The Top Ten Best Comic Books Adaptations [10-8]
The best part about comic books is that they are limited only by the imagination of the person who is writing or drawing them. The characters created can lend themselves to different writers or artists. We’ve had several incarnations of characters over the years. Some have been good; others, not so good. Comic book movies are no exception to this. Interpretation of comics through the medium of motion picture has been met with generally good critical reception and massive box office numbers. There, without question, is an audience for these narratives. But what constitutes being a good comic book movie? Critical reception? Box office? Word of mouth? After some rather enjoyable (and not-so-enjoyable) weeks of reviewing and watching these comic book films, I have compiled what I believe to be the ten best comic book films that have ever been made. WARNING: This list will contain spoilers.
MY RULES
Before I get down to the list, here is how I chose and ranked the films.
First, I only chose one film per franchise. This was the most difficult part of the selection. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, for example, does not count as a “franchise”, but Thor and Thor: The Dark World are part of the Thor Franchise, so both films could not be a part of the list. Second, I took into account the little things like critical reception, box office, word of mouth, and franchise power. Having done a little bit of homework to make this list, I ended up choosing films that I felt were not exactly my favorite films, but what I felt were more influential to the genre.
What is FRANCHISE POWER?
Before I continue, I have to explain what I mean by franchise power. Franchise power refers to anything else within the mythos of the franchise that can be attributed either to the film adaptation of the comic book or its original source (i.e. sequels, prequels, toys, video games, etc.). To do this, I have made a small grading scale to use as reference. Nonexistent refers to a franchise that only has one adaptation, has inspired few or no toys or merchandise, and will probably not continue beyond this adaptation (or cannot continue due to lack of sequel or prequel books). Weak refers to a franchise that has at least one additional adaptation to the one I have on my list, has inspired few or no toys or merchandise, and has the potential to continue but may or may not continue beyond this adaptation. Moderate refers to a franchise that has at least one additional adaptation to the one I have on my list, has inspired a fairly sizeable amount of toys or merchandise, and has the potential to continue but may or may not continue beyond this adaptation. Strong refers to a franchise that is at least a trilogy, has inspired a sizeable amount of toys or merchandise, and will most likely have an active future beyond its trilogy. High refers to a franchise that is at least a trilogy, has inspired a very large amount of toys or merchandise, and will most likely have an active future beyond its trilogy.
Third, I chose comic book films that began as comic books or graphic novels and then were later adapted for the silver screen. Made-for-TV adaptations were excluded. Lastly, after some inner debate, I made the decision to exclude manga from this list. Perhaps I will make another list specifically for that.
#10:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3.30.1990), Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, James Saito
Metacritic: N/A, Rotten Tomatoes: 41%, CinemaScore: N/A
Box Office: $202 Million v. $13.5 Million Budget
Franchise Power:
HIGH
Synopsis: In New York City, crime has grown out of control. As the Foot Clan gang grows in membership and influence, a reporter named April O’Neil delves into their criminal activities. As she gets closer to understanding the depth of the Foot Clan’s ambitions for the city, she crosses paths with four oversized, speaking, walking turtles, trained in martial arts by their master, Splinter (a mutated rat himself) and pool their resources to put an end to the plans of the Foot Clan and their leader, Master Shredder.
Personal Thoughts: This is a classic example of the first being the best.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles started out as a comic book by Kevin Eastman in 1984, published by Mirage Comics. In that incarnation, they were dark, gritty, violent, and entertaining. Much of the violence was removed for the big-screen debut of the quartet, but it remains a relatively dark, very gritty, and entertaining film. Each of the four brothers are given adequate time to showcase their unique personalities beyond having different coloured bandanas, Elias Koteas’ turn as Casey Jones was inspired casting, and the final showdown between the mean, green fighting machines and Shredder was very-well executed. The franchise had already been popular due to its action figures and animated cartoon, but the movie helped to catapult the mythos to a new level.
My Favourite Scene: In the middle of the film, April is shown drawing a picture of Leonardo as he watches over his injured brother, Raphael, to a short monologue about his devotion to his brothers, humanizing him in a way that is both touching and flattering. This is a somber moment in the film, harking back to its comic book roots. Scenes such as this were sorely missed in the sequels.
#9:
Dick Tracy (6.15.1990), Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna
Metacritic; N/A; Rotten Tomatoes: 64%; CinemaScore: B+
Box Office: $163 Million v. $46 Million Budget
Franchise Power:
NONEXISTENT
Synopsis: Detective Dick Tracy, after capturing and adopting a young boy called “the Kid”, renews his efforts to bring the gambling murder, Big Boy, to justice. To do so, he must convince the beautiful Breathless Mahoney to testify before a jury. Big Boy, in response, hires a mysterious man with no face to frame Tracy and bring down his reputation in a desperate attempt to get the sleuth off of his back.
