Top Movie Superheroes

Superheroes are all over the map this summer. Already we’ve had a triumphant Iron Man, a resilient Indiana Jones, an adequate Hulk and and a just-opened Hancock. Before Labor Day, both Batman and Hellboy will have risen. And eight years ago, who would’ve guessed that such angst-ridden thesps as Robert Downey Jr, Edward Norton and Christian Bale would be 21st-century superheroes?

Just what is a superhero, anyway? It’s a generic term for crimefighters, often but not always of comic book/graphic novel origin, blessed with super powers (Superman, et.al.), outlandish gadgets (James Bond) or just plain survival instincts (Indiana Jones). A sampling of such power players and their impersonators:

Hancock, which opens today, may be the ultimate test of Will Smith’s box-office muscle. It’s tracking through the roof, but practically all buzz has been negative. The first week should be huge, and if continues to show “legs,” Smith may really be “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” He plays a slovenly, reluctant superhero. In such antics as Independence Day, Men in Black and I, Robot, his superheroics were less reluctant.
 
Batman has had a colorful host of interpreters. Most of the spin for The Dark Knight (July 18) revolves around Heath Ledger’s Joker, but Christian Bale’s Caped Crusader has also drawn praise. Hey, this is the same guy who played both American Psycho and Laurie in Little Women. He also sang and danced his way through a couple of minor Disney musicals and won Steven Spielberg’s praise as the child star of Empire of the Sun. What’s more, his late father was married to Gloria Steinem. An interesting profile.
 
This generation’s original Batman, onetime Beetlejuice Michael Keaton survives as a solid B-list actor, while George Clooney fizzled as Batman but remains on the A-list. As for Val Kilmer, he’s probably growling and howling on some movie set.

 Iron Man/Tony Stark has been a career milestone for talented Robert Downey Jr., whose flippant attitude always seemed to hide a conflicted inner spirit. All pop-psycho babble aside, the parallels between Downey and Stark are undeniable and work in the movie’s behalf. 

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