Comic heroes, tights and cape free
Believe it or not, not all comic books centre on masked men and women who prance around in figure-hugging costumes and show off their substantial special abilities. And as Hollywood snaps up pretty much every superhero property in existence to adapt for the big screen it's no real surprise they're getting closer to the bottom of the barrel (an Ant-Man movie anyone?).
As a result, some enlightened filmmakers and producers have switched their search direction, and are now looking at comics that *gasp* don't feature buffed up heroes in tights. For example, in 2010, we have the adventures of at least 2 grim comic book anti-heroes to look forward to at the cinema. I've blogged substantially before about Solomon Kane, and admittedly the puritan avenger's origins lie in pulp fiction as opposed to comics, but his adventures have been given the Marvel treatment before, and well, Kane's battles against the occult feel like they belong in darkly inked panels spattered with speech bubbles.
But Solomon Kane isn't the only brooding badass who's making the leap from page to screen next year. There's also Jonah Hex, based on the Western-themed DC comic for mature readers that has been running on and off since the early 1970s.
Title character Hex is a disfigured gunslinger, bounty hunter, and Civil War veteran known for wearing a tattered Confederate soldier's uniform. A brooding and cynical loner, Hex travels aimlessly along the Western frontier with the sole intention of protecting the innocent and punishing evil in assorted brutal ways. In the 21st century, his comic book adventures have become even more Solomon Kane-esque, with his normal human foes (killers, rapists and thieves) being complemented by an increasing number of supernatural enemies, including zombies and demons.
Apparently, if the film's official synopsis is to be believed, this supernatural flavour has carried through to the long-awaited film adaptation. Jonah Hex stars Josh Brolin as the title character, Megan Fox as a corset-wearing prostitute (and Hex's emotionally scarred love interest), and John Malkovich as the film's villain - ambitious terrorist Quentin Turnbull, who is "preparing to unleash Hell."
Plot wise, Jonah Hex does sound a tad on the derivative side, and I don't receive much confidence from the fact that reshoots are currently under way (to include more footage of Hex's Native American wife and young son). Nor is it reassuring that director Jimmy Hayward is a former animator, until now untested in terms of helming a live-action film. Plus, I'm not a fan of Westerns at all.
This said, I'm prepared to give Jonah Hex a chance, especially if it blends in some horror to revitalise a tired genre. The film is set for release in North America on 18 June 2010.
Meanwhile, another non-costumed DC Comics hero is gearing up to kick ass on the big screen. After decades of languishing in development hell, we may actually get to see a Sgt. Rock movie sometime in 2012.
The character of Sgt. Rock made his first comic appearance back in 1959 and his self-titled comic series ran until July 1988, after which the character only popped up in a few specials and miniseries. Rock is a blue collar steel mill worker who enlists in the US Army after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour. An outstanding soldier, Rock swiftly rises through the ranks before taking command of the Easy Company Unit. Always leading from the front, the practically indestructible Rock ends up fighting across Europe and in North Africa during World War II.
As a movie Sgt Rock. would no doubt be what Inglourious Basterds should have been - a rollicking action-adventure filled with explosions, combat, manly camaraderie and Nazi bashing.
For some reason though, Hollywood has just never been able to get a Sgt. Rock film made. During the 1980s, Arnold Schwarzenegger was attached to the film, and you can read a draft of the old, original screenplay here. By the late 1990s it was being claimed that Bruce Willis was up for the role of Rock.
Then everything went quiet on the Sgt. Rock movie front until it was announced that Guy (Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) Ritchie was preparing to direct the film. Ritchie was soon sidetracked however by the making of his Sherlock Holmes movie, and his intention to make a film about another lesser known comic book hero - DC's answer to Marvel's Wolverine and Deadpool - intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo.
Still though, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard and Matrix producer Joel Silver continued to persevere in making a Sgt. Rock movie a reality - despite the fact he has been attached to the project for well over 2 decades.
Unfortunately though, it looks like the compromise necessary to get the film FINALLY approved by Warner Brothers has also robbed Sgt. Rock of its definitive feature. Sgt. Rock, the movie will no longer be a Dirty Dozen-esque tale set in World War II. Instead, it will take place during a technologically advanced war in the future. What a disappointment! The filmmakers have taken a great concept, stripped it of its identity and turned it into a G.I. Joe clone to be directed by Francis Lawrence, the man behind Constantine and I Am Legend.
