The Top Ten Best Comic Book Adaptations [7-4]

THE TOP TEN BEST COMIC BOOK ADAPTATIONS [7-4]

My list has garnered some attention from a number of people, and I am very grateful for their advise. This endeavor was a labour born largely out of love and a little bit of having too much time on my hands. As a recap, I watched and researched over forty films. After that, I chose the ten that I felt were the most influential on the comic book movie genre. To do so, I took into account their critical reception, word of mouth, box office numbers, and their ability to continue their narratives by way of adapting already existing material.

I started this list with #10 being Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, #9 being Dick Tracy, and #8 being Scott Pilgrim v. The World. The following is the next selection of films. As a reminder, while I enjoy these films, some of them are far from being my favourites. I included them because I truly felt they had an impact on comic book films. I hope you enjoy! WARNING: The following contains spoilers.

#7: Dredd (7.11.2012), Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headly
Metacritic: 59; Rotten Tomatoes: 78%; CinemaScore: B
Box Office: $41 Million v. $45 Million Budget
Franchise Power: WEAK
Synopsis: After being assigned to oversee an evaluation of a rookie, she and Judge Dredd respond to a triple homicide in a massive slum called Peach Trees. However, the villainous Ma-Ma locks down the block and orders her men to slaughter the judges. A fierce fight ensues as he and his rookie make their way to the top of the block to bring the law to Ma-Ma and her underlings.
Personal Thoughts: I have a small group of very close friends who know me well enough to know that this film was going to make this list somewhere. I handed out the $13.50 to see it in 3-D. Afterward, I sang its praises for at least a week. Karl Urban was spectacular as Dredd. The voice. The scowl. The control of the screen. Everything about Urban’s turn as Dredd was convincing and intense. Olivia Thirlby is terrific as Judge Anderson. She plays the role well, straddling that invisible line between being a badass, empowered woman with a gun and being a hesitant, petrified woman with a gun. Lastly, we have Ma-Ma herself, played by the talented and criminally underrated Lena Headly. Now, I find her performance somewhat vexing. She seems to always be leaning on a wall, spaced out of her mind, barely breathing or thinking or moving, unless it is to commit an act of aggression. The premise of the film is simple enough. The effects look quite convincing for a film with such a small budget. In my opinion, most of the workings of the film are great, save for one: the screenplay. Now, I have heard the comparisons between this film and The Raid: Redemption. And I am going to immediately dismiss them because the screenplay really seems to let the movie down on its own, without the comparison. The story seems to get muddy very quickly. The first scene with Dredd and Anderson gives us a hint of what is inside Dredd but then leaves us hanging. Then there’s the scene where Kay captures Anderson. She’s a trained fighter and a psychic, yet she couldn’t prevent herself from being taken prisoner. Then there are the other judges. They are…so expendable. They appear and are dispatched in a matter of minutes, making their inclusion unnecessary. But that only serves to revert our attention back to Dredd. That is just fine for me, for Dredd is amazing to watch on screen. Despite the aforementioned issues, Dredd has amassed a feverishly loyal fanbase, who desperately want to see Urban back in the armor and wearing the badge. Potential is there for a sequel to this flawed masterpiece, but unfortunately, the box office may not be enough to give us one. But a sequel to this film could potentially benefit from some crowd-sourcing. Someone should start one. Immediately.
My Favourite Scene: “Inhabitants of Peach Trees, this is Judge Dredd. In case you people have forgotten, this block operates under the same rules as the rest of the city. Ma-Ma is not the law... I am the law. Ma-Ma is a common criminal; guilty of murder, guilty of the manufacture and distribution of the narcotic known as Slo-Mo, and as of now under sentence of death. Any who obstruct me in carrying out my duty will be treated as an accessory to her crimes... you have been warned. And as for you Ma-Ma... judgment time.” I believe that quote says it all.
 


