X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Category: Film
Genre: Action / Comic Adaptation / Sci-Fi
Directed By: gavin Hood
Running Time: 107 min.

X-Men Origins Wolverine is a mixed bag as far as comic adaptations go.  Breaking it down by the three acts, the first was great, the second was adequate and the third act just left me with a disappointed questioning look on my face.

I had hoped that this would be a continuation of the “comic movie renaissance” phenomena of last year that included Iron Man, The Dark Night, and to a lesser extend The Incredible Hulk and The Spirit; by this I refer to comic adaptations being treated with care and respect for the original material, made by fans for fans, within the bounds of adaptability.

Wolverine has a rich history with many elements to draw on.  The adaptation fails to take full advantage of this and treats the characters as expendable checkpoints on the path to concluding the film.  The essential problem here is that this is an origin story, a tale with a steady rise from A to B; now its adaptation into film format requires a story arc with a climax followed by a resolving conclusion that wraps up much of the loose ends.  In order to achieve this the makers of Wolverine reinterpreted the Deadpool character in what I can only describe as a wasteful fashion, robbing themselves of the chance to explore a truly interesting character in exchange for an expendable ultimate villain for the final showdown.

The overall impression this film left was that it wasn’t taken all that seriously in respect to the fanbase, the history, or its own execution.  The effects also looked somewhat phoned in, especially in the final climax battles.  As a simple comic-esque action film, Wolverine is certainly enjoyable, and I generally try to approach these adaptation as exactly that; adaptations of the source material into a new media.  Unfortunately the frankly unnecessary ham handed treatment of some of the plot elements and characters pushes my tolerance on truly enjoying the film in its entirety.  Adaptations necessitate certain levels of change, but this is simply a matter of poor choices.

Rating: 6.5/10

The Spirit

Category: Film
Genre: Thriller / Noir / Comic Adaptation
Directed By: Frank Miller
Running Time: 103 min.

Initially I thought The Spirit might just be one of those films that defies description. After a bit of thought the situation is in fact both far simpler and far more complex than that.

To paraphrase a line from the film, The Spirit has the final word on strange. Not being entirely sure what to expect in the film adaptation of one of the most influential and long running properties in the noir/detective genre, I tried to come in without preconcieved notions. This is really how you have to absorb this picture, as the creators really went for broke and pulled out all the stops.

Its handy to make comparisons to Miller’s previous big impact comic adaptation, Sin City, though the comparisons are only useful up to a ceratin point. Visually many of the same rotoscoping/solid color effects are used, but with more variability than in Sin City. In terms of character the film departs greatly form the ne-noir grit of Sin City, unabasedly giving itself wide comedic and thematic lattitude. Much of this comes from the fact that Will Eisner’s The Spirit comics established much of what is taken for granted in the genre, including stylized dialogue, over the top adversaries and vignetes that work best when they take themselves (if nothing else) completely seriously.

The casting is well done with appropriate fits for every character. This was the first comic film that I felt Samuel L. Jackson fit into nicely, as in previous work he always seemed to be several orders of magnitute over the top. One of my favorite characters was Stana Katic as Officer Morganstern, with great delivery of a delightlfully off kilter performance. Scarlett Johansen as Silken Floss is superb, strongly reminding me of Drew Barrymore for some reason, and The Wonder Years’ Dan Loria as the Gruff Dolan is also a nice fit.

On the whole, if you’re looking for a deadly serious comic flic, look elsewhere. This one requires you to be ready to strap in and enjoy some creatively stylized story telling. If you want a fun romp through the world of a modernly re-realized genre-defining property, this is your ride.

Rating: 6.5/10

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Category: Film
Genre: Action / Sci-fi / Fantasy / Comic Adaptation
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro
Running Time: 120 min.

The second installment in the Hellboy film adaptations takes a different tone than the original. Hellboy II focuses on heart and comedy now that we have a family of characters the viewers have invested in. This makes for a different feel to the film, less hard edge attitude, with the action driven equally by the character development and the MacGuffin elements.

There are some novel solutions to the storytelling, I especially enjoyed the toy army treatment in the opening exposition in lieu of revealing the big visual payoff of the golden army and related characters. While at some points the driving force behind the progression of the film felt sloppy of uneven, the added freedom for comedy and exploring character dynamics yields some real gems. One of these moments in when Abe and HB, after sharing quite a few drinks, burst into song to Barry Manilow’s “Can’t Smile Without You.”

All told this was an entertaining second effort, if a bit weak overall. While it lacked the feeling of great things being afoot of the fist film, the added heart and warmth nearly make up for it.

Rating: 6/10

The Dark Knight

Category: Film
Genre: Action / Superhero / Comic Adaptation
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Running Time: 152 min.

The Dark Knight has raised the bar on comic inspired films, and films in general for that matter. I came to this film with some rather high expectations on the heels of the successful franchise reboot in Batman Begins. I am pleased to say those expectations were met and exceeded.

