The most underrated comic book movies

[MessiahDecoy123]

What comic book movies don't get enough credit.

 

[El Payaso]

Hulk (2003) - It's far from perfect but it has some great scenes. Hulk vs the Army was antological for me.

Superman Returns - Yes, you have to be a fan from the Donner franchise to get this one. You're supposed to be since it was announced as a Donner's movie sequel. That's why I can live with the campy Lex, the goofy Clark, fartherhood as a most important subject and Superman saving people without punching giant robots.

Batman Returns - It drags at some points, sure, but I've hardly seen such a terrific monster as the Penguin and a love interest that is actually interesting and well acted as Catwoman. Plus, Keaton rocks again.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

Daredevil - Affleck was pretty much perfect in his roles as Matt and DD, he and Garner had great chemistry, MCD was a convincing Kingpin, Colin Farrell was a fun Bullseye, it had v good action scenes, fantastic origin section, and although it crammed in a lot, they pleased this Frank Miller DD fan by getting a lot of stuff from his books into the movie. Clive Revell's music was one of the best superhero s/tracks, and the rock music was also used effectively.
I am always amazed at how much hate this movie gets.

Batman Forever - What makes this movie is the story between Bruce and Dick, the Flying Graysons origin is superbly handled, and the budding partnership was just a joy for me to watch in the cinema. I did get a huge kick out of BR when i saw it, but this one was more like an adaptation of the comics, rather than a screenplay writer taking the characters and just doing what he wanted with them without referencing any of the books.
Carrey was a good Riddler, taking his cues from Gorshin, and although tommy Lee Jones lacked the tragic aspect of Two-Face for much of the movie, he was not as bad as some make out imo. His friendship with the Riddler provides some good laughs and his opening sequence against Batman is a doozy, up there with the best Bond openings.

Punisher War Zone and The Punisher (1989)

I don't know what else to to say about it, but quite simply, PWZ is a right good laugh, and the action is suitably ott to go along with that vibe, in the vein of Crank and Shoot em up, a not taking itself too seriously at all action blaster.

The Dolph Lungren Punsher is way underated though, it has a cool comic book vibe to it(cheesey in some parts though), but for the most part is a solid 80s action flick, it has the best action of all 3 Punisher moives.

Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver surfer

Ok, I class this as two thirds of the movie is should have been, the last part should have been the appearance of Galactus, but up until then the movie is not a bad FF movie, it at least feels like an FF movie, they way you expected , than the first one. It has that global/cosmic/big event feel the FF need. 1hr 20odd minutes long though, shocking. But, not the disaster many say it is imo, still a fun flick, the Surfer being very well realised in particular, and CE's Johhny Storm always lights up the screen with his humour.

V For Vendetta

Yes, the book is a masterpiece, and the movie is not in that league, but it is still a classy film that gets some things right. V's opening scene, the attack on the tv station and the revenge visits to the padre and the Doc are straight from the book and well done(although they missed the best one with the Camp commander and his doll collection, they really should've done that one), and Edie's imprisonment and epiphany are as touching and uplifting as those chapters in the book. The music is superb, and although V loses his somewhat ethereal presence, the movie version still retains his playful humour and deadly unflinching attitude when it comes to facing down the government.

 

[SuperFerret]

V For Vendetta is very underrated. I'd also say that it's better than the book, particularly in the sense that it ends.

 

[Max J Power]

Not a comic book movie in the strictest sense, but I thought The Green Hornet was a lot better than it got credit for.

 

[El Payaso]

Thebumwhowalks, I can agree about B Forever. It's not a great movie but very enjoyable.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

El Payaso: Yeah, I know what you mean, if only it had the classier cinematography and colour pallette as the Burton movies, and the ending with the battleships thing and 'puzzle' room trap is not that exciting at all, *that* part feels like a toy commercial, as B&R did all the way through. Robin is also wasted in the finale.

superferret: I'm surprised you prefer the movie, i think the book has the edge mostly because it goes deeply into the characters all involved in the government. although there is something to be said about Evie's character being stronger in the film, but, then again, you could say that the character of Evie in the book has the more significant journey.

