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Ruger · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 58

As is no secret, Marvel is notorious for making movies of below average quality.

However, their latest batch seems to be an improvement.

Iron Man looks fantastic, The Incredible Hulk looks like a worthy redo, and X-men Origins: Wolverine and Magneto remain two of my highly anticipated films.

Do you imagine it is possible for Marvel to pull out of this slump?

Finn · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 121

Really? What Slump? Their movies have broken a few records I believe. None of DCs latest bunch have, in fact, not too many films that were not rooted in the comic book genre have lately.

Until Batman Begins I would have said Warner/DC had cornered the market on substandard superhero films. Not including the straight to video version of FF and Captain America or their very poor Punisher attempt with "Ivan Drago" and Lou Gossett Junior.

The first two X-Men films really had it right, for the most part. These movies are about the decisions a given director makes in bringing them to life. Stuff that works in comics just won't work for a general audience in live action on the big screen when tickets are 10 bucks a pop and they need to make money on it, or no more fun genre films. X3 was substandard, with a couple of items to nitpick, but still better than Turncoat Singer's failed Superman attempt.

Likewise the Spider-Man films were excellent, with the possible exception of the over abundance of villains/plots in Spider-Man 3. Not to mention Emo-Peter, but he was poisoned by that suit. But overall, an excellent effort when compared to the likes of Batman and Robin, or even ANY of the old Batman films. The Reeve Superman films stand alone as nostalgic masterpieces, well -- the first and second anyway, but really -- did they represent the Superman of the comics? Barely, if at all.

Let us not speak of Constantine. Which might have been a fun movie, were it meant to be anything else but John Constantine, Hellblazer.

Incredible Hulk, for all that some see it as a disappointment under Ang Lee's too heavy hand, wasn't actually terrible. And I thought Thomas Jane's Frank Castle/The Punisher really worked in a classic revenge film way. All in all, Marvel has had th better showing, though I really do think Batman Begins sets the new benchmark.

Iron Man LOOKS awesome. Downey Junior to me is perfect casting for war-profiteering, womanizing, alcoholic a$$hole Tony Stark, back when he was cool.

Wolverine I hope is good. Jackman seems to have a grip on the character, and since the film is his production top to bottom, I hope it is as good as I believe he is at portraying the role. The Director will have an effect, as will the rating they shoot for -- Jackman wants an 'R', and I think a solo Wolverin film needs to be. Those claws ain't for scratchin' fence posts.

Magneto? Meh. Without Sir Ian McKellan, maybe. I dig Sir Ian, he rocked as Gandalf, and he was a fine Magneto in age, but they can't possibly hope to utilize him moving forward and certainly not in flashback. It will get to visually difficult to buy into.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject:

I didn't know they were working on a Magneto stand alone film... He's one of my favorite characters and seeing someone else than Ian McKellen, for the same reasons as Finn brought up, would be pretty cool.

I think, like all comic-based movies, they can have the flavor of the original, but the taste will depend upon the viewer.

I enjoyed the Hulk. It was long, but then so are most movies nowadays...

I am really, REALLY looking forward to seeing the Iron Man, though! The preview totally kicks ass and I am hoping the movie won't disappoint. thumbup

For the most part, if visual effects are well done, I'm fairly satisfied with comic-based films, on the basis of seeing a hero come to life physically on screen. If the plot sucks, the replay value goes down but the first time around is still worth the ride. YMMV.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 2:58 pm Post subject:

Anyone seen 'Iron Man' yet?

I'm probably gonna try to catch it over the week-end.