COMIC BOOK MOVIES: Should They Evolve From Live Action Into Animated CGI Features?

In this article, I talk about how CGI animated features could be the next step in evolution for CBMs.

Editorial Opinion
By Ashes2Phoenix - Mar 14, 2014 07:03 PM EST
Filed Under: Other

Over the past couple of years, I have juggled with the idea of, what if CBMs next stage of evolution is to become fully animated features? I personally think it could bring a really fresh change to the genre. In this article I will give you reasons why I think this could benefit CBMs.



Possibly one of the biggest benefits of superhero films being in CGI is that it would allow for more comic book accurate, looking characters. No longer would there be the excuse of the character's not working in a real world setting because it would no longer be a real world setting. What is also great is they could make the environment very much like they have come straight out of the pages of the comics. There would be no need to complain from a comic book fans point of view because visually it could be influenced by different interpretations of the comics.



Having the films in CGI would stamp out the problem of continuity when it comes to actors retiring or leaving their respective roles. The continuity in the cinematic universe would be maintained by this and it would come down more to voice acting. Actors could come and go with ease.



CGI, when used in live action films can be pretty hit and miss. It has still not got to the point where it is completely believable. If live-action is eliminated and is replaced BY CGI then there really can't be any complaints that the CGI is taking you out of the movie experience. This would also allow for some very complex action sequences that could not be achieved in live-action.

The point I am trying to make is that I think the CBMs would benefit greatly in some ways by having them in full CGI. Films like Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children is an example of how good some CGI features are. Batman for example could have the same style as it is portayed in the Arkham series. In my opinion it gives so much opportunity to really bring that artistic flair that is seen in the comics. Also, whether it be animated or live it all comes down to the script and I think the Arkham series in particular is proof of this. If it can be done with a video game, why not a full scale movie?



Of course, there are also cons but I wanted this article to focus on the pros. So I leave it to you guys. What do you think ? Would it be a fresh change in direction or do you think it would be a step back?

Just before I leave here is an example of why I think this idea could actually work.

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DannRamm113
DannRamm113 - 3/14/2014, 8:01 PM
All animated cbms? Bad news for marvel😝😝
I kid, but it would probably all end up more accurate with the right script. Remember, Trevor Slattery can exist in animation as well
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/14/2014, 8:08 PM
I have to agree with this.
I have been waiting for a full fledged animated CGI CBM.

I watched the beginning sequence to the video game DC Universe Online (which got really popular after they went F2P), and i kept wondering why they didn't make a movie with those kinds of graphics.

and the thing is, those cutscenes from the games were made like 4-5 years ago and are still VERY amazing.

Batman: Arkham Games have also had very good CGI in them, and I expect that Arkham Knight will up the ante on their graphics by quite a lot compared to their previous games.

It would allow much more flexibility in the movie.
It would also be better for getting straight from the page to screen movies like Justice League: The Flash point Paradox which was almost an identical copy from its comic book counterpart. and made it one of the best animated movies of this genre.

And most importantly, It'll increase the probability of getting an accurate batman on the screens.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 3/14/2014, 8:09 PM
@NPaMusic

I am talking Batman Arkham Knight level of animation. Obviously the style of it would be down to the director but I think if they were done with that level of detail, we could have something quite exciting.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/14/2014, 8:12 PM
@NPaMusic
No, he means THIS kind of Animation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Nf-m6WGl4

Or like the ones from the Batman: Arkham Games (Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham Origins, Arkham Knight)
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 3/14/2014, 8:16 PM
@NPaMusic.

I certainly is but I am pretty certain that if Pixar are able to release the amount of CGI films they do why can't anyone else ? It would be a risk for sure but risks need to be made.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/14/2014, 8:23 PM
@DanRamm
LMAO IKR, DC DESTROYS Marvel in animation, there's no doubt about that.

@NPaMusic
Actually check this out

Shrek 2
Budget: $150 Million
Box Office: $919 Million

Toy Story 3
Budget: $200 Million
Box Office: $1,063 Million

Frozen
Budget: $150 Million
Box Office: $1,010 Million

Finding Nemo
Budget: $94 Million
Box Office: $936 Million

Shrek The Third
Budget: $160 Million
Box Office: $798 Million

I agree that CG is expensive, but they save a lot by not paying on-screen actors, and not having to get cameras, filming equipment, etc. and they dont need to film at a certain location (I.e Chicago for MOS)

So CG animated movies have their advantages.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 3/14/2014, 8:27 PM
@GoldSlayer1

Great find. I do feel it could be a very different direction and just because it is CGI based does not mean they will be able to get the level of emotion from the actors. The films you have posted above are prime examples of this. Also it may allow the action sequences to be a little more violent because if there is any death, the subject being killed is just CGI animation and not live action.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/14/2014, 8:30 PM
The most important aspect about animated movies IMO, is that theres no such things as actors getting too old for the role.

so there's never a need to "reboot" or remake anything. (Unless you wanted to remake an iconic animated movie shot for shot, but with much better animation)
you can always keep going with the continuity in the animated movies.

