The release of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' has got me all excited so naturally I thought, ‘What better way to release my geeky energy than to compile a list of the best superhero movies?’ You’re welcome. Below you’ll find a list of superhero films that I personally love and think are worth your time to watch. Do not mistake my enthusiasm for professionalism.

  • 1

    Batman Begins (2005)/The Dark Knight (2008)/The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

    Okay, I know that technically this is three movies but I didn’t want over half the list to be from the same series! Although, if any series deserves to be on the best movies list, it’s this Christopher Nolan trilogy. I will never forget walking out of the movie theater after watching 'The Dark Knight' and having to step over all of the popcorn that fell to the floor as audience members jumped out of their seats. What I love about these movies is how complex each storyline is so that even during the slower parts of the movie, you’re completely engaged with the characters. Strangely enough, I love how dark and twisted each of these films is because I was forced to think about things that I might not have otherwise and to think about things from a different perspective. By far, these movies are some of the best that I have ever seen. The content is great, graphics are mind-blowing, and they are well worth the average 152 min. watch.

  • 2

    The Avengers (2012)

    This Marvel masterpiece was a hit from the very beginning: for me and for the box office. I went to the midnight premiere for this film and a man dressed in a full Iron Man suit showed up at the theater and posed for pictures with viewers. In its opening weekend this film grossed $200 million which in my opinion was money well spent. The great thing about this film is that it combines so many talented stars including: Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), and Chris Evans (Steve Rogers). I also loved the addition of new Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo who captures the essence of Bruce Banner perfectly. The Avengers includes a number of intense action scenes but also adds a lot of humor and fun to the story. This movie is currently on Netflix so I would highly recommend popping some popcorn and watching it...like now.

  • 3

    X-Men: First Class (2011)

    Talk about an intense movie! Every time I watch 'X-Men: First Class' I am blown away. First of all, the casting for this movie is spot on. Before this movie, I don’t think I had ever heard of Michael Fassbender (Magneto) or James McAvoy (Professor X). Now I can’t picture anybody else acting in these roles. Fassbender captures the tortured soul of Erik/Magneto so wonderfully that you’ll find yourself sympathizing with him even when he is the villain. The sheer talent of the actors in this movie is enough reason to watch it. However, the storyline is what makes this movie so great. The X-Men series faces a great challenge in constructing solid story-lines from the comic books because there are so many X-Men characters across multiple comic book series. 'X-Men: First Class' created a storyline for each of the characters that explained their childhood, becoming a part of the X-Men, and preventing Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) from destroying the world with the Cuban Missile Crisis. Overall, this movie provides a solid storyline that almost seamlessly fits the X-Men series and world history while simultaneously capturing the attention of viewers through talented screenplay and really intense music.

  • 4

    Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

    In this sequel film, Marvel brought all of its game to the table. If you haven’t seen the first movie ('Captain America: The First Avenger'), I would recommend watching it especially if you aren’t very familiar with Captain America’s story. However, the sequel in this series is far better. The Winter Soldier not only introduces a new villain (The Winter Soldier) but also creates conflict for Captain within S.H.I.E.L.D. Also, Falcon joins Captain America and Black Widow which makes the action scenes in this movie a lot of fun. The thing I love most about Captain America is his loyalty and trust with people and his country. But in this film, Capt. is faced with corruption and secrets in ways that almost mirror current political issues in the United States. Prepare to be on the edge of your seat for hours while watching this one!

  • 5

    X-Men: Days of Future Past

    Ah, I’m breaking the rules again! Technically this movie is in the same series as the one listed above as #3. However, I am so impressed with it I decided it needed its own space! Utilizing the same talented cast members as the last time, Marvel managed to create a mind-blowing follow up to 'X-Men: First Class'. This time Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) joined the cast which only makes it better and we get to meet other X-Men members who didn’t make an appearance in 'X-Men: First Class' like: Rogue, Kitty Pryde, and Blink. What I loved most about this movie is that is starts in the present with old Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) and then the storyline pulls us back to the 1970s almost exactly where 'X-Men: First Class' ended. So between the two movies, you are able to witness Professor X and Magneto grow from childhood to old age in a way that isn’t chronological or boring. 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' continues the intense music and action scenes of X-Men tradition while keeping up with the humor and fun that keeps audience members intrigued.

More From WBZN Old Town Maine