What’s one of the easiest things to do in a community like this one? Hate. Hating on a movie, a casting decision or an adaptation is not only easy but commonplace on forums and message boards. But as a wise man once said, “…Hate leads to suffering”. Okay, he’s not a man he’s a…what the heck species is Yoda?
For every Batman Begins and Captain America: The Winter Soldier there’s a Catwoman and Green Lantern. But then you have those movies fans agree to hate on. Hating on them may even be the popular thing to do. Only, some of these films just aren’t getting a fair shake. They don’t deserve the venomous slurs spewed in their direction. Here are five comic book movies fans should ease up on.
A little clarification before getting started – there’s Hate and then there’s Criticism.
Hate includes nitpicking and complaining over the tiniest and inconsequential details. Saying something “sucks” or is the “worst ever” without anything to back it up. Bad mouthing because it wasn’t done the way some fans wanted it done. Complaints that carry no weight.
Criticism is evaluating the shortcomings of a film and citing examples – story, character, dialogue. Legitimate concerns. Haters look for flaws, critics acknowledge the flaws that are already there.
Now that that’s out of the way let’s kick this off in chronological order with…
X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (2006)
Directed by Brett Ratner
Screenplay by Simon Kinberg & Zak Penn
Okay, this one, fans have a legitimate gripe. The Dark Phoenix Saga is easily one of the most influential story arcs in comics. But in X-Men: The Last Stand it was reduced to a watered down subplot. Yeah, the fans have every right to be ticked over that. General audiences, however, couldn’t care less.
Still, X3 is the punching bag of the X-films, right next to X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And the one getting a majority of the blame is director Brett Ratner. Which is just like blaming an interim coach for a team’s problems after the head coach quits during preseason.
For those of you who don’t know, Bryan Singer was signed for a three picture deal with Fox, which included two sequels to the first X-Men movie. But Singer asked if he could delay Last Stand when Warner Bros. offered him their Superman reboot. The thing was, pre-production had already started on X3, (which costs money) and he was already signed. Negotiations fell apart between Fox and Singer and he was subsequently dropped (or left by his own will according to some sites).
So, the train had already left the station as far as pre-production and Fox was forced to look for a new director at the very last minute. And even though several high profile directors were offered the job, essentially the only reason Brett Ratner was hired was for his ability to complete rushed productions under budget. Ultimately, he was handed the keys to a film with a finished script (featuring Xavier and Cyclops killed off) and had to go from there.
If anything, Ratner deserves a great deal of credit for not only keeping the X-train on the tracks for Fox but also help making X3 the highest grossing entry of the X-trilogy. His contributions to the film even include moving the Golden Gate Bridge sequence from the middle of the story to the climax and adding the post credits scene - mainly because fans at a test screening were upset with X3 seemingly being the end and wanted more sequels.
While X3 is an injustice to the Dark Phoenix Saga and characters like the Phoenix, Angel and Juggernaut, as a straight up action adventure movie, it’s respectable. It deals with themes like tolerance, desperation, acceptance and prejudice. It features nods to comic book elements like the Fastball Special, Sentinels and the Danger Room.
It features some pretty cool set pieces such as Magneto freeing Mystique from captivity and, of course, the battle on Alcatraz Island. And the score provided by John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2, Pan) is severely underrated.
Is X-Men: The Last Stand a great film? No. Top ten good? I wouldn’t say so. Is it the abomination some fans claim it to be? Well, if you’re looking for a faithful adaptation of Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s epic, yes. If you’re looking for an entertaining sci-fi action adventure film, you could do a lot worse.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (2009)
Directed by Gavin Hood
Screenplay by David Benioff and Skip Woods
I know, I know, I’m nuts for not hating this movie. But, when you really examine it, what’s the biggest reason Origins draws so much heat? One word – Deadpool.
It’s downright unholy what director Gavin Hood did to the character. But do you know who’s upset the most about this? Comic book fans. The general audience, however, couldn’t tell you who Wade Wilson or Remy LeBeau are.
Set the outrage over Deadpool and Gambit aside and Origins is a descent action film. Not great but serviceable. Yes, there are some goofy moments (see Logan chopping a fire escape down to size) but the film does some things well.
The cast is solid where it counts. Danny Huston’s turn as William Stryker is great. Liev Schreiber can do no wrong. His Victor Creed is menacing…that is up until Logan gets his adamantium and Sabertooth is basically neutered.
And let’s not forget Hugh Jackman. He’s finally given a chance to provide Logan with some depth. I’ve never been a fan of his casting. C’mon, in what universe is Wolverine taller than Superman? But Jackman fleshed Logan out well. An intense performance.
The plot is straightforward and the story is easy to follow. The criticism over cramming too many mutants into Origins is justified. In fact, I believe if Deadpool and Gambit weren’t in it, it may have gotten a better reception.
Am I asking everyone to add Origins to their top ten comic book movies lists? No. Yeah, Hood (or Fox) should be ashamed of these characters’ adaptions but this film deserves better consideration than it gets.
Side note – looks like Deadpool will be redeemed. Gambit…is Channing Tatum.
IRON MAN 3 (2013)
Directed and screenplay by Shane Black
Ah, the Mandarin twist. No, it’s not a cocktail, it’s a controversial choice writer-director Shane Black decided to add to the script for Iron Man 3.
It’s unfortunate for a number of reasons. Firstly, there are so few prominent Asian characters in comics to begin with. And on the occasion these characters are brought to the big screen sometimes these roles go to non-Asian actors (see Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One in 2016’s Doctor Strange).
There are rumblings that the "Real Mandarin” exists, thanks to the Marvel One Shot All Hail the King. While the short is entertaining and the idea is intruiging, one has to ask, what are the odds of this going anywhere? Phase 3 is set and there’s no mention of Iron Man 4.
