Top 10 Comic Book Movie Moments - #2-1!

And now for the stunning conclusion of this week’s Top 10:  “The Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movie Moments.”  A few words of definition:  First, this is not a list of the Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movies, so you may find your favorites wholly unrepresented on this list.  Instead, what I’m cataloging this week are the scenes that encapsulate what a comic book movie ought to be.  These scenes can fall under one (or more) of three categories:  scenes that translate the experience of reading a comic, scenes that adapt the source material in a brilliantly original way, or scenes that use the language of film to do something that comics can’t (or simply haven’t) done.  Finally, the list is subjective; if I only chose iconic moments, the list would seem predictable, but in sharing my opinions I hope to spark a bit of debate. 

#2 – The bank robbery (The Dark Knight (2008))
I struggled over whether this was Moment #2 or #3, but I settled on #2 simply because it’s longer than the first few minutes of Iron Man and perhaps more artfully and deliberately crafted.  Here’s another example of an impossible choice of moments:  how do you pick the best scene in The Dark Knight, which I would say is the greatest comic book movie of all time?  There’s so much that the film does right that it’s a disservice to select just one among the many – the interrogation scene, the confrontation with Two-Face, Lucius’s subtle “Good luck.”  But one standout in the film is Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker, and his introduction into the world of the film is nothing short of cinematic perfection.  This audacious bank robbery is meticulously planned by The Joker – and filmed by Christopher Nolan – demonstrating the mad genius of both.  It also lets us know that this might not be Batman’s movie, after all; indeed, following this heist all we wanted was more Joker.

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#1 – Bruce Wayne rises (The Dark Knight Rises (2012))
Will this list look different in five years, after the hype dies down?  Possibly.  But for now, Bruce Wayne’s escape from Bane’s prison is the greatest comic book movie moment because it does precisely what comic book movies are supposed to do:  combining the possibilities of film with the iconography and mythology of comics to entertain, to move, to rouse, to inspire.  I’ve written at length about the majesty of this moment, but as the greatest comic book movie moment of all time Bruce’s escape brings our hero back from the death of his soul.  Broken, at rock bottom, equal parts angry and afraid, Bruce realizes that his survival depends on his inner strength and a penultimate confrontation with his demons before facing Bane for the last time.  As Hans Zimmer’s score rises, Bruce climbs with it, ready to make a leap of faith.  Surrounded by a cloud of bats – his chosen avatar – Bruce leaps – and lives, and the Dark Knight rises.


(Since the film is still in theaters, we'll have to content ourselves with the thrilling Zimmer score. Imagine the fire.)

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Honorable Mentions
These were moments that made my list but didn’t crack the Top 10, comic book movie moments that would probably comprise #11-15 on this list, presented here without comment and in chronological order.

• “Care to step outside?” (Superman II (1980))
• The Joker as “Partyman” (Batman (1989)) 
•  The kiss (Spider-Man (2002))
•  Hartigan’s suicide (Sin City (2005)) 
•  Hit-Girl’s final battle (Kick-Ass (2010))

Top 10 Comic Book Movie Moments - #4-3

We continue with this week’s Top 10:  “The Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movie Moments.”  A few words of definition:  First, this is not a list of the Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movies, so you may find your favorites wholly unrepresented on this list.  Instead, what I’m cataloging this week are the scenes that encapsulate what a comic book movie ought to be.  These scenes can fall under one (or more) of three categories:  scenes that translate the experience of reading a comic, scenes that adapt the source material in a brilliantly original way, or scenes that use the language of film to do something that comics can’t (or simply haven’t) done.  Finally, the list is subjective; if I only chose iconic moments, the list would seem predictable, but in sharing my opinions I hope to spark a bit of debate. 

#4 – Hugh Jackman as Wolverine (2000-present)
This is a bit of a cop-out, to be fair.  It’s impossible to distill Hugh Jackman’s work as the most famous X-Man into a single scene (his cameo in First Class, though, might do it), but it’s equally unfair to leave him off the list entirely.  Casting an Australian actor who’s most frequently seen in Broadway musicals as the Canadian scrapper (born James Logan) is a casting choice that shouldn’t have worked.  But audiences everywhere agreed that Wolverine was one of the best characters of the franchise, such that he got his own prequel after the series was generally agreed to have tanked.  Jackman nails the snarl and berserker rage of his animalistic character, but Jackman’s Logan has a sensitive side that makes him a complex and fascinating figure, as when he shepherds Anna Paquin’s Rogue through the trilogy.  The promise of more Wolverine prequels ought not trouble fans, since the character is in able hands – and claws.

