A Simple Question Regarding Character Adaptation to Film

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.

Who's the Worst... Suspension of Disbelief? Plus - 1st Civil War Trailer!

Doug: Today we're asking you for the most egregious request that you suspend your disbelief. Myself -- I need to ponder this one for a bit. But the first thing that came to mind? See below (even when I was 11 I was like "no way..."):

Doug: And, whether you saw it last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live, or have seen it around the interwebs this morning, the first Captain America: Civil War trailer is out. Wowza, I say!

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!

Wonkblog

The biggest superhero movie flops and successes of all time

By Ana Swanson and Shelly Tan August 14 at 7:32 AM

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. 

 

The movie had a disappointing opening weekend, grossing only about $26 million at the box office.

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.

The Man Crate

Doug: Last Tuesday I was contacted by the Community Manager for Man Crates. She'd done some homework on blogs that deal with 1970s and '80s nostalgia, and felt the Bronze Age Babies and its readers would be a good landing point for some help. You can check out the company's website and offerings by clicking here. Personally, I think this is a great idea! In fact, I'm going to suggest my new daughter-in-law take a look at the website. Apparently the folks at Man Crate would like to add to their product line and introduce a new crate -- one geared to "people of a certain age". That's where we come in!

Doug: I was asked to lead this off with my own opinions on what I would like to receive in such a gift package. So I'm going to throw out some suggestions, not really knowing if some of these things are still being made -- but they make me think of my childhood and high school years!

1. Candy bars like Reggie, Whatchamacallit, PB Max... I can recall a time in college when the Mars company did a test market in the Peoria, IL area. Peoria's one of the slice-of-America cities that has demographics that make it perfect for such things. Anyway, my mates and I rolled into the lunch room one day to find a nice lady holding a basket of these PB Max candy bars. We'd never heard of them, but let's face it -- chocolate, peanut butter, and crunchies is a formula for success. Being brash young men, we asked if we could take more than one. She said "help yourselves". Whoa... so we each grabbed a couple, and 3-4 more on the way out. We spent the afternoon listening to music and eating candy. And we were so sick I don't recall that we went to supper that evening. But those candy bars were awesome. Other novelties from the corner store included wax lips and candy necklaces.
2. I'd put a copy of one of the Panini Marvel Pocketbook digests in the crate. Again, Edo Bosnar turned me on to these things some months ago, and I now own four with a fifth pre-ordered. They're just great -- the price is unbeatable. Here's a link to those books, on sale from the Book Depository in the UK. I'd definitely toss in one of the Spider-Man or Avengers books, as they're quite Bronze Age.
3. I'm trying to think of movies that I just love -- films that I'll stop and watch whenever I see them on TV. My first inclination is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but since that's not Bronze Age I'll offer up any of the Planet of the Apes movies, Jaws, Animal House, Stripes, and of course Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Superman The Movie, and Rocky. You couldn't go wrong with a DVD set of the $6 Million Man, either. Or the original Battlestar Galactica. And here's a thought -- what about a couple of actors who link the beginning of the Bronze Age to near its end? Take Harrison Ford: American Graffiti, Star Wars, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Or John Travolta? Welcome Back Kotter, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and Urban Cowboy?
4. I think a toy of some sort should be in the crate. My go-to back in elementary school was of course the line of Mego action figures -- the World's Greatest Super-Heroes, but beyond that too. DC recently made some retro facsimiles. Another sort of toy I played with through junior high and high school were the various games from Mattel Electronics. I had the second version of the football game and played it endlessly. Many years later, Mattel revived the line and my wife and I, both with fond memories of those, bought a couple for our sons.
5. Lastly, I'd put some snacks in the crate. But old stuff -- Bugles, Hostess Twinkies or fruit pies, Fresca, maybe a Jiffy Pop.

Some of you may recall a post called Take 5: Fabulous Childhood Memories. Today's offering evokes that sentiment -- kindly refer to it if you need further inspiration. I know I can't wait for the comments to begin, because there will be many great suggestions! After all, I didn't even mention music...!

Take a Stand - First and Second Movie Installments

Doug: We're back with another request for you to "take a stand" -- to declare which of the following pair of films, as a pair, was your favorite. Today we're looking at three movie series that were blockbusters in the Bronze Age. Each of these movies spawned several sequels, but I think among those of us assembled today we'd agree that the first two films in each series were the best. Now, hopefully for today's discussion you can reflect on your first viewing of the two films. Of course, in today's age of video rentals, digital viewing, etc. it's quite possible that someone may not have seen these movies in any sort of close temporal proximity to each other. Be that as it may, here's your charge: of the three film "franchises" below, which had your favorite first two installments? And you have to take them as a couplet -- no "well, I liked the first one here but that second film over there was way better!" Nope... take a stand!





Jaws and Jaws 2

 

 Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back

 

Superman: The Movie and Superman II

Who's the Worst... Superhero Movie?

True or False: Christopher Reeve Will Always Own the Role of Superman

 

Doug:  Comments today should leave Man of Steel unspoiled.  We're just talking actors and their portrayal of Superman/Clark Kent.  Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Discuss: Movie Themes of the 1970's

Doug:  Instrumentals or with vocals (Blondie's Call Me from American Gigolo?) -- all are fair game today!

Face-Off: The Iconic DC Actors

Doug:  Since we're in between our 2-part look at Alex Ross's and Paul Dini's Superman: Peace on Earth, I thought we'd pause for a bit and ponder a question.  The inspiration for said question was an article in the recent treasury-sized issue of Back Issue! magazine.  One of my favorite "big books" of the 1970's was the Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez-illustrated Superman vs. Wonder Woman.  At the beginning of the article was a photo of television's Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, with co-star Lyle Waggoner.  And here's what immediately leapt to mind:

DC has struggled (sometimes mightily) in getting any traction under Superman and/or Wonder Woman projects on the big or small screens since the late 1970's; Superman has obviously been involved in a few long-running series like Lois and Clark and Smallville, but do Bronze Agers think of Dean Cain and Tom Welling first when they think of Supes?  And part of that may be due in no small part to the performances and general looks of actors Christopher Reeve as Superman and the aforementioned Carter.  Any actors who venture into those iconic costumes are forever measured against what for many Bronze Age Babies remain the definitive performances of those two characters.  So, finally, here's the question:  Between Christopher Reeve and Lynda Carter, who will "own" their trademark role the longest?

You'll Believe a Man Can Fly

Karen: Since we've been reviewing John Byrne's Man of Steel mini, how about thoughts on one of its inspirations, Superman: The Movie?