Top Movie Superheroes

Spider-Man, that most sensitive of superheroes, was the perfect peak for Tobey Maguire’s soulful expressiveness. Yes, but can he do anything else? On Aug. 15, he’ll be seen in a cameo in Ben Stiller’s raucous comedy Tropic Thunder.

Wolverine, one of the most indestructible of X-Men, is getting his own movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, expected as a May Day ‘09 release. A good bit of credit goes to Hugh Jackman, who has made Wolverine his own. Aussie-born Jackman is one eclectic fellow. In November, he’ll be seen opposite Nicole Kidman in Baz Luhrmann’s epic Australia. According to some Web sites, when New York audiences saw the trailer, they cheered Jackman but booed Kidman.

He’s hosted the Tony Awards and even won a Tony for playing musical talent Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz. He first earned raves as the all-American Curly in a London production of Oklahoma! Somehow, it’s hard to imagine Wolverine singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” but Jackman apparently made a go at it.

Catwoman did more for Michelle Pfeiffer than Halle Berry. Pfeiffer made a dandy feline predator in Batman Returns, but Berry was less lucky. Despite all the publicity spun from the onscreen clawfest between Halle and Sharon Stone, the movie received catcalls from critics and moviegoers.

Lara Croft, according to many Croft watchers, seemed like a Pamela Anderson type. So some skeptics were dubious when Angelina Jolie got the part. But she kicked butt convincingly, with her bodacious pair of lips sneering and snarling with luscious effect. It was good training for her current role in Wanted, in which she teaches artsy James McAvoy (Atonement, The Last King of Scotland) some tricks of the action-hero trade.
 
The Shadow did little for Alec Baldwin, and The Phantom did less for Billy Zane. Baldwin’s got a healthy career going in TV’s 30 Rock and as a consistently strong character actor in movies. Who knows, he may one day do a SNL skit as a child psychologist? But Zane forever will be known as Titanic’s filthy rich, loathsome villain.

Neo, however, is a career landmark for Keanu Reeves. Playing The Matrix’s high-kicking hero netted Reeves many millions and allowed him to select his roles carefully. Until then, he was best known as the lovable stoner dude of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, with George Carlin playing the duo’s mentor. Meanwhile, Alex Winter, the onetime Bill, has been directing television commercials and music videos.

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