The Loose Adaptation: Why Do We Care?

The Loose Adaptation: Why Do We Care?

Here we talk about the concept of Hollywood changing the source material of comic book properties, and why it's not that big of a deal.

Editorial Opinion
By googleplex - Aug 01, 2012 11:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Fan Fic

In the fanboy community there seems to be one major concern, Hollywood and their apparent desire to destroy the characters and stories we all know and love. We believe this based on the needless changes they make to the source material in order to attempt and make it more marketable. What I'm trying to say is that the argument of a movie's failure based only on the fact that changes were made from the source material pretty much shows our ignorance as to our knowledge of how film making truly works.

Before I begin it should be stated that I have no intention to offend anyone. Ignorance is not the same as stupidity. Instead it involves the lack of information on a subject one might have. In other words while fans may know the source material they may not understand how such stories would need to function in a feature length film. That's the intention of this article, to better inform people of the necessity of change and to offer a better understanding of how Hollywood operates.

First of all it should be mentioned that the act of adapting a comic book to a feature length movie is in fact changing the media it's being presented. What works from a comics perspective (such as the characters narrating what they feel or what they need to do) wouldn't work as effectively in a movie. Not to mention that comics are ongoing stories with plot lines lasting for months or even years. Movies on the otherhand need to tell a coherent story in the space of a single 2-3 hour experience. Sure there are trilogies and sequels that can work but each film should have a completed story without the concept of a to be continued (they can have plot lines that continue to the next movie but they still complete a story they began). For this reason alone changes would need to be made, after all one couldn't tell the story of a movie the same way they would with a song.

Talking more about the changes in media, with that also comes a change in audience. While exceptions are made the majority of comic book readers fall into the age range of teens to young adults. For a superhero movie like Superman could reach anywhere from a 5 year old to someone in their 70s or 80s. Adapting a modern comic word for word would mainly appeal to the fans of said comic, thusly making the movie ultimately a flop and ruining the point of adapting the property. Whether we like it or not the studios are making these movies for money, the same reason why people are making comics. That's just the way the world works.

Going outside of changing in media and accounting for a new audience it should also be mentioned that these characters need to change in order to survive. This concept applies to the comics as well as the eventual movie made about it. With a character like, say, Batman we often hold an image in our heads about what kind of a character he should be (mainly dark and gothic). What we tend to forget is that we adopted this version of Batman after the last generation of fans grew out of the Caped Crusader. Back when they were fans Batman was more of a lighthearted character involved in goofy stories such as being turned into a baby. In order for any character to survive the ages like that they would need to change for the next group of fans. It applies to the movies as well. Take Nolan's Batman films for example. While we may complain that this isn't Batman the truth is that it's the next generation's Batman, the same way Tim Burton's was our generations and Adam West's was our parents' generation. Complaining about these changes because you simply preferred the "classic" interpretation merely says that you can't accept change, which is a fact of life we all need to accept in life.

Now again I admit that not all changes are good or acceptable and I am not trying to offend anyone, but we should judge these adaptations based on their own merits and not simply what came before. Some day I know I'll watch a new Batman movie with my children and it'll be significantly different from what I experienced from Burton or Nolan, but assuming that it keeps the fundamental aspects of the character intact I know I'm in for a good time.

Also before I conclude I'd just like to mention something about properly using the complaint if it not matching with the source material. First being that you should elaborate on why it's better in the comics and why it doesn't work for the movie. For example with the Catwoman movie they changed a smart antihero into a generic superpowered hero with no competence outside of cat powers. Second be sure to know what you're talking about when saying the comics were better. I'm tired of hearing that Bruce would never retire like in the recent movie. Several comics and shows explored the concept that Bruce was unsure about being Batman and two stories of the Dark Knight, such as Dark Knight Returns and Batman Beyond, feature a Bruce long since retired (I know this yet I'm not that much of a fan of the comics).

So there's my look at the changes Hollywood makes to comic book movies. Like if you liked it and comment below on your feelings on property changes. Please suggest any articles, such as lists or reviews, that you'd like me to do. See you later.

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GoILL
GoILL - 8/1/2012, 11:54 AM
Great article dude. I hope more people read it and stop bitching and whining in the comments on here.
googleplex
googleplex - 8/1/2012, 12:18 PM
@goill, thanks man. really appreciate it.

@yossarian, what trilogy were you watching? it ended when gotham was a peaceful place and they were willing to stand up for what's right. what else was there for batman to do?
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 8/1/2012, 1:24 PM
Batman Begins
Bruce: "What have I done, Alfred? Everything my family... my father built..."
Alfred: "The Wayne legacy is more than bricks and mortar, sir."
Bruce: "I wanted to save Gotham, I failed."
Alfred: "Why do we fall sir? So we might learn to pick ourselves up."
Bruce: "You still haven't given up on me?"
Alfred: "Never."

The Dark Knight
Bruce: "You know that day that you once told me about, when Gotham would no longer need Batman? It's coming."

The Dark Knight Rises
Bruce: "Why didn't you just kill me?"
Bane: "You do not fear death. You welcome it. Your punishment must be more severe."

Damn, does Bruce ever WANT to be Batman?

I think the central message is NOT facing the music. The Joker can't win, so we lie for 8 years. Bruce can't make the jump because he's not afraid of death - so he decides he must be afraid of death in order to escape the pit.
ralfinader
ralfinader - 8/1/2012, 1:30 PM
Well written article, but I do not entirely agree. It is a necesary evil to adapt/change a comicbook property to fit a new media, and I think most people get that. What most complaints regarding Batman quitting refer to, I believe, stem more from it being a plot device not born of the charactor we all know and most of us love.