And if DC is smart, they dont Reboot for an animation style change like Marvel did when they downgraded from Avengers: EMH to Avengers Assemble. you just keep going with improved graphic, but the same style. much like they did when they transitioned from Batman: TAS and Superman: TAS to Justice League. You'd see that they were the same characters, even though the animation Evolved and improved with the times. so it was still the same continuity.
Pedrito
Pedrito - 3/14/2014, 8:35 PM
Going to animation/CGI for a more accurate take on CBMs is missing the point of live action.
I wouldn't call that evolution. Still a good complement, specially for studios that can't get it together in live action.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/14/2014, 8:38 PM
@Ashes2Phoenix
Well I dont know, DC animation is known for getting good voice actors.
I believe Andrea Romano was the one who casted Voice actors, and she was the one who found Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill for batman and Joker in the B:TAS series.
They've been by far the favorites for those characters.

The Incredibles is another example
92 Million Budget and 631 Million box office.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/14/2014, 8:44 PM
@Pedrito
Well the thing is, its not about Live action vs Animated.
its about which one can tell the better story IMO.

and that's where DC dominates, in Animation.

I would even go as far as to say that if WB gave the DC Animation the budget to do CG movies for the big screens, DC would be owning the MCU in movie quality, Story telling, and probably box office success.

As long as live action exists, Fans will complain about actors not looking the part for the Comic book counterpart. (I.e Gal Gadot, Eisenberg, etc) and we would be getting far more accurate portrayals of the characters (such as batman, which is done very well in B:TAS and its respective continuity, and the Arkham games)
Lhornbk
Lhornbk - 3/14/2014, 9:17 PM
Yeah, this is an idea that a fanboy would come up with. There is one very important reason why all the movies some of you are talking about made huge amounts of money- they were all movies aimed primarily at the family market, which means they were aimed towards kids to a large extent, and kids like any kind of animation. Now, unless you basically want cartoons with CGI instead of regular animation, that's not gonna work with cbms. I don't see general audiences prefering a 100% CGI film to live action, and all you fanboys will hate them if they're aimed at family audiences, as Shrek, Toy Story, etc. were aimed.

If a 100% CGI, 100% comic-book accurate movie is ever made, I'm sure it'll be huge among fanboys. Which might be enough to break even, maybe. But it'll almost certainly bomb with general audiences. (As an example, I present the Star Wars Clone Wars movie, which, if it broke even, barely did, and didn't come even slightly, remotely close to any of the live action Star Wars movies.)
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/14/2014, 9:36 PM
@Lhornbk
Star Wars: The Clone Wars had a budget of $8.5 million and made $68 Million at the box office.

It was also based on the TV Cartoon.
I understand the example here, but generally any movie based on a TV cartoon (or even show) wont do great in the box office.

Also, the movie wouldn't use a super high budget of 150 million if they expected to do a TV series, as they wouldn't have the budget for the TV series to keep up with the same quality animation that a 150 million dollar budget can give.
Pedrito
Pedrito - 3/14/2014, 9:48 PM
@GodSlayer
ok, but the notion that animation/CGI are not "real" movies is not gonna go away anytime soon. Think of that Final Fantasy movie and the lukewarm reception it got.

Sure you can make animation very faithful to the comics, but that's really not very interesting. Not even fun.
RDJ, Hiddleston, and others bring something extra to their characterization that you'll never get from animation. An actor transforms him/herself into the role and makes you believe in the character. That's part of the magic, challenge, and fun of making and watching movies.

If you want to think of the evolution of CGI in movies, perhaps it could be used to help convert actors into their characters (eg, give Gadot muscles and a ridiculous breast to waist ratio). But that may also be questionable, like Ryan Reynolds' GL suit.

Anyway, is there really a need to make the actors LOOK like the characters? Casting is a conscious decision, not an accident. If they get a skinny dweeby looking dude to play Lex, it must be because they have a different take in mind and don't want to go with the comics version of Lex's appearance. Fans complain because it's not what they expected. But that's part of the fun of making a live action adaptation!
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/14/2014, 10:00 PM
@Pedrito
Some may say they're not movies, but i think its just a different medium/method of movies.

Also have you watched Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox?
Batman: Year One
Batman: Under The Red Hood?
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns?
Superman: Doomsdays?
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Green Lantern: First Flight?
Justice League: Doom?

most of these are comic book adaptations, and they're the best Animated CBMs around, surely better than anything marvel animation has put out.

Any of these stories would be good for the big screen with high budget animation. (Keep in mind most of the animated movies listed have mostly a 3.5 million Budget)
Pedrito
Pedrito - 3/14/2014, 10:06 PM
Ok, they're good, I believe you. But what does turning them into big-budget movies accomplish? Would they be better or get more audience, or what?
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/14/2014, 10:56 PM
@Pedrito
Yeah they would get more audiences.

the thing about these movies is that the animation quality isn't good enough to put them in theaters and expect a decent return.

