THE TOP TEN BEST COMIC BOOK ADAPTATIONS [3-1]
I apologize for the lack of an entry recently. The holiday season has managed to take up more of my time than I initially believed it would. And I have also been working on a number of creative projects, one of which will be for my fansite.
As a recap, I watched and researched over forty films. After that, I chose the ten that I felt were the most influential on the comic book movie genre. To do so, I took into account their critical reception, word of mouth, box office numbers, and their ability to continue their narratives by way of adapting already existing material.
Honourable Mentions
[10-8]
[7-4]
The links above have my entire list, including my Honourable Mentions section. And now, without further adieu, here are the final three entries onto my list. Oh, and duh, spoilers.
#3: Road to Perdition, Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Daniel Craig
Metacritic: 72; Rotten Tomatoes: 81%; CinemaScore: B+
Box Office: $181 Million v. $80 Million Budget
Franchise Power: NONEXISTENT
Synopsis: Michael Sullivan Jr., son of an Irish Mob hit man, witnesses his father and the son of the man his father works for, murdering a group of men. After his mother and younger brother are murdered, he goes on the run with his father as his father exacts his revenge.
My Personal Thoughts: Of all the films on my list, I think this is probably the most unique. Set in the 1930s during the Great Depression, the story unfolds with great pacing. Sam Mendes is one of my favorite directors. I have not seen a single film he has directed that I did not enjoy. But back to the task at hand. First, Tom Hanks’ performance is, for lack of a better word, stunning. I love Hanks in these kinds of roles. He plays Michael Sullivan, Sr. as a man completely comfortable with what he does but not necessarily who it has made him. Seeing Hanks holding a gun in his hand seems very believable, as his character tears a swath through the film. The person he becomes is at odds with his oldest son, Michael, who possesses many of his father’s qualities. The truth of Sullivan’s character is that he is well-aware of the punishment he deserves, and seems to be willing to pay the price for his crimes at any time, but his biggest fear is that, once his wife and youngest son are murdered, that his only son grows up to be like him. The theme of the sins of the father also presents itself with Paul Newman’s character, John Rooney. As I researched this film, I was not surprised to find out that Newman was Academy Award nominated. I cannot believe how good he was in this role. Rooney, the powerful head of the Irish Mob, is feared, respected, and successful. But while he enjoys success of most areas of his life, he sees his son as a screw-up. And, without saying it, he lets his son know how incompetent he thinks he is. Daniel Craig, I think, is probably the most wasted element of this film. We are given a paper thin reasoning of why his character, Connor Rooney, kills Sullivan’s family. Jealousy is a deadly thing. But we really do not get to know Connor well enough to care that Sullivan is seeking revenge upon him. So, it lessens the impact towards the end of the movie when Connor is finally offered up to Sullivan as appeasement. Symbolism also ebbs and flows its way through this film. For example, there is always water around just before violence seems to ensue. Jude Law’s character, Harlen Maguire, brings with him a camera to take pictures of his victims, which seem to serve as both evidence of his successful hit and for his own genuine enjoyment. Then there is the aforementioned sins of the fathers. Both Sullivan and John have committed actual crimes, but their true sins are the implied negligence of their sons. As a result, both sons disobey their fathers. Michael hides in his father’s car, discovering his murderous role early into the film. And Connor savagely kills Sullivan’s wife and son, using the excuse that Michael would have talked. And lastly, there is my favorite theme of the movie, the notion of redemption. Both Rooney and Sullivan know that they should not be forgiven for their crimes, and they genuinely do not seem all that interested in being forgiven, either. But they both seem to want a different and better future for their children. Especially Sullivan, who is determined to keep his son on the perimeter of his shady dealings. Ultimately, what makes this movie so powerful is because it is so believable and effective. The original graphic novel, written by Max Allan Collins, has more stories than just Road to Perdition. But I earnestly hope that nothing else is adapted in this franchise. Road to Perdition works the best as a standalone story. The prime example of taking great actors, great writers, and a great director, and making a great film as a result of it. Comic book films, and films in general, do not get much better than Road to Perdition.
My Favourite Scene: Believe me when I say, I really do not have one. I honestly feel like there isn’t a single scene in this movie that is wasted. It was impossible for me to choose just one.
