Martinex1: In all of Super-Hero cinema, what character was adapted best from the source material? What character's representation was not adapted well at all?
Whether influenced by the acting style, the directorial plan, plot devices, or the writing choices. what character was portrayed most faithfully? And who was not? Hero, villain, or supporting character - share your thoughts about their transition from paper to celluloid.
In my opinion Captain America has overall been a great portrayal of the comic character, while his Avengers teammate Hawkeye I have found lacking. And that is not because I don't like the Hawkeye in cinema; I actually think that Jeremy Renner has done a nice job. As far as an adaptation though, the movie Hawkeye is a far cry from the comic book Hawkeye. Gone is the villainous past, the carnival upbringing, the sarcastic and cocky attitude, the respect for Cap, the distrust of authority, and the cool costume. The screen Hawkeye - family man and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent - is not bad but is also definitely not the same. In the books, I always think of Hawkeye as the heart and humor of the Avengers; he deserves to be in the corner box just as much as the Vision. In the movies he is a sidekick with limited screen time and development. That is just my opinion... now please share yours.
To get your whistles whetted, here is just a partial list of characters who have made it to the big screen (kind of amazing in and of itself actually). In no particular order:
Aunt May, Ben Grimm / Thing, Betty Ross, Dr. Doom, Professor Xavier, Moira MacTaggert, J. Jonah Jameson, Gwen Stacy, T'Challa / Black Panther, Red Skull, Loki, Jean Grey, Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Bucky Barnes, Dum Dum Dugan, Gamora, Abomination, Sif, Odin, Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Bruce Wayne / Batman, Pa Kent, Lois Lane, Blade, Wonder Woman, Nick Fury, Perry White, Rocket Raccoon, Alfred, Catwoman, Baron Zemo, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Cyclops, Beast, Norman Osborn / Green Goblin, Magneto, Penguin, Joker, Mary Jane Watson, Star-Lord, Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, Iceman, Rogue, Wolverine, Electro, Ronan, Doctor Octopus, Ultron, Quicksilver, Thor, Tony Stark / Iron Man, Clark Kent / Superman, Thunderbolt Ross, Jimmy Olson, Riddler, Robin, Ant-Man, Hank Pym, Falcon, Happy Hogan, Flash Thompson, Mr, Freeze, Lizard, Jane Foster, The Comedian, Johnny Storm / The Human Torch, War Machine, Bruce Banner / Hulk, Uncle Ben, Havok, Banshee, Jasper Sitwell, Ma Kent, Venom, Jor-El, Pepper Potts, Colossus, Deadpool, Jarvis, Bane, Ra's al Ghul, The Mandarin, Justin Hammer, Sue Richards / Invisible Woman, Peggy Carter, Sharon Carter, Storm, Wasp, Mystique, Whiplash, Yellowjacket, Hogun, Heimdall, Groot, The Collector, Arnim Zola, Silver Surfer, and Thanos. Nuff said.
Showing posts with label Spider-Man movie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spider-Man movie. Show all posts
Friday, June 17, 2016
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Superhero Movies -- Data for Discussion, courtesy of the Washington Post
Doug: I read the following article from a link on Twitter last night and I thought I'd bring it over here for discussion over the weekend. All words and graphics are copyright the Washington Post and the authors and creators named within, and no infringement of those rights is intended. Hey, around here we just need a good topic to discuss!
The biggest superhero movie flops and successes of all time
| A scene from the film, "Fantastic Four," in U.S. theaters on Aug. 7, 2015. (Twentieth Century Fox via AP) |
This summer’s “Fantastic Four” could turn out to be one of the biggest superhero movie flops of all time.
But the real embarrassment was the critical reaction. The movie has a 9 percent rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest score earned by the dozens of films that have been based on Marvel comics.
Film studios have released a barrage of superhero movies in the past few decades, ranging from flops like the “Fantastic Four” to successes like 2012’s “The Avengers." And as the charts below show, the competition between the two main superhero franchises, Marvel and DC comics, shows no signs of slowing.
Marvel has Spider-Man, Wolverine and the rest of the X-Men, Captain America and the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. DC, on the other hand, gave the world Superman, Batman, Catwoman, the Joker, and Wonder Woman. The two franchises have been battling for eyeballs since the 1930s, but have seen their rivalry strengthen with the growing popularity of the big budget Hollywood superhero movie.
