Hello, everyone! Lilfresh here, back with another editorial. Last week, I listed my ten favorite comic book movies of all time. All of those films I listed had some great performances, but there are five in particular I want to take the time to highlight. So, without further ado, here we go...
5. J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson in
Spider-Man 1, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3
Perhaps not the name you expected to start my list, but think about it. Is there a single actor ever who has managed to so perfectly capture a comic character? And not just in looks (which were spot-on), but in demeanor and presence as well. Everything that makes Jameson the character he is was put on full display by Simmons, from his grumpiness and tenacity to his oh-so-important humor. It might be the best translation of a character to screen ever...but he isn't in the movies long enough to move any higher than #5 on my list. Sorry, Mr. Jameson. I'll try better next time. What? I'm fired???
Again?
4. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in a whole bunch of X-Men movies...
An obvious pick? Certainly. But, as Yoda might say: undeserved, it is not. Who would've ever thought that, at the time, an actor best known for singing in plays would go on to portray one of the most iconic heroes in comics? No, Jackman is not a short, stocky, Canadian dude, but he's the closest thing to a perfect Wolverine that we've got. Even when the movie isn't quite up to par (you know which one I'm talking about...), he still brings that special animal-like ferocity that makes Wolverine such a special and beloved character, and he almost seems to be getting better with age. The day he retires from the role will be a very sad day indeed.
3. Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach in
Watchmen
Another perfect adaptation of a great character. Jackie Earle Haley's voice combined with his menacing yet vulnerable mannerisms contributed to make Rorshach one of the most interesting as well as frightening characters in film history. Honestly, Haley was so good as Rorschach that the entire movie could have just been about him and I wouldn't have cared. Forget all of the nuclear war stuff and the politically astute-comments on society, give me more of Rorschach breaking peope's fingers over drugs!
2. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in
Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, and
Iron Man 3 (and
The Incredible Hulk if you want to get picky about it)
Do we even realize how great a risk Marvel took in casting the troubled Downey to play the lead in the studio's first movie? It would be like an expansion team in the NFL signing Michael Vick to be their starter right after he was released from jail for all the dog fighting stuff (for people outside the U.S., replace the previous football metaphor with a futbol metaphor). But hey, not only did it work, it changed the face of entertainment itself. Downey inhabited the role with such charisma that not only comic book fans loved, but the entire world loved as well, catapulting the character of Tony Stark to the forefront of pop culture in a way none of us could have ever dreamed.
1. Heath Ledger as the Joker in
The Dark Knight
I seriously considered putting Downey as #1 on this list, but after thinking about Ledger's historic turn as the Joker for another minute, I realized how wrong I would be. The only actor to ever win an Oscar for a comic book movie, Ledger crafted a performance that will go down as one of the greatest in film history. He did a great character the justice he deserved, going in a dark, mysterious direction the likes of which we'd never quite seen before on screen. We can only hope he somehow got to see the praise he received for the role from above.
Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hardy as Bane, Liam Neeson as R'as al Ghul, David Wenham as Dilios in
300 (a minor part but his narration and speech at the end are both awesome), Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, and some more I've probably forgotten.
Anyway, that's my list. Feel free to tell me what you think in the comments. As always, I'm lilfresh, and this is now my favorite article on Comicbookmovie.com!