Batman has quit in futuristic takes on the charactor in comics, but has it ever been because of someone dying? No, it has not. Age and injury are the only thngs that made him take off the suit for any lengthy amount of time. Tragedy is what created the Batman, drove the Batman, not sidelined him.

Bats/Bruce got taken, like a piece of clay, and molded into a unrecognizable shape to fit Nolan's need to tell the story he wanted to tell, and not serve the charactor that got him to where he got. The purpose of Batman was changed. Batman was driven to fight crime and protect people, not protect one city, and not to focus on just organized crime. Bats went after muggers and thieves as much as mob bosses and villians. There is no 'retirement plan' for the Bats presently and recently in the comics. Batman believes there is, and always will be a need for a Batman (and has trusted very few to carry the torch if he has had to drop it for any reason).

For him to call it quits twice in one movie really takes away the spirit of Batman that I was always drawn to, a unrelenting drive to push his body and spirit to past the breaking point to get the job done, and then move on to the next job, and points to artistic liscense more than honoring the source material. One can argue that the spirit was represented properly, just as I and several others can argue that is wasn't based off how I or someone else individually percieve the charactor.

It all boils down to your own opinion in the end though.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 8/1/2012, 1:43 PM
Thank you, ralfinader. Nailed it right on the head.

The Batman from the comics wouldn't trust Nolan's Batman for a second. As in, take all of the crap he gives Huntress and multiply it by 100, and it still wouldn't be enough.
googleplex
googleplex - 8/1/2012, 1:44 PM
wow, how did this become all about batman?

@ralfinader, actually in the dark knight returns he quit because jason todd died. and he did get the job done and had to destroy and rebuild his body in order to do it.
ralfinader
ralfinader - 8/1/2012, 1:55 PM
@googleplex - good point, forgot about that one. But, still, Batman felt directly responsible, having trained the kid and put him in harms way. I suppose we could say that Bats felt responsible for whats-her-names death in TDK, but Batman never suited her up and trained her to go directly into combat. Todd was not an innocent bystander, like Wayne's parents or whats-her-name, he was a soldier recruited by Batman himself. And he didn't mope about for 8 years in the mainstream comics.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 8/1/2012, 1:57 PM
It's actually ALL about Batman, kind of always has been. I'm in the process of an article detailing this, but consider this point...

Burton's Batman was the first CBM NOT to involve aliens. Batman set the standard for every CBM from then on - and everyone knows who Batman is because of it. I don't think Burton even realizes how important his movie was, and he is extremely self-obsessed.
googleplex
googleplex - 8/1/2012, 2:32 PM
@tainted87, actually superman has been the standard. in fact spider-man 2, which many people considers one of the greatest comic book movies ever, took the plot directly from superman 2.
ArtisticErotic
ArtisticErotic - 8/1/2012, 2:33 PM
If the movies were exactly like the comics then it would be boring. I like different takes on characters it's fresh and gives us something new. If you want exact adaptations of superhero movies that's what the direct to dvd movies are for.

Otherwise just read the comics and ignore the movies.
googleplex
googleplex - 8/1/2012, 2:33 PM
and to everyone i'm trying to say that since we accept these changes in a what if story like the dark knight returns, then why not a movie in a different continuity like the dark knight rises.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 8/1/2012, 4:06 PM
So I suppose Richard Donner introduced the "death by villainy" element that is only rarely NOT used in CBMs?
googleplex
googleplex - 8/1/2012, 6:31 PM
@tainted87, well in superman 2 its hinted that the kryptonians led by zod were killed though with the time different versions it gets confusing as to if they were really killed or if time was reversed and they were trapped in the phantom zone.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 8/1/2012, 6:54 PM
The director's cut has them taken away by the authorities.
misterm
misterm - 8/1/2012, 11:01 PM
Ok, well written article, but I totally disagree. Think about it like this.

Let's remake "The Ten Commandments." Everybody knows the story, so it's sure to be a hit, but let's have it directed by Michael Bay! The burning bush is a robot! And there's ninjas! And 'spolsions! Tons and tons of splosions!!!

My point is, these characters have been around for years, with a wide and varied history and fan base. The things we want are pretty simple.

1. Stick to the core character and motivation.
(Superman does not have kids, Spiderman is not emo, and the Batman does not quit.)
2. Don't add silly S#@%, cause you (the director, the producer, your mom,) think your idea is so much better. If that was the case, you'd be writing the comic and we'd be buying it.
3. Call the editor of the comic and tell them your ideas. If he says no, scrap it.
4. Stop using the same damn villains from the last reboot!!!!! Read the source material!!!!

Hollywood follows these rules and we can all be happy.
googleplex
googleplex - 8/2/2012, 5:24 AM
@misterm, well fans would be but considering many fans want an r rated batman film i don't think everyone else would. also moses was an actual person so that comparison makes no sense. if batman were real i'd understand. also editors don't know good stories themselves. they gave us countdown didn't they?
misterm
misterm - 8/2/2012, 4:18 PM
@googleplex....

I'll take CountDown over Superman's illegitimate kid anytime and the only thing you know about Moses is the story and history that is told. Just like Batman.
googleplex
googleplex - 8/2/2012, 6:55 PM
@misterm, batman also has several different forms of continuity in comics alone so there's no straight forward story. i'm not defending every change like superman's illegitimate child but don't act like the comics treat the characters with that much dignity either. i've yet to see a cbm with lines as lame as retodded.
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