By Pete Barrington and Sean Favager
EDITORS NOTE: For this review Sean and Pete took off to the mountains to "gather their thoughts".
Welcome back to this weeks Comic Asylum. A few of you may have noticed I have set up an official twitter page for the site. You can find news on any upcoming blogs there (@Comic_Asylum) so feel free to follow us. After the success of last weeks special Comic Con edition it is only fair I bring Pete on board full time. So as a first blog together we wanted to do something that would cause a bit of commotion. What better way to do that than with a simple list of our favourite Comic Book films. I would like to state first and foremost that this top ten is devised between me and Pete alone. Yes we argued and yes we may have sworn at each other just a little, but after an hour long conversation we finally pieced together a list I’m really going to stand by. I understand a lot of people might not agree but thats the joy in these lists, everyone has such diverset opinions. The best thing I must add about composing this list was I got to watch a few films I haven’t watched in a while. So you lovely bunch of people prepare to agree, disagree and straight up throw your laptop or smart phone at the wall in disgust….. Let’s get this shit started!
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10. Batman Returns
Pfeiffer’s Catwoman and De Vito’s Penguin both add the required amount of villainy and mischief that is needed, while never really threatening to get the better of Batman.
Tagline: The Bat, the Cat, the Penguin
Pete: Ok, maybe a bit of a surprise on the list, as its predecessor is probably held in higher regards to this sequel, but whereas the first Burton attempt at Bats was very good, this one, for me, just slightly edges it for a few simple reasons. The first being a very good point that I’m going to steal from Sean, which is that Keaton and Burton have grown more into their respective roles in this film. Keaton is so much better in this as both Wayne and Batman and Burton does a very good job in letting the film work, while still adding in his own style of weirdness. Plus, any film with Christopher Walken in gets my vote. As well as Keaton, Pfeiffer’s Catwoman and De Vito’s Penguin both add the required amount of villainy and mischief that is needed, while never really threatening to get the better of Batman. They both prove worthy adversaries/allies in Burtons Batman world. Burtons Batman films need to be recognised as they were tarnished by the next two films in this series (nipples on the bat suit?? God damn you Schumacher) and they are often forgotten for what they achieved.
Sean:Don’t forget that glow stick fight Robin had in the rather gay hideout! (Batman Forever)
Pete:You obviously don’t remember the 90′s. Glow sticks were all the rage! Anyway can’t be any worse than Clooney and O’Donnell fighting over who had the biggest codpiece on their costume (true story!), any hoo they brought Batman into the worlds view again after the camp comic outing of Adam West being still in the minds of many and it made people realise that Batman is not a cheesy, 60’s Hugh Hefner wannabe, but in fact, a dark, disturbed vigilante, who is not after fame but just wants Gotham to be a safe place and not have anyone suffer the same fate as his parents.
Sean:The funny thing about Batman Returns on this list was when we composed our individual lists neither of us had it in our top ten yet it appears on a joint one. How and why is a mystery but I’m so glad it is because I got to rewatch this gem of a film and it’s still as good as it was the first time I saw it. I was 5 when this film was first released so I didn’t get the chance to see it on the big screen. This didn’t stop me getting it for a Christmas present the next year on vhs and watching it repeatedly. It is obvious watching now you can tell Tim Burton had fun creating this chapter in the Bat-Universe. It’s especially a ballsy move to go from the Batman everyone grew up with being camp and funny to this dark gritty and violent new world (Selena Kyle getting thrown out a window). I’m not going to ramble on to much as Pete has pretty much highlighted why we chose this film for the tenth spot. I recommend you all to dig out the DVD or even get it on blue ray to rewatch, it could be worse. Your nose could be gushing with blood!
Favourite Scene: Catwoman back flipping out of a store, right up to Bats and with a simple ‘Meow’, the store goes boom!
Favourite Quote: The Penguin: “I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘AHHHHH’”
Random Trivia:Dustin Hoffman was the studios first choice to play The Penguin
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9. Kick-Ass
I really don’t know what I love the most about Kick Ass. The ultra-violence, the curse words, Chloë Grace Moretz I could really go on and on.
Tagline: I can’t read your mind, but I can kick your ass!
Sean: “OK you cunts… Let’s see what you can do now!” I really don’t know what I love the most about Kick Ass. The ultra-violence, the curse words, Chloë Grace Moretz I could really go on and on. When this bad boy arrived it was such a breath of fresh air to the Comic film world. The story like any other superhero tale is similar in parts yet this movie has been injected with a huge dose of heroin and given an electric guitar to rock the fuck out! The acting is flawless as is the mixture of comedy and action. There is nothing I can remotely fault about the film at all. What’s not super funny about Nicolas Cage shooting a child then taking her for ice-cream later? I really wanted this film higher on the list but unfortunately it settles at number 9. Bring on the sequel is all I can say, what about you Pete?
