Do comic book-based movies work?

Comic Books Forum

There have been many comic book-based movies. Some have worked. Some haven't.

My question is, do they translate well to the big screen?

I think that Superman, Batman, X-Men, Spider Man were all great movies.

But there have been a lot of bombs, too. Remember the direct-to-video Captain America and Punisher movies of the early-90's? How about the horrible Fantastic Four movie that was never released?

Thoughts?

-HECK!

Daredevil was pretty lame. They could have done with better screenplay. Another Punisher movie is coming out, isn't it? Or is it already out?

M.

Punisher already came out. Didn't see it though. I will catch in on DVD.

-HECK!

As far as I know, the new Punisher did pretty well. Never saw it though. I'll probably do what HECK's doing and get it on DVD.

Batman, Superman, X-men, Spiderman = all lived up to the hype and expectations that were deserved.

captain america, Punisher, daredevil = was decent (for their time for Captain america and Punisher), but didn't live up to it's hype and expectations.

The Incredible Hulk = The entire cast and crew should be killed.

Jeezus is comedy.

Yeah, what's with his dad being a lame version of Absorbing Man? And those Gamma Hulk dogs? Lame, lame, lame.

And Batman & Robin was the WORST superhero movie I've ever seen. I cringe everytime I think about it. It's not Clooney or O'Donnel's fault, they were fine. Schumacher couldn't direct a train wreck. Arnie's Mr. Freeze was horrible. Sets, story, costumes, acting, all bad.

-HECK!

Oh man. Batman and Robin were the worst most wasted 125 minutes of my life. I would have rather stared at a wall instead.

M.

Honestly, what a turd that flick was. I find it hard to belive a room full of suits actually watched this abomination and thought it was worth distributing. Makes me mad, considering how cool the first two were. The 3rd one was ok, but it looks like Gone With The Freakin' Wind compared to the 4th one!

-HECK!

Batman and Robin. I won't watch that movie if it's on for free on TNT.

The Hulk was weak. Bad writing. And who wants to see the Hulk beat up our own military?

He was tossing our troops around in the tanks like rag dolls. Then we got the Dukes of Hazard deal, where the troops crawl out of the tank that has just been hurled a mile into the air. The cut scene where they crawl out so you know no one got killed.

Sheesh!

I watched the Hulk for free on a free Starz weekend a month ago. I felt ripped off.

The first Batman was good. The first Superman was good. X-men was decent.

The sequels to all those movies were lame. (except x-men 2)

The worst was that turd that Warren Beatty was in. Dick Tracy. It even had Madonna in it. I only saw 10 minutes of it and wised up and changed the channel.

I liked Dick Tracy when I first saw it, I was a young lad and didn't know any better.

-HECK!

You know, you take one word out of my statement above and it's quite different.

-HECK!

Not the word "Tracy"? Oh my my.

This aint the "come out of the closet" thread!!!

Hahaha, ah poop.

HECK is strait, dammit! I hate Dick Tracy now!

-HECK!

Okay, how about we focus on the positive a bit: Spawn, Xmen 1 & 2, Superman 1 - 3, Tank Girl, Blade 1, Spiderman - three have been some awesome comic book conversions and even though all are not perfect, I still support the ones that are sub-par because it reinforces the comic to film conversion market: I want to see more of it and if they don't see value in the sales, they're going to bail out of it. Take a look at Titan AE which was a fabulously assembled wilm with a great story and Fox animation studios didn't see the revenue they expected and BAM: the doors were shut just like that. They never gave it a chance! Disney puts out half a dozen direct-to-videos a year that are all complete crap by comparrison and yet Disney still sees fit to pay talent to product those films.

Hollywood truly feeds off of public response so if there's something you want out of them you'd better support it if you want to see more of it, or even improvements in it. And although Batman & Robin was kind of lame I still appreciate that it was made. Though Hulk had some whack crap in it, I'm glad it was done and set the bar for the "next thing" to beat. Hollywood has always tried to improve upon the past.

That's my take on it anyway.

I say if you're going to do it, do it right. Obviously you can't please everyone, but if you're going to adapt something you should stay true to the original source material for the most part.

I agree that X-Men, Blade, and Spiderman (with their respective sequels) were good movies. Spawn, Tank Girl, the last Batman flick and the last three Superman movies were just big marketing ploys to sell action figures and milk a cash cow to death. I respect that the movie was made, but if it's crap, I'd just as soon wish it was never made.

-HECK!

I forgot all about Blade. Blade one is one of my favorite movies.

