When it comes to source material deviations in a CBM there's really only two ways that can turn out;
AWESOME! or
HORRIBLE. I have compiled here a list of Top 5
WORST CBM source material deviations. This follow up list should show that changing the content from the comics isn't always a bad thing... but somethings are better left alone.
DISCLAIMER: This article
will not showcase those that immediately come to mind (like those shown above). I feel like those are too obvious and to easy of a target. What you will find below is a list of the Top 5 Worst Deviations that occurred in an otherwise descent film... sometimes they ruin the experience completely while other times they are just really bad backwash in the bottom of an otherwise tasty brew. You be the Judge as to which is which.
#1)
A VILLAINLESS WANTED The Source: In the comics we get to see the indoctrination of Wesley into a secret society of Super-villains... He revels in the experience and loves being a bad guy.
The Film Deviation: In the film we get to see the indoctrination of Wesley into a secret society of necessary assassins who are keeping the balance of the world via some secret loom of fate... Wesley enjoys it
until he figures out that they are corrupt at which time he blows them up with rats.
Where It Fails: One of the only things that Millar's work has going for it is that he looks at the flip side of things (i.e. - A loser with no backbone or skills becomes a hero [KICKASS], What if Batman was a villain? [NEMESIS], ETC...). that's what made WANTED so awesome. It gave its readers a chance to delve into our dark side and dream about what we would do if we were the badguys. The changes in the film stole the entire point of the book.
Still A Good Flick?: Wanted was a good film it just failed to capture the point of the source material. I try not to think about the book when watching the film, I think it hurts the enjoyment of the movie.
Descent film... Bad Adaption
#2)
I AM... SURVIVOR?! The Source: The ending of the comic was dramatic and deep. It explains the Title. the lead character sits alone in his house as the creatures begin to attack... he begins to realize that there will never be a cure. He realizes that these creatures are the new normal. He remembers pulling them from their homes and running tests on them... He remembers the fear in their eyes... and he realizes that he has become the boogeyman, these creatures will tell scary stories about him to their children and their children's children... he realizes that
he has become a legend. ...and then he blows his own head off. The Film Deviation: In the film we get a plain old hollywood ending where the main character isn't even really "the last" human and he escapes to continue to look for a cure.
Where It Fails: Ummm... It completely robs the story of its meaning as well as nullifying the title itself.
Still A Good Flick?: Not really. It was an intriguing film... all the way up to the end. If you are going to have a slow paced film that gradually sucks in your audience you'd better pay up with a great ending. I really believe that the proper ending could have saved the film but instead we got a slow paced pointless popcorn flick and the popcorn was stale.
#3)
KICKASS GETS THE GIRL?! The Source: A lowly nerd puts on a costume and decides to be a super hero. While said superhero is not in costume he can be found fawning over a hot girl that is waaaay out of his league. During this adventure he takes on another disguise; a gay guy. He does so in hoping that it will allow him to get closer to the girl. For all of his handwork he gets B!+C# slapped after revealing his true identity to the girl.
The Film Deviation: A lowly nerd puts on a costume and decides to be a super hero. While said superhero is not in costume he can be found fawning over a hot girl that is waaaay out of his league. During this adventure he takes on another disguise; a gay guy. He does so in hoping that it will allow him to get closer to the girl. For all of his hard work he gets bang her repeatedly after revealing his true identity to the girl (and apparently after she
FORGETS how
FRICKIN' creepy his tactics really were!).
Where It Fails: KickAss is a loser. He doesn't win. He gets hospitalized, busted up, treated like dirt, and in the end when the day is saved (by HitGirl); he's still a loser who ends his story by going home only to walk in on his Dad banging some large black woman on the sofa.
Now, I could ignore Nic Cage's horrible interpretation of BigDAddy's character. I could even forget that the BigDaddy backstory was raped of its true purpose. Hell, I could even get over that stupid freaking jetpack... But when the loser hero gets the girl in the end, I just feel like the movie over "Hollywood-ized" the story to make people feel good at the end which
totally misses the point of the story! Still A Good Flick?: I have to admit, the movie is still a fun watch (and I am looking forward to the sequel). However, (much like Wanted) it lacks the message and "ride" that you got as you read the book.
#4)
BANE WHO? The Source: Bane is an incredibly intelligent, powerful, manipulative, calculated, overwhelmingly strong, venom fueled, back breaking, shot caller who single handedly removed Gotham's beloved Batman from the superhero game for almost a year!
The Film Deviation: Bane is a seemingly smart (but really a puppet), seemingly powerful (but really he just has powerful friends), manipulated, able to orchestrate someone else's calculated plan, pretty strong guy with a morphine drip gas mask, back breaking, yes man followed orders from a chick who used him to remove Gotham's beloved Batman from the superhero game for about 15 minutes! (OK, that last part was an exaggeration.)
Where It Fails: If you remove Bane's name from the character that Tom Hardy played in TDKR, there would be nothing left of the Bane character. Nolan's Bane is "Bane" in name only. Bane's appearance is changed for the film. Bane's back-story is changed for the film. His role in "breaking the Bat" is changed for the film. His "powers" or "abilities" are changed for the film. Where I come from that makes him a totally different character.
Nolan's "Bane" should have had a name change. If he had just named him something else I would be crediting him with creating a really good original character instead of fuming over the robbing of my favorite Batman villain's name.
Still A Good Flick?: Despite the plot holes and the improperly named original character... the movie is still a great watch. i personally don't think it attained the beauty of TDK but it was and is a good movie.
#5)
WATCHMEN ENDING ISSUES The Source: Oz's underlying plan is to save humanity from impending Atomic war between the United States and Soviet Union by faking an alien invasion in New York City using his bio engineered monster, which then annihilates half the city's population. He hopes this will unite the nations against a perceived common enemy. Part of this plan included using tachyons to limit Dr Manhattan's powers so that his plan would not unravel.
The Film Deviation: Oz decides to not just limit Manhattan's ability to thwart his plan but instead frames him for New York's destruction.
Where It Fails: By eliminating the bio engineering aspect of the story there is one very big tiger shaped hole in the story. Bumbastis (Oz's bio engineered pet tiger like creature) makes no sense in the story! Why did they even include him?!?!! If Oz never delves into bio engineering then who created this bizarre creature?
Still A Good Flick?: It is still a masterpiece. The problem I have is not (necessarily) the changes to who the perceived "common enemy is but more so on the fact that if you are going to make such a drastic change at least take the time to see what other elements of the story your change affects.
Would I have prefered the book ending? Yes (especially in a film that is almost translated panel for panel)
Does it ruin the film? I don't think so.
Well, that's my list, what's yours?
Be sure to check out the first article in this series:
Click Here for The Top 5 BEST Source Material Deviations Until next time, Woodinator