Pete: So here is why I like Kick-Ass. First off, the premise behind the story is really good. We’ve all thought about being a superhero and if your anything like me then you already know what your costume is going to be like, but no-one will ever actually do it because no-one will ever have super powers, and your average billionaire couldn’t be assed to become a superhero, because the reason they’re billionaires is because they are tight and not going to spend their hard earned on fighting crime. So what if, you get stabbed, hit by a car and then have metal plates inserted into your body and pretty much all your nerve endings destroyed so you feel no pain, would you do it then? I’d definitely give it a second thought, and that’s why this movie is good, because the Dave Lizewski is an average teenager who due to circumstances given to him by a couple of muggers, decides to help out and fight some crime, quickly becoming wanted by the biggest Mob boss in town, while still being the geeky kid he was before, complete with a ski suit and some Timberland boots. Outstanding performance is of course that of Hit-Girl, a little girl that kicks big ass, but special mentions go to Red Mist, Big Daddy and Frank D’Amico and the respective actors. The sequel has been titled Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall and will focus on Hit-Girl training Kick-Ass to actually kick some ass, and it promises to be just as good as the first.
Favourite Scene:Hit-Girls first appearance busting up the gang.
Favourite Quote:Red Mist: “As a great man once said….wait ‘til they get a load of me”
Random Trivia:Nicholas Cage based his voice mannerisms as Big Daddy on that of Adam West in Batman: The TV series, because he disliked the gravelly voice used by Christian Bale in Batman Begins.
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8. X-Men First Class
Crazy stuff but a Fox powered superhero film lands on the list and rightfully so.
Tagline: Their powers would make them different. But destiny would make them allies.
Sean:Crazy stuff but a Fox powered superhero film lands on the list and rightfully so. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the other X films but First Class was just perfect. I always loved the relationship between Charles & Erik and for it to have its origin on the big screen got me super excited. The thing I think they got spot on here with this film is the casting. There isn’t an actor/actress involved in this project I would replace, especially the stand out performance of Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto. The intensity he brought to the character was astonishing; I’m even going as far as to scream “give this man the cowl after Christian Bale quits”.
Pete: That’s a bold statement right there! Could you really see the actor playing one of Marvels biggest villains, and then going on to play DC’s arguably biggest character? That would be a risk. But one I would pay to see!
Sean: I know he is hooked into playing Magneto but can you imagine what Fassbender could bring to the table as Batman! Anyway we will save that discussion for a future blog, back to the X-Men. James McAvoy also deserves his props bringing the cocky and somewhat arrogant Charles Xavier to the forefront. It was a refreshing change to see this side to the Professor especially his chat up lines at the beginning of the movie. With First Class to me it wasn’t like your average superhero film, it was a story of acceptance. In parts it’s quite sad and you do feel for the main characters because this film lets you see their characters flaws. You have Charles begging to be accepted in a world that isn’t ready and Erik wanting revenge on a world that tried to destroy him. It’s a shame comic book movies are under looked at major awards ceremonies because First Class is a lot better than most drivel Hollywood produce these days. So First Class lands at 8 with one last thing from me, even the surprise cameo was enough to give any geek in the cinema a hard on.
Pete:Ok, so what to say that Sean hasn’t already said. With origins stories, there is always that small thought in the back of my mind that says ‘Why do it when we already know where it’s heading?’ But as Sean said above, this works because it gives us a background to the Magneto/Professor X that many people would never have knew about. Now although obvious (but slightly weird) is his love for all things Fassbender in this movie, it’s safe to say that I don’t disagree with anything Sean has said here. The actors were perfectly cast, they used the right characters, although obviously the timeline doesn’t quite fit and the fact that Mystique grew up with Prof. X is over looked because the only purpose it really serves is so that we see Mystiques ‘origin’ and that the make-up artists got to paint Jennifer Lawrence’s naked body all blue and scaly. By the way, how does someone get that job? Seriously, I would do that job for free. Good news is she is in the sequel, which was debatable due to her commitments to the Hunger Games franchise, so if the movie producers want a more ‘Hands-on’ approach to the make-up team then I am certainly the man to lend that hand! Theres not much more to add apart from it was risky doing an origins story after 3 previous and relatively successful films and then completely act as if they didn’t exist! For me, it 100% paid off and this film deserves its place here above any other X-men film.
Favourite Scene:Erik Lehnsherr and the infamous bar scene in Amsterdam.
Favourite Quote:Erik Lehnsherr: “Let’s just say I’m Frankenstein’s monster. And I’m looking for my creator.”
Random Trivia:To prepare for his role as Charles Xavier, James McAvoy shaved his head… and learnt that the filmmakers wanted Xavier to have a full head of hair in the prequel. Throughout the first month of filming McAvoy had to wear hair extensions.