Personal Thoughts: Where do I even begin to talk about how much fun this film is? The costumes are colourful and vibrant. The dialogue is hokey, tongue-in-cheek and delightfully wacky. Warren Beatty plays the titular character as a man so determined to bring his nemesis to justice, that he may well sacrifice his closely-held virtues and loyalty. His foil, Big Boy, is played by a tiny, loud-mouthed, abusive and menacing Al Pacino, who seems to be having a great time with the villainous role. My favourite part of the film is a young, sexy Madonna playing Breathless Mahoney as a songstress/tortured prisoner of war and circumstance. Dick Tracy started out as a comic strip called
Plainclothes Tracy, created by Chester Gould. It debuted on October 4, 1931. Much of the over-the-top violent action sequences from the original strip made it into the film. Plans for a sequel following the success of the first film were dashed by legal troubles over the film rights. Those troubles were not resolved until 2013, leaving this the sole film in the series.
My Favourite Scene: After planting a microphone in Big Boy’s base of operations, Tracy begins a crusade of busts and violence that is set to a slow, hypnotizing song by Madonna. The montage shows Tracy doing what he does best, breaking down doors, arresting the bad guys and making their criminal overlords think twice about their career choices.
#8:
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (7.27.2010), Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jason Schwartzman
Metacritic: 69; Rotten Tomatoes: 82%; CinemaScore: A-
Box Office: $48 Million v. $90 Million Budget ($60 Million upon tax rebates)
Franchise Power:
NONEXISTENT
Synopsis: A true nobody/everyman, Scott Pilgrim is a twenty-something year old still hanging out with high schoolers, playing video games, unemployed, and going nowhere. Though, to keep his attention, he has Knives Chau, his high school-aged girlfriend, and his band, Sex Bom-omb. However, when he meets Ramona Flowers, nothing in his life becomes as important as her. But dating her comes with a price: he must defeat her seven former lovers in a high-stakes game that will give Ramona her freedom and Scott the courage to begin to respect himself.
Personal Thoughts: I ranked this film so high largely due to its commitment to staying true to its source material. Created by Bryan Lee O’Malley, it ran from 2004 to 2010. Entire sections of dialogue were lifted from the pages of the comic books to fill the script. Many of the characters were incredibly well-cast, but special attention needs to be paid to Michael Cera, who plays Scott, Mary Elizabeth Winstead,who plays Ramona, and Ellen Wong, who plays Knives. At the heart of the film is a young boy colliding with the realization that he is not so young anymore. But his choices are still very juvenile. Cera plays Pilgrim as someone who will say or do anything to obtain what he wants but seems to immediately lose interest the moment something he thinks is better arrives. As the films progresses, he finally learns to confront his own immaturity and takes responsibility for it and the decisions that arose from it, such as cheating on Knives with Ramona. Winstead plays Ramona as a prisoner who really seems to want nothing to do with the world because of the existence of her scorned lovers. She, like her introduction in the movie, seems to rollerblade through the film, subjective to the will of those around her. It is only during the fight with her fourth ex, does she actively choose to make a stand to take her life back. Though, Gideon Graves (played in masterful douche-bag detail by Jason Schwartzman), brings her spiraling back down to the realization that she is still very much a prisoner to the League of Evil Exes’ obsession with her. Lastly, Wong plays a gorgeous, hyperactive Knives, who is naïve and very much enamored with Scott, even when he begins to display his obvious lack of interest. Knives could very well have formed her own League, becoming so obsessed with Ramona for seemingly stealing Scott that she alters her appearance to resemble her and even attacks her in the closing scenes of the movie. Fortunately, she comes to her senses and is smart enough to let Scott go, proclaiming that she is “too cool for him”. This triangle of obsession holds the film together, but is overshadowed by the numerous video game references. They make the film a valentine to those who either played the games or read the comics, but make it a bit on the difficult side to really enjoy the film if you’re not a gamer or a comic book reader.
My Favourite Scene: During the climax of the film, Scott stops a fight between Ramona and Knives to confess that he lied and cheated on both of the girls. He comes to realize that even though love is a powerful motivator, self-respect and conviction of one’s actions is stronger. Seemingly leaving his childish antics behind, he, along with Ramona and Knives, defeat Gideon.
I hope you have enjoyed reading the first part of my three-part editorial on the best comic book movies of all time. Please, feel free to let me know what you think of my selections and be sure to check back soon for the next entry.
[EA] - "It's been a long way down."