It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Henry Cavill! In honor of Enola Holmes hitting Netflix this past week, we are gonna rank the Best Ever movies of Superman himself, Henry Cavill.
Before Romeo and Juliet, there was Tristan & Isolde…at least that’s what the longline for this tragic romance is. I’m a sucker for a good tragic romance movie. I’m also a sucker for medieval movies with kings, queens, knights, and battles. Throw those two together and you get Tristan & Isolde! Is this movie perfect? Nope, but it certainly scratches my itch for a good romance with a tragic ending. This movie also features the man of the week, Henry Cavill, in a role very dissimilar from his most iconic role as Clark Kent/Kal El/Superman. If you’re into star crossed love stories, this might be the ticket for you! (Ben Davis)
Warner Bros. had the immense task of filming one of the greatest cast of superheroes ever imagined, the Justice League. Due to personal reasons Zack Snyder had to bow out and famed Avengers director, Joss Wheadon, would pick up the ball. While the plot of the film would largely stay intact from the original vision of Snyder, dialog and scenes would be vastly different in comparison. The film is chalked with exciting and thrilling moments that are jumbled throughout. Due to the erratic editing, it is difficult to call this a thrill ride from start to finish. The charm of the film is provided by many of it’s newcomers such as Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash. They interject an energy into the film, especially Aquaman and the Flash. Their banter is fun and they have interesting character traits that entertain. The true delight of the film is the late entry in the film, The Man of Steel himself, Superman. Cavil dawns a brighter, more vibrant suit, while providing his most Superman like performance. Smiling and giving the much needed push that the third act of the film needed, Cavil makes you want that much needed sequel to Man of Steel. Next year we will be treated to the intended vision of Justice League with The Snyder Cut. Maybe this 4 part mini-series will sew the gap between the fandom and unite the seven in heroic fashion. (Joe Vargas)
Do you like 300? Do you love the time when we used to have sword and sandal films all the time? Do you like films with so much style that you can potentially forget all the flaws in it? Well…you should probably check out Immortals! Henry Cavill leads the charge as a legend of Greek mythos, Theseus, in a divine mission to take down an evil king. Mickey Rourke, as king Hyperion, stands no chance against Cavill’s hero who stands tall with a big sword, bigger muscles, and…plenty of abs. This film might be a bandwagon creation off of the success of the remake of Clash of the Titans, but it can still be plenty of fun, right? (Shane Conto)
Who would you envision being the perfect Sherlock Holmes? Obviously, they have to have a jaw that looks like it is molded from marble. They have to have charming good looks to boot. In all honesty, they should be roughly the size of a barge! Oh wait…that is more like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. But you know what, That doesn’t really matter because Henry Cavill was as great as Holmes anyway. Cavill is effortlessly charming in his quiet demeanor. The looks he gives make for perfect physical acting that captures his emotions and thoughts so well. This rendition of Sherlock Holmes is a wonderful addition to the surprising charming Netflix film, Enola Holmes. He might play a supporting role but he is a great addition to a stacked cast led by a charismatic and fun performance from Millie Bobby Brown. You might not watch this one for the Cavill…but he is a great addition. (Shane Conto)
Zack Snyder constructed an amalgamation of past comic book runs into a epically proportioned film called Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film would see Henry Cavil reprise his role as The Last Son of Krypton himself, Superman. He would play opposite of Ben Affleck who would try his hand at playing the Cape Crusader himself, Batman. This would be the first live action films where we would see these two titans of comic books clash as well as team-up. As far as Batman is concerned, Ben Affleck does an excellent job of exuding intimidation and has a merciless nature about him. He is playing an older, grizzled and ruthless Batman that has seen far too much during his tenure as a crimefighter. Cavil once again embodies Superman in amazing fashion, despite not having a large amount of time on screen in the theatrical cut. This would be Zack Snyder’s follow-up to Man of Steel (2013) and had the same gritty vision for his DCEU sophomore effort. Snyder is a visionary director and he proves it here with some truly gorgeously framed shots and sequences of action that would make any comic readers jaw drop. To get the full experience of this film, it is recommended to take a look at the Ultimate Edition of the film. While being a longer watch, it fills in a lot of gaps in the story beats and does Snyder’s original vision justice. (Joe Vargas)
I have to admit, I don’t remember for sure if I’ve seen a Henry Cavill movie-
