My top 10 favorite superhero movies of all time

Michael Keaton as Batman

I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier last night. It was pretty good but also a little overrated.

The early reviews suggested the film shared the DNA of paranoid thrillers of the '70s like Three Days of the Condor, but for me it was just the best Avengers movie to date without Iron Man in it.

It was a fun movie, don't get me wrong. It had some nice twists and appealing supporting work from the likes of Robert Redford and Samuel L. Jackson, but it was fatally flawed because the Captain America character isn't. Let me explain...

I've got nothing against Chris Evans. He's perfectly likable in the lead role. But the best superheroes have easily identifiable flaws which make them more relatable and compelling. Batman is pretty much certifiably insane. Iron Man drinks too much and is an egomaniac. Even Superman broke the one rule he was sent to Earth with -- he was required not to change the course of human history, which of course he did.

But Captain America (a.k.a. Steve Rogers) is just a totally good guy, which makes his fate and his story arc pretty boiler plate. The movie suffers from over-length and a few climaxes too many -- but I would recommend it since it actually has some ideas, which is more than I could say for the average Thor movie.

Yet, despite a lot of critical raves, it wouldn't make my top 10 superhero movies list.

I am actually a pretty big fan of the genre. I loved comic books growing up (although I'm no fanatic) and I think when these films work they really tap into the magic of film and its stylish and technical possibilities. Here are my 10 favorite superhero movies to date:

10) The Incredibles (2004): One of the all-time best Pixar creations is secretly an excellent action film disguised as a cuddly kids' fantasy. This visually dynamic and original film really tapped into the appeal and burden of being superhuman. The film's director, Brad Bird, made a seamless transition to real life action films with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

Christopher Reeve as Superman

9) The Amazing Spider-Man (2012): The Tobey Maguire films don't really hold up all that well under scrutiny. He played Peter Parker as a socially inept geek with very little charisma. I love how Andrew Garfield plays him more in the vein of a James Dean punk. Also, special effects have finally caught up with filmmakers ambitions and so this version of the origin story felt less like a live action cartoon. Excited for part 2.

8) Superman II (1981):  While the production was troubled, it doesn't show on screen. Superman gives up his powers to have sex with Lois Lane. Terrence Stamp delivers his unforgettable "Kneel before Zod" line and the best Superman of all time, Christopher Reeve, gets to take this iconic character to new, impressive heights. I also enjoy Superman III and IV for camp value.

7) Batman Returns (1992): The darker of Tim Burton's Batman films is incredibly satisfying. It's a gothic visual feast, featuring Michelle Pfeiffer as arguably the best Catwoman of all time. Danny DeVito creates a truly grotesque version of the Penguin. And Michael Keaton maintains his ownership of the Caped Crusader role. I will never forget seeing this film on the big screen. It was scary but I couldn't take my eyes off it.

6) Iron Man (2008): I actually really enjoy all the Iron Man films, but the first one is still the best. Hollywood took a real chance on Robert Downey, Jr. and director Jon Favreau and the results were iconic. Downey became a huge movie star playing Tony Stark/Iron Man as a truly charismatic and original hero as a whip smart brainiac with soul. He, and the entire cast, really elevated the Marvel brand to a new level.

5) The Avengers (2012): This movie brilliantly brought together Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk and others in an Ocean's Eleven-style romp. A summer movie that really delivered in every single way -- especially with Mark Ruffalo's note-perfect take on the Hulk. It succeeded largely thanks to its genuine sense of humor and some expertly staged action set pieces which feel like a comic book playing out on the screen.

4) The Dark Knight Rises (2012): The second best entry in the Christopher Nolan series of Batman films was a fitting finale to the one of the greatest action trilogies of all time. Tom Hardy's Bane was unforgettable and Anne Hathaway more than held her own as Catwoman. But for me it was Michael Caine's work in this one that was the stand out. This grand epic took the scale of these kinds of films to the stratosphere.

3) Superman: The Movie (1978): The blueprint for every successful superhero adaptation starts with the Christopher Reeve original. Richard Donner and company assembled top-notch actors -- Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman and the classically trained Reeve (just to name a few) and took its subject matter totally seriously, which in turn made the audience respect what was up there on the screen. Is it corny and hokey at points? Sure. But it's big bold Hollywood entertainment of the first order.

2) The Dark Knight (2008): Like the first Batman film in 1989, this superhero movie changed everything. It was a commentary on the socio-political climate of the Bush years, it was a brilliant exploration of the nature of evil and heroism and it gave us one of the all time great performances -- Heath Ledger as the Joker. It should have been nominated for best picture and won. It was that good. Endlessly watchable and entertaining -- it's one of my favorite films of all time.

1) Batman (1989): This is my favorite movie of all time for personal reasons that are almost too numerous to mention. It's hard for me to describe this movie without saying favorite this and favorite that with every other sentence. So I will just credit it for being the film that established what great modern superhero films could and should be. The look, music, script and acting are all high water marks for the genre and every great comic book movie owes a debt to Tim Burton's classic Caped Crusader film.