Thursday, June 14, 2007

Harpies, Hotheads, and Other Such Heroes: Thoughts on Comic Books on the Big Screen

I know, I know, Gentle Reader. I just said, not a few hours ago, that I had Nothing For You Today. And I asked you, yes, You, for suggestions, and already, I’ve received an excellent one from Matthew of Legion Abstract Fame. But Mr. Reads and I just sat through a brutal hour viewing of Ghost Rider—I say an hour, since we fast-forwarded through most of it—and spent the majority of the movie, when not complaining, discussing recent, and not-so-recent, incarnations of Comic Books on the Big Screen.

Let me say this: I did not like Ghost Rider. I am not invested in or familiar with the character, so that may have a tiny bit of influence on my decision, but also, it just Wasn’t Good. And even Mr. Cage, an actor I normally enjoy, did nothing to compel me, the Viewer.

But this seems symptomatic, no? A rash of not-so-compelling Super Heroes presented on the big screen. This is beyond, I think, mere preference, as I Adore Batman Begins and others find it Rather Dreadful. This speaks to Quality, and frankly, there just wasn’t any here.

Other movies, other Comic Book movies, while not of excellent quality still find themselves slightly compelling. The Fantastic Four movie, for example, wasn’t all that enjoyable, but the character of Johnny Storm, as played by Chris Evans, redeemed the movie. He was charming, he was in character, and he was good enough that even This Humble Author, a Tried-And-True DC Girl with Very Few Marvel Leanings, is willing, nay, desirous, of seeing the second Fantastic Four movie, just for him.

Of course, there are those movies that defy all comparisons and clearly exist not only as Excellent Examples of their genre, but also as plain Just Good Movies. Spider-Man II, touted as *the* Super Hero Movie To End All Super Hero Movies, is the best of the best. It certainly ranks among my top movies ever, sharing a billing with such gems as Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Princess Bride, Amelie, and Garden State. Not only does it, as a sequel, avoid the standard trap of the Super Hero Genre Movie, the origin story, it offers a clear view of the Hero’s Journey, as well. Spider-Man’s journey into darkness, not of the Black Suit Kind but rather of the Self-Doubt kind, is a journey into Personal Despair. Just when we, the audience, think that Peter Parker Has Had Enough, he is handed yet another disappointment, yet another trial, yet another pain. And he manages to come through The Other Side with aplomb, strength, and courage.

That, Friends, is a Great Comic Book Movie. That is just a Great Movie, Period.

Others, too, although I fear that you, Gentle Reader, may disagree with some of my choices. Mr. Reads and I often feel alone in the Ang Lee’s Hulk camp, as we both find it a gorgeous, smart, and compelling movie. I like Superman Returns, and I can’t Rave Enough about X-Men II. Batman Begins, as mentioned before, and Sin City is Just Brilliant. Also, I love V for Vendetta, and I even find Things To Like in Daredevil and Constantine, although I am Ever Willing to admit that they are not the greatest examples of their genre.

But, and here’s the but, Friends, they are *fun*. And really, that’s almost all I ask of a movie. I don’t regret the money spent on them, and, let’s be honest, We Reads own Daredevil *and* Constantine. And let’s not forget the Dark Horse Contender, either; Hellboy is a fantastic romp, a good movie, and again, yes, we must say it, *fun*.

Regarding Hellboy, I must confess that I wasn’t that familiar with the character or franchise before I saw the movie. As I’ve said before, I’m rather new to the Hellboy legacy. But I adore the movie, and I adore the animated movies Even More, and the comic book series just Blows Me Away.

So I was not that familiar with Ghost Rider going in, and frankly, I’ve no desire to become more so. That’s where the fault is, you see: it didn’t make me want to become A Fan. Hellboy did. X-Men II, Spider-Man II, Batman Begins, all characters I was a fan of Before the Movie, and characters I am even more a fan of now.

Even The Fantastic Four which is, and I’ll admit freely, Rather Silly, has some dying spark of hope to feed (gratitude, Mr. Arnold). Sue Storm *is* interesting. Johnny Storm *is* charming. Even Reed Richards and The Thing have their moments. Even, on rare occasion, Dr. Doom, although he failed to do The One Thing I wanted, and that was the loud, plaintive “RICHAAAAARRDDDDDDDSSSSS!!!!!!” with fist raised high in the air.

And it’s difficult to make a Comic Book Movie. That much is painfully obvious. Sometimes I feel that the special effects get in the way. Certainly, the Ghost Rider *looked* interesting, but cuts were made in dialogue, in character development, in plot. Batman Begins, on the other hand, in its gritty dirtiness, its somewhat awkward handling of costumes and Batmobiles, feels absolutely 100% right. It *feels* like a beginning should feel. The awkwardness, the gentle clumsiness, all intentional, of course, or at least, as it seemed, lends itself well to a story All About Origin. All About Beginnings.