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#3 – Meet Tony Stark (Iron Man (2008))
Iron Man was the “other” superhero movie in the summer of 2008, and it had a lot of ground to make up to get audiences as enthused as they were for The Dark Knight.  But within five minutes, I was sold.  Why?  Simple:  the performance of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in the back of the Humvee as is riveting and as effective an introduction as any film I’ve seen.  In fact, his performance is so good, so entertaining, that the comic books seem almost lifeless by comparison.  With a semi-improvisational conversation between Stark and a few Marines, we know everything we need to know about the future Iron Man:  fast-talking, womanizing, alcohol-swilling, and easily the most purely entertaining superhero on the screen these days.  The film so successfully introduces Stark here and carries that momentum through the film – after a brilliant jump moment that works every time I see Iron Man with someone new to it – that I daresay we wouldn’t have The Avengers if Iron Man hadn’t worked so well.



(I know, I know, it's not the first scene, but I couldn't find it.)

Come back tomorrow for the epic conclusion: Moments #2-1!

Top 10 Comic Book Movie Moments - #6-5

We continue with this week’s Top 10:  “The Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movie Moments.”  A few words of definition:  First, this is not a list of the Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movies, so you may find your favorites wholly unrepresented on this list.  Instead, what I’m cataloging this week are the scenes that encapsulate what a comic book movie ought to be.  These scenes can fall under one (or more) of three categories:  scenes that translate the experience of reading a comic, scenes that adapt the source material in a brilliantly original way, or scenes that use the language of film to do something that comics can’t (or simply haven’t) done.  Finally, the list is subjective; if I only chose iconic moments, the list would seem predictable, but in sharing my opinions I hope to spark a bit of debate. 

#6 – The Avengers assemble (The Avengers (2012))
Filmgoers waited almost a decade for this moment; through the building of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we knew that it was all building up to a blockbuster to end all blockbusters.  The Avengers were about to assemble, and for comic fans and moviegoers alike it was exciting.  In true Marvel fashion, the assembling isn’t painless and there’s squabbling before the big moment.  But Joss Whedon deftly gathers all the component franchises together in a movie that never forgets the team element.  The last forty-five minutes or so, which find the heroes gathering for a final showdown with Loki, capture the best of the franchise, including Tony Stark’s attempt (hilariously rendered by Robert Downey Jr.) to go it alone first by intimidating Loki.  But when that doesn’t work, it’s Captain America (Chris Evans) who’s left to call the shots, and seeing the World War II icon issue orders to his team feels right – especially capped off with a nod to the fanboys when Cap directs, “Hulk?  Smash.”

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#5 – “Who’s got you?!”  (Superman: The Movie (1978))
In a lot of ways, Superman: The Movie started it all – comic book movies generally, new fascination with the Man of Steel, even a generation’s perception of the difference between Clark Kent and Superman.  But what the film also accomplished was reinforcing the relationship between Clark and his love Lois Lane.  In this film, Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder gave performances that can only be labeled “definitional.”  So it’s not for nothing that a recent retelling of Superman’s origin borrowed from the helicopter rescue sequence in the Donner film.  There are a number of moments where Reeve is clearly enjoying the role, and in this one we understand both the need for Superman and how he operates in the world.  Let’s not forget that a sun god from Smallville would first have to enjoy what he does, but let’s also not forget that this scene, the first sustained action sequence with the red-and-blue spandex, convinced an entire generation that, yes, a man can fly.


Come back tomorrow for Moments #4-3!

Top 10 Comic Book Movie Moments - #8-7

We continue with this week’s Top 10:  “The Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movie Moments.”  A few words of definition:  First, this is not a list of the Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movies, so you may find your favorites wholly unrepresented on this list.  Instead, what I’m cataloging this week are the scenes that encapsulate what a comic book movie ought to be.  These scenes can fall under one (or more) of three categories:  scenes that translate the experience of reading a comic, scenes that adapt the source material in a brilliantly original way, or scenes that use the language of film to do something that comics can’t (or simply haven’t) done.  Finally, the list is subjective; if I only chose iconic moments, the list would seem predictable, but in sharing my opinions I hope to spark a bit of debate. 