The core strength of this film is that all the action and development is character driven; all things come from and speak to the motivations of a wonderfully fleshed out roster of players. The big question mark on everyone’s mind was no doubt the late Heath Ledgers’ portrayal of the Joker, with memories of Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamil (animated) and Caesar Romero defining the character’s screen presence to date. Ledger’s performance is nothing short of masterful, and Nolan’s’ writing and directing breath life into the most organic and complex clown prince thus far. Personally, I forgot there was an actor playing the Joker, for all appearances this creature lived and breathed on the screen. We see a true sociopath, brilliant in his way, asking some disturbingly valid questions, and making astute observations on the nature of his relation to Gotham and the Dark Knight.

The treatment of Batman’s character was novel in it’s own right, exploring his role in the crime equation, delving into scales of perception and persona. Building on Bruce Wayne’s motivations and the limits of the hero persona flesh out both Wayne and Batman in new dimensions. We see him fundamentally torn in what he feels Gotham needs and deserves, an undercurrent of disquiet that reminded me of elements of Bale’s performance in Equilibrium.

Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face is believable and exudes a humanizing element that fits well with the overall tone of the film. The motivations and roots of his transformation into Two-Face develop organically, and play a shadowy mirror to the Batman/Wayne development. The supporting cast continue to impress, with Maggie Gyllehall’s replacement of Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes pays dividends. Gyllenhall is far more believable as an adult character, rather than giving the impression of someone playing at working in teh DA’s office. Gary Oldman once again embodies Jim Gordon as if he’d been pulled directly from Frank Miller’s pages; centering the film and playing with a keen awareness to the hero/villain dynamic and the public’s perception thereof. Morgan Freeman reprises his role as Lucious Fox, and lends a feeling of soul and the necessary legitimacy to Wayne Corp, as well as believability to the technology of the film. Michael Caine returns as Alfred Pennyworth, stubbornly keeping the human element in what threatens to become more monster than hero.

As I mentioned, the writing is tremendous, and the pacing is unrelenting; there is no slowdown as the film grows from one facet to another. Visually, the film is spot on, with a heightened realism and gravity that lends credibility and grit to the characters and the action. The feel of Gotham is a you-are-here visceral experience, and the organic feel continues into the look and feel of the characters, making for even greater believability.

All said, The Dark Knight gets it right on all fronts, and shows just want can be done with a graphic property when treated with the proper care and talent.

Rating: 9/10

Wanted

Category: Film
Genre: Action / Outlaw / Comic Adaptation
Directed By: Timur Bekmambetov
Running Time: 110 min.

From the trailers I’d seen prior to the movie, Wanted appeared to be very much a file for the MySpace generation. As comic adaptations go, Wanted has a pretty loose relationship to the original material, largely by virtue that the tone and content of the original run would be unpalatable to most folks conditioned by the standard storytelling formula.

I went in not really sure what to expect, but as always, with an open mind. I have to say Wanted managed to surprise me on several levels. The main character has a visceral quality that is very hard to balance with his workday, hangdog wage-slave persona, but between the writing and McAvoy’s performance, it works. While still somewhat predictable, the film bends the usual formulas just enough to be interesting, and disbelief remains suspended on most levels. On other fronts there were moment that can only be described as satisfyingly vicious, a s certain quick shock guilty brutality that caught me off guard, though in a positive way (much like Fight Club in it’s day).

I walked away from the film feeling like I was somehow in the slightly wrong viewing demographic, but found it enjoyable nonetheless. Not required theater viewing, but it may loose something on the small screen if you wait to rent it.

Rating:6/10

The Incredible Hulk

Category: Film
Genre: Action / Sci-Fi / Comic Adaptation
Directed By: Louis Leterrier
Running Time: 144 min.

I saw The Incredible Hulk at the Clairemont Town Square 14 on Sunday June 15th. After the problems that beset the first Hulk (2003), and the mass rumor mill circling the new effort, I was curious to see the reboot/sequel. I must say, I was pleased with the results.

I was concerned with the casting of the new film, with reservations as to Norton and Tyler’s appropriateness for the roles (moreso Tyler), especially since I felt that while Jennifer Conelly had been largely wasted on the forst film, she still sets a high bar fopr follow on performance. Luckily I need not have worried, both roles were well cast, with Norton’s ability to inject humor into the Banner character, and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination being unexpected pluses.

The plot and pacing were tru to comic book style. The true success of the movie I think comes from keeping a reasonable scale and scope to the visuals and the range of the story. The South American sequences were a clever way to reintroduce the Banner character and update his situation, before bringing the action home.

I tried to watch with an eye for story more so than technicalities. Looking too closely at special effects in a movie is a bit like picking apart the typography in a novel. That being said, the visual effects in the new Hulk were well done with a few minor odd moment exceptions. One of the hardest hurdles in doing graphic work for the hulk I’ve realized is that none of us has ever seen a nine foot tall grotesquely muscle-bound man creature in real life, so the mind is left reaching for points of comparison for achieving a “realistic” look.

As part of the building Avengers cabal, The Incredible Hulk measures up well.

Rating: 6/10