In a rare moment of self-reflection, I must tell you, Gentle Reader, that I find it Rather Ironic I write my second post of the day about Beginnings and Origins when one of the failed “Amy Reads the Week” columns was All About Conclusions. But here are two moments where comic books stutter, and the Comic Book Movie stutters along. The *middles* are easy, it seems. Just the beginnings and endings are awkward.

It still Breaks My Heart that Wonder Woman will not be written by Joss Whedon, the same as X-Men III broke my heart in its execution, its overarching theme of “Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned,” its complete mishandling and misunderstanding of beloved characters, all of them women, all more courageous and smarter than the movie ever gave them credit for. Because in this long list of Comic Book Movies, one thing is certain: there has not been a good Comic Book Movie about a Super Heroine.

This isn’t a new song, Gentle Reader, so I won’t sing it too loud or too long, but it needs to be mentioned, in a post such as this. Girlfriends, wives, harpies, villains, terribly executed heroines, gentle souls to soothe savage beasts, but outside of ensemble casts such as X-Men II, V for Vendetta seems to be the only Comic Book Movie that offers a strong female protagonist *in a leading role*. That is to say, Evey’s a Hero, a Leading Hero, and in the end, she takes the mantle on. She becomes the Super Hero.

At least, the only one that I can think of. Please, Friends, if you have others to offer, I ask you to do so.

Two movies open this weekend, Gentle Reader, and both are of The Heroic Variety: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Nancy Drew. You may have deduced this by now, but I am A Huge Fan of Nancy Drew, and I will, most likely, pay to see it before I pay to see The Fantastic Four. Mr. Reads, even, has determined that he will accompany me, if for nothing else than to see me, as he put it, “geek out over Nancy Drew.” But here’s an example of a strong character, a strong hero, a strong young woman, who has survived for over 60 years and is still, yes, it’s true, Friends, Just As Popular Now as She Was Then. I loved Nancy Drew when I was ten, and yes, I confess that I love her just as much today. Mr. Reads and I already have started our godchild’s collection of Nancy Drew books, and she just made one year old just recently (!!!).

But let us learn our lesson from Nancy Drew and pooh-pooh those naysayers who declare that Super Heroines just don’t have the Pulling Power to bring in the monies. Nancy Drew’s been pulling them in for a very long time, in various incarnations, and she will, of this, I’m Certain, for a long time to come. We are *here*, we fans of Strong Women, of Strong Men, of Super Heroes, of Good Plots and Fun Movies and Interesting Stories, and while Nancy Drew might not wear a cape and fly, she has titian hair and a roadster, and she does save the day, and has, these past 60+ years, An Awful Lot. That makes her a Super Hero, and a successfully marketed one, In My Book.

7 comments:

Matthew E said...

Hey, check it out, another post.

First: slightly disagree about Spider-Man II. I agree it was good, I agree it was one of the best superhero movies ever... but I liked it a lot less when I saw it for the second time. First, too much of the movie is Peter Parker getting kicked in the head again. It's unpleasant, it drags and it's boring. Second, the final solution is ridiculous. Drop the... whatever it was, fusion reaction, in the river?! Dude, it's not a fire you can douse, it's something that eats matter and you're just feeding it more when you surround it with river water!

(There are some excellent superhero movies you didn't list, by the way: The Incredibles, Unbreakable, Sky High, the Rocketeer...)

And now what I perceive as your main point:

there has not been a good Comic Book Movie about a Super Heroine.

I guess there hasn't. Catwoman? Elektra? Supergirl? I haven't heard that any of them were any good (the only one of those three I saw was Supergirl).

There have been some good superheroines as supporting characters, though, and these are some of my favourites of them, in no particular order:

1. The Bowler (Janeane Garofalo in Mystery Men) ("Now I'm going back to grad school! That was our deal!")
2. Deadly Girl (Judy Greer in The Specials)
3. Elasti-Girl (Holly Hunger in The Incredibles)
4. Violet Parr (Sarah Vowell in The Incredibles)
5. Lavagirl (Taylor Dooley in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl)

I guess we can talk about the Powerpuff Girls too, and Kim Possible and Buffy if we want to stretch a point.

Also, we've got 'My Super Ex-Girlfriend' out from zip.ca, so we'll see about that. I'm not particularly optimistic, but it'll get its chance.

Amy Reads said...

Hi Matthew,
Hey, check it out, another post.

Sometimes it happens :)

First: slightly disagree about Spider-Man II. I agree it was good, I agree it was one of the best superhero movies ever... but I liked it a lot less when I saw it for the second time. First, too much of the movie is Peter Parker getting kicked in the head again. It's unpleasant, it drags and it's boring. Second, the final solution is ridiculous. Drop the... whatever it was, fusion reaction, in the river?! Dude, it's not a fire you can douse, it's something that eats matter and you're just feeding it more when you surround it with river water!

No, I admit, the plot can be, at times, a bit unrealistic, but the *character development* is just Utterly Fantastic.

(There are some excellent superhero movies you didn't list, by the way: The Incredibles, Unbreakable, Sky High, the Rocketeer...)

