Broken Frontier

There have been some good ones, and damn have there have been some bad ones. I’m talking about comic-to-film adaptations. And, like everyone else, I’d rather dance with pretty ones first, thanks.

#5: Road to Perdition (2002)

Really good, but really slow. That’s what I think about whenever this movie is mentioned. The acting, the characters, the plot—everything was there, but it was soooooooo painstakingly slow. Tom Hanks as the hit man Mike Sullivan, was money. He loved his son and family, but hated what he did; and that struggle is cleverly portrayed in the entire movie.

The score was phenomenal—it was its own character—it enhanced all the different moods of the movie beautifully. And Paul Newman, Jude Law, and Daniel Craig round out the supporting cast quite nicely.

This isn’t a movie I’d watch all the time, but it certainly beats out a lot of the other flicks that are out there.

#4: A History of Violence (2005)

Who knew no capes and super powers could be so cool? "Not I," said the pale dork in the corner. Fresh off his stint on Lord of the Rings, Viggo Mortensen sheds the reluctant savior role of Middle Earth to become…the reluctant savior of small town America, who, like his Ranger alter-ego, kills real good.

Although the beginning of the movie is pretty slow, it picks up the minute Viggo throws a coffee carafe into a poor bastard’s face. From there, it’s a fun ride of killing, running, and more killing. And hey, I’m usually not a fan of Ed Harris or William Hurt, but both did an excellent job playing wise guys. And the way they get their comeuppance—damn!

In all, this was a great movie, albeit somewhat underrated; the other three just happen to be a bit better.

#3: Sin City (2005)

Let’s be honest: the comic jumped from the pages and landed on the silver screen, panel for panel. Mickey Rourke was Marv, Bruce Willis was Haritgan, and Nick Stahl was The Yellow Bastard (yellow gut and all). It was pure translation: the movie made you believe in dork-cinema again, and it made blood pump in your ears, damnit. The rage and the pacing and the acting were all spot on. You were reading Miller while you were watching the movie. And somehow it having tons of violence and some nudity didn’t bother me at all, surprise-surprise.

Disappointingly, the three installations were weaved somewhat unnaturally throughout the film. The "Big Fat Kill" and "Sin City" were more likeable and to me, more seamless than "That Yellow Bastard".

If the pacing had picked up during that particular storyline, it would have been higher on the list. Still, it was wicked awesome.

#2: Batman Begins (2005)

If it’s broke, fix it. And God bless them, that’s exactly what David Goyer and Chris Nolan did. The ruined franchise was turned on its ear thanks to the brilliant duo. Their writing coupled with the believable performances, reminded us why we like to back the misunderstood, dark heroes of the world.

The idea of focusing on Batman’s beginnings was pure genius; it made us remember what made this great character tick. Heck, Wayne didn’t don the costume until a good ways into the movie. And the supporting cast blew my freakin’ Power Glove off! Gary Oldman with a mustache!? Are you kidding me? Michael Cane and Morgan Freeman? What-what? Seriously, the chemistry between Wayne and these three characters made the movie.

It’s this flick that should remind us that Batman could kick the shit out of Superman any day of the week.

#1: X-Men (2000)

When Wolverine popped his claws for the first time, it was over for me. Over, I tell you. That close, angled shot was perfect: we were seeing claws come out of his hands, towards our face. It was unbelievable. And the rest of the movie followed suit. Patrick Stewart as the calm, collected Charles Xavier, and Sir Ian McKellen as Magneto were, in a word, sublime. Even with Halle Berry’s horrible performance, I was able to believe in the cause these outcasts were risking their lives for. Two hours of powerful stuff. Let’s not kid ourselves, this movie ushered in the super hero genre for the entire decade to come.

It was because of how well this movie was done that we got our Spider-Mans, our Fantastic Fours, our Batmans and Super Mans. It did what hadn’t been done in a very long time: get those who didn’t read comic books to once again get interested in heroes and capes.