A LOOK BACK AND FORWARD AT COMIC BOOK BASED MOVIES
Recently, my Tita wrapped up her annual visit to the Philippines and returned home to Washington. Not long before she left, I noticed she had left a number of DVDs at my mom’s house. Some previewed, one brand-new. I had seen some and wasn’t interested in others, but the new one really caught my eye: it was a copy of American Splendor, based on a seminal if not necessarily popular underground comic book. I popped it in the player, and had some of the most enjoyable 103 minutes of my life.
Imagine a middle-aged, burned-out, Jewish Spider-Man without super powers, scientific acumen, or good looks and you have Harvey Pekar…played with moving authenticity by Paul Giamatti. I say authentic because the actual Harvey Pekar narrates the movie. It’s basically his life story, so it can get a bit self-indulgent from time to time, but it’s really laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely touching, even without manipulative music cues, moody close-ups or any of the other traditional Hollywood devices.
I don’t really want to talk too much about the plot so much as share vignettes from it. The guy is a file clerk at a hospital. He meets a comic book artist, gets inspired to write his own comics, talks his newly-befriended-artist-buddy into illustrating it, and American Splendor is born. There’s a love story (which, again has an endearing tongue-in-cheek quality to it), a story about friendship and even parental responsibility. It has something for everyone, in short.
There’s plenty of real life footage in the movie, such as the times that Pekar appeared on Letterman, which was actually sad because, well…I don’t want to give anything away. This notwithstanding, it has a perfectly satisfying resolution.
Suffice it to say, this is one of the best-comic book movies I’ve ever seen. Incidentally, watch out for the character actor cameos by Molly Shannon (Superstar, A Night at the Roxbury) and Donal Logue (Grounded for Life).
This movie has inspired me to come up with two lists of comic book movies that I like or admire. The first list is my top ten list of movies whose makers, in my opinion made the most out of the their available technology and budgets to craft some really sleek looking flicks, while the second list contains my sentimental favorites. Both lists, particularly the first, may meet with some disagreement, so I welcome suggested lists of your own or additions to the list.
TOP TEN COMIC BOOK FILMS IN TERMS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP:
1) Spider-Man 2 (you GOTTA love that freaking TRAIN SEQUENCE!!!)
2) X2: X-Men United (The White House sequence kicks ass!!!)
3) Men in Black (Spielberg magic was very evident here)
4) Superman 2 (the slugfest between Supes and the Phantom Zone guys rocked).
5) Superman (the first true flight sequences on film)
6) Hulk (hey, it may have been boring, but the effects were still topnotch)
7) Spider-Man (it had a lot of heart, but for their money they could have done a LOT better with the effects; this movie might have been higher on the list if “Spider-Man 2” hadn’t demonstrated that it is possible to do kick-ass web-swinging sequences that look convincing)
8) American Splendor (made for a song, this movie can really draw you in)
9) The Road to Perdition (bored a lot of people, but it was pretty well-shot, I think; and Tom Hanks and Paul Newman really fill the screen)
10) Blade 2 (shot on a B-movie budget, this movie somehow manages to achieve a chilling gothic sensibility and at the same time be a great action flick)
TOP TEN SENTIMENTAL FAVORITES:
1) Spider-Man 2 (all the heart of the original and spectacular special effects: my cup runneth over)
2) Spider-Man (I cried with joy just knowing this movie had been made; the acting and the story made me cry some more, and I know I’m not the only one)
3) American Splendor (see review)
4) Mystery Men (formerly number 3 on this list; this is or should be a cult classic)
5) Hulk (yes, I actually liked it; it was surprisingly faithful to the comic)
6) X2: X-men United (more characters, tighter narration, better effects than the original, and not as Wolverine-centered either)
7) Superman 2 (one of the first movies I ever saw in the theater. I remember feeling shaken to my core when a powerless Clark Kent was lying bloody in Lois Lane’s arms; ironically it was powerful to watch).
8) Men in Black (Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones had a wonderful screen chemistry that they just couldn’t replicate the second time around)
9) Blade 2 (genuinely scary. I found it exciting somehow).
10) X-Men (Marvel films’ first real splash on the big screen)
I also came up with a list of my ten worst comic book/strip based movies. Some of these were, I feel, noble endeavors with stupid scripts and/or directors and some were just schlock. I arranged them in descending order, so that my worst appears last:
10) Daredevil (I was happy to see a favorite character of mine get adapted, but not happy with how they did it)
9) Batman Returns (apologies to those who liked it, but this somehow dragged, and the effects were kind of lackluster; even certified Bat-philes Paul Daza and TC were disappointed)
8) Blade (smacks of Wesley Snipes’ narcissism)
7) Blade: Trinity (tailor-made for those with Attention Deficiency and Hyperactivity Disorder; this movie has caused the franchise to crash and burn)
6) Dick Tracy (smacks of Warren Beatty’s narcissism, this sucker almost put me to sleep)
5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the title kind of speaks for itself, really)
4) Popeye (a true low point in Robin Williams’ career)
3) Batman and Robin (I don’t think there’s any contesting this choice)
2) Superman IV (yes, I actually bothered to watch it)
1) Howard the Duck (caught it on TV; this, in my opinion, is probably one of the worst movies EVER!!! I defy you to find a worse comic-book movie)
Enough looking back! We are in a new age of comic-book movies and there are several of them yet to look forward to. Here’s a brief rundown of some of what we can expect in the next three years or so in (more or less) chronological order, replete with pros, cons and my own personal prediction of how they will do at the box-office:
SON OF THE MASK (February 2005)
A Jim Carrey-less sequel to his 1994 breakout hit, this movie still has the effects muscle of ILM behind it, even though the storyline is completely different (no more Staney Ipkiss) and Jamie Kennedy seems to be playing a strangely docile role, given his reputation.