Blade two was weak. Just way to gross. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh. No flow, boring fight scenes.

You didn't like Blade 2? I thought it was as good, if not better than the first one.

Hopefully the third one will be sweet too.

-HECK!

I liked Blade one so much, and looked forward to Blade two for so long, that when it came out, I was deflated.

I only saw it once, maybe I need to give it a second chance.

Totally check it again. The way they brought Whistler back was good. The story was a lot better, IMHO.

-HECK!

I'd agree that certain movies seem to do well. I liked X-Men (some of it frustrated the hell outta me cuz I'm a die-hard fan), Blade, and Spiderman-2; not the first one. Hulk was OK, but parts were stupid as hell. The father intricate didn't work well for me. Green Goblin in S1 annoyed the hell outta me. His costume was real crap also. The flow of movement for the CGI Spidey in S1 was also frustrating, but the movement in Hulk was awesome.

I think that if we were to take the best production elements from each film and throw them into the mix, with an effective screenplay that does justice to the comic series while still advancing the feel of it to make it more of a modern experience, we'd have a smash hit on our hands, and it would become a classic. I think that's what happened with Batman (1989). I feel that's the best comic to film conversion ever made.

I just saw Spidey-2 with my daughter...at first I thought it would suck with Doc Oc as the films villian...I take ALL my preconceived notions back...the movie kicked azz.....bottom-line, it was made RIGHT!...if the comic book is good to begin with (story-wise)...then the movie would do well to IF it is made right...it can be done half azzed...like "He-man"..."Cap Am"..."Punisher"(the one with Dolf lundgren)...hey now that I think about it..he played "He-man" also...that should have been their first clue to scrub production......yeah Whidden...you got to look at Blade II again..that movie pushed some boundaries, they did so much action in the first 5 mins...I didnt know how they would fill the next hour or so...and finally, saw the new trailer for Blade III...its supposed to be more like the first Blade

Oh..one other thing...at first I thought the new Catwoman flick would just plain suck...but gotta admit the trailer looks pretty tight...no mention of BATS though...I wonder if they will work that in....anybody know??

The 'Catwoman' movie is not related to the character in Batman. A timid woman is killed by some guys but is brought back to life by an ancient Egyptian spell and now has the powers of a cat. That is as far as I know.

M.

MM is right, the only relation is the name. It looks really lame.

-HECK!

I had an interesting conversation with some friends about comic book-based movies after Spider Man 2. I think I might have figured something out...

Ok, the general thought is that most sequels to comic book based movies are better than the first. I feel that X-Men 2 and Spider Man 2 easily beat their predecessors. Batman Returns and Superman 2 were on par with the originals. Why? I think it's because of the origin. In the first movie, you have to explain for the most part how the hero and/or villian came into power. That takes a hunk out of the movie. In the sequel, all you really have to do is set up the villian with minimal new story about the hero.

What do you think?

-HECK!

Agreed. In fact, I said the same thing in another thread on this board. The origin sucks some life outta the whole plot, because it's a MUST to include it. Then, throwing in some clueless villian with no real character development (who also has to have his/her origin explained...) into the mix makes things even more difficult. I have to admit, I think Spiderman's origin was done pretty well, but that seems to be the exception to the rule...

Yeah, but even when they do it right, it would seem that the story minus the origin is better, as in Spidey 2. I think the origin is almost fodder for the people who don't know the story. I guess you have to include it. Oh well.

Batman did it well. Had the origin if flashbacks.

-HECK!

Batman did it beautifully. No comic to film conversion was done better. It kept true to the comic series, and still managed to update the feel of the story and re-energize the Batman fanbase. Awesome. I don't know if anything can top it.

Tim Burton. Imagine calling HIM the king of comic to film conversion directors... He's good, but the only director that comes to mind who's crazier or quirkier than Burton is Kubrick. I saw Eyes Wide Shut on tv the other day... Horrible... Nobody moves that slowly. Because of the lethargic nature of the characters (DEFINITELY because Kubrick wanted it that way...), the movie if directed at a normal pace could've been done in less than an hour. And the freakin' sharp piano music...

Anyways, back on topic. Obviously it's more than just the origin that makes or breaks the original, but for the sequel, I think in general they should be able to be at least as good as the first, if not better. I'd also say that viewers in general expect a lot more out of a second film than the first.

.. hear hear to Spiderman 2 - unbelievable - better than the first! I even like the premise that he is genetically altered better than the original comic story that he was just a dude with a cool sandex suit.

