1. The Dark Knight -- I loved Rises, but even that film (as brilliant as it was) couldn't match the fierce intensity of Christopher Nolan's breathtaking sequel. Heath Ledger steals the show as the Joker, but it's Christian Bale's brooding performance as the titular hero that anchors the film. Amazing.
2. The Avengers -- Joss Whedon pulled off the impossible: he made an entertaining comic book caper filled with colorful dialogue and terrific action by bringing together a large assortment of otherwise throwaway characters. What's more, he made the Hulk relevant after two failed standalone attempts.
3. Man of Steel -- Forget the naysayers, the latest Superman incarnation packs a whallop. The action and mayhem is a tad overwhelming, but it's everything this moviegoer dreamed of as a kid playing with Superman action figures. With a new assortment of characters to explore, I'm sure the sequel will be even better!
4. The Dark Knight Rises -- If The Dark Knight introduced a more grounded version of Gotham (Begins was still a little too fantastical), then Rises further expands the world without quite reinventing it. That's not a bad thing. Rises caps off an amazing trilogy with tremendous performances and brilliant action set pieces. My only problem is that I felt Batman should have been in action during the 7 years between films, since the first two flicks basically set up this new universe not to mention the Caped Crusader's rogue gallery. That would've made more sense and provided more opportunities to explore Nolan's universe. Oh well, Rises still rocks.
5. Spider-Man 2 -- Sam Raimi's Spidey sequel feels slightly dated compared to comic book films today, plus it has the unfortunate task of preceding one of the worst comic book films ever made. Still, watching Spidey duke it out with Doc Ock aboard a runaway train is still one of the most geeked out moments of all time.
6. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World -- I love Edgar Wright's "Ice Cream and Blood Flicks" (and can't wait for "The World's End"), but nothing in his ever growing arsenal tops the terrific and imaginative work on display in "Scott Pilgrim." A colorful, action packed and downright hysterical adaptation that, perhaps, runs a little longer than necessary, but still packs a wallop.
Others: Batman Begins, 300, Batman, Iron Man
