Regardless of your stance, superhero fatigue has started to set in. With the lacking critical and commercial success of Shazam: Fury of The Gods and Antman: Quantumania, we seem to be reaching a low point in the genre’s success. With all this in mind, who doesn’t love coming home and popping on a good flick where a masked hero comes around and saves the day? So if you find yourself with superhero fatigue but are still looking for something to scratch that crime-fighting itch, we at MXDWN have a solution for you. Here are five great masked crime fighter films to check out.
First, some ground rules. All of these movies will feature a masked crime fighter or vigilante. These films will not be based on any significant comic publication, so there are no Marvel or DC comics here. However, due to the nature of these types of movies, they are usually based on something like an old novel, a small comic book run, or an old radio show. In our opinion, the order is primarily superfluous but is ordered in terms of how well these films pull off the masked crime fighter genre. Lastly, we’ll also list where you can watch these films but be warned that some can only be rented. Without further ado, here’s our list.
- The Shadow
This is the most standard movie regarding literal masked crime-fighting vigilantes. Based on a radio show Narrator later developed by writer Walter B. Gibson, The Shadow premiered in 1994, directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Alec Baldwin as the titular character. The plot follows Lamont Cranston (Baldwin), a wealthy playboy who, after World War 1, has made a new life as a warlord in Tibet. Yeah, this might be the oddest backstory for the most classic character in this bunch. However, after meeting the Tulku, a Tibetan mystic, he is trained in the mystical art of hypnosis, where he can appear invisible to others, except for his shadow. Get it? He uses this power to stop the violent criminals in New York City and eventually must face Shiwan Khan, played by John Lone, the last descendent of Genghis Khan, who plans to conquer the world.
While this movie has the classic iconography of the masked vigilante genre, it also emphasizes supernatural and psychic abilities, which was fun to watch. It’s a fun twist on the genre and arguably is what makes this interesting to watch. That being said, the movie has not aged well, with its not-great stereotypes and featuring current mixed reception actor Alex Baldwin. However, if you’re in the mood for a pulpy, noir-inspired vigilante flick, The Shadow is the way to go. You can rent it on all major platforms.
- The Green Hornet
Possibly the weakest picture on this list, but this is such a personal favorite it had to be here. Directed by Michel Gondry, famous for his work in surrealist music videos and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and staring Seth Rogan in his first step into the superhero genre before his involvement in Invincible, The Green Hornet follows the story of Britt Reid, the wealthy playboy, who inherits a successful newspaper company, which feels dated even in 2011, after his father’s sudden death. After finding the new role boring and having some unresolved resentment towards his father, Reid teams up with Kato, his family’s mechanic and general gopher played by Jay Chou, to degrade a statue of Reid’s father. While in the act, they get caught up in saving a couple from getting mugged and decide to be masked vigilantes who help people but appear as villains to the public. As the two begin to make a name for themselves, they become enemies with the head of L.A. crime, Chudnofsky, played wonderfully by Christoph Waltz right after his big break in Inglorious Bastards, who have this significant bit about not his name and appearance not being scary enough to keep up with the modern times.
The Green Hornet lacks any deep narrative, and Rogan’s performance is annoying sometimes, but it makes up for it with excitingly creative visuals and some very quotable jokes. Some highlights include any time the film goes into “Kato Vision,” where time slows down, and we see Kato calculate each of his attacks. This a flick you can’t take too seriously. You have to be able to accept that hero is a bumbling doofus with few, if any, redeeming qualities. However, once you can get past that, there’s a goofy little crime adventure here that we believe is worth your time. If you’re looking for a more juvenile crime-fighting caper, rent The Green Hornet on all major platforms.
- The Rocketeer
Before Disney owned Marvel Comics and became the complete superhero media juggernaut we know them as today, they dabbled in other crime-fighting adventures, namely with our #3 pick, The Rocketeer, directed by Joe Johnson in 1991. The movie follows the story of Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot of the 1930s who discovers a mysterious jetpack that he uses to become the Rocketeer, a crime-fighting hero who can fly without needing a plane. Yeah, this is the most basic “superpower” on this list, but where it lacks in a classic vigilante fanfare, it makes up for whimsical action and a sense of adventure that some of the other films on this list lack. Giving the hero such a simple power grounds him in a way that’s both creative and charming at times. Watching Cliff, played by Billy Campbell, and his haggard yet comedic mechanic friend Peevy, Alan Arkin, as they figure out the mechanics of the jetpack and how to effectively use this device to fight the mafia is so engaging and just a fun time. Jennifer Connelly appears as Cliff’s love interest and aspiring actor Jenny Blake. The great Timothy Dalton steals the show as Neville Sinclair, a Golden Age Hollywood actor and mafia associate. Also, Paul Sorvino pops in as Eddie Valentine, a mafia boss hired by Sinclair to steal the jetpack.
