Appreciation Thread: Comic Book Movies!

[mabus]

In this dark era of our country, with high unemployment, politicians fighting over trivial bullshit, while bigger problems go purposely ignored, people who attempt to fix some of bigger problems visciously attacked....I like to stop every now and then and find the good out there.

I think it's time to start some appreciation threads for life now, so it's not all bad!

The first one is a big one for my movie loving self: Comic Book movies.

Damn, what a Golden Age this is for comic book movie fans!

I just rewatched the new trailer for Green Lantern, which looks to be the most authentic comic book movie yet.

Growing up, we had to tolerate a 1% or 2% comic book movie/TV series.
Basically, if they got 2% or 3% right...people rejoiced.
And it really was that bad.

We had Spiderman re-runs, where Spiderman never met anyone from the comic, just thugs and common criminals that the cops could stop.

NOTE: The reason superheroes existed, was to fight off criminals that the cops COULDN'TSTOP. If you were given the power of the Human Torch, having that awesome of power, and going up against bank robbers...come on, any cop can stop a bank robber! No, you were expected to repel the alien invasion! That's why Superman constantly fighting Lex Luthor in the movies got fans teed off - at some point, the humans already on Earth can handle up on Luthor. We want to see Superman take on Martian Tripods, or something!

Then you had The Incredible Hulk.....played by two amazing actors I must say, Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno.
And....that was it.
No Rick Jones, Leader, Betty Ross, General Ross, Tony Stark...nothing.
The Hulk got created by a cancer fighting machine, not by a spectacular nuclear explosion. He wasn't even that strong - he'd run away from bullets, and eventually died by falling out of a helicopter! Again, he's fought basic thugs that any cop about to go grab a donut could handle up on.
They couldn't even call him "Bruce" Banner, because that was too "gay" sounding! (Stan Lee was not happy about that one.....)

Batman - the Joker killed Bruce Wayne's parents. Even though in the comic...he didn't.

They're obviously will always have to change story to fit time contraints - they can't have a 27 hour movie that leads up to ONE villain appearing.

And aside from Tim Burton's Batman and Richard Donner's Superman, there was no A-List talent involved with these movies

Now: MY GOODNESS!
Green Lantern, for example:
Director - Martin Campbell.
Stars - all excellent to perfect - Mark Strong, Ryan Reynolds, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Duncan Clark, Peter Saarsgard, Tim Robbins....etc. etc.
Characters - ALL from the comic book, Hector Hammond, Hal Jordon, Kiliwog, etc.

Add to this, Chris Nolan's Batman trilogy, Sam Raimi's Spiderman (Kinda ignoring part 3...) Thor, Watchmen, X-Men (kinda ignoring Part 3...but First Class is looking better and better...) Captain America, Priest, Iron Man, the upcoming Avengers......

Hopefully this trend gets better and better......

 

[MrMacphisto]

Batman... hell yeah... 😀

 

[Barney Stubble]

Who would you say pulled off the best portrayal of the Joker?

Ceasar Romero? Jack Nicholson? or Heath Ledger?

 

[CrystalLight]

Who would you say pulled off the best portrayal of the Joker?

Ceasar Romero? Jack Nicholson? or Heath Ledger?

omfg.


Best question ever.


S'funny for me.

Nicholson captured the more comedic essence of Joker.

But Ledger really owned up to the deeper, darker side that I don't think I'll ever see again.

They mutually owned the role and owned it well. But each on a different level.

 

[Filthyweasel]

^ what she said.

 

[Barney Stubble]

Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there, Crystal. It's tough to pick a fav because all of them brought out different aspects of the character really well. Even Ceasar Romero's take on the Joker really fit the campy genre of the old Batman TV series.

Nicholson? Well he's Nicholson no matter what role he plays. Notice his role as the Joker didn't type cast him. He went on doing other things. His Joker had Nicholson's trademark "you really don't want to fuck with me" attitude.

Ledger? His portrayal was probably the best acting of the three. His character was really disturbing on so many levels. Of the three, he seemed to delve the most deeply into the Joker's psychosis. Probably too deep.

 

[Snail Shell]

Who would you say pulled off the best portrayal of the Joker?

Ceasar Romero? Jack Nicholson? or Heath Ledger?

The role of Batman has changed a great deal over the course of the decades. While everyone's always going to have their preferences, one thing is certain: The Joker is a recurring role in history that has been played nearly perfectly in every incarnation. Romero, Nicholson, Ledger, Mark Hamill (Batman: TAS) and Kevin Michael Richardson (The Batman) have all suited the role as the role needed suiting in each version of Batman.

That said, there can't be another Joker while Christopher Nolan is in charge of the series. Ledger defined the role for our generation and it will be a good 15 - 20 years and another director before anyone will come close to doing the role justice.

SS

 

[phant0m]

Don't forget the animated comic book movies! Even though they are a little more hit or miss than the live action ones, there have been some great ones in the past decade.

Green Lantern: First Flight, Ultimate Avengers, Black Panther, Batman: Under the Red Hood, and so many others...

 

[CrystalLight]

Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there, Crystal. It's tough to pick a fav because all of them brought out different aspects of the character really well. Even Ceasar Romero's take on the Joker really fit the campy genre of the old Batman TV series.

Nicholson? Well he's Nicholson no matter what role he plays. Notice his role as the Joker didn't type cast him. He went on doing other things. His Joker had Nicholson's trademark "you really don't want to fuck with me" attitude.

Ledger? His portrayal was probably the best acting of the three. His character was really disturbing on so many levels. Of the three, he seemed to delve the most deeply into the Joker's psychosis. Probably too deep.

I was totally too young to even know anything about this Ceasar Romero fella. So I can only go off of Ledger and Nicholson. But the name sounds sickly familiar.

This is all being typed with the laziness of not wanting to look it up. Just sayin'.

 

[Soda Bobinski]

I was totally too young to even know anything about this Ceasar Romero fella. So I can only go off of Ledger and Nicholson. But the name sounds sickly familiar.

This is all being typed with the laziness of not wanting to look it up. Just sayin'.

He's the dude from the old Batman TV show who had his Joker make-up applied on OVER his freakin' mustache.

 

[General Zod]

Thankfully,Zod will be in the next Superman movie. maybe this time he will kick Superman's ass. Just sayin'