PRO: Not much, except maybe for ILM and Alan Cumming (X2’s Nightcrawler) as the villain. From the trailer it doesn’t look like Kennedy gets to flex his comedic muscles much.
CON: No Jim Carrey. No Cameron Diaz. An NINE-YEAR gap between films. Does anyone other than freaks like me even remember the original movie anymore?
PREDICTION: Bomb. This sequel seems like a REALLY belated attempt to cash in on the comic-book movie renaissance.
CONSTANTINE (February 2005)
Keanu Reeves goes supernatural for the first time since The Devil’s Advocate, albeit in an action flick. Is it safe to say that this movie is an amalgamation of that movie and The Matrix? God only knows. I never read the comic, so I can only nod my head when I hear or read complaints from comic fans about the casting.
PRO: Love him or hate him, Keanu puts asses in the seats. He also has shown a talent for picking movies that can obscure his dreadful acting, although you can never quite completely overlook it. The Matrix, sans sequels, was one of the best action/sci-fi extravaganzas of the last decade. I am not familiar with this comic book, but from the look of the trailer he has again selected a movie in which he can conceal his inability to act. Also, on the same weekend two years ago, the dreadful Daredevil opened huge with no direct competition.
CON: Keanu Reeves is possibly the worst actor on the planet. The director is a “music video veteran” a phrase which, with the exception of David Fincher, generally fills me with dread.
PREDICTION: Most likely a hit. Keanu. Big movie. No direct competition.
BATMAN BEGINS (June 2005)
In fairness to Warner Brothers, they didn’t exactly pack it in after the debacle that was Batman and Robin only to think up a sequel/prequel after Spider-Man shattered records. They did some regrouping and talked about reviving the franchise as early as the year 2000 or maybe even 1999. Sam Raimi was considered for directing the next Batman film at some point, even prior to Spider-Man. They also considered acclaimed independent filmmaker Darren Afonovsky (spelling?) as some point, before finally going with Memento’s Chris Nolan. This movie has been in gestation for awhile, so this could be worth seeing.
PRO: New, maverick director at the helm. In a very short while, Chris Nolan has made quite an impact on the film community. The last comic movie made by a previously indie/small-time director who was given a big budget was Spider-Man, so this is definitely something to watch out for. Plus, the casting sheet reads like a dream with high-profile talent like Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and even that guy in 28 Days Later, Cillian Murphy. And lest we forget, there are no more nipples on the Batsuit! The trailer looks nice and gothic, just perfect for everyone’s favorite dark knight. Also, they’ve taken Akiva Goldsman (Batman and Robin) off script duties and replaced him with David S. Goyer, the guy who brought Blade to life in 1998. And like Constantine, it’s opening without any direct competition, with Star Wars: Episode III a month ahead of it and the July 4th slugfest between War of the Worlds and Fantastic Four two weeks behind it.
CON: Not everyone digs the new Batmobile. In addition, the last Batman movie left quite a lingering stench, which may not necessarily have washed away entirely. Warner Brothers may be quite aggressive with their marketing, using the old self-fulfilling prophecy tactic of calling their film “highly anticipated” the way they did Ocean’s Twelve, but if Nolan doesn’t deliver the goods this summer, this new Bat-movie will go the way of the heist sequel’s big weekend followed by a quick fade. Also, they’ve got a script by that idiot David S. Goyer, who just recently killed the Blade franchise with Blade: Trinity.
PREDICTION: Another likely hit for Warner Brothers.
FANTASTIC FOUR (July 2005)
Another Marvel wet-dream for me comes true as Jessica Alba slips into the navy blue tights of Susan Storm (not yet Richards). This movie has been in development hell for the longest time and Harry Potter’s Chris Columbus, of all people, has kept alive the hope of it being made. Avi Arad has finally made that hope a reality, by throwing together a cast and crew, and soon the world could be witness to something…fantastic (or not).
PRO: Saw the trailer, and the effects look like they can kick some serious ass. The Human Torch effects on Chris Evans are pretty much the first of their kind, and they don’t disappoint. Michael (The Shield) Chiklis’ Thing makeup looks pretty damn good too, and I cannot say enough about his casting, which I think is the biggest comic-book casting coup since Christopher freakin’ Reeve. If you’ve seen The Shield, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. The Dr. Doom armor looks pretty good, as do Sue’s force-field effects. I wasn’t too impressed by Reed’s (Ioan Gruffud) stretching, but three out of four is pretty good. The fact that I enjoyed the trailer is quite encouraging, especially considering that two months before this movie comes out, it is likely to get VERY good exposure during the screenings of Star Wars: Episode 3, which is being released by the same studio. I would say that being released against Spielberg and Cruise’s WOTW is a con, but the last time Spielberg and a big-name Tom (think Hanks) opened head-to-head with a movie from Twentieth Century Fox, Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller’s Dodgeball kicked their asses in a stunning upset. Plus the fact that the last Cruise-Spielberg team-up (Minority Report) struggled to outgross freaking Lilo and Stitch on its opening weekend, only to lose out in the final gross.
