Entertainment Weekly posted this list of “21 Super Comic Book Movies”. Now, it’s not a top 21 list or anything like that, it’s more in the lines of recommendations. It’s a pretty superb list, too. Of course the usual Hollywood blockbusters are there: Iron Man, Dark Knight, X-Men 2, Spider-Man…but the list also includes movies that are sometimes overlooked as great comic adaptations. Such as Ghost World (which actually received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay), American Splendor, Akira, Oldboy, etc. While superb, this list isn’t perfect. It includes Superman II, but not the first movie? Also, The Rocketeer is omitted and it is such a GREAT adaptation, it’s a shame it doesn’t get greater recognition. It also includes two movies from Alan Moore stories: V for Vendetta and From Hell, which are considered by most comic book fans as two of the worst. Now, I know there is no feasible way any studio or writer could have adapted Moore’s 500-page From Hell into a 2 and a half movie or what have you (it actually ran a little over 2 hours), but was there any real need to modernize V? V was never intended as an action, espionage type of movie. So both the plot and the audience suffered for such a mishandling of the characters.
In addition to the list of recommendations, EW also posted a WORST adaptations list. Now of course, this list is full of the no-brainers. Judge Dredd, Superman IV, Batman and Robin, Steel, Catwoman. You know? The movies that made you felt dirty by association. This list pretty much nails it, too, except for two movies. The 2004 Punisher with Tom Jane and Daredevil. I don’t really get the displeasure with DD from the comic book community. Especially when one sees the director’s cut that was released. Sad thing is, that DD is tagged right along with Elektra on the “worst of” list. Also on the list are movies I didn’t even know were made, such as a Brenda Starr movie, and Sheena.
Reading both the lists, what movies do you think were omitted from them?
July 21st, 2009 at 7:55 am
Wow–far be it from me to defend “Steel,” but the “pithy” comment they made about the character in the comics is actually just reductive and stupid. Gotta love it when people who know JUST ENOUGH to sound like morons write a story like this–it’s worse than when people are totally ignorant.
July 21st, 2009 at 8:06 am
I am among the few who put the 1989 Batman film ahead of not only the 1992 sequel – which I thought was rather dopey and ruined two perfectly good villains – but even Batman Begins. Burton’s gothic vision of Gotham is far more interesting than the rather bland Chicago-as-Gotham, and while Bale is a very good Batman, Keaton gives him an edge out of costume that Bale rarely finds until Dark Knight. I would also give special mention to Mask of the Phantasm, which had the most adult take of any big screen Bat-venture until Dark Knight.
I know I am not alone in fandom in thinking that Superman II, despite being rather epic, is not as good as the first in that series for deciding that Superman would give up his powers to sleep with Lois. Romantic, yes, but no version of Superman we’ve ever met till this point would put personal happiness ahead of his duties to the world.
Conversely, I would put the third Superman film on the worst films list ahead of the fourth. As bad as the fourth is, it’s built on an idea worthy of Superman – and one that’s been explored in the comics more than once – while the third is built on “hey, let’s use Richard Pryor” and Tar Kryptonite.
I also like The Shadow. Great film, no. Entertaining, yes.
July 21st, 2009 at 8:10 am
I think alot of anti-Ben Affleck feelings gave people a bad taste for Daredevil (I think thats when all that “Bennifer” stuff was going on. The Director’s Cut is very good.
July 21st, 2009 at 9:02 am
I can’t believe SPAWN did not make that list. I’m surprised to see the later installments of the live action TMNT did not make it either.
I think I am one of the few, for reasons I cannot explain, enjoyed Ghost Rider (overall).
DareDevil gets a bad rap as does Tom Jane as the Punisher. By no means are they “worst”, merely mediocre.
July 21st, 2009 at 9:59 am
road to perdition is missing. that’s an amazing comic adaptation.
and although this may not be completely accurate (because it was based on the novels but which were in turn made into successful comics) conan the barbarian should be on the list too.
July 21st, 2009 at 11:00 am
I found a used copy of the Movie Soundtrack to Shaq’s Steel at my local CD Warehouse. I almost bought it for the sheer obscurity of it. I don’t even think they released that movie on DVD!
July 21st, 2009 at 11:57 am
I don’t think that most comic book fans consider V and From Hell two of the worst comic book movies. That’s a rather broad statement based on nothing other than your personal opinion.
I do agree that Jane’s Punisher movie and DD are often unfairly included on these worst lists, though. I liked DD quite a bit, and feel the first Punisher was a passable action movie, at least.
July 21st, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Yeah, V is definitely better than Daredevil.
July 21st, 2009 at 2:44 pm
It’s about time someone made a good movie about a female superhero (superheroine?)
So far, it’s been a sad track record: Tank Girl, Supergirl, Catwoman, Elektra, etc.
Joss Whedon’s Wonder Woman, where are you???
http://nickleshi.blogspot.com
July 21st, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Joseph, the first Punisher with Dolph Lundgren was indeed a passable action movie. The second one with Tom Jane, however, was terrible.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:12 pm
EW has become such a horrible magazine. I just had to say that first.
Anyways, I wanted to address what Simon DelMonte said above. I completely agree with you on most of what you said about the Batman films. I’d put Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm above all of them (I think most people forget about it because it wasn’t in the theatres for long), and I agree 100 percent about the Gotham of the first Burton movie being far more interesting than the boring Gotham we’ve seen in Begins and Dark Knight. This is my biggest problem with the two new Batman movies. They have NO style to them whatsoever. There is nothing that is visually memorable about them, other than Heath Ledger as the Joker and, quite frankly, it was so grotesque I don’t want to remember it. I also agree about the fourth Superman movie being better than the third. Like you said, warts and all, the fourth Superman at least had noble intentions. The execution just wasn’t there.
I think, as others have pointed out, the problem with DAREDEVIL goes back to the whole “Bennifer” thing. A lot of people, consciously or not, just hate Ben Affleck and anything he does and DD was at the peak of that hate. This is especially true of lots of guys and, let’s face it, men are the majority of who are watching super-hero/action movies. Personally, I really liked the original cut of DD, I thought the Director’s Cut was awesome, but I do think the costume hasn’t aged well upon multiple viewings and while I’ll defend Affleck’s performance, I’ll only go so far as he admittedly didn’t do the best job possible. Ultimately, I think if there had been someone else cast as Daredevil, the overall opinion people have of this movie would be much different today.
Next, in regards to what was said about V FOR VENDETTA here, even though I’m someone who didn’t like the movie, the impression I get is that I’m NOT in the majority. Most people I know did like it, comic fans or not. Not sure what leads anyone to feel otherwise.
Finally, I gotta agree with poster Nick, there needs to be a really great solo female super-hero movie. Truthfully, a lot of female moviegoers really love Jean Grey and Rogue from the X-Men movies (haven’t met too many who liked Invisible Woman from the FF movies, though), but I think the girls deserve better than that. And I don’t think the seemingly obvious choices (Supergirl and Wonder Woman) will be the ones to deliver, either. It has to be unexpected. Maybe a solo Black Widow movie after IRON MAN 2, if Scarlett is impressive enough?