#8 – The death of The Joker (Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000))
The inclusion of a scene from this movie and not from Mask of the Phantasm speaks to the difference between a great moment and a great movie; while Phantasm is probably a perfect Batman film, it’s not reducible to a single great scene.  Return of the Joker, though, is; I was never fully on-board with the Batman Beyond concept, even with Kevin Conroy voicing an elderly Bruce Wayne as he mentors the new Dark Knight.  But the film does something audacious in the middle – it gives an epilogue to Batman: The Animated Series by killing The Joker.  In the midst of this too-hip sci-fi near-future comes a startlingly moving flashback detailing The Joker’s last, most horrible plan.  His attempts to break Robin’s psyche are terrifying, rendered in the iconic Dini/Timmverse style with Mark Hamill’s note-perfect Joker voice in top form.  It’s a moment that captures the darkness of the Batman mythos, proving why The Joker is the ideal counterpoint to his caped adversary, and it concludes in a poetic way, leaving viewers exclaiming, “Of course that’s how The Joker would die.”

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#7 – Erik becomes Frankenstein’s monster (X-Men: First Class (2011))
Easily the best feature of X-Men: First Class was the credible acting lent by a talented cast, led by James McAvoy as a young Charles Xavier.  But the biggest surprise to mainstream moviegoers was the awe-inspiring performance of Michael Fassbender as the man who would be Magneto.  The film’s greatest sequences are his, which only makes the absence of an X-Men Origins: Magneto movie more tragic.  Blending downbeat pathos with tangible rage, Fassbender gave us a Magneto whose transformation from innocent Holocaust victim to genocidal gentleman never seemed forced or implausible.  His standout moment comes when he travels to Argentina in search of the man who murdered his mother; interrogating two Germans who let slip their identity, Erik confesses to them what he’s become as well:  “Let’s just say I’m Frankenstein’s monster.”  It’s impossible not to understand his fury at this moment, but it’s also impossible to see him as anything beyond the villain he’ll become.  Fassbender, along with director Matthew Vaughn, delivers what might be the definitive statement on Magneto.

(Sorry, couldn't find a video clip that wasn't dubbed in Spanish or subtitled in Hungarian - since they speak German, the subtitles count here.)

Come back tomorrow for Moments #6-5!

Top 10 Comic Book Movie Moments - #10-9

It’s time for a new feature here on The Cinema King, something I’d like to try every once in a while.  The bad news is that you won’t be getting a “Monday at the Movies” post this week; the good news is that you’ll be getting a post every day this week (through Friday).

So what is this thing?  It’s an upgrade of the “Top 10” feature I’ve done infrequently here, but it’s an extended version of said feature.  Each day, you’ll get two items on the list, with a crescendo on Friday with the Top 2 entries.  As for what we call this feature?  Well, at the risk of sacrificing cutesiness, let’s just call it... “The Top 10.”

This week’s Top 10?  “The Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movie Moments.”  A few words of definition:  First, this is not a list of the Top 10 Greatest Comic Book Movies, so you may find your favorites wholly unrepresented on this list.  Instead, what I’m cataloging this week are the scenes that encapsulate what a comic book movie ought to be.  These scenes can fall under one (or more) of three categories:  scenes that translate the experience of reading a comic, scenes that adapt the source material in a brilliantly original way, or scenes that use the language of film to do something that comics can’t (or simply haven’t) done.  Finally, the list is subjective; if I only chose iconic moments, the list would seem predictable, but in sharing my opinions I hope to spark a bit of debate.

#10 – Carol sees through Hal’s identity (Green Lantern (2011))
Say what you want about Martin Campbell’s first foray into the Green Lantern mythos – its exposition was clunky, its antagonist unconvincing, its fan service all too evident – the film, however flawed, has a sense of humor about itself and a surprisingly earnest performance by Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, the eponymous galactic defender.  At the heart of this movie is his relationship with employer Carol Ferris (Blake Lively); while their chemistry isn’t always convincing, the moment when Carol realizes her beau is a superhero is priceless.  Deconstructing the secret identity trope, Campbell pokes fun at the idea of an alter ego secret to your closest friends.  Reynolds’s hilarious fake-gravel voice (a la Bale’s Batman) and Lively’s flabbergasted “You don’t think I would recognize you because I can’t see your cheekbones?” make this a great comic book movie moment because of its willingness to admit – and more importantly, improve upon – holes in the source material.