CON: This movie may have had a lot, and I mean a lot of the wind taken out of its sails by The Incredibles which featured not only similar themes (family, solidarity and all that) but similar powers (stretching, invisibility and force fields). What pisses me off about this is that the Fantastic Four actually predates The Incredibles by about forty years, and now they’re the ones who are going to look like the rip-offs. Brad Bird’s story was, if you watch it, even intended as a sort of homage to the FF, but I don’t know if moviegoers are going to see it that way. Plus, in what continues to be a disturbing trend, Marvel Studios chief Avi Arad has picked yet another nobody for a director (remember Mark Steven Johnson for Daredevil? I didn’t think so) in the person of Tim (Barbershop) Story in the hopes of unearthing another Sam Raimi. One can only hope, but in truth I really doubt it.
PREDICTION: As bold as it may seem, I predict that this movie will be a hit, although not of X2 or Spider-Man proportions.
SIN CITY (late 2005)
Jessica Alba tosses aside the tights for what appears to be a two piece. Beyond that, I do not really know what this movie is about. I do know it’s based on Frank Miller’s grim-and-gritty Dark Horse comic book, and that Miller himself is co-adapting it with Robert Rodriguez. Yes. Co-adapting, meaning co-directing.
PRO: Robert Rodriguez is the guy who gave us El Mariachi, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, all of which were nice, quirky and violent, just like Frank Miller’s writing. Oh, let’s not forget that bit about Jessica Alba in a two-piece.
CON: Robert Rodriguez is the guy that gave us the Spy Kids movies. And Miller’s last foray into film gave us Robocop 3.
PREDICTION: A small-time hit in the ballpark of Once Upon a Time in Mexico. It won’t exactly be making Spider-Man money, though.
SUPERMAN (Summer 2006)
Superman flies again! Nearly 20 years after the franchise crashed and burned, Warner Brothers, after something like five directors and hundreds of Clark Kent hopefuls has finally gotten Superman off the ground having signed a director (Bryan Singer) and having filled not just one but all of the major roles (Brandon Routh as Superman/Clark Kent, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, and Hugh Laurie as Perry White). They’ve also signed up the talented scribes of X2 to write another chapter in the Man of Steel’s continuing saga. It doesn’t hurt that Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI), the geniuses behind the Spider-movies (especially Spider-Man 2), are making Superman, well, super, or that John Williams will be tapped to compose the music.
PRO: Bryan Singer. Sony Pictures Imageworks. John Williams. This is a dream assemblage. There is very, very little that can go wrong here, and they haven’t even started shooting yet. There hasn’t been a prepackaged hit like this since George Lucas announced that he was finally coming up with Star Wars: Episode I. They should just make sure that they don’t open opposite The Da Vinci Code, because that could actually be the Kryptonite to this film.
CON: The last Superman movie was a bomb of the worst order, although people are likely to have forgotten that. Plus Brandon Routh is no Christopher Reeve (but then, who is?) and is also rumored to be gay, a fact that could hurt the movie’s publicity somehow
PREDICTION: This is a definite hit. It will make at least Harry Potter money, unless Bryan Singer gets bad karma for screwing over the X-people (see next item).
X3: ???? (Summer 2006)
You did read the bit about Bryan Singer making Superman, right? Suffice it to say that four months after Warner Brothers and Bryan Singer floored Fox and Marvel with that announcement, the latter two are still trying to get their bearings. It’s kind of depressing considering that before Bryan Singer came along, the X-Men film was in development hell. Now after scaling the box-office heights with two hits in a row, the franchise is right back in limbo. Singer was really and truly the glue that held the whole enterprise together, and now he’s gone.
PRO: No more temperamental director means a better working atmosphere for the stars? I don’t know if there are any pros to this situation.
CON: No Singer [beyotch]. Incidentally, no more James Marsden as Cyclops either. ‘Nuff said.
PREDICTION: Hit? Bomb? The question we should be asking is: will this movie ever even get made???
GHOST RIDER (Summer 2006)
Nicolas Cage finally gets his wish of playing a superhero, after losing Superman when Tim Burton bailed out of the project. The problem is he’ll be directed by that Daredevil moron Mark Steven Johnson. American Beauty’s Wes Bentley will be the main bad guy, an obscure Marvel character known as Blackheart. And Eva Mendes (drool) has joined the cast too.
PRO: For all his goofiness, Cage is still an Oscar winner and did star in some pretty good movies like The Rock and Face/Off, so he may yet carry the day. Wes Bentley, a rather underrated actor, is a pretty good choice for a bad guy. He looks a little bit like Tobey Maguire’s evil twin. Oh, and let us not forget the charms of Eva (2 Fast 2 Furious) Mendes. This girl is hot beyond belief.
CON: Four words: Mark. Steven. Johnson. Daredevil.
PREDICTION: 50/50 chance of success or failure. It’ll boil down to who shines through more: Cage or Johnson.
SPIDER-MAN 3 (May 2007)
Top Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis called the Spider-Man movies this generation’s Star Wars. By gum, I think he’s right. Anyone who denies the box-office and pop-culture impact these two movies have had on our collective conscious is either living under a rock or is just so anti-Marvel that it has addled his brain. The script is allegedly in the works or under lock and key, depending on who you read, but the stars playing the main characters have signed up.
PRO: All the stars are in place. The director is back. SPI is back, and according to them, even better than before. And Columbia Pictures have come up with the brilliant marketing angle of not immediately disclosing who the Spider-villain will be, fueling speculation, and anticipation, like crazy. The most popular guess thus far is Venom, who would be incredible to watch.