#2:
The Dark Knight, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
Metacritic: 82; Rotten Tomatoes: 94%; CinemaScore: A
Box Office: $1.1 Billion v. $185 Million Budget
Franchise Power:
MODERATE
Synopsis: Six months removed from the events of
Batman Begins, the war on the mob of Gotham reaches a fever pitch when desperation forces the criminals to resort to a man named the Joker, a man not all dissimilar to Batman himself.
My Personal Thoughts: I debated whether to include this film or its successor, the
Dark Knight Rises on my list. It took some serious soul searching; in the end, I chose the
Dark Knight over the
Dark Knight Rises for one reason. This film is not necessarily dependent upon its predecessor to be accessible or enjoyed. However, if one were to watch the
Dark Knight Rises without having seen neither
Batman Begins nor the
Dark Knight, I believe that person might feel a bit of a bad case of in medias res.
The
Dark Knight does a lot of things correctly. And I mean, A LOT. Unfortunately, to list them all would make this article much longer than is necessary, so I must restrain my enthusiasm to list them all and select the three things I think the
Dark Knight performs the best. Those things are the reinvention of the Joker, his foiling to Batman, and the trinity between Batman, James Gordon, and Harvey Dent.
To begin, let’s reach back to a time when Tim Burton had creative control of the Batman character. He gave us our first Joker, played by the immortal Jack Nicholson. There is a scene in that movie where, after having murdered a restaurant full of people, he sits down with Vicky Vale, the sole survivor of the massacre. After observing some of her pictures, he begins to explain himself to her. The line that sticks out to me the most is, “I’m an artist.” I point out that one specifically because there is a fantastic montage of the Joker and his minions tearing through some valuable-looking art pieces and giving them some colourful makeovers. Nicholson’s Joker murdered in large quantities, indiscriminately, because he felt it was a beautiful thing to do. Fast forward to the
Dark Knight and the casting of the late Heath Ledger. This incarnation of the Joker truly is not all that different from the previous one. He also kills in large quantities and indiscriminately. But here is where the reinvention appears. In the center of the film, Joker coaxes Harvey Dent to see his side of life, that order is a joke and the only sensible way to live is through disorder. It is here that Ledger defines his Joker by saying, “I’m an agent of chaos.” In that respect, his motivations are not because he believes things are beautiful, but rather, he believes things are fleeting. He is a living embodiment of entropy. I find that an interesting deviation from Nicholson’s Joker, who stops a minion from destroying a painting in the aforementioned restaurant because he “kind of” liked it. Ledger’s Joker had no use for art. He was a simple man. A man resolved to his madness, unlike his nemesis.
And it is madness that permeates Bruce Wayne. No matter how intelligent he may be, Wayne is a truly psychotic individual. And it is oftentimes overlooked that his methods are not all that disparate to the Joker’s. Both men have no problem beating people to within inches of their lives. Or blowing things into pieces. So what makes Batman different from the Joker, if they both sweat and bleed insanity? Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne as a man who, for the most part, does not deny that he has drifted into a desolate place mentally and emotionally. Harvey Dent puts it best by saying, “…Whoever the Batman is, he doesn’t want to do this forever. How could he?” And that line defines Bruce Wayne for us more than anything in the movie. Forget the physical strain Batman has to endure night after night. Can you imagine what Batman’s actions are doing to him within his psyche? That is fascinating to me. Breaking bones, hanging people upside down, leaving enemies bloodied and incapacitated has to take a toll on him. It’s that toll that the Joker wants to exploit. He wants Batman to understand just how similar they are. They both, in essence, perform the same actions. Joker’s skewed view of it is that he does it because he enjoys it. And he believes Batman, somewhere deep underneath the armour and a sense of morality, enjoys doing it as well. He does not need to tip Batman over into insanity. Batman is already there. Instead, the Joker tries, desperately, to make him understand how infantile his resistance to chaos is. This is such a terrific thread that flows through the film. Christopher Nolan seemed to really want to have a Joker who was a true foil to Batman, someone who understands what Batman is experiencing, but has responded to the pain by simply murdering, whereas Batman restrains himself from it in order to give those individuals he captures, a chance to redeem themselves. That is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. And Joker knows that. Joker, who seems to also be Batman’s equal in intelligence, has another plan in mind if he cannot overturn Batman’s morality: Harvey Dent.
