I've been meaning to review some movies, starting with FF2 a month ago. See below!
Meanwhile, while I was writing my FF review, I went to Wikipedia’s list of movies based on English-language comic books and jotted down the ones I thought best typified what I thought FF managed to do right. Ultimately it didn't make sense to keep this in the review, but having written it down, I decided to bug you with it anyway.
What I was looking for are movies that communicate that precise thrill, that pre-teen rush of adventure when you see someone take a punch that throws them 100 feet away into a bus that snaps in half with the impact. Not just action, but spectacle. I started with my straight-up favorite comic book flicks:
Batman Begins
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Blade II
The Crow
Sin City
Spiderman 2
Superman 2
Tank Girl
The X-men trilogy
But then I decided to make some changes.
Batman Begins comes off because it really triumphs more because of its perfect delivery of character and theme. Its action is good movie action, but it's not quite comic-book action. The X-men trilogy, particularly the first one, also excels mostly in the same area, but contains enough great spectacle to stay on the list (Storm slamming Sabertooth across the train station and through the wall comes to mind).
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is off because it’s animated. I actually think this is the single best superhero movie, because I think cartoons are best way to cinemize comics, being already so close in form. But for the purposes of this list I want to stick to live action.
Sin City and Tank Girl are off because they’re not exactly superhero movies, and that's really the brand of thrill I'm talking about.
And now I have to add a couple.
The Rocketeer, while not one of my favorite movies, totally comes through with its vintage look and does a damn good job of conveying what it would be like to strap a rocket to your ass.
Some Parts of Superman Returns – yeah, it got bogged down, but the sequences of young Clark hopping over the cornfield and that airplane save were just perfect, like when someone finally scratches the itch on your back.
The Matrix trilogy was not, of course, based on a comic book. But I’m not the first one to point out that the visual language is the same. The Wachowskis made it popular to stop the movement in the middle of an action scene, then start it up again. You can watch all the Creepshow and Hulk you want, you will not see a better device to bring c-book thrill to the big screen.
So, my revised list:
Blade II
The Crow
The Matrix trilogy
The Rocketeer
Spiderman 2
Superman 2
Some Parts of Superman Returns
The X-men trilogy
And now, believe it or not, Fantastic Four 2. Yup.
Right! I thought was a long walk for too little point, and I was correct. Thanks for reading. 'Night.
1 comment:
Love your post! I'm surprised that you didn't include The Incredibles. I guess it's not an "adaptation" so perhaps it doesn't count. Also, like MOTP it's animated. I think I would include the original Superman as well. I agree that parts of Superman Returns deserve recognition. The airplane scene is terrific, but unfortunately it's the highlight of the film.
From Wikipedia,
Upcoming projects
As of 2007, many superhero films are in development. Upcoming sequels include The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man from Marvel Comics' roster; DC Comics characters will be appearing in the highly anticipated Batman film, The Dark Knight, and a possible Superman Returns sequel.
New franchises include the eponymous adaptations of Iron Man – Iron Man – and Wonder Woman – Wonder Woman, to be produced by Joel Silver – as well as The Ghost Who Walks, based on The Phantom, and adaptations of The Shadow and Mandrake the Magician.
Numerous other relatively obscure properties such as the Doom Patrol are also in undergoing adaptation. There have been rumors of film adaptations of characters such as Iron Fist (said to star Ray Park) and Deadpool (in which David S. Goyer and, according to Goyer, Christopher Nolan are interested), although they have not been confirmed.
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