There's also less marketing for straight to dvd movies, as opposed to high budget animated movies.

If they did an animated high budget movie with this animation quality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Nf-m6WGl4 (720p HD)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsf78BS9VE0 (1080p HD)
Im sure more people would watch the animated movies in theaters. i sure would, and so would many others.

And while i Cant be 100% sure, I dont think an animated movie with the quality of the vid above will cost more than 120 million for a 2 hour animated movie.

As for the voice actors, DC animation voice actors are actually known for having actual interaction when they are voice recording.
they're not in a booth by themselves recording lines and then pasting them on to the movie like in most animated stuff, they're all there in person in the same room interacting so the voice work feels more real.
MightyZeus
MightyZeus - 3/15/2014, 1:19 AM
Maybe. Animated and Animated CGI films do make money at the box office and even i enjoy watching animated and animated cgi films depending on the story, it's characters and if it's related or suited for me. I think it would be interesting but it's a gamble because it is expensive to do cgi animated movies.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 3/15/2014, 1:47 AM
If this were done than I think that it should be motion capture because the actors could still give life to these characters but this would never be done. If we were in Japan then I could see this being a good idea but you're talking about USA and most of Europe. Right now studios are trying to make superhero movies look mature and making it CGI is the opposite of it. We're not talking about box office (which wouldn't as high as you might think) or even critical reaponse but the generalr eaction to the movies. Adults and teenagers will think that the movies aren't mature because they're animateed and so they won't see it unless they go with their kids. I'm not talking about the quality but about what people would think of it. I would enjoy this but the general public would think that this is for kids. The only movie that I can think of that was like this and wasn't directed towards kids is Beowulf and that didnt get anywhere near the box office that the studios want. There's also something special about full on live action like it was said above that motion capture could mimic but the enviroment wouldn't be the same. There are big pros to this but there are even bigger cons.
avo
avo - 3/15/2014, 5:26 AM
I don't really care too much for CGI Superhero films, as the only ones we've seen have been The Incredibles, Megamind, and Despicable Me. I would, however, love to see more superhero shows on television. I would only with that WB would stop going to their channel, The CW, and bring these shows to networks that can bring the funding and are watched regularly. I heard that the lowest viewed episode of Agents of SHIELD matched the highest viewed episode of Arrow. I rather see comic book characters on television because it gives much more time to get to know the character and to expand the universe of these characters, that is what I would really want to see more than anything.
Ashes2Phoenix
Ashes2Phoenix - 3/15/2014, 5:31 AM
Yeah but the difference between Beowulf and say Spider-Man that Beowulf was not largely known. Spider-Man is and his name alone would get bums on seats. Just because it is a CGI style film does not mean that they would have to direct to a more child friendly audience. It also comes down to the quality of the CGI and the story that is told. I am sorry but if I enjoy Finding Nemo still, at 26 years old, that has to tell you something doesn't it ? What made Pixar standout with their animation work is their character development.

The Batman Arkham City trailer is a clear example of this. It is very dark and if I were the usual movie-goer, it would still come across that it is aimed towards adults. I am not saying this is the answer but it could definitely give more flexibility to how CBMs are portrayed. They could be like a graphic novel :).
Pasto
Pasto - 3/15/2014, 6:20 AM
I second what BlackJack said.
Odin
Odin - 3/15/2014, 6:36 AM
No, Aboslutely no.
megabatfan
megabatfan - 3/15/2014, 6:53 AM
Before the MCU came to be what it currently is, I always thought that a Justice Leaghe film using the CGI of Beowulf was the way to go
Facade
Facade - 3/15/2014, 7:22 AM
Two words: Smaug and Gollum.
BubSnikt
BubSnikt - 3/15/2014, 9:04 AM
So basically a video game, but you only get to watch the cutscenes
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 3/15/2014, 9:54 AM
Every CGI trailer for a videogame that I have seen blows every live action movie away. However, I still prefer live action.
Rao7000
Rao7000 - 3/15/2014, 10:05 AM
CGI should never replace live action. On occasion it would be nice to see a full CGI movie.




Need I show more?
kong
kong - 3/15/2014, 1:17 PM
I would love this, but the first move would to be convince everybody that animated movies aren't just for kids. Unfortunately with the release if MOS this probably couldn't happen until the DCCU is rebooted. As long as the animation is at least Arkham quality Then we'd be good.
GoldSlayer1
GoldSlayer1 - 3/15/2014, 4:20 PM
@Deseo9X
I'm not saying it should replace live action.
But maybe 10 years down the line when the current DCCU is done, maybe take a break from live action and do an animated franchise?

and dont even bother using the animated ones on Origin movies, go straight to the big boy story (I.e Killing Joke, Superman Vs Doomsday, JL: War World, JL: Doom (remake of the current JL: Doom we have but with an expanded story, and top notch animation. this would be 10-15 years away)
JL: Flash Point Paradox (same thing as JL: Doom, expanded story, better animation, etc) JL vs Brainiac, JL vs Darkseid, etc.
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