Harvey Dent was presented to us by Nolan as the “backbone of the story.” I understand what he meant, but only after several viewings of the film. As stated before, Dent knows that Batman cannot continue doing what he does for long, and Dent is more than willing to step up and take his place. And the reason this is so monumental is because Dent is a man of the law, whereas Batman is very much similar to the Joker, operating outside of laws. Dent was meant to be the man Batman could not be. In the scene where Dent tells Batman he needs Lau back, Gordon tells the men that “things will get ugly.” And he was right. But look at this trine of purpose that was formed within that scene. Batman is the vigilante, the man unafraid to do what is necessary except to kill. Gordon is the shade of grey, willing to work with the Batman insofar as the laws and rules broken lead to the criminals facing justice within a court system. Dent is the man of law, the purest of the three. And it is that purity that the Joker taints, beginning Dent’s descent into anarchy, under the assumption that it is just. At the end of the movie, these three men reunite, but each of them have been weathered and measured. “We chose to act, we three,” says Batman as Dent holds a loaded weapon to Gordon’s child. They chose to act but still managed to lose. The mob might be on their way out, Joker might be apprehended, but without Dent, Gotham’s future would be uncertain. Dent’s death was necessary. His martyrdom allowed for the deception that held true for years.
A complex, tightly-woven script and incredible performances make the
Dark Knight one of the most influential comic book films to have ever been made.
My Favourite Scene: As stated above, the short scene where Dent, Gordon, and Batman also meet on the roof to discuss the future of their plans instead the mob. I feel like this is where the film really takes off. The actions of these three men send Gotham spiraling down a path of bedlam, taking each man to the brink of their limits.
#1:
Marvel’s the Avengers, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Tom Hiddleson, Scarlett Johansson
Metacritic: 69; Rotten Tomatoes: 92%; CinemaScore: A+
Box Office: $1.5 Billion v. $220 Million Budget
Franchise Power:
HIGH
Synopsis: Phase One culminates with the union of six of Marvel’s most well-known heroes. Loki returns from exile, enraged and with a new plan to enslave the human race. By borrowing a massive alien army, he plans to trade his kingship on Earth for the Tesseract, one of the most powerful items in the universe.
My Personal Thoughts:
Marvel’s the Avengers is the most influential comic book film that currently exists. Keep in mind that I am NOT saying it is the best; however, I am saying it is the most influential. If I were making a list about my favorite comic book films, Marvel movies would take roughly two-thirds of that list. But I am trying to ascertain the most influential films, so I had to bite the bullet and exclude ALL of the individual character films to include their first group outing.
The biggest reason the film works so well is because these characters are not friends. They know next to nothing about one another. Whatever they know about each other, they have learned through S.H.I.E.L.D. dossiers or through cellphone-captured media. This is their first time coming together to stop a mutual threat. And it largely delivers on the promises of all the friction between the heroes. The seeds of
Captain America: Civil War can be seen in this film. These characters are flawed, egotistical, complicated, and unique. Joss Whedon has stated that he chose Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch as the new additions in
Avengers: Age of Ultron because they have different powers than just “punchy powers”. But I never found myself bored by watching lots of punching and kicking. Or repulsor blasting. Or lightning conjuring. Or shield throwing. Each character seems to come into conflict with each other, and their greatest abilities are put on display. Of course, Hawkeye is the odd person out because, well, someone had to be. It wasn’t a film containing just six heroes. Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Dr. Selvig, and our villain Loki all need screen time as well. But what Whedon did with Hawkeye was spectacular. Twisting his mind and turning him into a minion was, to me, a great idea. It not only adds to my original point that the characters are not friends, but gives us a chance to see Hawkeye really perform his skillset. The forest fight between Thor and Iron Man was also entertaining. I am convinced Thor’s superior strength would have eventually overwhelmed Iron Man, had Captain America not intervened. Then we have the battle with Thor and Hulk. This one is my favorite because of the brilliant cinematography, and by that, I mean that stellar shot of Thor hammering Hulk in the face after calling for Mjolnir. Just the right amount of slow motion was used, as well as a wide shot of the surrounding area to provide scale of the epic blow. And lastly, the fight between Hawkeye and Black Widow. It’s faster, tighter, and deeply personal. I will admit, it is a bit difficult to catch every glimpse of the action because of the awkward editing, but the two assassins going at it was a highlight of the film, and in my opinion, a smart move. It makes sense that Black Widow would fight Hawkeye. Neither of them wear armor or are in any way enhanced. Any other combination would be one-sided. Smart writing.