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#9 – Dr. Manhattan’s origin (Watchmen (2009))
Zack Snyder’s Watchmen has been simultaneously lauded and lashed for its slavish devotion to the original comics by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.  Whether such literal translation from panel to screen is for better or worse is up for grabs (I say that in this case, it worked), but one element of the film on which most fans agree is that Snyder’s use of the montage technique was among the film’s best elements.  I almost cited the opening credits montage, set to Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” but I’m not convinced that this scene is easily accessible to audience members unfamiliar with the comic.  But a later montage, in which Snyder delivers the origin of the godlike Dr. Manhattan, all his filmmaking skills come to bear in a scene which uses comics-style cuts and narration (provided by the unpitched perfection of Billy Crudup’s emotionless Doctor), played under a spot-on lilting musical cue by Philip Glass, to convey how a man displaced from time remembers his past.  This, perhaps above all, is the standout moment of the film, a scene in which Snyder’s dedication to the comics manifests itself most articulately.


Come back tomorrow for Moments #8-7!

Monday at the Movies - September 17, 2012

Welcome to Week Thirty-Five of “Monday at the Movies.”  Having wrapped our look at the “Alien Quadrilogy,” we unintentionally continue profiling the work of Sigourney Weaver this week with a franchise in which I’d honestly forgotten she appeared.  You all know the song; now try to get it out of your head.

Ghostbusters (1984) – First, Ivan Reitman’s comedy classic is not remembered for being a particularly great or innovative movie.  The film frequently compromises its own internal logic, there is a dearth of character development in nearly every face on the screen, and at times the film feels like a huckster trying to sell you a bridge.  What saves the film, though, redeems all those faults and makes Ghostbusters a hit – the infectious camaraderie and earnest enthusiasm of its protagonists.  It must have been a thrill seeing Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson standing side-by-side on the silver screen; added bonuses include Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver as unwitting pawns in a supernatural scheme.  The undisputed star is, of course, Murray, whose semi-improvisational style points out the film’s oddities with droll self-confidence (“We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!”), contrasting nicely with Aykroyd and Ramis’s gee-whiz enthusiasm for the premise.  Unfortunately, the script isn’t as tight as Ramis’s would be in the brilliant Groundhog Day a decade later; we don’t quite get a handle on the villain’s big scheme, and the characters are relatively flat.  But Ramis, co-writing with Aykroyd, does know the art of the non sequitur, as in the famous Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man sequence, and it gives the actors and actresses plenty of room to have fun.  This, I think, is the film’s greatest strength; it’s incredibly fun, which prevents the viewer from nitpicking too closely.  If cinema is escapism, Ghostbusters is a top-notch example of that tradition, warts and all.

Ghostbusters II (1989) – In the sequel, the flaws are more apparent, in part because the film opens itself too much to the negative effects on time.  Operating after a real-time gap, Ghostbusters II finds the paranormal exterminators out of a job and out of public favor; if it’s a commentary on box-office demand, it’s a depressing way to begin the film.  In fact, for a comedy, this is a pretty depressing film.  Murray, whose sardonic wit carried most of the first film, seems genuinely bored here, and Aykroyd’s sincerity seems like he’s trying too hard; Ramis doesn’t do much other than serve as a punchline for other characters to imply how creepy he is.  Weaver gets more to do here, presumably as a consequence of her coronation as resident sci-fi queen; her battle to save her son from a reincarnated Carpathian portrait is genuine and compelling, even if the foe isn’t.  The film also gives Moranis a larger role, which is a credit to any movie; his desire to be a “real” Ghostbuster is touching and clever all at once.  The soundtrack, though, is distractingly outdated, even more so than the original film’s ultra-80s theme tune.  I’m feeling surprisingly down on this movie, which catches me off-guard because I loved it so much as a child (I even had the coloring book, of all things).  And it’s not to say that this is a bad movie; it’s probably as intrinsically good as the original.  But what happens in Ghostbusters II is that the cracks show more clearly so that a “just good” movie never quite transcends beyond that level.

