The LongBox: Favorite Comic Movies

The LongBox

Is there anything more polarizing among Comic fans than Marvel vs DC? Or “Who will win in a fight, Bendis or Johns”?

Yup. What is your favorite comic book movie. Alright so maybe in the last Year the DeFacto answer is “Dark Knight” but will The caped crusader and Heath Ledger make it to the pinnacle of My Top 5? or is there something else out there that lurks in the shadows?

Will I mention your Favorite movie? Or will I totally fumble?

come on in and see.

Hey Gang!

So, as you can see, you have clicked on a column about comic book movies. Now bear in mind I’ve never seen Spiderman 2 or 3 because I hated the original. I’ve never seen X3 because one and 2 sucked so bad. I’m not seen a complete hulk movie, because I turned the Ang Lee movie off and I really didn’t have the time to see the new movie yet and it’s not out until the 21st of this month on dvd.

The reason that this column idea came to mind was the release on Tuesday of the Iron Man DVD.  and rather than do the usual DVD review, I wanted to come at it from a slightly different angle.

So Here goes. and yes, there will be spoilers.

My Top 5 (Currently) Comic Book Movies.

#5: HellBoy (2005)

Hellboy

Now I haven’t seen the Sequel yet, due to the time constraints, But the original Hellboy is a movie I can still sit down today and be perfectly content to just watch. I think that There really could NOT have been a better person to carry this Franchise as ol Red than Ron Perlman, he is so perfectly suited for this charachter than they could just have put him up there and forgone all the make up and it would still be perfect. okay maybe not, but you get my point. This is an oft used phrase but I think Perlman was BORN to play Hellboy. okay so Hellboy debuted 43 years after Perlman was born in 1950, so I suppose Hellboy was created to be played by Perlman.

But this movie isn’t all about Big Red. There are lots of supporting characters that surround him in the BPRD.

Agent Myers (Rupert Evans) isn’t in the comics and was created as the layman that we could follow into the world of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. Myers is a somewhat needed charachter in this movie as with out him there would be a lot of needless exposition just to have the audience be totally lost in this world.

Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) is in this version of the Hellboy universe a love interest for Hellboy, and starts the flick in a mental institution, having left the BRPD in an effort to control her pyrokinetic powers. Sherman is not only Distant but seemingly miserable too until Myers comes to her to bring her back to the BRPD.

Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, Voiced by David Hyde Peirce) is another of the BPRD’s “Projects” known as “Blue” he is at home in water, and in this universe Somewhat psychic. He has some great scenes, when playing off Hellboy and Liz.

Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm ( John Hurt) Steals the movie, even with his limited screen time, and his Death 2/3rds of the way through the flick, He just commands the screen every time that you see him.  Just an amazing turn by John Hurt.

The plot of the movie is your average first film in a franchise story, the origin. Where Hellboy comes from etc. introducing the BPRD and the various characters. some great little moments that are almost straight out of the comic. This is a movie that is all about getting the tone of a book right while doing what needs to be done to get the Movie right. all the little changes, the romance, Abes psychic abilities, the addition of Myers all things the movie needed, that weren’t in the books but they fit seamlessly.

#4: Superman: The Movie (1978)

Superman: The Movie

The Movie that really started it all. Back in 1978 Warner Brothers Made us all believe that a man could fly. Casting Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent. Every superman movie, is going to succeed or fail based on this casting. It’s been proven since. Not only does the person in the lead of this movie need to look the part but they need to have that inner strength that Supes should exude. They need that presence of a Force of nature that the Man of Steel has. Reeve had it all. In spades.

In My and many others eyes, Reeve has never been surpassed as Kal’el. Even though every superman movie since has ranged somewhere between underwhelming and flat out bad, in his turns as Clark, Reeve always shone. be it against Gene Hackman, Richard Pryor or Terrence Stamp. Reeve always held that Certain something that made him stand out head and shoudlers above the rest of the people ever to done the big Red S.

The a fore mentioned Gene Hackman also shines as Lex Luthor, Supermans arch nemesis. I have had a long admiration for Gene Hackmans turn here just being so.. perfect for Luthor, okay so what Luthor has turned into in the comics isn’t the same but I’d sure as hell like to see Hackman tackle it.

The only piece of casting I have ever truly wondered about in these movies was Margot Kidder as Lois Lane.and yes even before she went feral. she just seemed a little.. off… compared to the rest of the cast, but even with that Superman:The Movie seems to just shine among the shadows.

Bryan Singer credited this original movie as a massive inspiration for Superman Returns. It’s just a pity that the only thing that was put on screen in that movie that was even worthy to carry this movies cape, was Kevin Spaceys turn as Luthor

Back to this original move however, it happily takes the #4 spot on the list as not only being the one that started it all, but having a certain integral goodness to it that sparkles even now.

#3: Sin City (2005)

Sin City

What is there to say about this flick that hasn’t been said already?

What makes this movie so amazing? It’s extremely hard to pinpoint. Is it the writing? The comic book panel accurate directing? the Stunning visual style? The Veritable Cavalcade of stars that line this thing? Be it Bruce WIllis, Clive Owen, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah wood, Rutger Nauer, Rosario Dawson… or the reborn Mickey Rouke?

The fact that you can’t pin down What makes Sin City great is inturn in fact what makes it great. Don;t get me wrong each of those thing I mentioned above REALLY help (also note my not listing Jessica alba) but the very Ethereal nature of Sin City’s Awesomeness is a massive thing.

