Comic Books to Film (Part 2)

Comic Books to Film (Part 2)

It’s summer blockbuster time! “Batman Begins”, one film based on a comic book character, is already in theaters, with other superhero films coming in the near future. But the concept of comic books to film is not a new trend. What are some of the previous movies that have been based on comic books?

Flash Gordon

This 1980 film found the title character, played by Sam Jones, and Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) transported to the planet Mongo. Their work was cut out for them as they tried to save the world from the evil Ming (Max Von Sydow).

Daredevil

Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) loses his sight at a young age. However, this doesn’t stop him from not only becoming a lawyer, but evolving into the superhero known as Daredevil. With the help of Elektra Natchio (Jennifer Garner), Daredevil sets out to defeat the evil Bullseye (Colin Farrell) and crime boss, Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan).

Elektra

“Elektra” was the spin-off to 2003’s “Daredevil”. This time around, a reanimated Elektra is an assassin trying to protect Mark Miller (Goran Visnjic) and his daughter, Abby (Kirsten Prout) from evil, supernatural forces.

Hulk

Not only was the Hulk a comic book, but also a popular TV show. The 2003 movie starred Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, who, once affected by radiation, becomes the green force to be reckoned with.

League of Extraordinary Gentleman

Although the comic book has quite a variety of superheroes, the movie starred an assortment of literary characters including Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery), Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), The Invisible Man/Mr. Skinner (Tony Curran), Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), Tom Sawyer (Shane West), Mina Harker (Peta Wilson) and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (Jason Flemyng). Set in the Victorian Age, the group was in pursuit of The Fantom (Richard Roxburgh).

Constantine

This 2005 flick was based on the comic book “Hellblazer”. The anti-hero, John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) and Los Angeles police officer, Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz), try to find the truth behind the death of Angela’s twin sister, Isabel.

Sin City

There is trouble for the citizens of Sin City. The film focuses on a variety of people who find themselves in situations in the seedier part of town. There is the retiring police officer, Hartigan (Bruce Willis), framed for a crime he didn’t commit; Marv, (Mickey Rourke) on the hunt for the people responsible for murdering his one true love; and, bad cop, Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro) and Dwight (Clive Owen) who accidentally wind up in a predicament together.