A comic book movie not based on any comic, Unbreakable revisits the banner days of director M. Night Shyamalan, still basking in the critical acclaim and Oscar glow of The Sixth Sense, back when he was the next Spielberg and a face of the future of filmmaking. But while Shyamalan’s reputation has taken a nose dive without a parachute, Unbreakable stands on its own as excellent storytelling and as an Icarus-like fable about those whose ambitions take them too close to the sun. Fittingly, such mythmaking is right at home here, as what Shyamalan did with Sixth Sense, a master class of style and atmosphere, he does again with Unbreakable, a haunting, down-to-earth take on the comic book hero’s origin.
Bruce Willis plays David Dunn, an everyman security guard who is the sole survivor of a devastating train crash. As David struggles with his own survivor’s guilt, he’s visited by a man named Elijah Price (played by Samuel L. Jackson), a purveyor of original comic book art who fills David’s head with ideas of destiny and super-powers; why has David never been sick, why has always been drawn towards protector jobs, and how does he always seem to know when someone is up to no good? Elijah believes that he and David are connected by their fates. While David is seemingly “unbreakable,” Elijah suffers from a rare disease where his bones are as brittle and weak as ordinary glass. “We’re on the same curve, just on opposite ends,” Elijah explains.
Obviously, this being pre-Last Airbender Shyamalan, the focus is less on the big-budget set pieces like alien invasions and skyscraper destruction, and more on creating suspense and drama, exploring the real world implications of someone dealing with even moderately superhuman abilities, and how that would affect them, their life and their family.
Willis finds in Dunn a complex hero who, in a real way, is much more vulnerable than any of the he-men he’s portrayed in other films, despite Dunn’s super-human abilities. As always, Jackson is a great foil for Willis and the two work well together building a unique and intricate friendship over the course of the film. Shyamalan’s skill as a filmmaker has never been more refined, and at this point of his career, his trademarked twisty ending had yet to feel contrived. At the time, Unbreakable was seen as a sophomore slump when compared to the breakout success of The Sixth Sense, but looking back on it there’s a sense that Shyamalan peaked when he put his own unique spin on the comic book movie.
Adapted from the manga of the same name, Afro Samurai serves as proof that Samuel L. Jackson can do literally anything. Following the life of a young boy who witnesses his father’s murder, it is one of the best comic book revenge stories ever. The titular samurai’s quest to retrieve the Number 1 headband from his father’s killer throws tons of colorful assassins in his way, giving him the opportunity to violently dispatch each and every one of them in a gory fashion.
This is definitely one of the more adult comic series out there, and the animation handles surprisingly mature themes deftly. Jackson’s voice lends itself perfectly to the characters, and the cartoon has a style that stands on its own as uniquely beautiful and detailed. The sequel, Afro Samurai: Resurrection is just as good, and both are worth a watch if you consider yourself a fan of adult-themed comics.
Though Wonder Woman is an equal to both Batman and Superman in longevity, popularity and the epic nature of her story, Hollywood studios have avoided a live-action Wonder Woman movie at all costs. Thankfully, comic book author Gail Simone went ahead and wrote an animated version with Michael Jelenic, which was directed by Lauren Montgomery. Their film, which inexplicably went straight to video, is loosely based on the Wonder Woman comic book arc ‘Gods and Monsters’ from the late 1980s, and is widely regarded as one of the best animated superhero films of all time.
The film sets out the origin of the conflict between the Amazons – a race of warrior women – and Ares, God of War. In battle, Amazon Queen Hippolyta, beheads Ares’ soldier Thrax – her son conceived when Ares raped her. Hippolyta defeats Ares, but is prevented from killing him by Zeus. Instead, the Amazonians are given the remote island of Themyscira as their home, and are charged with imprisoning and guarding Ares. Hippolyta is granted a daughter – warrior princess Diana – and life rumbles on until USAF Colonel Steve Trevor is shot down over the island. As Diana (soon to become Wonder Woman) defies her mother and wins the right to escort Steve Trevor home, Ares plots and executes his escape plan, and a terrible string of events are set in motion.
While the original cut of the film was handed an R rating due to extreme violence and brutality, deft editing saw that reduced to a lower certificate, without detracting from the impact of the story themes. Parent-child relationships, psychological trauma, violence against women, patriarchal privilege, and the fight for justice all feature heavily in this gripping tale that is both epic in scope and sure-footed in execution.
This one is also known as “The Forgotten Punisher” or “The One Without the Skull Shirt.” In fact, other than the name, and the rough outline of a man who’s lost his family launching a one-man total war against the mob, you’d be hard pressed to call this The Punisher. Adding insult to injury, this movie was made in the shadow of Tim Burton’s Batman, the big-budget adaptation of the Marvel character’s thematic ancestor, and New World’s $9 million budget couldn’t hold a candle to the $50 million that Warner Bros invested in their hero. But despite all that, one must not discount the cheesecaked 80s awesomeness of Mark Goldblatt’s 1989 rendition of the Marvel Comics vigilante, which starred Dolph Lundgren in the title role.
Wisely, the film shirks the traditional superhero origin. Why wise? Well, because The Punisher’s not that complex, and let’s face it, Lundgren’s chiseled granite features maybe be good for ass-kicking, but not so great for emoting. Instead, we get right into the story five years after Frank Castle, an ex-cop who was presumed dead in a car explosion that killed his family, has donned the guise of “The Punisher” and brutally slain almost all the criminals within the city limits, racking up an impressive body count of 125. With Punisher’s war on the mafia nearly successful, an even deadlier threat moves into his turf, the dreaded Japanese yakuza. There’s also a subplot where Louis Gossett, Jr. plays Castle ex-partner seeking to end his colleague’s nocturnal activities.
For the average comic book fan, it’s easy to discount Goldblatt’s comparatively small time efforts against future bigger budget Punisher flicks, especially with scenes of the titular character meditating naked, employing martial arts as often as a machine gun, and the almost racist portrayal of the yakuza. Also, what’s the deal with Punisher’s crazy drunk actor snitch who says everything in Iambic pentameter? Some may criticize the choice of Lundgren for the part, but he’s perfectly suited to robotically taking out thugs and mob bosses with literal break-neck efficiency. As a film, The Punisher may fit more comfortably in the oeuvre of small budget 80s action flicks like Roadhouse or Cobra as opposed to the more recent Marvel movies, but we’re also spared the complications. There’s no conspiracies, no plots, and no dramatic twists, just bad guys to kill and one man with the moral ambivalence to make it happen again and again. No skull shirt required.
One of the more controversial choices on the list, Man of Steel is still a worthy addition simply because of how bold of a film it is. Audiences were split by Zack Snyder’s reinterpretation of the timeless origin story of America’s superhero, but we’re here to say that it is actually a fantastic film. Both Snyder and Christopher Nolan have created a new Superman for a new generation, pitting him against the greatest evil he has ever faced and forcing him to make controversial decisions, and it all works.
The creative decisions made were done so for a reason, and they all avoid treading on the established Superman films by daring to be different. Clark Kent is no longer a saint who can save every single person in the city from death, but rather a conflicted man who has to choose between saving a race of people who fear and mistrust him or giving in to his own kind, giving up his humanity in the process. It’s the story of a conflicted hero making mistakes while trying to do what he genuinely thinks is best for mankind. The fact that the final hour is a beautifully shot masterpiece of superhero action is just the cherry on top of the shiny, new cake.
Published: Jan 22, 2014 12:05 pm