Resubmitted with more content
I thought it was worth having a look at the history of some of the most influential of our beloved 'Comic Book Movies'! I have decided not to focus on every film ever made - I have instead picked my favourites. If there are more than one film in a series, I have again picked my favourite from that series.
I hope you enjoy it!
Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Plot: To protect a magic talisman from being used for evil, a boy is given the power to become an adult superhero with a single magic word.
Interesting Fact: It was was a twelve-part film serial produced by Republic Pictures in 1941. Often ranked among the finest examples of the form, its release made Captain Marvel the first superhero to be depicted in film. Captain Marvel is portrayed by Tom Tyler who gives a great performance as the character. Ironically, the man-in-flight effect techniques were developed for a Superman film serial that was never produced.
Batman (1966)
IMDb Rating: 6.3
Plot: With the cast from the somewhat succeessful Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. The Dynamic Duo faces four super-villains who plan to hold the world for ransom with the help of a secret invention that instantly dehydrates people. Expect the usual mix of camp action and appearances from almost all Batmans arch enemies!
Interesting Fact: As of 2010, this is the only live-action feature-length Batman film in which Alfred is not played by an actor named Michael. Michael Gough played the part in Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995), and Batman & Robin (1997). 'Michael Caine' took over for Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008)
Adam West on playing Batman
“They were long hours and the Batman was a nut, and in order to play Batman I had to kind of pretend that I fought crime 24 hours a day so that took a little concentration on the job at hand. But it’s pretty gratifying that this reached this kind of pop culture level.”
Superman (1978)
IMDb Rating: 7.3
Plot: The first, and in my opinion, the best Superman film. Unable to convince the ruling council of Krypton that their world will destroy itself soon, scientist Jor-El takes drastic measures to preserve the Kryptonian race: He sends his infant son Kal-El to Earth. There, gaining great powers under Earth's yellow sun, he will become a champion of truth and justice. Raised by the Kents, an elderly farm couple, Clark Kent learns that his abilities must be used for good. The adult Clark travels to Metropolis, where he becomes a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet...and a caped wonder whose amazing feats stun the city: Superman! Meanwhile, Lex Luthor, the world's greatest criminal mind, is plotting the greatest real estate swindle of all time. Can't even the Man of Steel stop this nefarious scheme?
Interesting Fact: The credits sequence cost more than most films made up to that point.
Richard Donner on casting Superman
"I wanted an unknown. We put a search out, and one day in New York, a skinny, kind of blondish/light brown haired kid came in, who I just thought had something about him that stood out. I was wearing horn-rimmed glasses, and I gave them to him to put on. I was totally intrigued with the fact that he could play Superman. That was Christopher Reeve. I always say that he flew into my hotel room. I was convinced that it was him. They wanted a screen test, and I was going to screen test him, so I brought to London and screen-tested him with Jack Palance's daughter Holly, who I had used in The Omen. He was as skinny as the day was long, and I had to put black shoe-polish in his hair to make it look dark, and the costume was baggy and he was sweating like a kid in a sauna with black circles under his arms. In regards to the physicality – he told me that he had been a jock and that he could build up again – because I was convinced that he could do it as an actor, and he convinced me that he could build up again... And he did, in a miraculously short time. We had an Olympic trainer with him who fed him all kinds of special protein diets and had him working out pretty hard and – lo and behold – one day I walked in and there was Superman. I knew he could do it."
IMDb Rating: 7.9
Plot: In some peoples opinion, this is the best animated adaptation of a comic book ever made. A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.
Interesting Fact: The movie consists of 2,212 shots and 160,000 single pictures, 2-3 times more than usual, using 327 different colors (another record in animation film), 50 of which were exclusively created for the film. The reason for this statistic is that most of the movie takes place at night, a setting that is traditionally avoided by animators because of the increased color requirements.
Katsuhiro Ôtomo on what inspired Akira
"…I guess movies from America definitely influenced me. All the movies said to pack up and leave town. Basically, all the movies were about leaving home. Easy Rider was like that. So was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. All the movies were about people who were fed up with their boring lives, so they wanted to go someplace else… I really wanted to leave home too.
Batman (1989)
IMDB Rating: 7.6
Plot: I remember when I saw this for the first time - I was blown away. Jack Nicolsons portrayal of the Joker was spot on. Tim Burtons take on Batman was, although a bit camp by today's standards, just right for the time it was released. In this film The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being the clownishly homicidal Joker.
Interesting Fact: Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Selleck and Bill Murray were all considered for Batman.