The post originally began as comic books on The Big Screen and then morphed into Super Hero comics. Unbreakable is, without a doubt, one of my favorite movies, as is The Incredibles. I wasn't that crazy about Sky High, and I confess, I haven't seen the Rocketeer.

And now what I perceive as your main point:
there has not been a good Comic Book Movie about a Super Heroine.
I guess there hasn't. Catwoman? Elektra? Supergirl? I haven't heard that any of them were any good (the only one of those three I saw was Supergirl).


Elektra was just uninspired, not exactly *terrible* per se. I like Jennifer Gardner, and I liked her in Daredevil (although as a Greek woman, I have to admit the mind boggles when one considers Jennifer Gardner as a busty, solid Elektra). Catwoman, however, was *terrible*. Truly, Truly Terrible.

There have been some good superheroines as supporting characters, though, and these are some of my favourites of them, in no particular order:

Before I respond to your favorites, I have to agree: there have been *phenomenal supporting characters*. Jean Grey in X-Men II, Rogue in X-Men I, Liz Sherman in Hellboy, but you're right: my main point is that there are no great *main* characters.

1. The Bowler (Janeane Garofalo in Mystery Men) ("Now I'm going back to grad school! That was our deal!")

Hee. Mr. Reads and I were just talking about this movie the other day, and how I really, really need to see it again.

2. Deadly Girl (Judy Greer in The Specials)

Haven't seen this!

3. Elasti-Girl (Holly Hunger in The Incredibles)
4. Violet Parr (Sarah Vowell in The Incredibles)


Love, love, love them.
("No capes!")

5. Lavagirl (Taylor Dooley in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl)

Another one I haven't seen (and really wasn't interested, frankly).

I guess we can talk about the Powerpuff Girls too, and Kim Possible and Buffy if we want to stretch a point.

True, and I am a huge PPG from way back (we all know my Buffy Obsession). But the lack of comic book heroines is tragic. Again, I know that this is something people have talked to death, but it still hurts, you know? I mean, Wonder Woman deserves a great movie.

Also, we've got 'My Super Ex-Girlfriend' out from zip.ca, so we'll see about that. I'm not particularly optimistic, but it'll get its chance.

It's okay, nothing special. A few fun scenes, but again, the X-Men III problem.
Ciao,
Amy

Thom said...

Actually, I though Chiklis' Thing was spot on, alongside Evan's Johnny Storm. If Alba and Gruffoud had turned in such compelling performances, I would have found it even easier to overlook the flaws in the first FF. Although the extended cut released a few weeks ago definitely made improvements on the film.

Amy Reads said...

Hi Thom,
Actually, I though Chiklis' Thing was spot on, alongside Evan's Johnny Storm. If Alba and Gruffoud had turned in such compelling performances, I would have found it even easier to overlook the flaws in the first FF.

Maybe it's that I'm not as familiar with The Thing as I am Sue Storm and Johnny (although I'm not sure how that's possible). Reed, however, was just flat and pointless. Really Disappointing.

Although the extended cut released a few weeks ago definitely made improvements on the film.

Really? Good To Know! I'm always curious about extended cuts. There's a scene on the Elektra DVD that has Elektra talking to Matt Murdock in her dreams, and everything makes So Much More Sense with that scene in it.
Ciao,
Amy

NoelCT said...

It's been a while since this post so I wouldn't be surprised to see my comment go largely unread, but ...

There's a comic heroine featured in her own film that you've overlooked. Tank Girl.

Sure, the film dragged and suffered from a low budget, but Lori Petty was absolutely unforgettable in the title role.

Amy Reads said...

Hi Noel,
It's been a while since this post so I wouldn't be surprised to see my comment go largely unread, but ...
There's a comic heroine featured in her own film that you've overlooked. Tank Girl.
Sure, the film dragged and suffered from a low budget, but Lori Petty was absolutely unforgettable in the title role.


I have actually never read Tank Girl nor seen the movie, so I cannot speak to it, exactly, but yes, I did forget her. It is a movie that I have meant to see for Some Years Now, but have not, in all honestly, remembered when it counted.

Whiteout is coming soon, so another comic heroine with her own movie (bonus: Rucka). Others I am forgetting?

Ciao,
Amy, who bids you hello! and welcome

NoelCT said...

Thank you for the welcome. I recently discovered your blog and have been working my way through the archives. Good stuff.

In terms of others, all I can think of is GWENDOLINE, starring Tawny Kitaen. Though I'd certainly hesitate to call it a flattering example.

Oh, there's also RED SONJA, though I've neither read nor seen the comics or film.

Also upcoming is BATTLE ANGEL ALITA, a fantastic manga that James Cameron's been trying to adapt for quite some time.

Elsewhere on this thread, I heard mention of Rogue being a good supporting character in X-MEN. Not to disagree, but I've always looked at her and Wolverine as co-leads in the first film since it largely follows their journeys.