#6: Blue is the Warmest Colour (5.23.2013), Lea Seydoux, Adele Exarchopoulos
Metacritic: 88; Rotten Tomatoes: 91%; CinemaScore: N/A
Box Office: $20 Million v. €4 Million ($5 Million) Budget
Franchise Power: NONEXISTENT
Synopsis: Adele lives a relatively boring life, pressured into being someone she feels entirely uncomfortable as. However, once she meets Emma, a self-assured older woman, Adele begins to awaken and trust herself and the choices she begins to make.
Personal Thoughts: Yes, there is a lot of sex in this movie. A lot. As with any sex in a movie, I like to think it’s simply there to create depth between two characters. I realize this is a bit of an obscure choice, but here is my reasoning. Blue is the Warmest Colour is based on a graphic novel by Julie Maroh. She spent five years of her life writing it. That, to me, is a true labour of love. This film centers on two women whose lives intersect for several months. They seem to be opposites in many ways, yet the power of attraction seems to keep them together. They have what the other seems to lack. As they mature in mind and beauty, cracks in their relationship begin to show. Adele pursues her passion of teaching, while Emma makes a foray into the art world. After a cheating incident, Emma throws Adele out and their relationship fizzles out. The film follows the graphic novel pretty closely, with two notable exceptions. First, Adele’s character, named Clementine in the book, gets addicted to pills. Her addiction ultimately leads to her death. Second, the two characters reconcile at the end of the book, only to be separated by Clementine’s death, whereas in the movie Emma and Adele stay separated. This was one of the most powerful films of 2013, nominated for dozens of awards, including the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. This is a big deal because it is the first graphic novel or comic book to do so. It is true that this will never be viewed any more than a great little indie film. The film is so well-acted that you almost forget for a moment, that it actually is a movie. I chose to include this film on the list because it shows what a small graphic novel can do. No superheroes. No actual antagonists. And it still was considered one of the best films of 2013. And most importantly, it was based on a graphic novel. Comic book fans, this is a tremendous victory for us, for those of us who want our passions to be taken seriously. Currently, only one story regarding these two characters exists, and with the death of one of them, I doubt there is much potential for a sequel, but that’s okay. I believe this single film is powerful enough to stand on its own.
My Favourite Scene: Towards the beginning of the movie, Adele is kissed by a female classmate. She seems conflicted at first, but as the day plays out, you can tell she has found the missing piece to herself. The following day, she finds the girl she kissed in the restroom and leaps at her passionately. However, her advance is rejected as the girl did not mean anything more than a simple kiss. Adele is devastated. Fortunately for us, it is this devastation that leads her to find Emma.



#5: A History of Violence (5.16.2005), Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt
Metacritic: 81; Rotten Tomatoes: 87%; CinemaScore: C+
Box Office: $61 Million v. $32 Million Budget
Franchise Power: NONEXISTENT
Synopsis: After stopping a random act of violence, Tom Stall’s life is transformed back into the violent way it used to be. As his past comes back to haunt him, Stall returns home to put an end to the violence that has followed him to his new life.
Personal Thoughts: Let me get this out of the way first: I GREATLY dislike David Cronenberg. I really do not like much of anything he has ever done. But I do like A History of Violence. I like it for a lot of reasons. A History of Violence was a graphic novel written by John Wagner and drawn by Vince Locke, as part of DC Comics. The film takes several liberties with the source material, particularly in the second half of the film. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, for William Hurt (Best Supporting Actor) and Josh Olson (Best Adapted Screenplay). I personally think this is a rare example of a movie adaptation being better than the source material. And I am not alone in this belief. Since the film’s release, many comic book critics and experts have praised the film while having harsh words to say about the comic. We are here, however, to talk about the film and why I have decided to place it so high on my list. Well, as much violence as this film contains, the true confrontation is buried within the minds of three characters: Tom Stall, Edie Stall, and Richie Cusack. First, Mortensen’s turn as Tom Stall. He plays this character as a gentle, relaxed and well-mannered, small-town man. Even when you begin to see his past life return and he starts executing those who would cause harm to him and his family, he still tries so desperately to maintain the façade. Not to mention, who does not like to see Viggo do his thing on camera? Then there is Maria Bello. I have to say, I normally do not find her especially attractive, but in this movie, she is downright irresistible, both as a sexy mom and a wife conflicted with the newly-found knowledge of her husband’s former life. She seems to want to stay and support him, but you can see the struggle there. She knows he has a different past than what he told her, but the question she has is, whether to stick by him and try to maintain the lie or leave and try to start over. Then there is Stall’s brother, Richie. Again, there is a theme of conflict that runs through this character as well. It is not explicitly said what caused his brother to leave, but Richie seemed to have to clean up the mess. And suffice it to say, he is not happy with it. William Hurt plays this character as a person who is ashamed, at his core, to place business and reputation over his family. He also plays him as a man who will do what is necessary. I love this theme of conflict; these internal struggles the three aforementioned characters face. And as powerful as the violence may be in the film, it is these struggles that drive the film. Mortensen’s conflict to escape his past, Bello’s conflict to stay or leave, and Hurt’s conflict to kill his brother or not, are the threads that permeate the film. In the end, each person faces the difficult choice and chooses the harder of the two choices. Mortensen choices to return home to face his brother. Bello chooses to stay with her husband, knowing that he lied. Hurt chooses to attempt to kill his brother. I loved watching it. In fact, there are only two characters in the entire film who seem to know exactly how they feel. First is Ed Harris as Carl Fogarty, the man who hunts Stall down. He is completely assured that Tom Stall is Joey Cusack, and he has no doubt that he has found the right man. Second is Stall’s son, Jack. After being mercilessly bullied, Jack plays coy, initially pleading with his bully to realize just how insignificant of a trophy he is before, in a later scene, beating the bully viciously. Clearly, Jack takes after his father. When Carl is prepared to kill Stall, his son saves his life, blowing a massive hole in Fogarty. The boy did not even seem to second-guess the decision. He just knew to shoot and end Fogarty before he ended his father. Depsite not being a fan of Cronenberg, I love this film. But what I find so interesting about it is, in addition to the panning of the original comic, most people who saw this film found it to be divisive. It received a CinemaScore of C+, with many viewers of the film citing the violence and intense sex scenes as unnecessary or overwhelming. It did manage to make back its budget and then some. But what I believe about this film is that it is genuinely difficult for an every-day moviegoer to sit and enjoy it. It is not the kind of fun, humour-filled comic book movie that so many of us enjoy. It’s the other kind: the dark, human, flawed, yet substantial kind of comic book movie. Many other films have tried to emulate this kind of release, but none of them have even come close to being as good as A History of Violence.
My Favourite Scene: At the end of the film, Stall comes face to face with his brother. They take one long, solemn look at each other, knowing that what is about to transpire is wrong, and yet, in their minds, there is no way they can avoid it. Richie says his brother’s name as his brother puts a bullet in his head. Stall his Richie’s name. The violence is over. It is a powerful scene. If you watch this film and find no reason to keep watching it, stay long enough to view this moving finale.