As the graphic below shows, movies based on DC Comics characters outpaced those of Marvel before 2000, including "Superman" in 1978, "Batman" in 1989, and "Batman and Robin" in 1997.
But in the last 16 years, the Marvel franchise caught up fast. According to data from Box Office Mojo, 36 superhero films have been released based on Marvel comics since 2000, including "X-Men" in 2000, "Spider-Man" in 2002, and "Iron Man" in 2008.
In terms of how individual movies have performed at the box office, however, Marvel and DC are more neck-and-neck.
The charts below show how the top five grossing movies based on Marvel and DC comics, with box office revenues adjusted for inflation. Marvel's top five grossing movies (in red) only earned about $139 million more than DC's films (in blue) have.
One interesting thing is how much of a mark DC's classic movies made -- "The Dark Knight" (2008) is its top earner, but the original "Batman" (1989) ranks second, and "Superman" (1978) and "Batman Forever" (1995) also make the list.
The next chart shows the five least successful movies from Marvel and DC in terms of box office revenues. Here, earnings from movies based on Marvel comics outstrip those based on DC comics by about $72 million.
The record among critics, shown in the chart below, is a little more mixed. For whatever reason, Marvel films seem to do better on Rotten Tomatoes, while DC films fare well on Metacritic. Here are the Marvel and DC superhero movies with the best and worst reviews of all time:
Part of the reason for Marvel's success may be the strategy. By creating so movies around individual characters, and then tying their story lines together in a big ensemble movie like "The Avengers," the franchise has connected audiences with unfamiliar characters.
Competitors have taken notice. In March, Warner Brothers is due to release a new superhero movie in which DC's favorite sons, Superman and Batman, face off against one another, "putting mankind in greater danger than it's ever known before." Given that kind of rivalry, expect more superhero battles to come.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Ranking the Marvel Movies
Doug: In our discussion of the Ant-Man film a few days ago, the conversation turned to our rankings of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This weekend, let's go ahead and do that as a formal activity. Feel free to rank your favorites across the MCU, and tell us some favorite scenes or lines from those movies. And, if you're so inclined, why not repeat the drill but while adding in the non-MCU flicks such as the Spider-Man and X-Men films. Should be fun to see everyone's perceptions!
Doug: So in the post last Thursday, I commented as such --
My ranking of MCU films would be similar to William's, although I'm not certain but that I would have Winter Soldier at the top or at least tied with the first Avengers film. So, for controversy's sake:
1. Avengers
2. Winter Soldier
3. Iron Man
4. Avengers: Age of Ultron
5. Captain America
6. Ant-Man (?)
And then darned if Martinex1 didn't remind me of the Guardians of the Galaxy! Duh to me... So, in the spirit of commenting revisionism, here's how I'd probably revise my list (but ask me again in two hours and you might get something different) --
1. Avengers
2. Captain America: Winter Soldier
3. Iron Man
4. Avengers: Age of Ultron
5. Captain America: The First Avenger
6. Guardians of the Galaxy
7. Ant-Man
8. Iron Man 2
9. Thor
10. Thor: The Dark World
Now, if I wrap in my thoughts on the non-MCU films, the two Thor movies are going to get the heave ho. Here's how I'd see it now (again, could turn in a minute):
1. Avengers
2. Captain America: Winter Soldier
3. Iron Man
4. Avengers: Age of Ultron
5. Captain America: The First Avenger
6. Spider-Man 2
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
8. Ant-Man
9. X2: X-Men United
10. Iron Man 2
So where do you stand. Right now, that is...
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Who's the Best... Depiction of a Marvel Character in Film?
Doug: Best, favorite, "big kudo for a great performance"... -- you decide how you want to deal with this. And in a week, we'll look at this on the flipside. Save your disappointments for that coming "Who's the Worst...?"
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Who's the Best... First Film in a Series or Franchise?
Doug: Sheesh -- it's a Who's the Bestapalooza this week! Third one! So, which inaugural installment got it right the first time?
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Discuss: The Best Depiction of a Marvel Character on Film
Doug: Any character from any Marvel movie -- who's tops in your book, even if you didn't like the particular film he/she was in?
Friday, April 6, 2012
Sunday, January 16, 2011
New Spider-Man, Captain America and Thor Movie Photos!
Doug: Hey, everyone! I saw these pictures Thursday and Friday over at www.comicscontinuum.com and thought I'd pass them on. Thoughts?
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