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Best Comic to Movie Adaptations
Written By Gnorb on May. 27, 2008.
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So I finally dragged my procrastinating butt over to a theater this weekend and saw Iron Man, dragged somewhat unwittingly by a group of friends. The movie? Pure awesomeness. Pure. Unfettered. Awesomeness. Of course, the film would have been just as awesome had there been no "Iron Man" and it was just Robert Downey, Jr acting like a snarky playboy.
During the ride back, we tried to make a list of all the greatest comic book to movie adaptations, and came up with... a huge, senseless hodgepodge. No real list was made. However, some names kept coming, like (in no particular order): Batman Begins, Iron Man, the 80's Superman movies, Spiderman 1 & 2, X-men 1 & 2 (we almost threw the driver out of the car for suggesting X-men 3), Sin City, The Crow, 300...
As I said, no list was really made, so I'd like to know what you, the Chawlk community, think about this: Which do you consider to be the best comic-to-movie adaptations, and why?
My short list (which is far, far, far from complete) is pretty much what was mentioned above. Others named, but which I didn't agree with, were Spawn and the relatively recent Punisher film.
shadowsun7
Written May. 27, 2008 / Report /
Spiderman 1 and 2 are in my book (not 3!), as is Superman Returns. I haven't watched the earlier Superman films so I can't comment on those.
X-men 1 and 2 are good. X-men 3 sucks.
Batman Begins and Dark Knight. I know Dark Knight's not come out yet, but I'm willing to bet it'll be awesome. I mean, it's Heath Ledger's last movie. How can it not?
And ... Speed Racer. *does that count? Okay maybe not*
Kamigoroshi
Written May. 27, 2008 / Report /
The best movie adaptation of a comic?
The first Batman movie that was directed by Tim Burton. Gothic and true to the comics. Not to say that Batman Begins wasn't awesome, but I think during Batman Begins, comics began to imitate the movie instead. I can't recall Batman being a ninja in the comic. Maybe I missed that since I wasn't much of a DC fan.
V for Vendetta was pretty good to the original graphic novels, so was Sin City and 300.
The absolute worst? Aliens vs Predator: Requiem. They bastardized and destroyed everything that made AvP good.
@Shadowsun: Speed Racer was based on the anime. I think Gnorb is going about American comics and graphic novels.
themikehaynes
Written May. 27, 2008 / Report /
@Kamigogoshi
Batman's always had somewhat of a ninja background. I think it just became more mainstream when Frank Miller wrote Batman: Year One, which Begins was heavily based on.
I would have to say that 300, Iron Man and Batman Begins are amongst the best ever made as far their accuracy with the original comics as well as the great acting by the actors in each movie.
Sin City as well as the Spider-Man and X-Men movies would definitely be somewhere close behind the first three but the 3rd movies in each of the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises really did some damage to the trilogies as a whole, especially Spider-Man 3.
Compared to what comic book movies meant a couple years back, things have definitely gotten better. Less awful movies, such as Fantastic 4-2 and Elektra, and many more better movies, such as The Dark Knight, coming out instead.
RightOn
Written May. 27, 2008 / Report /
300 - V for Vendetta - Superman 1 and Returns - Spiderman 1 and Batman Begins
Most of the others (Fantastic 4, Daredevil, Ghost Rider etc. have sucked HARD)
Gnorb
Written May. 27, 2008 / Report /
@themikehaynes: Part of my consideration regarding what a good adaptation of a comic to a movie is involves whether the transition from one format to the other has not diminished the value of the story. A movie can follow the comic (or graphic novel, whatever) to a tee, but if that translation is too strict you end up with a hokey, joke-of-a film (like the original "Captain America" movie made during the 80s).
This just bore repeating.
shadowsun7
Written May. 28, 2008 / Report /
Yeah well I just adore Speed Racer. Watched it yet, Kami?
Agreed. Daredevil wasn't too bad, but it didn't have the storytelling ability of Spiderman nor the humour of Ironman. But hey, at least it wasn't as bad as Electra. And it wasn't as stupid as Catwoman.
I think superhero movies will eventually become a genre unto themselves. Justice League's on the cards, and that Incredible Hulk movie (with Tony Stark playing a cameo) is looking awesome.
If you press me to pick an absolute best comic to movie adaptation, I'd say V for Vendetta. That one's just. Damn. Amazing.
Scrivs
Written May. 28, 2008 / Report /
Daredevil and the Supermans in the 80s besides 1 were horrible. No possible way they can go on a "best" list. Even their directors would admit to that.
Scrivs
Written May. 28, 2008 / Report /
Forgot to add Elektra to that as well.
liza
Written Jun. 12, 2008 / Report /
I finally saw Iron Man and it definitely is one of the best comic to movie adaptations I have ever seen. Robert Downey Jr. has Tony Stark down to a tee.
Scrivs
Written Jun. 12, 2008 / Report /
Yeah he played it well, but I am not too sure...
*SPOILER ALERT DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END OF THE IRON MAN CREDITS*
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About Samuel Jackson playing Nick Fury, but could be interesting.
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Evdawg
Written Jun. 13, 2008 / Report /
Scrivs
Written Jun. 13, 2008 / Report /
A very underrated trilogy. Not superior, but well worth the watch.
Kamigoroshi
Written Jun. 13, 2008 / Report /
I refuse to admit that Blade Trinity ever existed. The first two blade movies were awesome. Transcends the comics but doesn't follow it. Blade trinity just takes a great thing from the comics (The Night Stalkers) and then make a comic out of it.