Comic-Con is as good a time as any to take the pulse of comic book movies. Which, by the way, used to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the film world. They got no respect. (*Rim-shot*) But times have changed, and you don’t need to look for that pulse long to find that they’re alive and kicking.
Tim Burton jump-started the genre again with his still amazing re-imagining of, “Batman” back in 1989. Since then, the comic-book movie scene has actually expanded enough to contain the full spectrum of films within itself, from bad to fantastic and everything in between.
We may be used to this now, but remember the first Batman film from 1966? It wasn’t that long ago that comic material translated into film and television meant you could only expect 100% camp. But technological advances in filmmaking over the last few decades have made it possible to bring our heroes to life in a believable way.
News breaks frequently on new films. Recently we’ve just heard about Ryan Reynolds being cast as, “The Green Hornet”. “Astroboy” is rolling out this summer and word on the street is that a reboot of, “The Fantastic Four” is impending. Already.
Let’s take a brief look at 25 comic book movies that left their mark somehow on the film industry, for better or for worse. This list is by no means a complete one, which is just further evidence that comic book movies have passed the point of no return regarding their “fad” status. Like it or not, they’re here to stay. What I used to determine this list was popularity and visibility.
The very nature of comic books ensures this, as filmgoers are likely to accept reboot after reboot. The heroes are timeless and like comics themselves, the story never really has to end as each generation of filmmaker creates a new version of their favorite hero. Here they are, in no particular order...
1.) Batman – From the laughable but lovable 1966 version, to Tim Burton’s dark vision, to Christopher Nolan’s even darker vision, Batman is sure to be on the film scene for a very long time.
2.) Spiderman – The fourth installment is on the way in this financially rewarding Sam Raimi series. Hear that? That's the sound of the box office records creaking and bending in preparation for being shattered yet again.
3.) The Fantastic Four – One of the most populist interpretations of a comic book world yet, and safe for the kiddos. Remember when comics were for kids? Not so much anymore, and this movie let the young ones in on the cinematic fun, which actually caught it a lot of heat from some of us grown-ups. But there's enough stylistically to go around, right?
4.) The Watchmen – I think reception to this one, combined with the rash of dark and depressing Frank Miller adaptations may just prove that people want to feel good about their comic book movies most of the time.
5.) The Rocketeer – An absolute unsung classic directed by longtime Spielberg collaborator Joe Johnston, combine the presence of Alan Arkin with the incredible score and you’ve got a timeless winner.
6.) Catwoman – Okay, group sigh. Roll the eyes, and moving along…
7.) Superman – Like his counterpart from Gotham, I'm sure that we haven’t seen the last of Superman. I hope. Though this franchise may be tougher to keep afloat thanks to the never-able-to-be-topped performance of Christopher Reeve. All Michael Keaton had to compete with was Adam West. (Who I love...don't shoot!)
8.) The Shadow – I’ve mentioned this before, but this one’s bad in a good way. I love it and I feel no shame.
9.) The Phantom – Meh.
10.) X-Men – The wise casting and good writing jumpstarted this series, the second film crested, and the third film let us down. But I don’t blame Ratner, I blame the executives greedily and hastily pulling the strings. Wolverine returned to a less than enthusiastic audience. But I sincerely hope we haven’t seen the last of the X-Men films. Can we woo you back to undo the damage somehow Singer? Seriously, the first two are excellent adaptations. Patrick Stewart as Xavier? Perfection.
11.) Dick Tracy – Another highly stylized winner that’s still fun to watch. Dustin Hoffman is the bonus.
12.) Blade – Kris Kristofferson, yay. Everything else, nay.
13.) Constantine – A lofty attempt at a great book. Good, not great.
14.) Daredevil – I lump “Elektra” in with this. I don’t know if the fanbase was strong enough to support this one, that plus some of the unintentional silliness sunk its potential for a franchise.
15.) Hellboy – I consider this to be the best non-mainstream comic to film interpretation ever. So far. This is what, “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” could’ve been. Del Toro’s directing and the great idea to stick so visually close to Mike Mignola’s art makes it a classic.
16.) Iron Man – This movie upped the standards for comic book films. I’m awaiting the sequel with baited breath.
17.) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – See. “Hellboy”.
18.) The Punisher – A meat and potatoes kind of comic film that dished out appropriate amounts of machismo and revenge.
19.) Road to Perdition – Proof that comic book movies can have chops. Paul Newman, people, Paul Newman…
20.) Sin City – I think I may be the only person in the world who hated this movie with the fire of a thousand suns, so perhaps I’m not the most accurate person to sum it up in a sentence.
21.) V for Vendetta – An excellent film also packing major star power. This film to me sort of hearkens back to the idea that comics were once not just about the fantastic, but were also made for drama.
22.) Judge Dredd – Tee-hee…Judge Dredd. This is one of those, "It was cool when it came out but hasn't aged well." occurences. But 20-something men everywhere probably remember loving this when it came out.
23.) The Avengers – It could’ve been a contender.
24.) Wanted – Striking visuals and not much else. But it did continue the trend for off-beat comics not featuring well-known superheroes making the leap the big screen, and that's a good thing.
25.) Deadpool – Great makeup, but much like, “The Crow”, it was just too dark for the general populace. Still has a loyal following though, and may be considered a “cult classic” also like, “The Crow”.
Did I miss one of your favorites? Tell me about it in the comments section! Let’s talk shop…
Comments
Great list ...
Brought me back (and forward)!
Yeah
I agree about Hellboy. By far my favorite adaptation, inside or outside the mainstream consciousness.
Mostly great
First of all, Ryan Reynolds has been cast as the Green Lantern, not the Green Hornet. The fact that you mixed those two up means you are now dead to me (:p). Meanwhile, our second-favorite green-themed Batman knock-off has been given to Seth Rogen (inciting a number of "WTF" moments).
Now, what's wrong with The Shadow? The Shadow? Awesome. Alec Baldwin? Awesome. Alec Baldwin as the Shadow? Super-duper double awesome-gasm!
Don't discount The Phantom, either. It taught us that, yes, that black makeup around their eyes really IS part of the mask. That, and casting two-dimensional roles with two-dimensional actors isn't quite as satisfying as it might seem.
The Avengers kind of threw me at first. I was like, "What, it's out already?!" Yes, that Avengers was a very interesting (if very British) film. Shame I never saw the series.
There are a few of those I haven't seen (though Watchmen and Wolverine are the only two I particularly want to), so I can't comment, but overall, that's a pretty good list. There was also an apparently obscure Captain America movie in the early '90s, which I thought was really good. Turtles were kind of kitschy fun, but a little young for me.
I submit to you...
again that we shall create a combo, "Green Horntern" name for all of us who are completely inept regarding all green themed superheroes. It may be our only chance, that or coughing and covering our mouths when we're saying, "Green Buhflummfph". Then people will say, "Oh, did you say Green Hornet/Lantern?" and we can just say, "Yes."
I hadn't heard of the Captain America film...I MUST see it. I'm so intrigued!
:-)
Audrey, you are too funny! Eamonn, I certainly have a hard time imagining Seth Rogen as any superhero. (Flashbacks to Jack Black as Nacho Libre). Road to Perdition was a great film that left a lasting impression on me. Good job on the list!
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