 

[Catman]

The most underrated movies are the ones that people don't realize are comic book adaptations. When was the last time you saw some acknowledge The Mask or Men in Black as comic book movies?

Batman Returns - It drags at some points, sure,

This is the first time I've heard/read anyone say that Batman Returns dragged. That film is anything but boring.

 

[El Payaso]

This is the first time I've heard/read anyone say that Batman Returns dragged. That film is anything but boring.

I'm not saying it is boring. But should have been faster at some points. I love the film.

 

[SuperFerret]

superferret: I'm surprised you prefer the movie, i think the book has the edge mostly because it goes deeply into the characters all involved in the government. although there is something to be said about Evie's character being stronger in the film, but, then again, you could say that the character of Evie in the book has the more significant journey.

The movie is more concise with its story and, like I said, I really don't like that the book just stops without an actual ending.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

The movie is more concise with its story and, like I said, I really don't like that the book just stops without an actual ending.

I haven't looked at the book for a couple of years, I actually don't know where it is right now, maybe lent it out, so am maybe forgetting some details. But I never got the impression it never had an ending. It was along the lines of Evie taking over from V, and it gave the implication she would be helping build a new society out of the remains of the revolution, she saves some government agent guy who does not seem as bad as the rest(he wakes up in the shadow gallery with her standing over him)implying he would be helping her.

Can't recall the movie ending tbh.

edit: i thought you were being sarcastic about the book's length, implying it was so long it felt like it would never end, but yeah, you probably know, but it was released in the UK magazine Warrior originally, which was cancelled, before they resumed the story years later for DC, so it was not written in such a way as to be as concise as other eworks like Watchmen. moore talks about how he was embarresed by some of his earlier work on the story, when he went back to complete it, as he had changed so much as a writer since then.
but, when i read the original comics(borrowed them), before knowing anything about how it was put together in the GN intro, I couldn't tell, i liked all of it, and felt it flowed pretty well throughout.

 

[Evil Twin]

The movie is more concise with its story and, like I said, I really don't like that the book just stops without an actual ending.

Sure the book has an actual ending. The regime is overthrown with the country descending into anarchy. V the destroyer is dead. Evie, the new V, the builder has a new role to fulfill, and a new protege to guide. And Finch walks off into the darkness.

It's not a "they all lived happily ever after in peace and democracy" ending, but it is an ending to the story set up.

 

[SuperFerret]

No, it just stops. It doesn't end. There's no real conclusion to it at all.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

No, it just stops. It doesn't end. There's no real conclusion to it at all.

lol, what are you talking about? As we have both said, the corrupt goverment is brought down, Evie takes over from V to help re-build...it's an open ending, like Watchmen, where the arc we followed, V taking down the government is completed, but for the future, well, no-one knows really what will happen, so it's left to our imaginations and speculations, if not sequels.

 

[superhero]

teeange mutnat ninjaturtl 1990 live action movie if your superhero fan i highly reocmmed to any ninjaturtl fansthefirst more daker then the second movie after the thrid they wentdown hil i did enjoy cgi movie called tmnt. their making new live actin moive some time in next year or the next.

spanw i likedi t a lot i don't under stand why people hate it much

fanstic four rise of the slivr sufer i love this moive i watchit al the time i heard they were going to use black panther in a third fanstic four moive igues it never happend

superman 3 sure it wrost my favrite part were clakr kent and superman spilt into fight each other in the junk yard

spider-man 3 sure not the best moive my favortie part is the ending. i like the sandman fight

x-men 3 last stand not too good. just didn't like killing so many people. i liked it

x-men orgin wolrivng not sure what the hate is about i loved this movie i m looking forward to the reboot.

