The Top 5 Funniest Superhero Movies
‘Deadpool’ hits UK cinemas tomorrow (10 February), and most agree it’s one of the funniest superhero movies to date. A far cry from the moodiness of 'Man Of Steel’, 'Deadpool’ is an out-and-out, profanity-laden and raunchy comedy.
Ryan Reynolds stars as a motor-mouthed, fourth-wall-breaking mutant capable of quickly-healing all the injuries others inflict because of his big mouth. To mark its release, we’ve decided to take a look at the funniest superhero movies.
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'Guardians of the Galaxy’
The obvious choice. Marvel Studios’ cinematic universe (MCU) has always had a good sense of humour, but 'Guardians of the Galaxy’ marked its first true comedy - and it being so was absolutely the right call.
Trying to make a serious film about a space-faring Indiana Jones getting caught up in a fight for the galaxy’s wellbeing with a big walking tree, an anthropomorphic raccoon and former WWE Champion Batista, would be a mistake.
By not once taking itself seriously, a wider audience was able to enjoy and fall in love with these C-list Marvel characters, making them A-list in the process.
'Batman & Robin’
'Batman & Robin’ is without a shadow of a doubt the worst Batman movie, but that only makes it funnier. It’s intended to be a camp novelty like the 60s-era Adam West Batman series, and certainly succeeds, to an extent anyway.
Watch it now and you’ll never be entirely sure whether what you’re laughing at is intended to draw a laugh or not. It’s almost artful in that way, but the artlessness of everything else in the film (the acting, the design work) kinda ruins that.
'The Incredibles’
Like so many of Pixar’s films, 'The Incredible’s is perfect. Like few other movies it’s also unique in the superhero landscape, because it is first and foremost a story about a family. A family that happens to have super-powers.
The jokes largely stem from that family dynamic, which gives audiences something relatable and which is juxtaposed with the super-strength, forcefields and super-speed. Funniest of all: it’s a better Fantastic Four movie than any of the 'Fantastic Four’ movies, and probably better than any that ever will be made.
'Iron Man 3’
'Iron Man 3’ is the marmite movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many passionate comic fans hate it for its depiction of classic villain The Mandarin, while others laud its subversive streak and Shane Black’s sharp script. We fall in the latter camp.
Robert Downey Jr always gets the best lines as Tony Stark, but here he enjoys some of his best ever scenes - particularly opposite young Ty Simpkins (above, next to the iconic armour), who he shares a great chemistry with.
He also gets to tear it up with Ben Kingsley, who gets the biggest laugh of both this film and the entire MCU when it’s revealed The Mandarin is a fake figurehead played by an out-work luvvie from Croydon. Some despise it, but it’s one of the best superhero movie twists ever.
'Ant-Man’
The most recent Marvel offering is its second out-and-out comedy following 'Guardians of the Galaxy’. Much like that film, 'Ant-Man’ really needed a silly-streak to overcome the ridiculousness of the title character’s powers.
It works wonderfully well thanks to the script of Edgar Wright and the performances of Paul Rudd and Michael Peña in particular. There’s also a lot of great visual gags too, most notably involving Thomas The Tank Engine.
What would you pick as the funniest superhero movie ever? Let us know in the comments below…
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Picture Credits: 20th Century Fox / Disney / Marvel Studios.
