Fantastic Four
in Movies ·
Taste is such a subjective thing. Here we are, just a handful of people who apparently love comic books, all the tropes they come with, and their various screen adaptations. And yet, it’s amazing how differently we can perceive the exact same films. I am quoting Quote : Archangel specifically because he mentioned a whole bunch of comic book movies:
I think the first two Batman movies are great (especially the second one). Both X-Men films are also good. I’d love to catch those old Superman movies that used to air on ABC back when they actually showed them, probably 10 or 15 years ago. It's a shame. 😢
I should also mention Spider-Man. The first one was actually quite fun (even if it wasn't as good as The Dark Knight), and the second one was even better.
Constantine was pretty cool to me; given the scale of the story, I was hoping for some kind of horror or maybe an action-horror vibe. Instead, I got a visual clone of The Matrix—a flick where even a scene involving someone getting tossed from a taxi felt overly stylized. Still, Tilda Swinton as Gabriel was great, and don't even get me started on Rachel Weisz. 🙂
Hellboy was totally entertaining and good. Hellboy is a blast! Plus, Karl Ruprecht Kroenen (the clockwork Nazi robot) is a legend. I've read the comic too, and that was fine as well. You could easily make an interesting horror RPG campaign set in the modern world where players fight against evil Nazi occultists.
Can you believe I haven't seen any of those three films? Nor do I feel like I've missed out much. I suppose that says something about my take on them.
Speaking of those movies, I should mention Hulk. I haven't watched that one either. In terms of adaptation quality, though, Hulk was never really an interesting superhero to me.
To me, it was completely mediocre. I lost interest after about 40 minutes and just went to bed. I'm not entirely sure why: there wasn't anything in that film I hadn't seen in other comic adaptations—over-the-top villains, irritating comedic relief, an angsty hero... For some reason, none of it clicked for me, despite the decent concept.
I watched the old version with Dolph Lundgren, and it was mostly underwhelming. Except! Except for the scene where The Punisher fights an entire school of ninjas and absolutely wipes the floor with them. You know how? While they are busy preparing to use their Japanese martial arts nonsense—katanas, karate, and all that—Dolph pulls out a shotgun and just mows them down. Now THAT is a fighting skill.😈
I watched the film with Jay and Watashi in New York, and personally, I found it absolutely terrible while they seemed to have a blast. It’s similar to my experience with Constantine; perhaps as I get older, I find myself caring more about the narrative and less about the special effects. By that logic, I really should dislike several films, such as Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow or Hellboy, for instance. However, those specific movies feel more like lighthearted fun rather than serious cinema, so any gaps in characterization or plot don't really bother me—if anything, I view them as part of the atmosphere. But when Hollywood tries to deliver what they think is an "impressive" blockbuster that relies entirely on flashy visuals while completely discarding the story and characters, that's when I lose my patience. Special effects are cheap. A solid story and well-developed characters are priceless.
I honestly don't know. My tastes oscillate wildly between one pulp adaptation and the next. I love The Mummy, but The Mummy 2 was a total waste of time. I think Conan is brilliant, whereas Conan sequels, Red Sonja, and The Scorpion King are either mediocre or just unintentional jokes. Go fuckin' figure.
Quote : Archangel said:The best superheroes are Batman and X-Men!
I think the first two Batman movies are great (especially the second one). Both X-Men films are also good. I’d love to catch those old Superman movies that used to air on ABC back when they actually showed them, probably 10 or 15 years ago. It's a shame. 😢
I should also mention Spider-Man. The first one was actually quite fun (even if it wasn't as good as The Dark Knight), and the second one was even better.
And both Constantine and Hellboy are awesome!
Constantine was pretty cool to me; given the scale of the story, I was hoping for some kind of horror or maybe an action-horror vibe. Instead, I got a visual clone of The Matrix—a flick where even a scene involving someone getting tossed from a taxi felt overly stylized. Still, Tilda Swinton as Gabriel was great, and don't even get me started on Rachel Weisz. 🙂
Hellboy was totally entertaining and good. Hellboy is a blast! Plus, Karl Ruprecht Kroenen (the clockwork Nazi robot) is a legend. I've read the comic too, and that was fine as well. You could easily make an interesting horror RPG campaign set in the modern world where players fight against evil Nazi occultists.
If you're looking for bad movies, just go watch Daredevil, Catwoman, or Elektra.
Can you believe I haven't seen any of those three films? Nor do I feel like I've missed out much. I suppose that says something about my take on them.
Speaking of those movies, I should mention Hulk. I haven't watched that one either. In terms of adaptation quality, though, Hulk was never really an interesting superhero to me.
Quote : Spawn (which isn't bad in my opinion)!
To me, it was completely mediocre. I lost interest after about 40 minutes and just went to bed. I'm not entirely sure why: there wasn't anything in that film I hadn't seen in other comic adaptations—over-the-top villains, irritating comedic relief, an angsty hero... For some reason, none of it clicked for me, despite the decent concept.
And let's not forget Mr. "Everyone knows where I live and keeps coming to attack me, but I refuse to move, and in the comics, I'm actually the one seeking them out" The Punisher!
I watched the old version with Dolph Lundgren, and it was mostly underwhelming. Except! Except for the scene where The Punisher fights an entire school of ninjas and absolutely wipes the floor with them. You know how? While they are busy preparing to use their Japanese martial arts nonsense—katanas, karate, and all that—Dolph pulls out a shotgun and just mows them down. Now THAT is a fighting skill.😈
I think the movie is great. Even if Vin Diesel isn't much, everything else is fantastic (especially that Necromonger tech)!
I watched the film with Jay and Watashi in New York, and personally, I found it absolutely terrible while they seemed to have a blast. It’s similar to my experience with Constantine; perhaps as I get older, I find myself caring more about the narrative and less about the special effects. By that logic, I really should dislike several films, such as Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow or Hellboy, for instance. However, those specific movies feel more like lighthearted fun rather than serious cinema, so any gaps in characterization or plot don't really bother me—if anything, I view them as part of the atmosphere. But when Hollywood tries to deliver what they think is an "impressive" blockbuster that relies entirely on flashy visuals while completely discarding the story and characters, that's when I lose my patience. Special effects are cheap. A solid story and well-developed characters are priceless.
I honestly don't know. My tastes oscillate wildly between one pulp adaptation and the next. I love The Mummy, but The Mummy 2 was a total waste of time. I think Conan is brilliant, whereas Conan sequels, Red Sonja, and The Scorpion King are either mediocre or just unintentional jokes. Go fuckin' figure.