Rise of the Silver Surfer THING/Michael Chiklis DISCUSSION

[Norm3]

He looks the same to me. I wish he was about 6" taller.

 

[Atomicchuck3k]

The Thing wearing a wrist watch is part of the product placement deals?

Nah, he just wants to be able to know when it's clobberin' time!

 

[Atomicchuck3k]

*Deleted*

 

[Kelly]

What the heck was this doing on the 5th page?????

 

[coreymb16]

I guess we haven't heard anything about the Thing in a while.

 

[coreymb16]

Oh man, I haven't seen that in years!

-TNC

That is so cool looking. It looks like their in a crossover movie. The Hulk and the Thing look just like they look on film.

 

[Spider - Man]

Well, I think I've seen enough clips to see that once again they've failed to bring the Thing to life for me. Is it an improvement over the last film? Yes. They finally got the hands about perfect, the brow is slightly bigger, and he looks thicker BUT he still looks like a guy in a soft, foam rubber suit. There is no sense of 'weight' to it. And he just doesn't look like what I always imagined the Thing sprung to life would look. And hey, I'm just stating my opinion. Everyone else may LOVE this 'newer' look and that's fine. If everything else is good with this film, the look of the Thing won't ruin it for me. I'll just say that I hope that if he is truly supposed to be 'evolving' that maybe next film he will be a little closer still to what I'd like to see. Sadly, at the rate he's changing though, it won't be until something like FF #9 that he'll finally be massive enough, 'heavy' enough, powerful-looking enough to suit me. Hopefully, way before that, there'll be a reboot with a new director who will better understand how to bring the FF and Doom to the screen the way they need to be.

 

[bubbadoom]

Spider - Man , can you post a picture of your ideal thing, or at least tell us an artist/issue number.

I only ask because, as you know, he has looked VERY different over the years - even changing dramatically during Kirby's 100 issue run. I am not saying the movie Thing is 100 % perfect, but his general hight and size seem to be in keeping with the Kirby version, or at least more so than, say, Byrne's take on him.

 

[Spider - Man]

Spider - Man , can you post a picture of your ideal thing, or at least tell us an artist/issue number.

I only ask because, as you know, he has looked VERY different over the years - even changing dramatically during Kirby's 100 issue run. I am not saying the movie Thing is 100 % perfect, but his general hight and size seem to be in keeping with the Kirby version, or at least more so than, say, Byrne's take on him.

I like the look of the Thing back in the issues around say 170, when PowerMan replaced him and Reed built him the exoskeleton. I thought that was Byrne but I think someone told me a while back that it was another artist. These are the things that keep him from being the Thing come-to-life for me (and remember, this is just MY opinion):
I'm not so worried about his height but The Thing in silhouette shouldn't look like a bodybuilder. He shouldn't have the same proportions. He should be much wider, with much bigger arms and legs. And not all that muscular definition. This would have to be done with cgi to really capture it because a man in a suit of those proportions wouldn't be able to move. And I KNOW how Jack drew him but to translate to the screen, I think you need something more than what we're being given to convey the power of the Thing. With a guy in a rubber suit, there just isn't any way to completely mask the fact that its a rubber suit. Stuff like the Thing landing on the car in the first movie without even scratching the hood..he shoulda CRUSHED that car under his weight. Instead it was like someone in a giant sponge suit slid off the hood! The only other minor thing (well, actually, two) that I would like to see are 1) the Thing in blue trunks without the boots! And 2) no visible teeth with a slightly bigger, more protruding jaw (ok, so maybe that's 3!).
I think that would do it for me. Seeing how beautifully Stan Winston did bringing the IM armor to life it's a shame he didn't get to do the Thing. I read a few years ago someone asked him if he could do one superhero who it would be and he said the Thing! If ANYONE could've made a Thing suit look good, it woulda been him!

Edit: I liked the way Jack drew Ben in issue #55 of the FF and I liked the way the guy who drew the interior art for issue #15 drew the Thing a lot! Also, look at him on the covers of #16 and #18 - just a massive, mishapen pile of orange rocks:

 

[webhead731]

lol. I love how they dress Thing in these movies. Shoes and everything.

 

[Norm3]

I use to own those issues!

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I just posted a link to this clip in the TV Spots thread, but this just seemed like such classic Ben, that I also thought I'd post the screen-cap here:

 

[Buslady]

the only weird thing i notice..okay he'swearing TIGHT pans..wouldnt the rocky texture of his legs show thru the pants instead of musculature?

either way, i still like the way he looks.

 

[Atomicchuck3k]

the only weird thing i notice..okay he'swearing TIGHT pans..wouldnt the rocky texture of his legs show thru the pants instead of musculature?

either way, i still like the way he looks.

It may be because the pants are designed extra thick to make them more durable. Thin polyester pants on the THING would tear kinda easy.

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

It may be because the pants are designed extra thick to make them more durable. Thin polyester pants on the THING would tear kinda easy.

Maybe the pants are padded to avoid that his rocky parts are too evident, all his rocky parts.

 

[The Caped Knight]

Chiklis as The Thing was the only thing that really was good about the first movie, He nailed the part . I hope this time he get's alot more screen time and alot more to do tha just the playful banter between him & Johnny .

 

[Kelly]

He looks the same to me. I wish he was about 6" taller.

Ben is 6' according to the Marvel Directory....

Michael is... 5'8" and you can probably add around an 1" to his height in the full costume......so really only 3" was needed....but hey 6" would be ok too....

 

[The Caped Knight]

Chiklis once again does an outstanding job as The Ever Lovin' Blue Eyed Thing . I'm glad he got alot more screen time this time around .

I'm guessing Ben & Alicia are going to probably get married in the third movie right ?

 

[TNC9852002]

I liked the improvements that they made on his face and neck..

-TNC

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

I thought he looked rubbery in the FIRST one.
They really upped the rubbery quality and enhanced that sense that you're not looking at a rocky mutant but instead at a man in a rubber suit!

They even got so lazy with the make up, there were a few scenes where you could clearly, clearly see the seam at his eyes, and some orange make up hastily swabbed over his eye lids of a different shade.



If the goal was to take an awesome character and make him into a joke, they passed with flying colors!

 

[Kelly]

Chiklis once again does an outstanding job as The Ever Lovin' Blue Eyed Thing . I'm glad he got alot more screen time this time around .

I'm guessing Ben & Alicia are going to probably get married in the third movie right ?

He actually got much less.


Source: my viewing of the movie, and Michael Chiklis

 

[Will]

For some reason in various scenes throughout the movie it looked like Thing's arms were really short, shorter than in the first one.

That said I was still very satisfied with the way he looked here. The brow, added chunks of rock and bigger detail and more orange look was perfect, especially in that one scene where his eyes were really blue and highlighted.

 

[TNC9852002]

I think Thing had just as much screen time as before, but his contribution to the movie was a lot less pivotal this time around, ya know.

-TNC

 

[LostSon88]

His voice was much more consistient this time around.

In the first movie, Michael would fluctuate from his regular voice to his gruff/Brooklyn voice every now and then...

 

[MattC]

I am surprised more people haven't brought up the fact that he lifted up the London Eye in the movie, that was a pretty big thing to do in my opinion. Anyone who has seen it in real life would know that it is a lot bigger and heavier than it looks. I am glad they showed him able to lift something so heavy, rather than just a car.