CON: It is often said that the best movie in a series of three is usually the second. Is it possible that Raimi and company have peaked?
PREDICTION: To my mind the only question is how much over $300 million this movie will make. I dare anyone to forecast differently.
…And that’s more or less the roundup of superhero/comic book movies we can expect over the next three years. There are a few more currently in development, namely:
IRON MAN
Tom Cruise reportedly optioned this once upon a time and wanted to play Tony Stark, but it appears that ship has sailed. Recently, New Line signed Nick Cassavettes (John Q, The Notebook) yet another nobody, to direct it. This is a crying shame. There’s also allegedly a script by the Smallville guys, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and X-Men writer David Hayter.
SUB-MARINER
Chris Columbus (Harry Potter 1 and 2) is attached to direct this one. At one time the Rock was supposed to play Namor, but there is no other news available about the project.
HULK 2
The fact that Ang Lee’s Hulk set a record opening in June before also taking a record-breaking nosedive makes Marvel optimistic about making a second movie. They claim that there will be less Angst (get it? Hyuk hyuk) and more “Hulk smash.” To my knowledge, though, never in movie history has a franchise rebounded from a disappointing first installment.
After all this, there is to my mind only one thing left to say regarding filmmaking, comic-book or otherwise:
Those who can, do. Those who cannot, WRITE POSTS LIKE THIS ONE!!!
Imagine a middle-aged, burned-out, Jewish Spider-Man without super powers, scientific acumen, or good looks and you have Harvey Pekar…played with moving authenticity by Paul Giamatti. I say authentic because the actual Harvey Pekar narrates the movie. It’s basically his life story, so it can get a bit self-indulgent from time to time, but it’s really laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely touching, even without manipulative music cues, moody close-ups or any of the other traditional Hollywood devices.
I don’t really want to talk too much about the plot so much as share vignettes from it. The guy is a file clerk at a hospital. He meets a comic book artist, gets inspired to write his own comics, talks his newly-befriended-artist-buddy into illustrating it, and American Splendor is born. There’s a love story (which, again has an endearing tongue-in-cheek quality to it), a story about friendship and even parental responsibility. It has something for everyone, in short.
There’s plenty of real life footage in the movie, such as the times that Pekar appeared on Letterman, which was actually sad because, well…I don’t want to give anything away. This notwithstanding, it has a perfectly satisfying resolution.
Suffice it to say, this is one of the best-comic book movies I’ve ever seen. Incidentally, watch out for the character actor cameos by Molly Shannon (Superstar, A Night at the Roxbury) and Donal Logue (Grounded for Life).
This movie has inspired me to come up with two lists of comic book movies that I like or admire. The first list is my top ten list of movies whose makers, in my opinion made the most out of the their available technology and budgets to craft some really sleek looking flicks, while the second list contains my sentimental favorites. Both lists, particularly the first, may meet with some disagreement, so I welcome suggested lists of your own or additions to the list.
TOP TEN COMIC BOOK FILMS IN TERMS OF CRAFTSMANSHIP:
1) Spider-Man 2 (you GOTTA love that freaking TRAIN SEQUENCE!!!)
2) X2: X-Men United (The White House sequence kicks ass!!!)
3) Men in Black (Spielberg magic was very evident here)
4) Superman 2 (the slugfest between Supes and the Phantom Zone guys rocked).
5) Superman (the first true flight sequences on film)
6) Hulk (hey, it may have been boring, but the effects were still topnotch)
7) Spider-Man (it had a lot of heart, but for their money they could have done a LOT better with the effects; this movie might have been higher on the list if “Spider-Man 2” hadn’t demonstrated that it is possible to do kick-ass web-swinging sequences that look convincing)
8) American Splendor (made for a song, this movie can really draw you in)
9) The Road to Perdition (bored a lot of people, but it was pretty well-shot, I think; and Tom Hanks and Paul Newman really fill the screen)
10) Blade 2 (shot on a B-movie budget, this movie somehow manages to achieve a chilling gothic sensibility and at the same time be a great action flick)
TOP TEN SENTIMENTAL FAVORITES:
1) Spider-Man 2 (all the heart of the original and spectacular special effects: my cup runneth over)
2) Spider-Man (I cried with joy just knowing this movie had been made; the acting and the story made me cry some more, and I know I’m not the only one)
3) American Splendor (see review)
4) Mystery Men (formerly number 3 on this list; this is or should be a cult classic)
5) Hulk (yes, I actually liked it; it was surprisingly faithful to the comic)
6) X2: X-men United (more characters, tighter narration, better effects than the original, and not as Wolverine-centered either)
7) Superman 2 (one of the first movies I ever saw in the theater. I remember feeling shaken to my core when a powerless Clark Kent was lying bloody in Lois Lane’s arms; ironically it was powerful to watch).
8) Men in Black (Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones had a wonderful screen chemistry that they just couldn’t replicate the second time around)
9) Blade 2 (genuinely scary. I found it exciting somehow).
