Nano-meds need not apply. |
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This is a touchy subject and fans all have their own interpretation for the ingredients that should go into this type of dish. Well since I have a bi-weekly column here on the topic I am going to spew forth mine and there is nothing you can do to stop me. There are some basics you need in order to make the transition from the pages of your favorite books to the big screen. Since you have taken the time to check out my column this week, here is my list in no discernible order.
The back-story
Setting up the origins of the heroes and villains is instrumental in the success of the movie. You have to get it as close to the comic as possible or else you will upset us fans. If the character gains powers from a bite from an enhanced spider, getting bathed in toxic chemicals, having alien physiology, being caught in the fallout of a gamma bomb/storm then you really need to go with that. I can't tell you just how irritated I am that they totally changed how Bruce Banner became The Hulk in 2003's THE HULK. There are just some things that shouldn't be change, Bruce Banner had nothing to do with "nano-anything" in the comic. Why complicate things by making that a factor in the movie? Do yourself a favor and just stick to the basics and you can't lose, it worked for SUPERMAN, BATMAN, SPIDERMAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, DAREDEVIL, GHOST RIDER and PUNISHER (Albeit the last two titles still did not do as well as I was hoping. I am officially cursing Nic Cage for ruining Johnny Blaze's good name and Thomas Jane for not reprising the role of Punisher in this year's 
Fuzzy slippers? Really? |
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PUNISHER: WAR ZONE .)
The look
Comic books tend to make the characters look larger-than-life with muscles structures that are totally unrealistic. I get that. What I am saying is that if Mr. Freeze is a frail old man in the comic, do not (I can't emphasize this enough) have him portrayed by a former body-builder (as was the case in 1997's BATMAN AND ROBIN where he was portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. ) There are certain things you can look past like Wolverine being 5'3" in the comic book but being played by Hugh Jackman in 2000's X-MEN who stands at 6' 2 1/2" or 2003's DAREDEVIL having Kingpin played by African-American Michael Clarke Duncan. There are some things that shouldn't be changed like Mr. Freeze being an old bald scientist or Bruce Banner being a skinny nerd scientist (as apposed to Eric Bana who went on to play Trojan prince Hector in 2004's TROY .)
The setting
Everybody can equate certain heroes with certain locations. New York is where Spiderman, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Daredevil, The Fantastic Four, Punisher, Blade and The X-Men hang out. Superman is either in Smallville or Metropolis and Batman hangs his cape and cowl in Gotham City. Do not put these characters anywhere else. Punisher does not belong in Florida. That fits the character about as much as Greedo shooting first (yeah the analogy has been done to death, but it works.)
Powers and limitations
These is a reason heroes have 
We're not in Florida anymore Toto. |
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weaknesses; it makes their defeat possible and adds to the conflicts involved in the stories. Peter Parker/Spiderman had to mix up his own web-fluid in the comic so he would have to be resourceful and economical with it. It wasn't some infinitely loaded weapon he could just use constantly. I understand that it was a time/story restraint limitation in 2002's SPIDERMAN. That is one exception but you can see where I am going with this right? Doctor Doom didn't have powers in the comic book because it meant he had to invent his armor to fight The Fantastic Four hence using his brains to fight their muscles. I know they had him gain powers in 2005's FANTASTIC FOUR for the same basic reasons as the whole Spiderman/web-fluid debacle. My point is that rules are put in place for a reason, without them you get chaos (or in this case lame plot loopholes.)
It just boggles my mind how a simple idea can get so screwed up in its delivery. The transition from a comic book to a movie should not be that difficult, comics after all are very complex storyboards in a way. It could be so easy to make a movie of our favorite comic book heroes if you just picked up an issue, did the researched and followed my list. Now will big-time production companies do this? Seeing as how I am just one voice in many who all have different ideas but all willing to fork out cash for whatever glossy, CGI enhanced, celebrity cast eye candy filled crap spewed onto the screen I have a feeling I will go unnoticed by execs who might actually have the power to do something about it.
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| Moving Pictures |
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Bringing you a vast wealth of comic book movie knowledge from a 4,000 plus book collection and experience at Rain City Comics.
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| The Alpha Craig |
I am the first and the last, maybe not. I'm 31 years old and still spend my disposable income on comic books. Might as well put it to good use.
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