This summer, "The First Avenger: Captain America" will hit, and The Red Skull, one of Marvel's most feared and iconic villains, will be seen up on the big screen. But did you know that this isn't the first time Red Skull has been in a movie? Yep, he was the villain in a low budget straight-to-video "Captain America" movie; and not only did the skull make up look terrible, but he was only wearing the make up for one scene! For the rest of the movie he was some ugly Italian guy.
But Red Skull isn't the only one to get the short stick from Hollywood, time and time again filmmakers have butchered and blemished many a great comic book villain. Be it with a tweaked origin, poor casting, or just plain liberties taken, Hollywood has messed up some great comic book bad guys. Hopefully this summer Red Skull will be able to strut his evil stuff to it's full potential, but who knows, he could be on this list.
But here they are, ten great villains I think Hollywood has royally screwed up, feel free to let me if you agree, disagree, or think I left some out.
10. Dracula in "Blade: Trinity"
During the 1970's horror comic craze, Blade rose to popularity as a back up story in Marvel's popular Tomb of Dracula series. It all seemed to come full circle when it was announced that Dracula himself (or "Drake", as he is referred to in this movie)would be a villain. Sadly, in the film Dracula serves as no more than a plot device. The once feared lord of the vampires, the man who started it all, is reduced to a one note douche bag who talks about honor but yet kidnaps a baby to keep Blade from staking his ass. Prison Break's Dominic Purcell doesn't even try with this role, but every actor in this movie seems equally dead on their feet with the exception of wrestler Triple H and Ryan Reynolds.
9. Two-Face in "Batman Forever"
In the comics, Two-Face is one of Batman's most tragic and complex foes. Once a friend of both Batman and Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent is forever torn between his light and dark side. He has been an alley and enemy on equal occasions and even been cured a few times. In the movie Batman Forever, Two-Face is turned into a one note henchman for The Riddler. Pursuing the Batman and hell bent on revenge, Two-Face shows none of the pathos given to him in the comics or even the popular animated series. At one point there is a scene where Two-Face repeatedly flips his coin hoping to get the scarred side just so he can shoot Bruce Wayne. The Dark Knight did the character well, portraying his tragic nature and sympathetic side, but I was sad to see they killed him off instead of leaving him around for another sequel. Hopefully one day Hollywood will realize the potential this character has.
8. Elektra in "DareDevil" and "Elektra"
Yes, she basically is an anti-hero in these movies but she can be a thorn in Daredevil's side in the comics when she wants. In the "Daredevil" movie, one of the most compelling and tragic romances in comics is just made... boring and silly. In what should have been one of the most complex female comic characters, Elektra is instead made into run of the mill love interest. Her appearance in the DD movie generated enough buzz for her to get her own movie, which I can't remember a thing from. Not a good sign...
7. Catwoman in "Catwoman"
Once again, a character who can go as either a hero or a villain is made into a lame anti-heroin this movie. And why is it that Hollywood can't seem to get female comic characters right? Tim Burton's treatment of Catwoman in Batman Returns was pure genius, making her a compelling villain and love interest, and left the audience wanting more of her. Catwoman's solo movie is a spin off in name only and has nothing to do with Batman or the DC Comics character. Basically the movie is The Crow with boobs. Also, I have not seen the movie. Now before you go ahead and say that I shouldn't judge it without seeing it, just read the official synopsis below and you'll understand why I cannot justify spending my time or money on this movie:
"Patience Philips is a shy, reserved young woman who wants to be an artist but instead is a designer for an advertising company. She is mousy and lacking in self-esteem even when she gets her big break to work on the launch of a major beauty product for her mean-spirited, ruthless boss. But a series of events initiated by a mysterious cat results in her discovering a terrifying secret that leads to her murder. That same cat breathes new life into her, creating a strong, brave woman within her that wrestles with her previous self for control of her mind and body--a body that can now do amazing things."
6. Mr. Freeze in "Batman and Robin"
When he first appeared in Batman comics, Mr. Freeze was a one note mad scientist villain with a twist on the standard death ray. Then the animated series came along and reinvented him as a tragic figure and he quickly became one of Batman's most captivating and popular villains (the episode featuring him actually won the show an Emmy). Then "Batman and Robin" hit and took it all back to square one. Arnold Scwarzenegger's Mr.Freeze does everything a bad villain should with the exception of twirl his mustache. He monologues, vows world domination, makes bad puns, and even has an evil hockey team working for him and finds time to have them sing along to children's Christmas specials. If any Bat-villain deserves another shot, its Freeze; sadly a villain with an ice gun has no business in Nolan's Bat-universe.
