# Marvel making bad films



## Space Monkey (Dec 7, 2004)

Did anyone else see the absolute tragic, embarassing remake of the Punisher?
The comic is great, the character is dark but this was just the hokiest piece of crud I ever saw.

It's about time they made Gambit featuring Archangel as a guest.  For every good adaptation, they make two lousy ones, not mentioning names (Ben Plastic as DareDevil?????)

Grrrr bah humbug, thank god for Spider-Man and Sam Raimi.  And Blade.  And the Hulk - that was awesome too.  And X-men.  Okay, so maybe I don't have a point, but Ben Affleck and whoever that goober was that played Frank Castle need locking away in a cellar with the Scarabs from the Mummy Returns.


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## Leto (Dec 7, 2004)

Space Monkey said:
			
		

> It's about time they made Gambit featuring Archangel as a guest.  For every good adaptation, they make two lousy ones, not mentioning names (Ben Plastic as DareDevil?????)
> .


Please no ! The last time those two has been associated in a comics, it was horribly wrtten.  In movies it could only be worse. 

Beside in general movie adaptation of comics are lousy at best. Except Spiderman, Batman (1st one) and to a lesser extend X-men and Hellboy. Which mixed the essence of the comic to the talent of the director (and actors) yet didn't try to be strictly in cannon. 
For the Blade I don't have enough comics reference to judge. For me it's just another action movie. And LXG the movie is almost not related to the comic by Alan Moore.

This said, Marvel and DC have realized that comics movie were fashionable and per se bankable. We'll have tons of bad flicks : Punisher (although I don't care for the comics), Constantine (Keanu Reeves nuff' said), Fantastic Four, Elektra, and so on...


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## Brian G Turner (Dec 7, 2004)

Leto said:
			
		

> This said, Marvel and DC have realized that comics movie were fashionable and per se bankable.


More like the company liquidating a bankrupt Marvel USA realised that there was a goldmine in film rights to sell off. 

I had a drink with one of the editors at Marvel UK a few weeks back - he says that Spiderman sells more comics in the UK than the USA. Pretty incredible, really, but apparently the US comic market practically collapsed in the 1990's, and the US lost a heck of a lot of it's comic shops. That's why they introduced the free comic events, in an attempt to revive the US comics market. 

I'm sure there's a few more comic characters to follow though, as the ones that commercially transfer to the big screen encourages other rights to become bought up.


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## Foxbat (Dec 7, 2004)

There's a rumour doing the rounds that Green Lantern is being touted for moviedom as (wait for it)....a comedy!


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## Space Monkey (Dec 7, 2004)

Anyone here read Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon?  Its one of the remaining titles on Image comics (with Todd McFarlane's Spawn - my hands down favourite) and I think that would make an absolute killer film.  The dragon is awesome.


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## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Dec 8, 2004)

Hey, I've read a few issues of Savage Dragon, I think! He was this cop who had some sort of ghastly run-in and is now a crocodile man sort of creature, right?


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## Morning Star (Dec 8, 2004)

Savage Dragon is an awesome title. I enjoyed Super Patriot as well. However, Spawn the movie was pretty rubbish I thought (though I loved the soundtrack which I listen to often.)

Admittedly it would be hard to make Spawn into a movie that everyone would love I suppose. I'm surprised you liked Hulk, Space Monkey.

That is a strange fact Brian, however Marvel really began alienating themselves from their fanbase. I think the biggest drop in sales came from the Clone saga in the late 90's (involving Jackal and Scarlet Spider) shortly after that Peter Parker retired (trying a whole Batman/knightfall move, which didnt work either)

Anybody see the live action Guyver? It was so cheesey and ultraviolent!!! Like taking Power Rangers and having them tear the heads off the bad guys.

I loved it!


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## angrybuddhist (Dec 10, 2004)

I don't really care for Ben Affleck either, but I think Daredevil is one of the best comic book movies ever made. Can't wait for Elektra. The movie industry will continue to pound out comic book adaptations since they come with a built in audience, which is okay with me. I believe I may even see a movie version of Kabuki, by my favorite comic book author and artist, David Mack.


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## McMurphy (Dec 11, 2004)

*Hollywood Making Bad Films...Surprised?*

I really don't think the poor quality in the film adaptions of our favorite comic book characters has anything to actually do with which comic company is behind the leasing out of the character in question.

My major complaint falls at the feet of the directors and screenwriters of these films. As a general criticism meant towards Hollywood, hacks and marketers need to stop being in the creative helm of these projects. Savage Dragon, which I really enjoy (Erik Larson is from Minnesota-yay!), will have a bad movie adaption just like Punisher if it is business like usual.

Alan Moore's League of Extrodinary Men and From Hell were both savagely gutted by Hollywood. Neither were originally published by Marvel as far as I know. 

Only when the films are extremely bad yet contain some sort of wierd charisma, such as Tank Girl or Howard the Duck, do the comic-movie genre seem to have any true cult following. 