That does it for this week’s edition of “Monday at the Movies.” We’ll see you here next week for an exciting new feature in the realm of The Cinema King – stay tuned!

Monday at the Movies - September 10, 2012

Welcome to Week Thirty-Four of “Monday at the Movies.”  This week we continue our long-promised look at the “Alien Quadrilogy,” concluding the series proper.

Alien Resurrection (1997) – As the final installment of the “Alien Quadrilogy,” Alien Resurrection is an entirely bizarre film that never quite knows its own identity and consequently very nearly resists being enjoyable.  Sigourney Weaver is back, this time as the clone Ripley-8 who’s been induced to give birth to yet another Alien Queen.  Wonky biology ensues, and Ripley-8 ends up helping Winona Ryder and Ron Perlman escape from yet another ship filled with Xenomorphs.  There’s a definite tension between the script by Joss Whedon and the direction by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a written tongue-in-cheekness that never comes across in the hypersexualized horror of the visual.  Instead, we have a film with a tonally uncertain first act (in which Dan Hedaya’s broad caricature of a military man is never played as anything less than genuine), a too-pat second act that doesn’t do anything new, and a third act that’s so far beyond the pale that it’s more grotesquely uncomfortable than thrilling or entertaining.  As not-quite-Ripley, Weaver’s work is difficult to assess, in part because the film never knows quite how much of her core is still Ripley and how much isn’t; the other cast members aren’t well-developed and often devolve into clichés (Ryder’s character seems to exist only to drop F-bombs for unintentional comic relief and to retread issues of otherness from Alien and Aliens).  There are a few moments worth mentioning – the aquatic Xenomorphs end up being scarier than you’d expect, and Brad Dourif’s obsessive scientist doesn’t get enough screentime – but overall this is a disappointing end to a series that I’ve enjoyed more than I expected.

That wraps up our look at the “Alien Quadrilogy,” but you can read the review that started it all with Prometheus (2012), Ridley Scott’s demi-prequel to the series.  There are, of course, more Xenomorph movies yet to be reviewed – two entries in the Alien vs. Predator series.  Is there interest in seeing reviews of those?  Let me know!

That does it for this week’s edition of “Monday at the Movies.” We’ll see you here next week!

Monday at the Movies - September 3, 2012

It may be Labor Day today, but The Cinema King isn’t taking a vacation.  Welcome to Week Thirty-Three of “Monday at the Movies.”  This week we continue our long-promised look at the “Alien Quadrilogy,” and with our 33rd week it’s appropriate that we cover a threequel.

Alien³ (1992) – David Fincher’s first film, the third in the Alien franchise, hasn’t been treated well by critics or fans alike.  I don’t know the extent of the director/studio conflict that surrounded this film – although I am extremely curious to see the “Assembly Cut” of Alien³, more so than with the other director’s cuts in the series – but I can say that the film is more competent than its detractors give it credit.  (Is a competent “bad film” actually good?  I’m not sure.)  What fans of Aliens won’t like is the sequel element here, in which Newt and Hicks die off-screen and Bishop is reduced to a nearly-lifeless husk.  Alien³ is more a sequel to Alien, restoring the terror of the single monster and removing the cannon fodder element I didn’t like in Aliens.  In concept, then, the Alien is scarier than before, but its execution doesn’t quite work; the dog/Xenomorph hybrid is rendered with some bad special effects that look jerky and extremely unreal.  What is real, though, is the strong performance Sigourney Weaver turns in; watching her character evolve from the frightened underwear-clad kitten rescuer into a tough-as-nails full-on nemesis for the Xenomorphs has been a real delight, one that deservingly solidified her iconic status in the annals of science fiction film.  Unfortunately, the rest of the cast doesn’t quite line up, in part because the film doesn’t do a good job of distinguishing them; except for Charles S. Dutton, they’re all pudgy bald British men with very few distinctive traits (something perhaps rectified in the Assembly Cut?)  All told, Alien³ is a competent movie that does some things very well while flopping on others, striving for but never quite attaining the excellence of its grandfather.

That does it for this week’s edition of “Monday at the Movies.” We’ll see you here next week!