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Certificate: 
Director: John Favreau
Release Date: 2 May 2008
Tagline: Fully charged.
Main Cast:
Robert Downey Jr … Tony Stark
Terrence Howard … Rhodey
Jeff Bridges … Obadiah Stane
Gwyneth Paltrow … Pepper Potts
Comic book conversions… Some are good, some are bad and some are just average. Iron Man falls into the latter.
It’s shallow and very, very predictable. Now, I know that suspending belief is important when watching comic book films, but Iron Man is at times so ludicrous that this becomes impossible. Possibly the most implausible is the scene where the US Military locate Stark in the middle of the desert and don’t gun him down with friendly fire before he is identified (sorry… Can’t help myself from taking a shot at the trigger happy Americans).
I also think that it does nothing to calm the relations between the USA and Afghanistan. The ‘Jericho’ missile and the ability to wipe out the enemy through such means in the hands of the Americans is, apparently, a great thing. However, when the tables are turned, the man responsible for these weapons has a sudden stab of conscience when he realises that his own weaponry has been used against his country.
The criteria for a comic book that makes a good film are a) a strong protagonist b) great supporting characters, and c) a variety of great villains to pit the heroes against. Sadly, Iron Man has none of these.
The two best adaptations of comic books are Batman and Spider-Man. Both of these have all of the above criteron. Both Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker are characters we can identify with and warm to. Stark is just not likeable. He is a shallow character that you just can’t warm to. And Pepper is just a poor imitation of Spider-Man’s Mary Jane Watson.
The CGI is, however, very good and I really enjoyed the clever use of it.
I really can’t see how they can make a sequel out of this, but I’m sure they will.
Rating: 
Certificate:
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Release Date: 20 August 2008
Tagline: Saving the world is a hell of a job.
Main Cast:
Rom Perlman … Hellboy
Selma Blair … Liz Sherman
Doug Jones … Abe Sapien / The Chamberlain / The Angel of Death
Luke Goss … Prince Nuada
Not much more to add here that hasn’t already been said in my Hellboy review. The sequel is bigger and glossier than the first, but not better. I found the humour to be a bit more obvious, and I wasn’t a fan of all the aliens that have now been added. As mentioned before though, I am not familiar with the comic, so this element may be true to the book.
Having said all that though, it’s still very enjoyable and del Toro makes another solid and entertaining comic book adaptation.
Rating:
Certificate:
Director: Guillermo de Toro
Release Date: 2 September 2004
Tagline: From the dark side to our side.
Main Cast:
Ron Perlman … Hellboy
John Hurt … Trevor ‘Broom’ Bruttenholm
Selma Blair … Liz Sherman
Doug Jones … Abe Sapien
I was pleasantly surprised by Hellboy. I am not familiar with the comic, but the film is a very good, solid comic book movie. The story is engaging and I really liked the character of Hellboy. Ron Perlman manages to do a great job of portraying this scary looking man as anything but scary! He makes Hellboy seem more human than demon and his vulnerablility and loneliness is very touching. There’s a good element of humour as well.
Lastly, if you are a fan of the tv series Frasier then the voice of Abe Sapien will be familiar to you; it’s David Hyde Pierce (uncredited).
Rating:
Certificate:
Director: Christopher Nolan
Release Date: 24 July 2008
Tagline: Why so serious?
Main Cast:
Bruce Wayne … Christian Bale
The Joker … Heath Ledger
Aaron Eckhart … Harvey Dent
Alfred … Michael Caine
*** WARNING – THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ***
This is how I like my Joker served up. An evil sociopath for whom nothing is out of bounds. He’s absolutely delicious! And everything you’ve heard about Heath Ledger’s performance is true. If there’s any justice in this world, the he surely will win an Oscar for his performance. I’m not just saying this because (tragically) he’s dead. I’m saying this as a long time reader of the comic, and long time lover of the Joker. Jack Nicholson was great in Tim Burton’s version, but that was closer to the camp 1960’s TV show. The Dark Knight depicts the Joker exactly as he should be. There’s nothing funny about him and that’s the irony.
Moving on from the Joker (because I could wax lyrical all day about him), Christian Bale is again excellent as Batman. I’m glad that they changed the suit (too stiff – as mentioned, he couldn’t turn his head) and blew up the Batmobile. I hated that from Batman Begins and hope that we really have seen the last of it.
The character of Rachel Dawes is insipid, and her demise is welcomed by myself. Of course, knowing who Harvey Dent is, I was in no doubt that the Joker had played a trick on Batman and the police, and Harvey was the one who would be saved. This works very well both for those who are unfamiliar with the comic – my husband was surprised at the trick (oh crap – I’ve given my gender away!) and I myself revelled in the evil twist. Personally, I wanted another one. I hoped that the ferry incident would have led to the death of the one which decided to press the button, but I guess that they had to show the difference between the Joker and and those of us who have morality. Screw morality – I wanted more carnage, not a lesson!