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-so I decided “hey, why not watch one of the first movies he was ever in?” Based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, this period piece is a story of love, betrayal and revenge during the years before and after Napoleon’s escape from Elba and the 100 days. While Henry Cavill doesn’t make an appearance until the latter half of the movie, with a cast list that includes Guy Pearce, Jim Chaviezel, Luis Guzman, and Richard Harris (in one of his last roles before his death in 2002), this is a phenomenal early film for him to make one of his first major acting appearances, even in a limited role. While The Count of Monte Cristo won’t necessarily wow you with glamor, it is still a very enjoyable movie to watch, and would be worth accepting the invitation to the Château de Monte Cristo. (Joseph Davis)
Why is it so hard to make fantasy films work? Making a whole new world from scratch within a single film is a mountain of a task. Filling out the world with a cast of interesting characters that have layers or characteristics that make them standout is even more challenging. But every so often, you get a fantasy that really delivers on plenty of fun and a charming new place. Matthew Vaughan’s Stardust embodies that. Is there too much going on at times with just a tad too much convenience? Maybe…but I usually forget all of that because this movie is just that much fun. My whole blurb could just be writing out this cast and that would be enough to catch your attention. Pre-Daredevil Charlie Cox leads the way as our young protagonist who is wide-eyed and bushy-tailed as he goes out into a magical world for the first time. Throw in some witches, a band of back-stabbing princes, and pirate captain with a few surprises and you have quite the adventure. Cox’s Tristan easily outshines his arrogant local jerk rival played by…you guessed it…Henry Cavill! (Shane Conto)
FYI, I’m not much of a Superman fan, but I wanted to give this film a chance. The first time I saw the trailer I was pretty much sold. It’s just another origin story but with a darker tone. When we’re introduced to Kal-El, (after Gen. Zod imprisonment and Krypton destroyed) he is Clark Kent on a fishing boat and there’s a distress call from an oil rig nearby. What does the man do: save the men on the rig while looking very manly. Look, this was the moment I became attracted to Henry Cavill. I mean what woman OR man wouldn’t? Anyway, you either love or hate Man of Steel, but Cavill is Superman. I’m not just talking about the hero, I’m talking about the man. Watching him go through life, trying to learn from right and wrong, it wasn’t an easy journey. And with any typical superhero, they have a moral compass and sense of justice, but for Clark, he struggles with his moral compass and has to make some difficult choices as a hero, especially one of taking another life. I will say I like the film, but I love Cavill’s take as the Man of Steel. (Chantal Ashford)
Since it’s been clear that Daniel Craig’s run as Bond was coming to an end, Henry Cavill is one of the names that has constantly been brought up as part of the shortlist for his replacement. Ever since seeing this film, it’s easy to see why.
The film scored mildly well with critics, but I was one of just 12 people (rough estimate) to actually see this movie in the theater, despite the fact that it’s an utter delight, and the cast had excellent chemistry, and they set you up for a sequel (which we never got because nobody saw it), and come on there are 20 million streaming services in need of premium content, and it could be done—err…sorry.
Ahem, as I was saying—Cavill, as master thief turned CIA superspy Napoleon Solo, makes Guy Ritchie’s snappy dialogue sing—whether it be in scenes with mission teammates Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander, or opposite Elizabeth Debicki’s cunning antagonist. He oozes class and charisma throughout the stylish (and stylized) Cold War flick.
The American accent Cavill put on for the film may have taken some adjusting to on the first watch, but there’s a reason it’s one of the films I’ve re-watched the most in recent years. I find the film to be a blast and as one of the major players, Cavill deserves some of the credit. (Jake Bourgeois)
Obvious Choice Frank here with this weeks BEC. You see what the article is about, so I jumped on writing about Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Because, honestly, this is the only Henry Cavill movie that is universally the best. All the other ones people either kinda like or hate. That’s right, I’m not writing this week just to end up in the honorable mentions, I’m aiming for number one. This movie has it all; Tom Cruise ACTUALLY flying a helicopter, skydiving, and all the other theatrics to make us worry that Tom Cruise believes he in an actually unkillable God among men. Speaking of God among men, Henry Cavill is great in this movie, his mustace game is so strong in this it took down Superman. Maybe WB should have put a pause on Justice League and release it at a later date….well they are doing that anyway. About Fallout, this movie just sucks you in, with its high concept stunt work and its high stakes storytelling, all involved delivered an action flick that proves big budget films can be good across the board. If you haven’t seen it, you are missing out. (Frank Kemp)
Also See: Night Hunter, Sand Castle, The Cold Light of Day, Whatever Works