Tim Burton looking back on Batman
"I was lucky when I made Batman because, at the time, it felt like new territory. We went back to the traditions of the comic and they were usually light and cartoony. It was exciting. Then, all of a sudden, every comic-book hero is a tortured soul in a funny costume. [Laughs] I think the genre’s always having to reinvent itself and, obviously, comics are a kind of modern folk tale that can stand to be re-told and re-looked at in many different ways. But I think the dark tortured comic-book hero… Well, I think it’s time for a new angle. Maybe it’s time to go back to the brightly coloured cartoon."
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
IMDb Rating: 6.3
Plot: A quartet of humanoid turtles trained by their mentor in ninjitsu must learn to pull together in order to face the menace of Shredder and the Foot Clan.
Interesting Fact: In the Foot Warehouse, the boxes in the foreground near the skate half-pipe read Mirage, which was one the comic book company that originally published Eastman and Laird's Ninja Turtles comic.
Peter Laird, creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on where the idea came from
"My writing partner, Kevin Eastman, and I used to watch all kinds of stupid movies, stupid television shows and read stupid comics. We were sitting around one night when Kevin drew this turtle with a mask and nunchucks strapped to its wrist. It was the silliest and goofiest thing I'd ever seen. I drew my own version of the turtle and we ended up with four sketches. We wondered what we should call them and we eventually came up with the name Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We knew we wanted to turn it into a comic, so we came up with the story later."
The Mask (1994)
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Plot: Stanley Ipkiss is a bank clerk that is an incredibly nice man. Unfortunately, he is too nice for his own good and is a pushover when it comes to confrontations. After one of the worst days of his life, he finds a mask that depicts Loki, the Norse night god of mischief. Now, when he puts it on, he becomes his inner, self: a cartoony romantic wild man. However, a small time crime boss, Dorian Tyrel, comes across this character dubbed "The Mask" by the media. After Ipkiss's alter ego indirectly kills his friend in crime, Tyrel now wants this green-faced goon destroyed.
Interesting Fact: Based on a Dark Horse comic book series of the same name, which frequently comprised very dark horror stories. Chuck Russell has said that the movie script started off in that tone before being transformed as a vehicle for Jim Carrey's unique comedy.
Men in Black (1997)
IMDb Rating: 7.0
Plot: Men in Black follows the exploits of agents Kay and Jay, members of a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth. The two Men in Black find themselves in the middle of the deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies. In order to prevent worlds from colliding, the MiB must track down the terrorist and prevent the destruction of Earth.
Interesting Fact: David Schwimmer was asked to play the role of J before Will Smith, but turned it down.
Will Smith on his character - J
"J is the kind of character who enjoys life and experiencing new things. He also thinks he's the smartest person in the world, so becoming a MiB is the ultimate challenge. Adapting to this new world really drives this character, and the same thing that made him want to be a police officer, to be the guy who serves and protects, is now what makes him want to join the ultimate police force."
X-Men (2000)
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Plot: This was the first of a new generation of comic book movies. In a world where both Mutants and Humans fear each other, Marie D'Ancanto, better known as Rogue, runs away from home and hitches a ride with another mutant, known as Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine. Charles Xavier, who owns a school for young mutants, sends Storm and Cyclops to bring them back before it is too late. Magneto, who believes a war is approaching, has an evil plan in mind, and needs young Rogue to help him.
Interesting Fact: Hugh Jackman's physique looks slightly different in different scenes because he was cast 1.5 months after principal photography had started and kept working out extensively while shooting continued.
Spider-Man (2002)
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Plot: When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a nerdy, shy, and awkward high school student gains spider-like abilities that he eventually must use to fight evil as a superhero after tragedy befalls his family.
Interesting Fact: Pre-production planning for Spider-Man actually began in 1986 by Cannon Films. Later, Cannon sold the production rights to Carolco Pictures. Carolco would later sell the production rights to Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. Sony and Marvel produced the Spider-Man film we see today, released through Sony's Columbia Pictures division.
Willem Dafoe on keeping his performance 'serious' while wearing the Green Goblin costume
"You have to invest it with the same things you invest in any character. Basically, the Goblin is not a reflective character; he's all action and he pushes the action along. And any time he sits out of it too much and comments on it too much, he becomes a little flabby and a little jokey. Sometimes when we were filming, [director Sam Raimi] would cut me loose and I'd fool around. But that kind of stuff never made it to the film."
Superman Returns (2006)
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Plot: After a long visit to the lost remains of the planet Krypton, the Man of Steel returns to earth to become the peoples savior once again and reclaim the love of Lois Lane.