There are moments of comedy (twisted and fantastic!) but this is not a light comic book film at all. Personally, I think that the BBFC have lost all credibility, and the rating system is all but useless. 12a? Not in the slightest. Cinema is ruled by money, and it seems to me that the BBFC are now bowing to pressure, and using the ‘a’ part of the rating as a cop out. 12 has now been ditched, and all responsibility has been placed on the child’s parents/guardians. And we all know how responsible some parents can be. The screening I went to had two young children (no more than 5 & 7 as they were from the same family) and if they had been mine, I would never have let them watch it.
The Dark knight is utterly brilliant, and any sequel will surely pale in comparison. Watch this film. It’s superb!
Rating:
Certificate: 
Director: Sam Raimi
Release Date: 4 May 2007
Tagline: Next summer, the greatest battle lies… Within.
Main Cast:
Tobey Maguire … Peter Parker
Kisrten Dunst … Mary Jane Watson
James Fargo … Harry Osborn
One of my favourite Spider-Man villians is Venom, so I was both excited and concerned at the prospect of his appearance in S-M 3. “Why concerned?” you ask. Well he’s – to put it mildly – vicious. He kills with glee and abandon and nobody is off limits to him, be it man, woman or child.
Venom is a formidable foe in the comic books, and I knew that they would never be able to portray him in his true light. His appearance is all too brief and I was disappointed to see his demise. Ultimately though, it was the best thing to do as he can only ever be a watered down version of his gloriously violent self. It was good to see, however, that they remained true to the comics and the character of Eddie Brock. I was slightly disappointed at the fact that Peter wore a physical black costume. The alien bonds to his host, and Peter’s black suit isn’t a costume at all – the symbiote is the suit (as is later shown when it takes over Eddie Brock). Again though, I understand why they did it. Peter had to be shown making a conscious decision to allow the symbiote to take control and they didn’t have the time to build up slowly. Films don’t have the luxury of a story arc built over many months. Also, having the exact same costume in black made for great visual images for all the posters 
Sandman is an absolute triumph of CGI. He’s fantastic, and left me pretty awe-struck. Years ago, I never dreamed that I would be able to see all these heroes and villains come to such fantastic life on the big screen.
Not everybody liked seeing two villains in the same film, and many of the poor reviews claimed that it was too confusing. They obviously missed the fact that neither Sandman or Venom could have been the main foe.
First of all, Sandman was actually a plot device rather than a villain. In fact, he’s not a villain at all. He’s just a man who did desperate things to save his dying daughter. He’s a tragic character, and is there firstly for Peter to react to with feelings of revenge and anger (thus showing us how the alien symbiote is beginning to take over his personality), and then at the end, when Peter has regained himself, he is finally able to lay the ghost of his uncle’s death to rest by understanding and forgiveness.
Secondly, Venom couldn’t have been the main villain because he only appears towards the end of the film. When we see what the alien has done to Eddie, a regular guy with no powers, we understand what the consequences would have been if Peter hadn’t come to his senses and rejected it.
Another gripe was about the depiction of Peter’s personality change. Yes, I would have preferred to see him dealing with criminals with more force than necessary rather than strutting down the street, but they won’t do that with a film that is rated 12. It wouldn’t be good to depict our hero abusing his power by kicking the s***t out of the bad guys. Bowing to pressure and making the films 12 rather than 12A was a decision made based on the marketing value of the franchise. I get annoyed at this, as not everything should be made to suit children. I want films to be made as well as they can be, and not compromised because of keeping parents happy or filling the already bulging pockets of the studios. Anyway, rant over! Back to the review 
The reconciliation between Peter and Harry was nicely done, and ended that story arc very well. I’ll miss James Franco in the next one though, as I thought he brought a lot to the role and made Harry very engaging.
So… Did I like it? Hell, yes! Spider-Man 3 is an exciting, thrilling and very satisfying film. It was also used as a way to tie up loose ends so that we can start afresh and not have S-M 4 (there will surely be another) cluttered up with unfinished business.
Rating:
Certificate:
Director: Sam Raimi
Release Date: 16 July 2004
Tagline: Sacrifice.
Main Cast:
Tobey Maguire … Peter Parker
Kirsten Dunst … Mary Jane Watson
James Franco … Harry Osborn
Alfred Molina … Dr Otto Octavius
After the sheer brilliance that was Spider-Man the question on everybody’s lips was “Can they do it again?” The answer was an emphatic “Yes!” We needn’t have worried as S-M 2 is just as thrilling as the first.