10) X-Men (Marvel films’ first real splash on the big screen)
I also came up with a list of my ten worst comic book/strip based movies. Some of these were, I feel, noble endeavors with stupid scripts and/or directors and some were just schlock. I arranged them in descending order, so that my worst appears last:
10) Daredevil (I was happy to see a favorite character of mine get adapted, but not happy with how they did it)
9) Batman Returns (apologies to those who liked it, but this somehow dragged, and the effects were kind of lackluster; even certified Bat-philes Paul Daza and TC were disappointed)
8) Blade (smacks of Wesley Snipes’ narcissism)
7) Blade: Trinity (tailor-made for those with Attention Deficiency and Hyperactivity Disorder; this movie has caused the franchise to crash and burn)
6) Dick Tracy (smacks of Warren Beatty’s narcissism, this sucker almost put me to sleep)
5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the title kind of speaks for itself, really)
4) Popeye (a true low point in Robin Williams’ career)
3) Batman and Robin (I don’t think there’s any contesting this choice)
2) Superman IV (yes, I actually bothered to watch it)
1) Howard the Duck (caught it on TV; this, in my opinion, is probably one of the worst movies EVER!!! I defy you to find a worse comic-book movie)
Enough looking back! We are in a new age of comic-book movies and there are several of them yet to look forward to. Here’s a brief rundown of some of what we can expect in the next three years or so in (more or less) chronological order, replete with pros, cons and my own personal prediction of how they will do at the box-office:
SON OF THE MASK (February 2005)
A Jim Carrey-less sequel to his 1994 breakout hit, this movie still has the effects muscle of ILM behind it, even though the storyline is completely different (no more Staney Ipkiss) and Jamie Kennedy seems to be playing a strangely docile role, given his reputation.
PRO: Not much, except maybe for ILM and Alan Cumming (X2’s Nightcrawler) as the villain. From the trailer it doesn’t look like Kennedy gets to flex his comedic muscles much.
CON: No Jim Carrey. No Cameron Diaz. An NINE-YEAR gap between films. Does anyone other than freaks like me even remember the original movie anymore?
PREDICTION: Bomb. This sequel seems like a REALLY belated attempt to cash in on the comic-book movie renaissance.
CONSTANTINE (February 2005)
Keanu Reeves goes supernatural for the first time since The Devil’s Advocate, albeit in an action flick. Is it safe to say that this movie is an amalgamation of that movie and The Matrix? God only knows. I never read the comic, so I can only nod my head when I hear or read complaints from comic fans about the casting.
PRO: Love him or hate him, Keanu puts asses in the seats. He also has shown a talent for picking movies that can obscure his dreadful acting, although you can never quite completely overlook it. The Matrix, sans sequels, was one of the best action/sci-fi extravaganzas of the last decade. I am not familiar with this comic book, but from the look of the trailer he has again selected a movie in which he can conceal his inability to act. Also, on the same weekend two years ago, the dreadful Daredevil opened huge with no direct competition.
CON: Keanu Reeves is possibly the worst actor on the planet. The director is a “music video veteran” a phrase which, with the exception of David Fincher, generally fills me with dread.
PREDICTION: Most likely a hit. Keanu. Big movie. No direct competition.
BATMAN BEGINS (June 2005)
In fairness to Warner Brothers, they didn’t exactly pack it in after the debacle that was Batman and Robin only to think up a sequel/prequel after Spider-Man shattered records. They did some regrouping and talked about reviving the franchise as early as the year 2000 or maybe even 1999. Sam Raimi was considered for directing the next Batman film at some point, even prior to Spider-Man. They also considered acclaimed independent filmmaker Darren Afonovsky (spelling?) as some point, before finally going with Memento’s Chris Nolan. This movie has been in gestation for awhile, so this could be worth seeing.
PRO: New, maverick director at the helm. In a very short while, Chris Nolan has made quite an impact on the film community. The last comic movie made by a previously indie/small-time director who was given a big budget was Spider-Man, so this is definitely something to watch out for. Plus, the casting sheet reads like a dream with high-profile talent like Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and even that guy in 28 Days Later, Cillian Murphy. And lest we forget, there are no more nipples on the Batsuit! The trailer looks nice and gothic, just perfect for everyone’s favorite dark knight. Also, they’ve taken Akiva Goldsman (Batman and Robin) off script duties and replaced him with David S. Goyer, the guy who brought Blade to life in 1998. And like Constantine, it’s opening without any direct competition, with Star Wars: Episode III a month ahead of it and the July 4th slugfest between War of the Worlds and Fantastic Four two weeks behind it.
CON: Not everyone digs the new Batmobile. In addition, the last Batman movie left quite a lingering stench, which may not necessarily have washed away entirely. Warner Brothers may be quite aggressive with their marketing, using the old self-fulfilling prophecy tactic of calling their film “highly anticipated” the way they did Ocean’s Twelve, but if Nolan doesn’t deliver the goods this summer, this new Bat-movie will go the way of the heist sequel’s big weekend followed by a quick fade. Also, they’ve got a script by that idiot David S. Goyer, who just recently killed the Blade franchise with Blade: Trinity.
PREDICTION: Another likely hit for Warner Brothers.
FANTASTIC FOUR (July 2005)
Another Marvel wet-dream for me comes true as Jessica Alba slips into the navy blue tights of Susan Storm (not yet Richards). This movie has been in development hell for the longest time and Harry Potter’s Chris Columbus, of all people, has kept alive the hope of it being made. Avi Arad has finally made that hope a reality, by throwing together a cast and crew, and soon the world could be witness to something…fantastic (or not).