Yes yes yes, Spiderman 2 is better than the first, which was already pretty good

X-Men 2 was better than the first, which also was already pretty good

Batman and Batman Returns both rocked; Batman Forever and Batman & Robin were both lame

Daredevil was more than decent.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was good, despite what purists say. Fun to watch.

Superman 1 and 2 were good. 3 was alright and 4:

Spawn was pretty good, I didn't love it though. Worth watching.

Blade 1 and 2 are both pretty good. Exciting stuff.

Judge Dredd sucked. But maybe that's just me.

No desire to see The Hulk... so I haven't

I hear that Judge Dredd is being remade...and its supposed to be more like the comic...harder edged....not like the cop buddy movie that Stallone made....

I heard that too. The first Dredd had so much potential. I knew the audience was in trouble as soon as Dredd took off his helmet. Something he NEVER did in the comics.

-HECK!

I say, don't bother doing a comic to film conversion if you're not going to do the comic series justice. Don't do it.... Just don't...

Exactly. It's all about the $$$ though. If someone sees an opportunity to make money, they'll do it. Look at the Crocdile Hunter movie. What the f.

-HECK!

There have been a lot of comic translations. I like Annie (the 1980's version).

But on a serious note, I like Spawn, but after looking at the animated series and reading the comic after that, I didn't find the adaption was that great (though John Leguizamo did a great job). The animated series is finally getting a fourth season after five years. I remember turning on the television the year after season three (such a big cliffhanger), and there was nothing, completely nothing. It sucked royally. But now I'll be treated five years later.

Spider-Man, I liked both, they were well done. All changes they made seem to be changes that had to be made, like the whole web-shooters thing. I watched the first one a shortly before I watched the second and I still think it was a good movie. I didn't mind the Green Goblin (costume and all), I thought it was good. The second one was crazy. It's one of the better comic book movies I've seen. It's completely the right way to do a comic book movie, it's about the character not just the hero.

For that matter, I like the Hulk movies because it was a good film in terms of the exploration of one's past and repression. I think it's really a different type of comic book movie because there is it was so character oriented with the Hulk really just an uncontrolled manifestation. I don't care what many people say about this movie, I loved it. I think in the sequel, people will probably get what they want because people wanted more comic book action and villains and they'll probably make him more comfortable with changing into the Hulk. The fight scene with his father, I liked the symbolism, I liked the Hulk movie a lot, what can I say.

For Batman, all I can say is Tim Burton. Warner Bros. was stupid to get rid of him, Tm BUrton captured the dark mood of Gotham so well, plus he was able to capture the dark deco look somewhat (the animated series had this hands down). The architecture of Gotham is what made the movies great because it created the mood for the movie. I would have like to see better fight scenes with Batman (perhaps if they had a more functional suit), but the first two movies are the only two Batman movies I own. I refuse to buy the crap that Joel Schumacher released. Riddler was played well by Jim Carrey, but his plot was stupid. Two-Face was such a throwaway. I wonder how Billy Dee Williams would have played the part? I think Burton would do him justice and people would love it. Let's just ignore Robin and the last film. But I must say, I can't stand Arnold Schwarzenegger especially after the way he defiled Mr. Freeze. He and Joel Schumacher should be banned from film for their destruction of a character. If someone had just taken the time to look at the animated series, Mr. Freeze could have been done so well and it probably could have been the greatest comic book movie of all time.

Superman, I was really too young to remember everything. I liked the movies, I need to watch them again to get a feel for the films again. I remember liking Richard Pryor, that movie was a good one (the lady becoming all robotic still scares me ). They're remaking it and I thought Warner Bros. was about to do another, "We're too stupid to make a good movie," when they hired McG to direct. Thank you for dropping him, you no talent studio. Let's hope they do the Superman movie faithfully and above all done well.

X-Men, I like Singer's production here because he has done a great job of putting X-Men in the context of our reality, plus all the changes he's made have been great. I've been collecting the old comics that my friends give me as scans and I was just looking through everything randomly and there Stryker pops up. He was an evangelical minister that called mutants evil and his attitude in that issue was so well portrayed in the character from the movie. The X-Men movie are hands down one of the best comic book adaptations that takes many concepts from different stories with in the comic, and breathes life into on-screen. X-Men and X2 are great movies. X2 as well as Spider-Man surpassed their predecessors.

