Heavy metal and superhero films. In many cases they’re a synonymous combination. Whether it’s the mood of the film or the literal soundtrack they seem to go together. And with Thor Ragnorok coming out this weekend which looks like one of the most metal films ever, lets take a dive into some of the other mega metal superhero films of the past.
Batman Begins
Okay, so before I go any further I’m just going to say that The Dark Knight is not on this list. I only wanted to do one Chris Nolan Batman film. And the most metal of those in my opinion is easily ‘Batman Begins’. Why? Well, first off, The Scarecrow is the villain. And yes, he’s a little short changed in the movie but the theme of fear that hovers throughout the film comes across strongly in Cillian Murphy’s interpretation of Dr. Johnathan Crane. And the way Nolan mixes the theme of fear with his dark, bleak interpretation of Gotham city give Batman Begins a very metal vibe to the movie not captured in the other two. Plus the scene when Batman confronts Scarecrow in his basement lab is just metal as hell. The hallucination that Crane has looking at Batman is very memorable. And also, what’s more metal than hiding your identity convincingly by buying fancy hotels with supermodels and swimming in the lobby fountain with them?
Iron Man
While Batman may be the most metal superhero figuratively, Iron Man is literally the most metal superhero. Because he’s made of iron and there’s a Black Sabbath song about him going crazy and becoming a murderous villain. Not only that but the 2007 movie is just great. Robert Downy Jr.’s interpretation of Tony Stark is spot on. Similar to Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne but even more arrogant and extroverted. And his story is one of redemption. Very metal! When Stark finds out that the weapons his company produces for the military are being sold under the table to terrorists, he feels like he has to make up for the damage his arrogance has cost. And the film started the Marvel franchise which has been ten fold better than DC. Plus, the scene when stark escapes his hostage situation is just extremely literally and figuratively metal. And a nice touch playing the song by Sabbath for the end credits helps. A little on the nose, but effective.
Spiderman (the good one with Toby McGuire)
Alright Alright, the soundtrack may be lacking a bit on strong artists. And if I hear Chad Kroger’s ‘Hero’ one more time I’m going to go have to be checked into a metal ward. And yes, Theory of a Deadman is horrible. But there are some strong tracks on the soundtrack such as Corey Taylor’s ballad ‘Bother’. And of course, the great Jerry Cantrell’s contribution ‘She Was My Girl’. Fortunately you don’t have to get the soundtrack to acquire that song. It can be found on Cantrell’s double solo album ‘Degradation Trip’. But it’s not really the soundtrack that’s responsible for the film being on the list. It’s the theme of ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ And when Parker loses his grandfather after some situational bad choices he realizes what he has to do. Protect the innocent and be a bad ass. Oh, and Aerosmith’s ‘Theme from Spider-Man’ rendition is fucking awesome.
Thor
Alright, so he’s a viking god superhero with a big ass metal hammer that can level Chicago’s skyline in about two minutes. Need I say more? Pretty freaking metal right there if you ask me. Plus, Kenneth Branagh does a great job at capturing that mood in the first film. Lot’s of lightning, reds, greys, silvers. The whole color scheme and mood of the film is just metal. But what also looks super metal is the new Thor Ragnorok. Which instantly reminds me of the song ‘Barbarian’ by The Darkness; about the viking sons of Ragnor. Also, the color scheme is super metal in a totally different way. But all the reviews say it’s amazing so I’ll take their word for it. Hopefully it holds up.
Batman Returns
That’s right, there’s two Batman films on this list! I don’t think there’s any superhero film that’s more metal than Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. The irony? There’s not one piece of heavy metal in the music anywhere. But that doesn’t matter though because this movie is just dark and evil as hell. To the point that Burton would not be allowed to return to the directors chair for the final two films. Plus the cast is unreal: Keaton, DeVito, Pheiffer and Walken! DeVito’s interpretation of the penguin is truly some dark, metal, evil, shit. I mean, kidnapping children and drowning them in a pool of sewage and radioactive toxic waste? Damn, that is just, really insane right there. And Pheiffer’s interpretation of Catwoman is equally if not more metal. A truly psychotic woman who was driven to her insanity by a combination of male oppression… and cats. And her costume is just pure bad asserey. And as I said, there’s no actual metal in the music. But Danny Elfman has a very progressive metal way of writing music. And Batman Returns may be his finest scoring hour in my opinion. The way the opening credits music builds is pure genius. Elfman and Oingo Boingo may not be metal. But the style of music he and the band creates is the stuff that prog metal musicians drool over. If you haven’t watched this film in a while, go back and check it out. It’s a true superhero masterpiece. And super freaking metal at that.
Thanks for reading. What do you think are some mega-metal superhero movies?