The Involvement of Sin City creator Frank Miller, as with Mike Mingola in Hellboy’s case, in the directing and writing of the Movie is another thing that goes a long way to helping Sin City stay so true to it;s comic book roots.

The interweaving of Stories, the fact that this movie isn’t afraid to show that life is shitty sometimes,  that there is a seedier side to comics, and that some of our favorite characters exist in a very Noir style environment. something again that excites me. the fact that there are so many people that cannot even fathom that Sin City comes from a Comic is amazing to me. it really does transcend borders and genres, something that other Comic Movies have a hard time doing both effectively and well.

Sin City Tops the lists of movies of favorite comic book movies for all the reasons listed above,  and I’ll be honest it’s damn close to topping mine. but as amazing as this movie is, it just doesn’t have what it takes to be number 2 or number 1.

Sin City is a great movie to show to Non Comic Fans to sum up how amazing the transition from book to screen can be. how rich and vibrant.

#2: Batman Begins

Batman Begins

Batman Begins takes the Number 2 spot on the top 5.  I suppose the big question, Why? The Movie is damn near perfect, one little casting replacement, a few long shot cut in here adn there and you would have the perfect comic movie. First Lets Discuss the Idea of a “Reboot” since this is the first example of one on my top 5.  After the Disaster that was “Batman and Robin” (2997) DC and Warner Brothers took a healthy 8 year break from the Batman franchise. Something many people thought Marvel should have taken note of before trying to churn out yet another Hulk movie.

The Break allowed Warner/DC to re-think the franchise. to re imagine it as something totally different something completely akin to the feeling of the comic book. Something more Dark, Gritty and substantive and entirely less quirky than any of the four movies that preceded it. be they neon filled or Gothic Tim Burton fests.

The First big announcement that came from Batman Begins, that really cemented my faith in the movie was the attachment of Christopher Nolan as Director. Having seen Memento and Insomnia I was very very impressed with this announcement. then the attachment of Christian Bale to star as Batman/Bruce Wayne was amazing. This movie, With the exception of Katie Holmes, is filled to over flowing with Oscar Quality performances and actors even down to a few of the bit parts in Ken Watanabee’s Ra’s Al Ghul.

There were a few concerns from me at first, one that mainly centered around the tone the movie was taking,  and the casting of Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow/Johnathan Crane. But both of these fears were easily put to rest the more and more that I saw of the publicity photos on the net. But there I was, opening night, ready. and damn if I wasn’t blown away.

I saw Batman Begins 5 times in theaters, I cannot say just how impressed I was with this reboot, yes I know, 5 times is a bit much, but I had lots of friends that wanted to see it, and we could never really get together, and I loved the movie so why not. Batman begins was until recently, the best comic book movie ever. Question is, what could take it’s place?

#1. Iron Man

Iron Man

Yup, That’s right. Ol’ Shell head takes the #1 spot from The Batman.I can honestly Say that I cannot find fault with this movie. The Casting is pitch perfect, the story is perfectly writen and the direction is on the money. What fault is there to be found?’

Lets Begin with Tony Stark, as lets be honest without stark being right, this whole movie would fall apart. When Robert Downy Jr. was announced there was simultaneously “WHAT? no way!” and “That’s Brilliant” I was very much on the side of “BRILLIANT!”  I don’t think that there was a possibility of anyone better being cast, many people think that Jr’s past ith substance abuse and Tony’s alcoholism walk a fine line, but with His undoubted charisma and good looks, Jr was perfect to look at as Stark, add in his Oscar caliber performances through out his years as an actor, And you have the perfect recipe for a star. and that is exactly what we got, the PERFECT Tony Stark.

Move From Stark to the Supporting Cast of Terrence Howard as James Rhodes, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Pots and Jeff Bridges as Obidiah Stane. The four supporting performers here are all, once again absolutely spot on. They nail their respective roles with what seems to be ease.

Jon Faverau, The Director does an amazing job all the way through, even in the climactic fight, where both involved are hidden behind masks, he manages to avoid what I have come to know as “The Spiderman Syndrome” where neither actor can emote through their masks. To combat this, they came up with a VERY effective “Inside the helmet” cam, that is absolutely spot on. Okay I’m using that phrase a lot, but this movie is just so right. So well made that Sometimes, Just sometimes, It defies proper description.

The movie embodies everything that made the Early Iron Man Fun. True now most people seem to think that Stark is a bit of a douche after everything with Civil War, but early in his Iron Man Career Tony Stark was a fun loving flirtatious billionaire and that is captured perfectly here. I’m pretty sure that there will be some kind of character development in the subsequent Movies, but nothing to the ends of the comic’s current status.

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So there we have it. My top 5 movies. Yes The Dark Knight doesn’t even make the top five. Why? Honestly there was a little too much wrong. It was too long in my opinion, too dark (yes I’m aware of the title) and it just wasn’t as enjoyable as teh other movies on this list. Even it;s predecessor. It was an excellent movie, don’t get me wrong, but there was just a little too much wrong with what was on screen. It does take up the 6th spot on my list, that much is for sure.

So what do you think? Have I gone Crazy not including Dark Knight? What would your top five be? Even then what do you think of my choices? would you make the same choices or even say the same things about these movies? open up and let me know what you think.

So until Next time

Your Superhero

BobTGoldfish

Again many thanks to Frankie for the banner.