#4: The Crow (5.13.1994), Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott
Metacritic: 71; Rotten Tomatoes: 82%, CinemaScore: N/A
Box Office: $145 Million v. $23 Million Budget
Franchise Power: STRONG
Synopsis: One year removed from a tragic double homicide, one of the victims returns from the grave to exact revenge on the group of men responsible for their deaths.
Personal Thoughts: The Crow is a film that has tragedy written all over it. Most people know the story of actor/martial artist Brandon Lee’s death. I did some digging into the incident and found the situation to be unbelievable. Apparently a dummy bullet was lodged into a revolver. Now, the bullet was missing its powder and primer. The same gun was then used in a second scene, only this time loaded with blanks, which contain powder and a primer but no bullet, so they give the impression of a bullet being fired with no live round or projectile being delivered. However, the bullet from the dummy round was still stuck in the gun, and with the combination of the powder and primer from the blank, it caused the lodged round to discharge almost as full speed. Incredible circumstances. I find Lee’s loss a tragedy because this was the movie that would have catapulted him to stardom. Many people may disagree with this assessment, but Lee’s performance in The Crow is legendary. I believe it to have been a tremendous influence on the world of comic book movies. First, some history. The Crow got its start as a means of therapy by James O’Barr, who began writing it to come to terms with the death of his girlfriend by a drunk driver. It was published by Caliber Comics in 1989. Soon afterward, it was adapted into this film, directed by the talented Alex Proyas. After the death of Brandon Lee, who plays Eric Draven, the movie was struck with several setbacks. Eventually, a combination of rewrites and digital effects were used to complete the scenes Lee had yet to finish. Upon its release, The Crow received stellar reviews, particularly centered upon Lee. With the history lesson out of the way, we can get to why I placed this film so high on my list. There is a wide acceptance by subjective belief about constitutes a film being “dark, dramatic, gritty, dirty, or edgy.” For example, there are those who favor Tim Burton’s Batman films because they capture the atmosphere and architecture of the comics better than Christopher Nolan’s films. I would argue that this film is, without question, darker, more dramatic and grittier than any film on this list. There is real, true pain in this film. Even as Draven goes from person to person, murdering his way to the finish, we feel his pain. We feel just how tragic and unnecessary their deaths were. There are hints of mysticism and magic in the film, but they are overshadowed by Draven’s quest for revenge, and that is only to the benefit of the film. Nothing within the film takes away from that. Michael Wincott’s turn as Top Dollar was also terrific. He plays the perfect sadistic killer, toying with his victims before ending them. Special attention, I feel, should be made to Bai Ling, who plays Myca. She is our guide in the film. Without her, we would not be able to know exactly how Draven returned. Thanks to her short but informative dialogue, those of us not familiar with the series now have some understanding of how Draven returned and the secrets of his invulnerability. Aside from these performances, I would like to draw attention to the style of the film. It uses a series of wide, dark shots and freeze frames, almost as if to capture certain parts of it for posterity. The wide shots aren’t empty, either. Proyas is known for loading his films with gothic images and statues. It is that setting combined with Brandon Lee’s spectacular performance in this film that make it so powerful. The Crow, in a number of ways, was a blueprint for other films to emulate. It showed that it was possible to take a dark comic book and make it into a great film, without sacrificing what makes the comic book so good. Not many films do this so well. The Crow has earned its place in the world of comic book films as being a tremendous endeavor. Unfortunately, with any successful film, sequels followed, which departed drastically from the initial film’s critical reception or success. Though, I would like to point out Stairway to Heaven, a television series inspired by the comic book. That is worth a look for any fan of the series. Recently, there were efforts to reboot the film. I personally do not wish for this to happen, but if that happens, I hope they take a lesson from this film and do not skimp on the violence or the melancholy tone. It worked.
My Favourite Scene: The Crow seems to have a number of abilities. Aside from invulnerability, he can see the thoughts and memories of others. There is a scene in this film where he grabs the mother of a character named Sarah and puts her in front of a mirror. He tells her that the word “mom” and God were the same thing in the eyes of their children, yet there she was, high and in bed with a murderer. As he spoke, the drugs seemed to ooze from her arms, as if she were blood-letting. Though this scene is short, I find it to be both revelatory and redeeming.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the second 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 final entry.

[EA] - "It's been a long way down."