same dignity and respect to Magneto such as Ian McKellan. Acting helps!
Subjective ranking.
#6... RESPECT FOR THE IMAGE: No matter how ridiculous a superhero comic might appear, there was once a writer who took the subject matter serious. Recognizing that a realistic, heart-felt approach to the hero is the best direction (such as Richard Donner with the first Superman) is the only approach that ever gives the hero the respect he or she deserves and results in a good movie.
Subjective ranking with cornball flicks near the bottom.
#7... F/X FOR ITS TIME: No matter how valuable the script and acting are, superhero films are always about F/X. You can't portray a realistic superhero vision without plenty of costumes, make-up, explosions, fantastic sets, flying people, or in today's age -- CGI. So how well did it come across in the movie?
Subjective ranking depending on the date of the movie's release.
t:THE CATEGORIES:
Based on a 1 (worst) to 10 (best) scale.
#1... CRITIC REVIEWS: We'll use everyone's favorite review conglomerate site -- Rotten Tomatoes -- for this category since it sums up just about every review known to man. Unfortunately, older movies will have less input, but it's the best barometer we can use. If a movie doesn't have enough reviews, this will be purely subjective, but safe to say, I think anyone can call an older, less reviewed film such as the original Captain America a dud.
RT Score 0-10 = 1, 11-20 = 2, 21-30 = 3, 31-40 = 4, 41-50 = 5, 51-60 = 6, 61 -70 = 7, 71-80 = 8, 81-90 = 9, 91+ = 10
#2... PROFIT: Not how well it did in the box office, but how well it did compared to the budget. Was it a $120 million extravaganza that only made $18 million in the theaters? That to me is much more of a failure than a Roger Corman produced $1 million cheese fest that no one expected to be much of a flick anyways. Yes, DVD and merchandising revenues won't be taken into account, they're just too hard to find.
Double box office revenue of the cost = 8
Breaks even = 5
Half box office revenue of the cost = 2
With slight ups and down depending on the exact number.
#3... BOX OFFICE SUCESS: Critics be damned. For whatever reason, the people love it! Maybe it's because the previous film was just that good, but people stood in lines and made sure it was a movie they took the date, wife or family with. Spider-Man 3 or X3 may not be critical successes, but they're what the people wanted. On the other hand, the people let it be known how disappointed they were with Batman & Robin or Superman IV.
Top grossing movie of the year = 10, top 3 of the year = 9, top 5 of the year = 8, top 10 of the year = 7, top 20 = 6, top 30 = 5, top 40 = 4, top 50 = 3, slightly below 50 = 2, nowhere on the box office radar = 1
#4... COMIC BOOK TRANSLATION: So it doesn't have to be word-for-word from the comics, but when Superman is a black guy as once rumored during the making of Superman Returns with Will Smith as Supes, or the Punisher doesn't even wear a skull anywhere on is outfit such as the Dolph Lundren version, you know there's a problem. This category is also subjective in that the more well-known a character, the more people will hate what was altered. Men In Black could have been nothing like the original material, but maybe .00001% of the audience actually knew it.
Subjective ranking depending on how much was used from the source, and how well-known the source is.
#5... ACTING TALENT: Look... you're rarely going to find a 6'4" Greek God who can accurately appear like the character represented in the comics, so sometimes the best route is finding an actor who can bring out the best in the characterization. No one will ever master the Clark Kent to Superman transformation like Chris Reeve, very few can pull off the dark and gritty Batman like Christian Bale, and you'll be hard-pressed to find someone who will bring the same dignity and respect to Magneto such as Ian McKellan. Acting helps!
Subjective ranking.
#6... RESPECT FOR THE IMAGE: No matter how ridiculous a superhero comic might appear, there was once a writer who took the subject matter serious. Recognizing that a realistic, heart-felt approach to the hero is the best direction (such as Richard Donner with the first Superman) is the only approach that ever gives the hero the respect he or she deserves and results in a good movie.
Subjective ranking with cornball flicks near the bottom.
#7... F/X FOR ITS TIME: No matter how valuable the script and acting are, superhero films are always about F/X. You can't portray a realistic superhero vision without plenty of costumes, make-up, explosions, fantastic sets, flying people, or in today's age -- CGI. So how well did it come across in the movie?
Subjective ranking depending on the date of the movie's release.