Even if there was a real Mandarin out there, would Marvel waste time trying to “fix” Iron Man 3?
Secondly, in a universe starving for respectable villains not named Loki, the Mandarin could’ve been one of them. I don’t know much about the Iron Man mythology but I do know Mandarin and the Ten Rings are a formidable force and they could’ve played a huge part of the MCU going forward. A Hydra level threat.
Twist aside, Iron Man 3 still manages to be entertaining. Pretty good up to the twist. Black said he wanted the film to be a Bond-like adventure where Tony’s forced to work without his suits. That plays well despite Tony’s excessive jokes and wisecracks. Set pieces like the assault on his Malibu home and the freefall rescue sort of balance that out.
It’s well written. It’s well acted, even if Guy Pearce’s Killian is another Marvel, throwaway bad guy. Despite his jokes, Robert Downey Jr. does well showing a Tony Stark mentally falling apart after the events of The Avengers.
I’ll always believe Iron Man 3 would’ve been a great film if Black stuck to his "Ten Rings" guns but the movie we got is still a thrilling piece of work. Not the train wreck some fans claim it is.
MAN OF STEEL (2013)
Directed by Zack Snyder
Screenplay by David S. Goyer
I can’t recall a film ever being so divisive. I mean, Heavens to Betsy, the heat surrounding Man of Steel is biblical. It comes down to one thing – people LOVE Superman. Generations of fans. If nobody knew anything about the character Zack Snyder and David S. Goyer may have stood a better chance. The problem is EVERYONE knows who Superman is.
They know who he is, his story, what he stands for. There’s a general perception of the character and Snyder’s “realistic, modernized, reimagining” deviated from it. As a result, MoS still gets ripped apart two years after its release.
Some MoS fans argue most of the detractors wanted another Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve Superman. A valid point if Bryan Singer hadn’t made Superman Returns seven years earlier. Returns was a 2 1/2 hour love letter to the Donner/Reeve Superman and audiences rejected it.
MoS is a poor Superman movie but it’s far from a poor movie in general. I dare suggest, if it was about a completely original character, (like Will Smith’s Hancock) it may have been better received. No controversy or backlash. Because while the film has its flaws, it has its strengths as well.
The important thing is to acknowledge that this isn’t the traditional Superman. This take isn’t the character general audiences grew up with, (i.e. Silver Age to Modern Age). It’s more in line with the New 52, which is only a few years old.
MoS illustrates just how difficult Clark’s life has been. A life where he’s chosen to honor his adoptive father’s wishes to keep his immense power secret. It’s an interesting dynamic where Jonathan says this is best because people will fear Clark yet, he’s acting out of fear himself. Fear of what would happen to Clark.
Henry Cavill was the right choice for this Clark Kent, a withdrawn journeyman with tempered aggression. This is evident when his character is finally able let loose on Michael Shannon’s Zod and his soldiers. He has doubts about humanity, unsure if man can be trusted. As for the villain - there’s no question of what drives Zod.
But MoS’ real strength is the action. From the opening on Krypton, to the brawl in Smallville, to the climax in Metropolis, Snyder delivers.
Few directors nowadays can deliver on bombastic action, (Michael Bay, Peter Berg, Roland Emmerich) and Snyder is definitely one of them. Paired with Hans Zimmer’s score, this movie drips with testosterone.
The criticisms over character, tone and dialogue were earned, but Man of Steel is a better film than some give credit for. Put it this way, if given the choice to watch Superman rebuild the Great Wall of China with his eyes or Clark save workers on an oil rig, the decision is easy.
FANTASTIC FOUR (2015)
Directed by Josh Trank
Screenplay by Simon Kinberg, Jeremy Slater & Josh Trank
Boy oh boy. Where to start? It hasn’t been out long but I feel this film deserves to be on this list. Where on Planet Zero is the hate coming from? Fant4stic currently has a Metascore of 27…that’s lower than Green Lantern’s 39 and on par with Catwoman. But it’s a much better film than those.
No doubt you’ve heard the stories of turmoil surrounding the production of this intended reboot - Fox and director Josh Trank at odds over his behavior and the studios’ involvement. And while bad press can only do so much, the film still has to speak for itself. I’m not saying Fant4stic should’ve overcome the horrible reviews and word of mouth. The movie is flawed.
This is one of those cases where the criticism is warranted but not the hate. Where did the film go wrong? Well, it’s generic. There’s nothing audiences haven’t seen before. It doesn’t capture the spirit of the F4. Instead, they went for a serious, dramatic tone. Maybe those things could’ve been overlooked if it weren’t for Fant4stic’s biggest crime - pacing.
The film takes over an hour to really get started. That’s a long time for nothing to happen. And when it does, as mentioned before, the action is generic. Trank claims the version he had in mind would’ve gotten better reviews and has distanced himself from the final product. I imagine it would’ve addressed story and structure but I can’t see how drastically different or how much of an improvement his version would be.
Regardless of all this, it’s hardly enough to rate the movie lower than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Things like characterization may be off but Fant4stic does some things well. It’s obvious an emphasis was put on developing these characters. Maybe too much. In fact, had they spent less time on that and added more action it probably would’ve balanced out.
The writing is respectable. And the cast did well with what they had and what they were asked to do. They just weren’t the Fantastic Four. A lot like the G.I. Joe franchise. The names are there but that’s not G.I. Joe.
Again, not to say audiences are wrong about this film and that it should be the breakout film of 2015. It’s just there are worse CBMs out there, some making far more money than they deserve. Fant4stic is guilty of being unoriginal and uneventful but that doesn’t mean it deserves the hate it’s getting.
IN CLOSING
That’s my list. Agree? Disagree? Are there movies you feel get more heat than they deserve? Sound off below. And, as always, thanks for reading!