5.Phoenix in "X-Men: The Last Stand"
The Phoenix Saga is one of the most popular in X-Men comics. Jean Grey is taken over by an evil alien entity and messes up a bunch of stuff before dying. Her death is one of the most touching in comics history and for a time had us actually care about Cyclops (a feat in itself). The third X-Men movie has Phoenix kill Cyclops in the first fifteen minutes, then Professor Xavier, then do nothing, then die. The epic storyline we all wanted to see in movie form was reduced to a subplot/henchwoman for Magneto.The Phoenix force is never really seen and the trademark fire is replaced with black eyes (which makes the final image of X2 basically worthless) and another great comic book romance glanced over.
4. Galactus in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"
Galactus should be one of the most feared villains in the Marvel Universe, a being so powerful that it has to consume planets to live. Leading up to this, fan boys were all curious to see how Hollywood would portray him, fairly certain that he would not be a big guy in a purple helmet. Well he wasn't, the big reveal was that Galactus was...
A giant cloud?
Yep, A giant cloud headed toward Earth. Hints are thrown that inside the cloud is the Galactus we all know and love (a silhouette and shadow of the classic helmet are seen) but his appearance isn't even the beginning of it. The Galactus storyline was epic for its time but in the movie just fizzles. The cloud reaches Earth and is promptly blown up by the Silver Surfer.We don't fear it, there is no epic confrontation, and little background. A legendary storyline turned into a mildly entertaining flick.
3. Deadpool in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"
Deadpool was a part Ryan Reynolds was born to play. A smart ass, bad-ass, and all around awesome guy, it was a match made in casting heaven. For the first part of the film Deadpool seemed spot on, sure he didn't have the mask or the scarred face but I let that slide since this was only a cameo leading up to Deadpool getting his own film. Then the second half of the film just went and said " You know that character you all love? Well, we can do him better"
They take away his mouth (making his nickname, the merc with the mouth, pointless) and give him a bunch of extra mutant powers he never had, and then he gets killed in a fight with Wolverine and Sabretooth. Marvel claims a solo Deadpool movie is in the works which ignores the continuity created in Wolverine but the damage is done. And a cheap after credit sequence showing that he is still alive and has his mouth back does not make it better.
2. Venom in Spider-Man 3
Yes Venom had no business being in this movie in the first place. He doesn't fit in with the story and feels tacked on for the fans, which he was. And I have to give credit where credit is due to the studio that forced Sam Raimi to put Venom in because when I went to the midnight premiere of this movie I lost count of all the Venom t-shirts among the movie goers (I was one of them). But Venom is a character that deserves center stage in his own movie and not as a villain brought in for the third act. Sam Raimi's lack of interest in the character is apparent throughout the whole movie, and it was almost like he purposefully destroyed him out of spite. Instead of a beefy, broken down man we are treated to a skinny, nerdy, love sick Eddie Brock who gives a tear filled prayer to God to kill Peter Parker (I'm sure God got right on that). When Venom finally shows up he does indeed look the part but when he speaks with Topher Grace's voice it just destroys his entire image. Also, why does a blood thirsty alien symbiotic organism have the sudden urge to jazz dance?
1. Doctor Doom in "Fantastic Four" and "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"
As a supervillain, Dr. Doom has always been a step above the rest because the man rules his own damn country! He has mastered the mystic arts and has even taken over the planet only to relinquish it out of boredom! He is easily the top villain in the Marvel Universe and one would expect that Hollywood would get this one right.
Wrong.
Alan Rickman was born to play this part, or at least an actor with some presence, and who do they get? The guy from Nip/Tuck. Julian McMahon is far from imposing as the arch enemy of the Fantastic Four and his silky smooth voice emitting from under Doom's mask sounds just silly. Instead of a bad-ass monarch we get a money hungry CEO trying to keep control of his company(Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin called, he wants his motivation back)and doesn't even fully suit up until the end. Doom does get a pretty cool fight with the thing at the end of the movie but is quickly defeated by the combined power of the Fantastic Four. The sequel vowed to get it right but Doom once again doesn't don his trademark armor until the end (a little bit cooler this time around) and then flies around on a silver surfboard (just as hilarious as it sounds) and is then knocked into the ocean. The movie Doom is never bad-ass, threatening, or as calculating as the comic Doom and seems more like a punch line than someone to go up against four superheroes.