Poll Results: Best Comic Book Movie 2010
So, we asked you to tell us which Comic Book movie of 2010 you liked the best. As we prepared the list, it became pretty clear that 2010 was a crappy year for comic book movies. Possibly the studios were busy reloading for 2011, with it’s Green Lantern, Thor, Captain America, X-Men First Class and Transformers 3, not to mention Cowboys and Aliens. Also, possibly Conan, Deadpool, Ghost Rider Men in Black, and Sin City.
So, on to the results.
5) Jonah Hex
This one had a pretty strong smell coming off of it, such that I, like most people, didn’t bother going to see it. Grumpy cowboys with bad facial scarring, John Malkovich chewing up the scenery, combined with Megan Fox is more than enough reason to avoid such a film. It scored a whopping 13% on Rotten Tomatoes.
4) RED
Warren Ellis wrote the comic books this movie was based on, and RED was well received, if a bit underwhelming. It did pretty well at the box office, as people seem to like the idea of Helen Mirren locking and loading. Also, John Malkovich was in this one as well, karmically balancing the scale for Jonah Hex.
3) Kick-Ass
Kick-Ass was a bit of a flop at the box office, but critics and fans seemed to enjoy it. Personally, I think it suffered from a pretty bland lead character, and a lack of John Malkovich. On the plus side, Nicholas Cage’s performance is pretty enjoyable, and there’s no end of punching and stabbing. Some controversy developed surrounding the idea of a young tween girl trained to kill in some pretty graphic ways. Feel free to re-open that debate below.
2) Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 made over $300 million, and was well-received. For me, it was okay at best. Much like Superman Returns, it was enjoyable while watching, but the further away from it I got, the less fond of it I became. Like the first Iron Man film, it doesn’t strike me as a film that I would re-watch. If only Mickey Rourke’s character was replaced by someone whose name rhymes with Spalkovich. Read our original review of the film here.
1) Scott Pilgrim vs the World
You chose Scott Pilgrim as your favorite comic book movie of the year. You’re very wise people. It took me a long while to get on the Scott Pilgrim train, but I’m on, and it’s awesome. Both the movie, directed by Edgar Wright, and it’s source comic by Brian Lee O’Malley are a credit to their respective medium. The movie stays true to its roots, bringing the story to life, while adding some interesting visual flourishes that only film could supply.
The movie didn’t do well at the box office, but when you open against The Expendables (which takes up most of the male testosterone crowd) and Eat,Pray,Love (which takes up most of the estrogen club), that’s likely to happen. It could have used a bit more Malkovich. I haven’t met anyone who didn’t like the movie, though most people probably haven’t seen it. Their loss.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World is a very likable film. It’s completely committed to its style and panache. Put your Michael Cera weariness aside and give it a shot. You won’t be sorry. Hell, take a leap of faith, click on that picture up there and buy a copy.
I have a strong suspicion that our resident Scott Pilgrim worshipper, RobbieRobTown will be chiming in here, so I’ll leave it to him to close this out.