I'm all for Hollywood investigating other comic book properties to turn into movies, but there really is no point when the source material isn't treated with the respect and fidelity it deserves.
As a result, some enlightened filmmakers and producers have switched their search direction, and are now looking at comics that *gasp* don't feature buffed up heroes in tights. For example, in 2010, we have the adventures of at least 2 grim comic book anti-heroes to look forward to at the cinema. I've blogged substantially before about Solomon Kane, and admittedly the puritan avenger's origins lie in pulp fiction as opposed to comics, but his adventures have been given the Marvel treatment before, and well, Kane's battles against the occult feel like they belong in darkly inked panels spattered with speech bubbles.
But Solomon Kane isn't the only brooding badass who's making the leap from page to screen next year. There's also Jonah Hex, based on the Western-themed DC comic for mature readers that has been running on and off since the early 1970s.
Title character Hex is a disfigured gunslinger, bounty hunter, and Civil War veteran known for wearing a tattered Confederate soldier's uniform. A brooding and cynical loner, Hex travels aimlessly along the Western frontier with the sole intention of protecting the innocent and punishing evil in assorted brutal ways. In the 21st century, his comic book adventures have become even more Solomon Kane-esque, with his normal human foes (killers, rapists and thieves) being complemented by an increasing number of supernatural enemies, including zombies and demons.
Apparently, if the film's official synopsis is to be believed, this supernatural flavour has carried through to the long-awaited film adaptation. Jonah Hex stars Josh Brolin as the title character, Megan Fox as a corset-wearing prostitute (and Hex's emotionally scarred love interest), and John Malkovich as the film's villain - ambitious terrorist Quentin Turnbull, who is "preparing to unleash Hell."
Plot wise, Jonah Hex does sound a tad on the derivative side, and I don't receive much confidence from the fact that reshoots are currently under way (to include more footage of Hex's Native American wife and young son). Nor is it reassuring that director Jimmy Hayward is a former animator, until now untested in terms of helming a live-action film. Plus, I'm not a fan of Westerns at all.
This said, I'm prepared to give Jonah Hex a chance, especially if it blends in some horror to revitalise a tired genre. The film is set for release in North America on 18 June 2010.
Meanwhile, another non-costumed DC Comics hero is gearing up to kick ass on the big screen. After decades of languishing in development hell, we may actually get to see a Sgt. Rock movie sometime in 2012.
The character of Sgt. Rock made his first comic appearance back in 1959 and his self-titled comic series ran until July 1988, after which the character only popped up in a few specials and miniseries. Rock is a blue collar steel mill worker who enlists in the US Army after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour. An outstanding soldier, Rock swiftly rises through the ranks before taking command of the Easy Company Unit. Always leading from the front, the practically indestructible Rock ends up fighting across Europe and in North Africa during World War II.
As a movie Sgt Rock. would no doubt be what Inglourious Basterds should have been - a rollicking action-adventure filled with explosions, combat, manly camaraderie and Nazi bashing.
For some reason though, Hollywood has just never been able to get a Sgt. Rock film made. During the 1980s, Arnold Schwarzenegger was attached to the film, and you can read a draft of the old, original screenplay here. By the late 1990s it was being claimed that Bruce Willis was up for the role of Rock.
Then everything went quiet on the Sgt. Rock movie front until it was announced that Guy (Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) Ritchie was preparing to direct the film. Ritchie was soon sidetracked however by the making of his Sherlock Holmes movie, and his intention to make a film about another lesser known comic book hero - DC's answer to Marvel's Wolverine and Deadpool - intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo.
Still though, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard and Matrix producer Joel Silver continued to persevere in making a Sgt. Rock movie a reality - despite the fact he has been attached to the project for well over 2 decades.
Unfortunately though, it looks like the compromise necessary to get the film FINALLY approved by Warner Brothers has also robbed Sgt. Rock of its definitive feature. Sgt. Rock, the movie will no longer be a Dirty Dozen-esque tale set in World War II. Instead, it will take place during a technologically advanced war in the future. What a disappointment! The filmmakers have taken a great concept, stripped it of its identity and turned it into a G.I. Joe clone to be directed by Francis Lawrence, the man behind Constantine and I Am Legend.
I'm all for Hollywood investigating other comic book properties to turn into movies, but there really is no point when the source material isn't treated with the respect and fidelity it deserves.
Comments