Daredevil was alright, I think it's probably a throwaway for now because it's an origin movie. I think origin movies always seem mediocre, but they just have to be that way sometimes so people can understand who the character is and where the character came from. That's why they should all be packaged as trilogy. Didn't see the Punisher, but I heard it's like this. First movie is mediocre, yet fun. The the real movie is done (called a sequel, but I prefer to call the first movie the prequel), and then the big storyline shift that expands the character to greater lengths (some of these movies can end here, others should continue on like X-Men and Spider-Man).

I know it seems like I'm writing a lot, but I got more to come later...next post will be:
Blade
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Phantom (indifferent)
Ghost World
Hellboy
Catwoman (I got a free ticket with my Batman Vol. 1 DVD set, I might as well check it out)

Check this out gang, a Green Lantern project has been, well, green-lit.

And guess what actor got the gig? You won't freakin' believe it.














Jack Black.

Yes, the guy from Saving Silverman, School Of Rock, and bunch of other films. Don't get me wrong, I think Jack is hilarious. I see all his movies. But I don't think he's GL material though. Unless they're making it a parody. I don't know. He's no Hal Jordan or Kyle Reiner. I'll still see it... but it's just weird casting.

-HECK!

Yeah, the green lantern aint fat.

Nothing wrong with being fat, but the lantern aint no porker.

That's funny about the Green Lantern...

After I saw Batman, and was moved a great deal by the movie (at that time, it was the best movie I'd ever seen in my opinion), I decided at age 13 (1990) that I was gonna write a screenplay for the Green Lantern...

I was such a stupid kid... I only got 2/3 of the way through the first scene, and then realized that I was taking the same first scene from Batman and just re-working it... I decided I wasn't ready to "do the character justice"... ROFL

Still, I revisited the idea about a month ago, and decided I had other ideas that I should develop because I felt they were unique and deserved my attention. Now, I'm hearing Green Lantern might be coming to film...

Jack Black is a funny individual.... sometimes The Green Lantern is too.... but not to the same calibure <sp>. Good idea... bad casting.

GL purists will be pissed that DC comics is letting them make a parody. Just make a different movie. Hell, why not The Greatest American Hero. Perfect.

-HECK!

Or maby The Justice League Europe . that book was almost always funny . They even made Batman crack a smile once or twice.


check em all out http://captain.custard.org/league/p...iverse&mode=a2z

- Heres what I think about the superhero movies.

- Flash: Good movie, but could have been better, funny to watch, ok for its time. Rate 3 of 10.

- Fantastic 4: Movie was good, only because Im into those cheap type things, overall it sucked for the normal viewer, lol. Rate 3 of 10.

- Punisher (old): Good movie for its time, a little slow though. Rate 5 of 10.

- Punisher (new): Movie has got to be the best yet, loved it, well worth it! Rate 10 of 10.

- Spiderman: Good movie. Rate 7 of 10.

- Spiderman (old): Same as Punisher (old). Rate 4 of 10.

- Spiderman 2: Havnt seen it yet, heard it was good.

- Hulk: It was so bad, no comment. Rate 3 of 10. (I dont think they all deserve to die though, lol).

- Xmen: Good, cool, worth it. Rate 8 of 10.

- Xmen 2: Good, cool, worth it, liked 1 better. Rate 7 of 10.

- Daredevil: Good movie, liked it all around. Rate 7 of 10.

- Catwomen: Worse then Hulk, lets leave it at that. Rate 1 of 10. (that 1 point is for halle, she looked good).

- Batman 1: Excellent, bravo, lol. Rate 10 of 10.

- Batman 2: Good, not as good as 1, but worth it. Rate 8 of 10.

- Batman 3: What happened! Almost hit Catwomen, stands on Hulk. Rate 2 of 10.

- Batman 4: Oh boy... what happened. It went from a dark mysterious movie, to bright and colorful! Rate 2 of 10.

- Theres my standings and opinions on these superhero movies, if I left some out tell me, Ill see what I can do.

Well, Superman Returns is coming, can DC gain some respect again in the superhero movie arena?

-HECK!

It's possible that they can, Heck... but, only time will tell.

I thought DC almost redeemed themselves with Batman Begins. Catwomen and the 2 batman movies before that were terrible, however... so I do think they have a lot of ground to cover to really make it up to the public.

DC made a huge comeback with Batman Begins, after a slew of crap ass movies. If Superman Returns is as solid then they are back for sure.

But Marvel still has Ghost Rider, Spider Man 3, Fantastic Four 2 and Iron Man all coming out within a year. DC has nada.

-HECK!

30 Days of night was a hit.