While not fitting the exact criteria as a “masked crime-fighter” movie and is based on a small comic book from the 1980s by Dave Stevens, The Rocketeer is an incredibly enduring family-friendly crime-fighting movie with fun characters, exciting action sequences, and hands down the best score of all the films on this list. The score by James Horner is magical, with the opening scene being a personal highlight. Another significant aspect of this flick is the period choice and how Johnson and crew portray it. The dedication to making the old-time 1930s aesthetic with all the classic jargon and sets feels authentic and wholesome. This movie might also have the best poster on this list with its art deco style and striking yet simple color scheme. It pops and makes for a killer decoration if you can find a framed one. Check it out on Disney + or rent it on all major platforms.
- Darkman
Remember The Shadow back at #5? Initially, Sam Raimi was in talks to direct but was eventually passed over. This led to Universal Pictures snagging Raimi up and letting him make his own pulp-inspired masked hero movie, which led to our #2 film, Darkman, released in 1990, starring Liam Neilson as the titular Darkman. You will love this film if you love Raimi’s style and enjoy his Spider-Man trilogy. Darkman feels like the testing grounds for what Ramini would pull off with Spider-Man but with a darker yet silly tone. Think of Evil Dead II as a superhero movie. It has highly kinetic camera movements, crazy editing decisions, and some hilarious performances.
The plot revolves around Peyton Westlake, played by Liam Neilson, who is developing a technology that could create artificial skin. However, the skin can only survive for 99 minutes in daylight. After his girlfriend, played by Frances McDormand, finds documents that link a housing developer to the local mafia, Petyon is assaulted by gangsters who accidentally transform him into a man with no face. After receiving treatment at the local hospital that severed his nerves allowing him to feel pain no longer while also giving him superhuman strength and durability, he uses his genius technology and skill to recreate skin to make faces for himself to get revenge.
This movie is bonkers. It truly feels like Raimi is having the time of his life making his superhero. This is an excellent time to mention that Darkman is an entirely original concept and the only original concept in this list. You can feel Raimi leaning into the classic pulp character archetype while sprinkling in some universal monster drama and a dash of ballistic and creative imagery. The opening scene features the villain of the film, Robert G. Durant, played by Larry Drake, and his crew assault a rival gang by, get this, using one of their’s prosthetic leg, which also happens to be a machine gun. This movie is fun. The cinematography is done by a young Bill Pope, who is well known for films like The Matrix, Scott Pilgrim, and recently Shang Chi; all go hard here with the camera feeling like it’s constantly in motion, whether it’s rotating, panning, swinging, gliding, diving, etc.
This is one of the crazier ones’s on the list, and we can’t recommend it more. Darkman is incredibly creative in all ways and a total classic masked-crime fighter blast. You can rent it on all major platforms.
- The Mask of Zorro
This is the best movie on this list, hands down. Directed by Martin Campbell and starring some of the hottest performances in any film ever, 1998’s The Mask of Zorro, for lack of better words, rules. This a classic, swashbuckling adventure that follows the adventures of Alejandro Murrieta, a common thief played by the legendary Antonio Banderas, as he becomes the next Zorro, a masked vigilante hero of 1900s California. The previous Zorro, Don Diego, played by the non-Hispanic but charming Anthony Hopkins, who was captured and imprisoned for the last 20 years by Governor Don Rafael, played by an equally not Hispanic actor Stuart Wilson, recruits and train Murrieta so the two of them can get revenge against Rafael and Murrrieta’s brother’s killer Captain Love, played devious by Matt Letscher. Along the way, Murrieta falls in love with the long-lost daughter of Diego, Elena, played by the gorgeous but also not Hispanic Catherine Zeta-Jones. What follows is a classic yet modern take on an iconic pulp character, with breathtaking action sequences, charming banter scenes, and some of the most interesting sound design choices we’ve ever heard. Sometimes they layer in jaguar screeches into the explosions to make them sound more… dangerous? I’m not sure why, but it rules!
This is the most classical on the list, as it covers all the basics and kind of helps set the state of how to write a superhero’s backstory, with training montages showing our lead character becoming the legend and setting up a compelling backstory for all our major characters in the first 20 minutes of the movie. This movie feels very at home with other modern superhero flicks, at least compared to the other films on this list. Plus, you’ve got to give it up for some of the very creative visuals on display here. Whether they be all the acrobatics done while on horseback, the fun yet elegant swordplay, or just the tiny things like Banderas moving the sword so that a perfect light reflection glides seemingly across his blade is just magical to watch. I have observed that 15-second clip of that ten times while writing this. We can’t recommend this one enough if you’re looking for some classic masked crime-fighting action with some incredibly charming characters. You can find The Mask Of Zorro on Netflix or rent it on all major platforms.
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