PRO: Saw the trailer, and the effects look like they can kick some serious ass. The Human Torch effects on Chris Evans are pretty much the first of their kind, and they don’t disappoint. Michael (The Shield) Chiklis’ Thing makeup looks pretty damn good too, and I cannot say enough about his casting, which I think is the biggest comic-book casting coup since Christopher freakin’ Reeve. If you’ve seen The Shield, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. The Dr. Doom armor looks pretty good, as do Sue’s force-field effects. I wasn’t too impressed by Reed’s (Ioan Gruffud) stretching, but three out of four is pretty good. The fact that I enjoyed the trailer is quite encouraging, especially considering that two months before this movie comes out, it is likely to get VERY good exposure during the screenings of Star Wars: Episode 3, which is being released by the same studio. I would say that being released against Spielberg and Cruise’s WOTW is a con, but the last time Spielberg and a big-name Tom (think Hanks) opened head-to-head with a movie from Twentieth Century Fox, Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller’s Dodgeball kicked their asses in a stunning upset. Plus the fact that the last Cruise-Spielberg team-up (Minority Report) struggled to outgross freaking Lilo and Stitch on its opening weekend, only to lose out in the final gross.
CON: This movie may have had a lot, and I mean a lot of the wind taken out of its sails by The Incredibles which featured not only similar themes (family, solidarity and all that) but similar powers (stretching, invisibility and force fields). What pisses me off about this is that the Fantastic Four actually predates The Incredibles by about forty years, and now they’re the ones who are going to look like the rip-offs. Brad Bird’s story was, if you watch it, even intended as a sort of homage to the FF, but I don’t know if moviegoers are going to see it that way. Plus, in what continues to be a disturbing trend, Marvel Studios chief Avi Arad has picked yet another nobody for a director (remember Mark Steven Johnson for Daredevil? I didn’t think so) in the person of Tim (Barbershop) Story in the hopes of unearthing another Sam Raimi. One can only hope, but in truth I really doubt it.
PREDICTION: As bold as it may seem, I predict that this movie will be a hit, although not of X2 or Spider-Man proportions.
SIN CITY (late 2005)
Jessica Alba tosses aside the tights for what appears to be a two piece. Beyond that, I do not really know what this movie is about. I do know it’s based on Frank Miller’s grim-and-gritty Dark Horse comic book, and that Miller himself is co-adapting it with Robert Rodriguez. Yes. Co-adapting, meaning co-directing.
PRO: Robert Rodriguez is the guy who gave us El Mariachi, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, all of which were nice, quirky and violent, just like Frank Miller’s writing. Oh, let’s not forget that bit about Jessica Alba in a two-piece.
CON: Robert Rodriguez is the guy that gave us the Spy Kids movies. And Miller’s last foray into film gave us Robocop 3.
PREDICTION: A small-time hit in the ballpark of Once Upon a Time in Mexico. It won’t exactly be making Spider-Man money, though.
SUPERMAN (Summer 2006)
Superman flies again! Nearly 20 years after the franchise crashed and burned, Warner Brothers, after something like five directors and hundreds of Clark Kent hopefuls has finally gotten Superman off the ground having signed a director (Bryan Singer) and having filled not just one but all of the major roles (Brandon Routh as Superman/Clark Kent, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, and Hugh Laurie as Perry White). They’ve also signed up the talented scribes of X2 to write another chapter in the Man of Steel’s continuing saga. It doesn’t hurt that Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI), the geniuses behind the Spider-movies (especially Spider-Man 2), are making Superman, well, super, or that John Williams will be tapped to compose the music.
PRO: Bryan Singer. Sony Pictures Imageworks. John Williams. This is a dream assemblage. There is very, very little that can go wrong here, and they haven’t even started shooting yet. There hasn’t been a prepackaged hit like this since George Lucas announced that he was finally coming up with Star Wars: Episode I. They should just make sure that they don’t open opposite The Da Vinci Code, because that could actually be the Kryptonite to this film.
CON: The last Superman movie was a bomb of the worst order, although people are likely to have forgotten that. Plus Brandon Routh is no Christopher Reeve (but then, who is?) and is also rumored to be gay, a fact that could hurt the movie’s publicity somehow
PREDICTION: This is a definite hit. It will make at least Harry Potter money, unless Bryan Singer gets bad karma for screwing over the X-people (see next item).
X3: ???? (Summer 2006)
You did read the bit about Bryan Singer making Superman, right? Suffice it to say that four months after Warner Brothers and Bryan Singer floored Fox and Marvel with that announcement, the latter two are still trying to get their bearings. It’s kind of depressing considering that before Bryan Singer came along, the X-Men film was in development hell. Now after scaling the box-office heights with two hits in a row, the franchise is right back in limbo. Singer was really and truly the glue that held the whole enterprise together, and now he’s gone.
PRO: No more temperamental director means a better working atmosphere for the stars? I don’t know if there are any pros to this situation.
CON: No Singer [beyotch]. Incidentally, no more James Marsden as Cyclops either. ‘Nuff said.
PREDICTION: Hit? Bomb? The question we should be asking is: will this movie ever even get made???
GHOST RIDER (Summer 2006)
Nicolas Cage finally gets his wish of playing a superhero, after losing Superman when Tim Burton bailed out of the project. The problem is he’ll be directed by that Daredevil moron Mark Steven Johnson. American Beauty’s Wes Bentley will be the main bad guy, an obscure Marvel character known as Blackheart. And Eva Mendes (drool) has joined the cast too.