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7. The Amazing Spider-Man
Kid goes to school, gets bullied, likes a girl, gets bit by spider, discovers powers, loses family member, feels guilty , father figure then becomes villain, fights villain, defeats villain, realises anyone close to him will die yet decides to stay being Spiderman
Tagline: The untold story begins
Pete:The most recently released film on this list sees a reboot of the franchise that was only started 10 years ago and only finishing 5 years ago. Although a different Spiderman story arc is used here, the plot is still very similar to the first 10 years previous. Kid goes to school, gets bullied, likes a girl, gets bit by spider, discovers powers, loses family member, feels guilty , father figure then becomes villain, fights villain, defeats villain, realises anyone close to him will die yet decides to stay being Spiderman. So you might think the movie would be the same too if the plot is, well you’d be wrong because on so many levels is this film miles better than any of the previous three. Garfield as Spiderman is believable as both Parker and Spidey, whereas Tobey Maguire, while good in the role, never convinced. The love interest of Gwen Stacey instead of Mary Jane will delight many fan boys and Emma stone was a great choice (and she is well hotter than Kirsten Dunst, even with the wet see through t-shirt) and as a sole villain Dr Curt Connors/Lizard is done very well and despite many complaints, the Lizard looked very cool. A sequel is already in motion and a 3rd is planned so this franchise is not going away anytime soon and if it carries on in the same vein as this one then I will be a happy chap.
Sean:Like Pete said the most recent release makes an appearance on the Comic Asylums top ten. I won’t go into too much detail on this one as I reviewed the film with my reaction in #003. If you haven’t seen this film yet I think you should get down to the cinema like yesterday and check it out!
Favourite Scene: Stan Lee’s best ever cameo.
Favourite Quote:George Stacy: “Thirty-eight of New York’s finest, versus one guy…in a unitard!”
Random Trivia:When first wearing the Spiderman costume, Andrew Garfield admitted to shedding tears.
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6. Sin City
Ultra-Violent, brilliantly acted Sin City isn't just on my top ten comic book list. It’s on my freaking all-time favourite movie list.
Tagline: There is no justice without sin.
Sean:When reading a comic book I often think what if these pages come alive. Well Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller did just that with this film. From start to finish you instantly become amazed by the storylines and characters. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve watched this film, it is like a noir Pulp Fiction to me. We can all go on about Nolan’s Bat films but about a week before Begins hit the cinema this artsy masterpiece arrived. Every time I watch this film I always come out with a new favourite character. Instantly we are gripped with Mickey Rourke’s Marv but even Bruce Willis shows you he can still fucking act with the best of them. I have to admit at the moment the Salesman is my favourite, it’s the little we know about him and the dialogue to boot (See below for quote). Talking about the dialogue it’s this what really sucks you in. Having the main characters narrate the little boxes in a comic book is a nice touch and works extremely well. Ultra-Violent, brilliantly acted Sin City isn’t just on my top ten comic book list. It’s on my freaking all-time favourite movie list. If somebody doesn’t agree well “I’ll stare the bastard in the face as he screams to God, and I’ll laugh harder when he whimpers like a baby. And when his eyes go dead, the hell I send him to will seem like heaven after what I’ve done to him.”
Pete:Well I guess that you gonna have to stare at this bastard because I don’t agree! Now don’t mistake my negativity for thinking that I don’t like this film, I do, I really do, but as the opening of this blog states, me and Sean had arguments and this film was one of them. When we did our individual top ten’s before this collaboration, Sin City just scraped No.10 on my list where as it was sitting proud at the very top of Sean’s list and he was unashamed of this fact. Now I can’t argue because being number 6 on this list is certainly closer to my 10, than his 1, but I don’t see it as a classic. That said I can’t take away anything Sean said above. The film oozes with smutz (that’s a word I use when I don’t really know what the word I’m looking for actually is, but I like it) and it comes from everywhere. The way it was shot, the only hint of colour in each scene, the acting is unquestionably good and the fact that Robert Rodriguez not only allowed Frank Miller to be on set but genuinely asked his opinion on what he was doing is a masterpiece, as it would have been so easy for Hollywood just to take the source material and really fuck it up but it truly feels like you’re watching the panels of a comic play out on screen and keeps you hooked aswell. That is not easy to do.
Favourite Scene:When Hartigan saves Nancy from Yellow Bastard. “I take away his weapon, both of them!”
Favourite Quote:The Salesman: “The silencer makes a whisper of the gunshot. I hold her close until she’s gone. I’ll never know what she was running from. I’ll cash her check in the morning.”
Random Trivia:Because of the way the movie was shot, Mickey Rourke (Marv) and Elijah Wood (Kevin) never met until after the film was released.
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So there you have it, the Comic Aslyums rundown of our favourite comic book films #10 – #6. Next week we will continue on with #5 – #1. I understand not everyone is going to agree with what we have put together so feel free to come to our twitter page and add your opinion. So until next week be good be careful, I hear a certain Bat is in the cinema this week to keep everyone occupied. Me and Pete are now off to go beat some Rotten Tomato critics up see you next week folks!
You can follow Sean on Twitter at @seanfav1 and Pete on Twitter at @pete_the_red or catch them on the official Comic Asylum account @Comic_Asylum
Posted on July 20th, 2012
Category: NEWS & VIEWS, THE COMIC ASYLUM
Tags: amazing spider-man, Batman Returns, Comic Asylum, Comic Reviews, comics, Dark Horse, DC Comics, Film Reviews, Kick-Ass, marvel, Movie Reviews, Pete Barrington, Sean Favager, Sin City, X-Men First Class