dare devil it wwasgoood it was denfily differnt didn't under stand why it never got a squeal

superman return more of love story im looking forward to new superman sometime in 2012

catwomen i liked it not as bad people make it out too be. i liked hally barry is catwomen it had good story too it


ghost rideri liked t i thought it was good is oneo fmy favoite actor is Nicolas Cage i m looking forward to the squeal.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

teeange mutnat ninjaturtl 1990 live action movie if your superhero fan i highly reocmmed to any ninjaturtl fansthefirst more daker then the second movie after the thrid they wentdown hil i did enjoy cgi movie called tmnt. their making new live actin moive some time in next year or the next.

spanw i likedi t a lot i don't under stand why people hate it much

When i was a kid at school i bought a bootleg tape of the Turtles 1st movie as soon as it was released. i used to watch that tape all the time, really liked the movie. I will have to get ahold of it on dvd, it's been years since ive seen it.

Spawn? I have it on vhs, but have only watched it once, it's that blue faced clown villan, he did my box in when I was watching it. I'll have to watch it again though, i liked the sfx for Spawn.

x-men orgin wolrivng not sure what the hate is about i loved this movie i m looking forward to the reboot.

dare devil it wwasgoood it was denfily differnt didn't under stand why it never got a squeal

I do enjoy Wolverine, but the thing is, it could have been so much better. One of my fav comics of all time is Wolverine no10, when it flashbacks to Sabretooth 'killing' Silverfox, they did do some of that part, and it was pretty good(i mean the bit in the bar, and fight in the log yard), but it was over too quickly. In the book they go at it in the snow of the Canadian mountains for a good bit, if they had done a more atmospheric fight in the wilderness after that momentus event, it would have been fantastic, and that is just one bit that could have been improved.

Daredevil, love that movie. I am not sure why they did not do a sequel, perhaps part of the reason was that it was not that well received anywhere apart from in the states. Ben Affleck was only into doing a sequel if Kevin Smith did it, the idea did not float I guess. they will re-boot it though to keep the rights. Hopefully get a trilogy this time.

Have you watched the tv movie 'The trial of the Incredible Hulk'? with Daredevil? It is actually pretty good, buy the dvd if you have not seen it, it is much better than the one with Thor, the DD one can be taken more seriously. The guy from lord of the rings who plays the dwarf plays the Kingpin.

 

[Microchip]

Daredevil Director's Cut. It should be the only one sold in stores, and they should take the theatrical version out of circulation. It makes it a near-completely different movie that is actually quite watchable.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I will agree with most of the selections in here, especially, Hulk, Superman Returns and Spidey 3, but one I never hear getting any praise is Constantine, and I thought that was a really good CB movie.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

Hulk, Spider-Man 3, Daredevil.

They need love too

X-Men 3.

Spoiler

 

[nocomics]

DareDevilirectors Cut
Superman Returns
The Crow
Judge Dredd(it wasnt a bad movie imo,but not great)
Constantine

 

[Xtroid]

Hmm... Batman Returns.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

I will agree with most of the selections in here, especially, Hulk, Superman Returns and Spidey 3, but one I never hear getting any praise is Constantine, and I thought that was a really good CB movie.

You're right, I sauntered down to the cinema one morning to catch it, not expecting much, and was pleasantly surprised.
I've never read the original Hellblazer comics, so i was not one of the fans who bemoaned the transatlantic changes to the character, i also like Keanu Reeves, and i know a lot of folk have a problem with him too in the role, or even just in general, lol.

But man, it was a very tastefully made film, the CGI sfx were awesome, whoa, those Hell dudes, and the Hell landscape, fantastic.

I wasn't surpirised that the same director made another good action movie with I am Legend. i don't know what else he has worked on, but i hope he does more in the superhero/action genre, as he can do the good characterisation as well as the action.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

The most underrated movies are the ones that people don't realize are comic book adaptations. When was the last time you saw some acknowledge The Mask or Men in Black as comic book movies?

It took me until 2008 to realize the mask was a comic. When I read the comic...wow, was I in for a surprise. NOTHING like the film.

 

[chapin]

V For Vendetta
Daredevil Director's Cut

 

[Brother Jack]

Unbreakable