Before the extended might of the MCU and the frightening realism of The Dark Knight, superhero movies were made very differently. CGI was an unimaginable moviemaking tool for the bulk of the 20th century, so filmmakers who wanted to bring comic book heroes to life on screen had to rely mostly on practical effects.

In some cases, this was pulled off masterfully. In others, not so much. Visuals were far more hampered by budgetary restrictions and physical limitations in the pre-CGI era, so directors had to be quite ingenious if they wanted their vision to translate well onto the screen. Here are the 5 best (and 5 worst) superhero movies of the pre-CGI era.

10 Darkman (1990) - Best

Poster for Sam Raimi's Darkman

Liam Neeson (yes, that Liam Neeson) stars as scientist Peyton Westlake, who's working on a groundbreaking formula for artificial skin. But the evil Robert G Durant (Larry Drake) sends his henchmen to kill him before he can finish the job. After torturing him and being quite gory about the whole thing (in true Sam Raimi style), Westlake is left for dead.

But he survives, hideously scarred, incapable of feeling pain and hungry for revenge. His formula also conveniently allows him to temporarily fix his face so he can catch up with his girlfriend Julie (Frances McDormand). The plot is not highbrow and the premise is not rocket science. But Darkman has that unmistakable Sam Raimi charm where darkness that doesn't take itself too seriously.

9 The Fantastic Four (1994 - Unreleased) - Worst

The Fantastic Four have yet to have a convincing transition onto the screen. Tim Story's 2005 and 2007 efforts were met with a lukewarm reception and 2015's FANT4ASTIC was utterly panned. But there's one worse. In 1994, a little-known incarnation of  Marvel's First Family was brought to life (albeit barely) by German producer Bernd Eichinger.

The film was decidedly low budget, and it was released so that Eichinger could retain the rights to the characters. The Thing was clearly a man in a rubber suit and while some early CGI does exist here, it's negligible. The movie was never officially released but it has become something of a cult classic on the bootleg market mostly because fans just want to see how bad it is.

8 The Rocketeer (1991) - Best

Before Disney had Marvel, they had The Rocketeer. The late Dave Stevens's iconic character came to the silver screen in 1991 to a less than stellar box office performance, but critics liked it. And it's a fan favourite among Dave Stevens devotees, Jennifer Connelly enthusiasts and those who enjoy homages to the classic 1930's and 40's serials.

RELATED: Disney's Live-Action Cruella Adds a Good Place Star

Bill Campbell plays the lovable anti-hero, Cliff Secord. Alan Arkin is his friend, confidant and helmet maker, Peevy. Timothy Dalton is the menacing Neville Sinclair and Jennifer Connelly is Cliff's love interest, Jenny. Despite a few differences between the movie and its seminal source material, the film is largely true to Dave Stevens's comic-book masterpiece that still holds up today.

7 Wonder Woman (1974) - Worst

Wonder Woman 1974

When you compare Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman to Cathy Lee Crosby's take, as seen above this entry, you can begin to understand why this one didn't succeed. This made-for-TV movie/pilot was anything but true to the comic books, with a blonde Wonder Woman that was more Evel Knievel than immortal Amazon Princess.

This version of Diana had no superpowers and faced off against the hokey villain Abner Smith (Ricardo Montalban). The pilot first aired in March 1974 and was never picked up as a series. Just one year later, Lynda Carter picked up the golden lasso and did a much better job as DC's greatest heroine.

6 The Crow (1994) - Best

Brandon Lee as The Crow

The 1990's were a dark and gritty time for comics, and sometimes this translated very well onto the screen. Bruce Lee's son, Brandon Lee, starred as Eric Draven - a man who is killed on Devil's Night in Detroit as his fiancé is raped and brutally murdered. One year later, Eric is mysteriously resurrected as the dark avenging angel known as The Crow.

The great tragedy surrounding this production has added to its mythical status as a cult classic. Sadly, Brandon Lee lost his life on set when a stray bullet from a prop gun mortally wounded him. To this day, there is much debate and conjecture about the "Lee Curse". Was there something more sinister at play in the deaths of Brandon Lee and his father? We may never know.

5 Spider-Man (1977) - Worst

This take on Spidey was far from Spider-Man: Far From Home, leaps and bounds away from Spider-Man: Homecoming and didn't have a patch on Avengers: Endgame. This made-for-TV movie/pilot featured an unfamiliar portrayal of Peter Parker.

RELATED: Far From Home Launches Fake News Website for Spider-Man's Worst Enemy

Nicholas Hammond's Parker was still a newspaper photographer but his superpowers seemed limited to sticking to walls (with the aid of some unconvincing 70's effects) and karate chops. This version of Peter Parker also looked older than usual. And there was no sign of MJ or Gwen Stacey. Instead, we got... Judy? Let's just say that later Spider-Man film outings were an improvement.

4 Superman (1978) - Best

Christopher Reeves as superman

In December 1978, the impossible happened. All over the world, people suddenly believed a man could fly. Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, and Marlon Brando drew moviegoers in with a hopeful, bright take on the All-American superhero, portrayed with so much gravity by the late Christopher Reeve that the idea of a man flying unaided through the air, lifting helicopters with one hand, and shooting red heat beams from his eyes seemed entirely plausible.

Before Reeve - a relative unknown at the time - was cast, several more famous actors were considered for the role of Superman, including Al Pacino, Clint Eastwood and even Dustin Hoffman. Those are all great actors. But aren't you relieved that they didn't make the cut?

3 Justice League of America (1997)

Even though there was rudimentary CGI employed in this clunker, it was pretty terrible. Not a lot of fans know this made-for-TV movie and failed pilot actually exists. Sadly, it does. And it is absolutely awful.

It features characters based on the Keith Giffen and JM DeMatteis version of the Justice League (Justice League International) - a more lighthearted take on DC's premier superteam that has become an absolute classic, thanks to hilarious storytelling by Giffen and DeMatteis along with beautifully expressive art from Kevin Maguire and Adam Hughes. Even though this movie featured heroes of the same names, it was no classic. Horrendous foam costumes, lame jokes and less than imposing superheroes were among the many reasons this dud has (thankfully) faded into obscurity.

2 Batman (1989) - Best

Michael Keaton as Batman

There have been many Batman movies since, and even a solo Joker movie. Hype is also building about the upcoming The Batman. But without this entry, Batman may never have been the success he is on the big screen. Tim Burton's masterful gothic take on the Caped Crusader was nothing like the world had ever seen before.

RELATED: Joker: Warner Bros. Breaks Silence on Controversy Surrounding the Film

Batman had never been taken this seriously on screen and the Joker had never been so terrifying. All over the world, people flocked to cinemas to see Burton's Batman. And as soon as Danny Elfman's ominous orchestral theme sounded its first note over a shadowy granite bat symbol in the opening credits, everyone knew that this was the Batman of a new era: darker, more frightening and with no shark repellant in sight.

1 Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D (1998) - Worst

Nick Fury hasn't only been played by Samuel L Jackson on screen. In 1998, Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhof) himself , fresh off the back of his Baywatch success, played the one-eyed spymaster in a David Goyer-penned pilot that pitted "The Hoff's" Fury against the villainous Hydra.

But this is not the Nick Fury (or the Hydra) you've been looking for. The pilot wasn't met with much enthusiasm despite Goyer being attached. The film's biggest problem was probably the snarling David Hasselhof, who just couldn't quite pull it off. A large part of that may have been due to the public being accustomed to seeing him running around in slow motion while wearing little orange swimming trunks for the better part of a decade.

NEXT: Ghost Rider: Hulu Drops Supernatural Marvel Series