PRO: For all his goofiness, Cage is still an Oscar winner and did star in some pretty good movies like The Rock and Face/Off, so he may yet carry the day. Wes Bentley, a rather underrated actor, is a pretty good choice for a bad guy. He looks a little bit like Tobey Maguire’s evil twin. Oh, and let us not forget the charms of Eva (2 Fast 2 Furious) Mendes. This girl is hot beyond belief.
CON: Four words: Mark. Steven. Johnson. Daredevil.
PREDICTION: 50/50 chance of success or failure. It’ll boil down to who shines through more: Cage or Johnson.
SPIDER-MAN 3 (May 2007)
Top Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis called the Spider-Man movies this generation’s Star Wars. By gum, I think he’s right. Anyone who denies the box-office and pop-culture impact these two movies have had on our collective conscious is either living under a rock or is just so anti-Marvel that it has addled his brain. The script is allegedly in the works or under lock and key, depending on who you read, but the stars playing the main characters have signed up.
PRO: All the stars are in place. The director is back. SPI is back, and according to them, even better than before. And Columbia Pictures have come up with the brilliant marketing angle of not immediately disclosing who the Spider-villain will be, fueling speculation, and anticipation, like crazy. The most popular guess thus far is Venom, who would be incredible to watch.
CON: It is often said that the best movie in a series of three is usually the second. Is it possible that Raimi and company have peaked?
PREDICTION: To my mind the only question is how much over $300 million this movie will make. I dare anyone to forecast differently.
…And that’s more or less the roundup of superhero/comic book movies we can expect over the next three years. There are a few more currently in development, namely:
IRON MAN
Tom Cruise reportedly optioned this once upon a time and wanted to play Tony Stark, but it appears that ship has sailed. Recently, New Line signed Nick Cassavettes (John Q, The Notebook) yet another nobody, to direct it. This is a crying shame. There’s also allegedly a script by the Smallville guys, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and X-Men writer David Hayter.
SUB-MARINER
Chris Columbus (Harry Potter 1 and 2) is attached to direct this one. At one time the Rock was supposed to play Namor, but there is no other news available about the project.
HULK 2
The fact that Ang Lee’s Hulk set a record opening in June before also taking a record-breaking nosedive makes Marvel optimistic about making a second movie. They claim that there will be less Angst (get it? Hyuk hyuk) and more “Hulk smash.” To my knowledge, though, never in movie history has a franchise rebounded from a disappointing first installment.
After all this, there is to my mind only one thing left to say regarding filmmaking, comic-book or otherwise:
Those who can, do. Those who cannot, WRITE POSTS LIKE THIS ONE!!!
posted by Jim Arroyo at 1:15 PM
7 Comments:
Excellent movies summary, Jim. I presume your blog will be about law and comics stuff?
You should check out comics blog on the net: you, Ryan and Carlo could probably give those guys a run for their money.
Jim, you forgot to list a few more Marvel movie bombs in your post:
- The Punisher- tried and FAILED, miserably, TWICE!
- Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D - David Hasselhoff? Plus an all-around bad script, no wonder this thing went straight to video. Marvel should buy back all the released copies and burn them.
Of all the Marvel superhero movies they could make, how could they possible fail with The Punisher, not once, but twice?! There's not much they need to spend on special effects or CGI, so why couldn't they concentrate on spending for big-name actors and a decent screenplay?? I have LONG been waiting for Marvel to release a proper film rendition. As I said before, there's only one actor who can play Frank Castle - Russel Crowe. 'nuff said! ;)
I'll admit it: I went to see the ghastly Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (GASP! I even remember the whole title!) at the cineplex! The only reason I remember it was because I was chastising the whole film while watching it! You don't easily forget an experience like that! Which is why I'm so looking forward to Bryan Singer's Superman V. I really liked what he did with the (first) X-Men film. With X-2, there really was nowhere else for the franchise (and Singer) to go but up. In this case, they went WAAY up! So with Superman V in the process, does this mean Singer's Battlestar Galactica movie has been shelved?
Other superhero movies rumored to be in the works:
- The Flash - starring Ryan Reynolds (Blade:Trinity) as Wally West
- The Green Lantern - with Jack Black as Hal Jordan (believe it or don't!)
- The Green Hornet - to be written (and possibly directed) by Kevin Smith
My personal take on Jim's opinions:
- The Hulk was a colossally boring movie. Sorry, Jim. They shouldn't have let Ang Lee experiment too much.
- Don't judge Road to Perdition based on its box-office performance. It's a great film. I'm surprised people found it boring.
- Superman 2 may have done better at the box-office compared to the first film, and it may have blown us (then) kids away at the time it was released (1981?). But seeing 1 and 2 again, Superman 1 was simply the much better film. Credit Richard Donner (of the Leathal Weapon series) for a truly remarkable 1977 movie.
- I predict Batman Begins will be a big hit. I'm sure everyone's been waiting for this one, precisely because the last 4 films disappointed more than the next one. I think Batman is Warner Bros' biggest superhero franchise, more so than Superman. It looks like Warner Bros. finally got it right with this rebooting of the franchise. Prior to this, Richard Donner was supposed to direct the new Batman film, with Mel Gibson as a darker, more sinister type of Dark Knight. Or so went the hype.
- I am not a Bat-phile. I don't even read comic books nearly as much as you guys. But I was sorely disappointed with Batman Returns.