I really, really hope that Batman Begins and Frank Miller's Sin City with be the exceptions to this rule and stand on their own as artistic cinema achievements.


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## Brian G Turner (Dec 11, 2004)

*Re: Hollywood Making Bad Films...Surprised?*



			
				McMurphy said:
			
		

> My major complaint falls at the feet of the directors and screenwriters of these films.


No - put it at the feet of the execs, who see films as nothing but profit-gernating products. And that means working to the lowest common denominator, to try and hit the widest market share.

Actually, even when put it those terms, the execs are simply trying to pander to the consumer. So you could even blame the consumer for having poor taste in the first place.


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## McMurphy (Dec 11, 2004)

There is certainly enough blame to go around. I suppose that is a warranted correction. I had a friend who worked for Disney and then Miramax; she hated filtering the good scripts to her executive bosses because it would ultimately lead to a boardroom session of out-of-touch unartistic people making baffling changes to the story (ie: "I like giant robotic spiders. Put that in the margin"). I have heard that, often, screenplays by first time or with little influence writers are so hacked and changed that they barely resemble the original version.


On the topic of comic stores closing in the United States, I have noticed that the large majority that did somehow survive the collecting fall-out of the '90s have adapted a toy and merchandise focus to the contents of their outlets. Heck, it is really stretching it when they label themselves comic book stores these days.


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## silvercloak (Dec 12, 2004)

Space Monkey said:
			
		

> Anyone here read Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon?  Its one of the remaining titles on Image comics (with Todd McFarlane's Spawn - my hands down favourite) and I think that would make an absolute killer film.  The dragon is awesome.




Savage Dragon does rule. I haven't read it anything new since about #33 (hehe) though, due to my brother not buying them anymore. (That was about 7 years ago and he still lived at home). But I do still have fond memories of it. 

If someone could pull it off, a few Grendel comics would be amazing (i.e. Warchild), or even Frank Miller. But i would not want to see Frank Miller's genius Sin City become **** like Daredevil, and Blade. (No offense, I found the Blade movies atrocious.)


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## Alysheba (Dec 29, 2004)

The execs seem to think that they know how to appeal to the masses when it comes to creating a comic on the big screen. The thing is, they often leave out the true story and add a bunch of Hollywood fluff which anyoys the hell out of the real backers of these types of films. Those being the fans of the comics themselves. People went to see "Spider-Man" and X-Men several times because those people got it right for the most part. I rented "The Punisher" and I thank God I only spent $4 and not $10. It was crap. The lead character was worse than watching paint dry and they tried to humanise him too much. The character was dark, mysterious, and unremorsefull. Not just a typical tourtured soul. However, that must have been too dark for the producers of the film and in the end they gave him a soft side. Not that it mattered much after the first 5 minutes of watching the actor that played Castle.


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## Leto (Dec 29, 2004)

Alysheba said:
			
		

> I rented "The Punisher" and I thank God I only spent $4 and not $10. It was crap. The lead character was worse than watching paint dry and they tried to humanise him too much. The character was dark, mysterious, and unremorsefull. Not just a typical tourtured soul.


At least, they're loyal to the comic here.

Now fear the most, Ghost Rider is scheduled for filming in february with Nicolas Cage in the title role (the Johnny Blaze version)


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## Alysheba (Dec 29, 2004)

I remember while back they said Nick Cage was up for superman. Which led me to believe that all studio execs are ruled by Satan. Which they are to an extent. I don't recall super-man being a balding string bean. LOL...


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## polymorphikos (Jan 25, 2005)

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/fantastic_four

I am of a mixed opinion, yet unsure of why.


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## erickad71 (Jan 25, 2005)

I saw the same trailer this past Saturday when my daughter and I saw Elektra at the theater(you guys are such an influence...I had to correct myself, wanting to put "re" instead of "er" in "theater").  It looks like it will be a lot of fun to see...but then I'm not a big comic book fan.


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## Alysheba (Jan 25, 2005)

I want to see "The Fantastic Four" you can't tell a whole lot from the teaser, but I'm a fan of Ioan Gruffudd. It'll be interesting to see how he pulls off Mr. Fantastic. I just hope I don't keep seeing Horatio Hornblower.


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## Brian G Turner (Jan 27, 2005)

Why is Reed Richards played by someone young??

 I mean aside from marketing purposes.


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## polymorphikos (Jan 27, 2005)

Why is Jessica Alba playing anyone? These are the questions eternal.

(Also, note that Ioan Gruffudd does have greying temples in this. The years have ravaged him, it seems).


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## Leto (Jan 27, 2005)

The question is "Is Jessica Alba playing ?" Never strucked me by her actress talent.


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## Circus Cranium (Jan 27, 2005)

Oh man. I was so excited for Fantastic Four. But that looks like some BAD casting to me. It's like Marvel 90210.


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