Which leads me to my second point: this film is very well-written. I will admit that there is some lousy dialogue sprinkled throughout, but for the most part, everything is spot on, sharp, and well-executed. I like to draw special attention to two particular scenes of long dialogue in the movie because they stand out and show Joss Whedon’s mastery with writing. The first scene is just after Thor arrives on Earth and takes possession of Loki. Thor voices his displeasure to Loki, who shows little in the way of remorse. But the entire conversation is engaging and tense. We see Thor’s true feelings for his brother emerge, unaffected by the film’s later events. The second scene is when Fury is questioned about the existence of Phase Two. Insults and snappy one-liners fly freely, as everyone takes a jab at everyone else, concluding with Banner holding Loki’s scepter (which I am convinced contains the infinite stone of Mind). A scene like this is difficult for anyone to write, and most directors tend to shy away from long scenes filled with dialogue because they get boring and tend to oversaturate the audience with information that could be otherwise obtained. But most scenes in the film are self-contained and dazzling.
Another interesting thing to note about the film is just how well much of the Phase Two of Marvel’s films are affected by it. Captain America goes to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. because that makes a great deal of sense. Where else would he go? Thor goes back home with Loki. Stark suffers severe PTSD. But here are some smart things we might not have noticed. Stark and Rogers nearly come to blows in this film, and it is a sure thing that their ideologies clash again in
Age of Ultron, culminating in
Captain America: Civil War. Smart? Here’s another. Romanoff is sent to find Bruce Banner and convinces him to help Fury. Later, she tries to calm him down as he begins the transformation into the Hulk. And now in
Age of Ultron, we are told that Banner and Romanoff have some kind of romance brewing. Interesting seed to have planted. Marvel has done something brilliant with the
Avengers. They were able to use it as a launch pad for their second slate of films, and everything after it was affected by what happened, with the notable exception of
Guardians of the Galaxy.
Which brings me to my last and most important point, which is the idea of a shared universe of films. I am of the belief that a shared universe of films is plausible but unnecessarily complex. After all, how can you combine the egos and ideas of so many actors and directors? Well, Marvel has demonstrated that it can be done. By giving each film attention and the writers and directors the freedom to bring the characters and stories to life
almost however they choose, they have built a winning combination of success and acclaim. No franchise is infallible, but every Marvel film has managed to be one thing: fun. Why is that important?
Because the rest of the world has taken notice. Sony had plans to build a universe of films centered on the Spider-Man character, though with the recent leaks regarding the character’s misdirection, Spider-Man’s future is still very much up in the air. Fox plans to have the future
X-Men and
Fantastic Four films in a shared universe. Universal is planning an action-adventure reboot of their classic monster stories, all within a shared universe. And DC is planning to bring its most well-known characters onscreen in a
Justice League movie in 2017, taking the opposite route of Marvel. While there is no guarantee that Marvel will continue to keep their winning streak going, as eventually fans will grow tired of all these comic book films, there is no doubt that rival studios are paying attention to the success that Marvel has had. A combination of good casting, good writing and good director choices have contributed to Marvel’s success. If Marvel continues to treat comic books films as they have, they will continue to see their films break records and garner further critical acclaim. There is no other film on my list that has had the effect on the comic book film as
Marvel’s the Avengers.
My Favourite Scene:
Click to find out.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my list. The two main criticisms have been its length and the separation of the entries. The length is something I really could not change. I wanted to press my point that these films deserved to be on the list. But the separation will be addressed. I will combine the entries into one post. I'm grateful for all the feedback I got. I hope everyone had a great holiday season, and expect to see more from me soon.
[EA] - "It's been a long way down."