- Batman didn't do too well despite its tremendous hype mainly because Michael Keaton simply isn't Hollywood blockbuster material. Keaton plays a great Bruce Wayne, but it's just asking for too much suspension of disbelief to have that kind of guy as Batman. I would say that Bruce Wayne is too difficult a character to cast, just as Clark Kent would have been hadn't an INCREDIBLE stroke of casting GENIUS decided on Christopher Reeve. People will, for decades to come, be measuring any future Clark Kent/Superman actor-hopefuls against Christopher Reeve.
Future Superhero movies I would like to see:
- PowerMan and Iron Fist! A blaxploitation film-genre comedy/satire in the league of Starsky and Hutch! Starring Eddie Griffin (Deuce Bigelow: Male Giggolo) and Orlando Jones (Evolution, Bedazzled)
- Wonder Woman: I really think Andrea Parker (if you guys watched The Pretender) would perfect for the role. If only she were a bigger name actresss and at least 7 years younger...
- captain America. Just to see how they could possibly pull it off. A guy with a shield? In red, white and blue? With little, tiny wings on his ears? Imagine that running down the street, yelling: "Stop, Villain!!"
- Thor. Another intersting experiment, don't you think? Though it could prove easier to pull off than Captain America.
Til next time, true believers!
Well, TC, I only made lists of movies that I've seen. I'm not sure I saw the 1980's Punisher, except maybe on TV, but it didn't quite leave the bad taste in my mouth that Howard the Duck did. I didn't even bother with the Jane/Travolta version. I couldn't sit through Nick Fury long enough to pass a verdict, but I'm pretty sure yours is on the money.
BUT ONE MOVIE I DID SEE THAT SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN SPECIAL MENTION FOR BEING ONE OF THE MOST AWFUL WAS "SPAWN!" Shit, that movie gave me a headache! Ask Joey, who suffered through it with me (I think). Yup, although I still didn't like it that much, I think I'm bumping "Batman Begins" off my ten worst list and replacing it with "Spawn." I know that's weird considering it was number nine, but I want to keep "Daredevil" on that list because I hate the way those assholes raped one of my favorite comic characters.
Power Man and Iron Fist could be a trip...but to make Eddie Griffin look the part of Luke Cage they'd need more CGI than has ever been used in the history of movies. Come on, TC!
I did read somewhere about director John Singleton taking on Luke Cage for Sony/Columbia. No casting news, though. I also read that Ray Park (a.k.a. Darth Maul) is interested in bringing Iron Fist to life for another studio. It is unfortunate that way; apparently to avoid venturing their eggs in one basket Marvel has sold they characters to as many studios as possible, even if it meant breaking up duos like Power Man and Iron Fist and teams like the Avengers.
Captain America is shaping up to be the next Spider-Man in terms of gestation. Only just recently was Marvel able to settle ownership issues with Cap's co-creator Joe Simon (who at 88 years of age still kicked up a hell of a fuss) so it's only now that studios, screenwriters and the like are starting to show interest. If the process of making the movie is anything like the Spider-Man ordeal, we should see him hit the big screen in time for the hundredth anniversary of D-Day or so, I think.
Hey, don't forget those really crappy Captain Americas that used to live on over the Solar USA channel. You remember, the one with the transparent shield.
Jim, akin na lang yung American Splendor! Let's make the exchange at R-Jay's party!
My favorite comic book movie moment of all time? I actually have two.
1. Jim, Ryan and myself watching Spiderman and exclaiming "STAN LEE!!!" at the same time!
2. Jim, Ryan and I watching X2 and seeing Colossus and Wolverine together for the first time. "Colossus! Fastball special!!!"
Hehe yeah I remember that Spawn movie. You weren't the only one with a headache after watching that. Though sadly enough, it had great potential but all wasted.
As for Punisher, I thought that Thomas Jane and Dolph Lungren were cast okay but the stories totally sucked. I mean the Jane/ Travolta movie even veered into Wil E. Coyote territory a bit. Eh.
As for Green Lantern/ Jack Black reports, I heard that's been denied and they're still looking for someone else. Also, I think Wesley Snipes is looking into the Black Panther but is kinda wary about being another black superhero.
Hmmm. Interesting choice of movies you'd like to see made.
John Singleton reportedly optioned Luke Cage (aka Power Man) for Sony/Columbia. No casting news on that. The movie appears to be in limbo as well.
Ray Park (aka Darth Maul)has been trying to jump start an Iron Fist movie for Lions Gate Films, the B-Movie outfit that released Farenheit 9/11.
So as not to venture their eggs in one basket, Marvel has sold their properties to several different studios even at the expense of popular team-ups like the Avengers and Power Man and Iron Fist.
The Cap movie...well, the dust has only just settled from the decades-long legal battle between Marvel and Cap's creator, Joe Simon (who at 88 has managed to kick up a hell of a fuss in court). If the process of making the Cap movie is anything like the Spider-Man ordeal, we should see it come out in time for the D-Day centennial or so. ;)
Glad you liked the list, Joey. That reminds me, I've decided to remove Batman Returns and replace it with SPAWN, the only comic-book movie with the distinction of making my head hurt. Judging by my ranking, the logical choice for removal would be Daredevil, but the truth is I'm really pissed at those bastards for raping one of my favorite characters.
More comics and law related posts to follow...
What the heck? I re-posted my comment after checking the blog and seeing that my first comment didn't appear and now I have two comments saying essentially the same thing and...oh never mind. Sorry for the glitch.
Incidentally, Jay, I only just opened my e-mail...is my post the long entertaining read you were mentioning, or am I getting a delayed feed yet again???
Well, get ready for a trip down memory lane as I'm finishing the touches on my next post...
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