Interesting Fact: The last line of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) (the one before "Returns") is Superman saying to Luthor, "See you in twenty." That scene was filmed in 1986. Coincidentally, twenty years later, in 2006, the next Superman movie was released.
Bryan Singer on his interest in Superman
“…I am adopted and I’m an American, and I’m an only child, and Superman was you know, these three things except what interests me is that he is the ultimate immigrant and he carries his - what makes him different, his special heritage - he carries it with pride. And the suit, in the sense of the suit, he’s very idealistic. Unlike Wolverine [who] is very cynical, Superman is extremely idealistic and kind of represents a bit of what America is and the pitfalls one experiences in their idealism, so I very much like the character. I find him very pleasant. I’d like to think that there were people like Superman or aliens like Superman that existed. Plus, he can do anything.”
Iron Man (2008)
IMDb Rating: 7.9
Plot: Tony Stark is the complete playboy who also happens to be an engineering genius. While in Afghanistan demonstrating a new missile he's captured and wounded. His captors want him to assemble a missile for them but instead he creates an armored suit and a means to prevent his death from the shrapnel left in his chest by the attack. He uses the armored suit to escape. Back in the U.S. he announces his company will cease making weapons and he begins work on an updated armored suit only to find that Obadiah Stane, his second in command at Stark industries has been selling Stark weapons to the insurgents. He uses his new suit to return to Afghanistan to destroy the arms and then to stop Stane from misusing his research.
Interesting Fact: In October 1999, Quentin Tarantino was approached to write and direct the film. Later, Joss Whedon, a big fan of the comic book, was in negotiations to direct the film in June 2001. In December 2004, Nick Cassavetes was hired as a director, with the film to release in 2006, but everything fell through. Finally, Jon Favreau was hired as director in April 2006.
Robert Downey Jr. on what he liked about the character Tony Stark so much
"I think it's what it is about a mythology about a genre picture like this that I thought could be fun and cool and maybe wind up turning into more than another paycheck. His superpower is his mind. His superpower is his ability to invent and I think that's something that all of a sudden makes it applicable to every man, woman and child who will see it. I love this phrase that "there's nothing more serious than a child at play." I know that that's true for me. I think everyone has their thing. I ask around and make it my business to ask someone, "When you're following your joy, what is it?" It tends to be several things but it usually has to do with tinkering with no particular aim, or it's a hobby that's not a hobby at all. It's a complete spiritual endeavor for that man or woman or kid. I think that ultimately, that's what saves his ass in the simplest form of the story is his ability to create out of desperation or loneliness or out of industrialism or patriotism."
IMDb Rating: 8.9
Plot: Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent are forced to deal with the chaos unleashed by an anarchist mastermind known only as the Joker, as it drives each of them to their limits.
Interesting Fact: Despite endless speculation on which actor had been chosen to portray The Joker, Heath Ledger had always been Christopher Nolan's one and only choice for the role. When asked the reason for this unexpected casting, Nolan simply replied, "Because he's fearless." He later said that the two had met up to discuss it before there was even a script for the film.
Heath Ledger on taking over from Jack Nicolson
"I’m not going for the same thing he went for. That would be stupid. It is also two very different directors with different styles. Tim Burton did a more fantastical kind of thing and Chris Nolan is doing nitty gritty handheld realism. I love what [Jack] did and that is part of why I want to do that role. I remember seeing it and thinking how much fun it would be to put on that mask and attempt to do something along those lines. But it would obviously be murder if I tried to imitate what he did."
RIP Heath Ledger - an inspirational actor and a massive loss to film lovers everywhere.
Watchmen (2009)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Plot: In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so discover a deeper and far more diabolical plot.
Interesting Fact: The first official image from director Zack Snyder - a test shot of Rorshach holding The Comedian's button - was actually hidden in a trailer for Snyder's previous film, 300 (2006). It features that film's associate producer, Wesley Coller, wearing a makeshift mask in front of a composite New York backdrop, and was created as an experiment by Snyder to establish the mood and look of his proposed Watchmen project. Snyder's wife, Deborah Snyder, bet him $100 that no one would discover it, while he was convinced that someone would find it almost immediately. He won.
Well - that's it for my take on
Comic Book Movies through the years. Below is a list of the top 5 Comic Book Movies I am most looking forward to in the future!
1. Superman: Man of Steel
2. The Dark Knight Rises
3. Iron Man 3
4. Kick Ass 2: Balls to the Wall
5. The Avengers
References: IMDb, IGN Movies, Superhero Hype, Fry my Bacon Blog