From Page to Screen: Comic Book Adaptations in 2011

I love comic book movies. I always have. I’ve never really been a comic book reader, but I stand by my stance that they can be great source material for blockbusters. I was in elementary school when Bryan Singer’s first X-Men movie came out, and I was completely awe-struck. The atmosphere, the characters, the visuals; these were characters I was familiar with but had never even imagined in that light. They seemed real. Needless to say, there is a certain nostalgia that overtakes me to this day when I think about that film. And so each year I look forward to the next crop of comic book superhero films.

Great superhero films have entertained many of us over the last ten or so years. Longer, even, if you want to include Tim Burton’s Batman and Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie. Filmmakers consistently prove that comic books provide a wealth of potential for great films. However, like in any genre of film, there are successes and failures. And boy does the comic book genre have some stinkers. For every X-Men, there’s a Fantastic 4. For every Batman Begins there’s an Elektra. For every Spider-man 2 there’s a Spider-man 3. Every year I become more discerning about the comic book adaptations coming out. Every year I feel like I’m better able to judge them more on their merits as films and be less blinded by seeing childhood icons in live-action.

This summer there is a barrage of comic book adaptations on the release schedule. Some may call it overloaded, but really as a film goer I feel like I benefit. There is a lot of potential for each adaptation to entertain me. But I fear that not all of these films will. Some are bound to disappoint. The nature of this crowded market is that not all of these films will be made with passion and care. And now that I’ve seen trailers for the summer’s major releases, I’ve developed my expectations on which films I think are most likely to succeed. Expectations may in the end bias me, or hinder my enjoyment of them due to overhype, but nonetheless I have them and feel compelled to share.

View my thoughts on this year's super hero film trailers after the jump.

Thor

May 6th

I like the trailer for Thor. I think the casting of Chris Hemsworth is perfect. He strikes me as enough of a badass to really get my blood pumping and the action depicted in the trailer seems to match that assumption. I really am hoping for the best for this film but I can’t help but worry for it as well. It opens on the same weekend Iron Man did three years ago. No one expected that to be the hit is was. Now the expectation is for Thor to match that success and it won’t be easy. But for my money, Thor looks like it’s got a pretty good shot. Can’t argue with the director either. Kenneth Branagh is known for adapting Shakespeare to the big screen. He was a surprising choice who adds a lot of legitimacy to this film.

Priest

May 13th

Priest is based on a Korean comic series that I had never heard of until I read up on the upcoming film. The trailer looks cool but that’s about the only positive thing I have to say about it. It has a been-there-done-that feeling to it. I kept thinking about the Blade film series while watching the trailer, like Blade set in a post-apocalyptic world. It also has the unfortunate luck of being released on the second weekend in May, which hasn’t led to the best box office results in recent history. I would be surprised if this one became a critical or commercial success.

X-Men: First Class

June 3rd

X-Men films make me nervous. X-Men and X2 were great. X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine were decidedly not. So the odds of this film being good are 50/50. The trailer certainly interests me, though. I like the period setting. I love the inclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis. And the promise of the film being primarily driven by the interaction between Xavier and Magneto excites beyond belief. That was one of the best things about the first two movies; their connection and the tension that resulted. I just hope the film doesn’t get bogged down by too many supporting characters like the last two films. And Fox studio executives make me nervous too. Fox is notorious for meddling with their films for the worse. I can only hope director Matthew Vaughn held his ground against the studio and made a good film.

Green Lantern

June 17th

Before I saw any of the summer’s trailers, Green Lantern was the project I had the most faith in. I hoped for a super hero space opera, grand in scope and scale and serious in tone. Furthermore, Green Lantern is a hero whose powers revolve around creating objects based on his imagination and so the film had the potential to be one of the most visually ambitious super hero flicks. The icing on the cake was director Martin Campbell. After Casino Royale, this guy had my complete faith. But the trailer left little for me to look forward to. Its bad comedy made me think the film was trying too hard to copy the charm of Iron Man. And so much for it being visually arresting. Here is a character that can create literally anything he can imagine and the best I can see in the trailer is a giant fist. Is that it? Plus the special effects look fake, even the costume. I’m not trying to put the nail in the coffin, but this one’s got a lot of work to do to make me feel better. Oh and The Dark Knight called. It wants its colored fire back.

Captain America: The First Avenger

July 22nd

This trailer looks like it’s going to make an entertaining movie. It’s just not what I pictured in my mind. I imagined the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan with a super hero storming the beaches of Normandy alongside the troops. I like the idea of a super hero period film, but it looks too colorful and comic-esque. I can’t help but fear the film will feel like a prequel to G.I. Joe. But I think this is just a case of my own imagination conflicting with the film itself. It doesn’t mean it will disappoint. What does worry me is the subtitle. I’m afraid that this film, as well as Thor, will focus too much on setting up The Avengers in 2012 and forget to make a self contained film. Those disappointed by Iron Man 2 know exactly what I’m talking about.

Cowboys & Aliens

July 29th

Like Priest, Cowboys & Aliens was a property I was unaware of until I heard of the film. Unlike Priest however, this film excites me. In fact, this in my most anticipated film of the summer. What’s not to love about this film? Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford are certified badasses. Jon Favreau, hot off the heels of Iron Man, is directing. The trailer looks fantastic. It promises great action and a simple execution on a high concept.

And I love the title.