Comics to Film

When I look back on my favorite movies of this year, the two at the top of the list (Batman Begins and Sin City) are both based on comic books. Does this mean I’m a real geek for that sort of thing, or do comic books actually have quality stories to offer? Here’s a look at some recent and upcoming comic translations.

The Fantastic Four

Next week brings the second adaptation of Marvel’s first hit comic. (I have seen the Corman Fantastic Four flick, but I won’t go into that here.) I have no affection for the title, as I’ve never read an issue, but I’ll be lining up for the movie anyway. It looks kind of junky, like the Lost in Space movie. Then again, I LIKED the Lost in Space movie.

The latest F4 trailer (the third, I think, if you count the teaser) is full of amazing action. Or at least it’s really cut well. The edits at the end get really rapid, with tons of explosions and death defying acts of daring-do. An old editing trick (put the best big loud stuff in the trailer) but quite effective. I wasn’t the only one impressed, as I heard people around me murmuring “Wow” and other excited noises.

Daredevil

I can’t really understand the hate that Daredevil got. I especially liked the interplay between Daredevil and Jennifer Garner’s Elektra. How fun was that playground scene? The Bullseye character was a tad bit silly, but other than that I liked it a lot. Watch that next to Catwoman, and there’s no comparison.

Catwoman

What went wrong? Maybe they should have trusted the comic character more. The movie could have worked with that strange catsuit. It could have worked with Halle Berry. But it had the worst story and acting ever. Like it was written (down) for children, but why all the sex appeal, then? Yes, Berry was ridiculous, but she can’t take all the blame. Someone DIRECTED her to act that way.

Sin City

Probably the most direct translation of any comic book. Robert Rodriguez proposed to author/artist Frank Miller that they should attempt to just film what’s on the page. They treated the comics like storyboards, and the results were breathtaking. My only problem is the violence in the stories becomes too much to take. If it were three episodes of a weekly show it would have been easier to stomach… and digest. They’ll be addressing that with the DVD release, apparently. Instead of just watching the feature as is, the viewer will have the option of taking it in a piece at a time. Each story will be expanded and presented separately. Great idea. Plans are also in the works to shoot two more Sin City features back to back.

Batman Begins

I loved Tim Burton’s Batman. I liked the sequels, too, even though many think them embarrassing. My Batman comic of choice was always Legends of the Dark Knight, which presented different visions of the characters with every story arc. Some were gritty and realistic, some satirical, some in “elseworld” situations. So I think I was more open to the Joel Schumacher’s approach in his movies.

What makes Batman Begins so amazing is the respect for the characters. The filmmakers take the time to tell us what Bruce Wayne is really all about. They put him in a setting that is believable — Gotham City has a style, to be sure, but it’s not that far from reality. Every step of the way, all the details of the Bat-gadgets, the enemies motives and even their methods are spelled out and made believable. The writers respect the audience and then reward them with a quality movie. I really hope they do more in this style.

Spider-Man 1 & 2

I just watched Spidey 2 again last week, and it affected me as much at home as in the theater. Sam Raimi’s New York is a four color town. It’s populated with archetypes you can care about. Over the course of the movie, you actually feel Peter Parker’s guilt and frustration over the death of his uncle and failure to be “responsible.” And the action scene on the elevated train is one of the best in recent memory.

Hellboy

As a fan of the horror writings of H.P. Lovecraft, I found plenty to like in Hellboy. Nasty monsters from other dimensions, making things generally unpleasant for people in this world. And Hellboy himself is a great character. The movie felt a little like the pilot episode of a TV show in a way, though. I’d watch more episodes, for sure, but it didn’t feel complete in itself. Much like the first X-Men movie. There were rumors for a while of a sequel, but director Guillermo Del Toro is working on a smaller film (Pan’s Labyrinth) first.

A definition of terms

The term “comic book” really has two meanings. There are plenty of great stories that happen to be told in pictures and words, and they often translate well to film — the closest equivalent art form to comics.

“Comic book” can also be a genre. When you say comic to an average person (or studio executive) they are going to think superhero. Which is fine. Right now there’s more superhero movies than ever being made, mainly because Spider-Man went through the roof. If too many fail, we’ll see the pendulum swing back again.

The more cerebral comic adaptations aren’t really dependent on the trend. They didn’t sell Road to Perdition, Sin City, or even Hellboy on the popularity (or lack thereof) of the comics. Such comics aren’t household names, so the movies have to be advertised fresh to the audience. Adapting a brand like X-Men or Batman is usually a safer bet because superheroes already have name-recognition going for them. The same logic applies to the horror remake and TV show remake trends.