This time, the super-criminal is Dr Octopus. A good choice, as he’s one of the best known characters from the Spider-Man universe. Obviously, there is some character development for the main protagonists, but this is done very well. There’s not too much to bore the casual veiwer, and just enough to keep us dedicated fans happy.
Just like its predecessor, S-M 2 is unmissable.
Rating:
Certificate: reduced later to
Director: Sam Raimi
Release Date: 14 June 2002
Tagline: With great power comes great responsibility.
Main Cast:
Tobey Maguire … Peter Parker
Willem Dafoe … Norman Osborn
Kirsten Dunst … Mary Jane Watson
James Franco … Harry Osborn
For those of us who grew up reading the DC and Marvel comics (and especially Spider-Man) this is truly the stuff of dreams. It’s amazing how, finally, we are able to see Spidey swinging through the streets of New York in the exact same way you see him in the comics. It’s jaw-droppingly stunning. This is a perfect example of how to use CGI.
Everything about it is fantastic. First of all, though, I have to mention the suit – it’s drop-dead gorgeous! Maguire and Dafoe are perfectly cast. Dafoe even looks like the Norman Osborn from the comics! J. K. Simmons makes a brilliant J. Jonah Jameson! My only gripe about the cast is Kirsten Dunst. There doesn’t seem to be any chemistry between her and Maguire.
The story is also very faithful to the comic book canon. Very little has been changed, and the one or two alterations are done either to bring it more up to date (such as the spider being genetically engineered rather than being zapped by radiation), or by other constraints. Whilst I’m on the subject of the spider, I loved the fact that they made it the colour of the suit.
This is one of those films that you have to see. Even if you’ve never read a comic in your life you’ll love it. No prior knowledge of Spider-Man is required. Just sit back and enjoy the ride!
Now for some trivia. Look out for Stan Lee (the creator of Spidey), Bruce Campbell (Sam Raimi’s longtime friend & colleague) and Ted Raimi (Sam’s brother). All will feature in the sequels too. And for the Xena fans among us – keep an eye out for Lucy Lawless (also a friend of Raimi) – almost unrecognizeable as a punk!
Rating:
Certificate: 
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Release Date: 19 October 2007
Tagline: This summer a star falls. The chase begins.
Main Cast:
Michelle Pfeiffer … Lamia
Claire Danes … Yvaine
Charlie Cox … Tristan
Robert De Niro … Captain Shakespeare
I really liked Stardust. It’s very enjoyable and a near perfect example of a family film. There’s plenty of humour in it (I especially liked Billy), the casting is very good (except for the abysmal Ricky Gervais) and there are lots of familiar faces for us Brits to look out for! It has a dark edge to it which raises it above the treacly sweet film it could have been.
Don’t be put off because it’s a family film. It’s well worth a look even if you don’t normally watch this type of film.
Rating:
Certificate: 
Director: Nathan Juran
Release Date: 23 December 1958
Tagline: 8th Wonder of the Screen!
Main Cast:
Kerwin Mathews … Sinbad
Kathryn Grant … Princess Parisa
Torin Thatcher … Sokurah the Magician
Richard Eyer … The Genie
Another classic from Ray Harryhausen. There really is nothing to say about his films other than watch them. They’re all such great fun, and I never cease to marvel at his stop motion animation genius.
Rating:
Certificate: 
Director: Francis Lawrence
Release Date: 18 March 2005
Tagline: Hell wants him. Heaven won’t take him. Earth needs him.
Main Cast:
Keanu Reeves … John Constantine
Rachel Weisz … Angela Dodson / Isabel Dodson
Shia LaBeouf … Chas Kramer
Tilda Swinton … Gabriel
I’ve never read the comic that Constantine is based on, so I watched this as a purely stand alone film without any preconceived ideas about how it ’should’ be. In my view, this is how to make a comic book conversion but, as I say, fans of the comic may disagree. The look and feel of the film is classic comic book, full of silent and moody moments.
This is a dark and atmospheric film that draws you in from the first scene. Keanu Reeves is perfect as the ultimate anti-hero John Constantine and gives a great performance that makes us both respect and like him.
Tortured by the fact that, in the eyes of God, he can never make amends for taking his own life and will be damned to spend eternity in Hell, John wages a constant war against the demons that enter the mortal plain in the futile hope that he will be forgiven for his mortal sin and accepted into Heaven.
The plot is simple yet perfect, as you want to spend much of the time just enjoying what you’re watching. The special effects are fantastic and I loved the depiction of Hell.
I’ve not only been inspired to seek out the comics, but I may also sit with my feet in a bowl of water whilst staring at a cat’s face…
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