Home Featured Content

8 Comic Book Movies That Clearly Didn’t Read Their Source Material

I need to ask Hollywood a question. I know they won't answer me, but I really need to ask it, so here it goes: Why do you adapt material if all you plan on doing is shitting all over it? It has happened countless times with amazing books (I Am Legend, as a perfect example) and now it is happening more and more with comic book movies, too. Studios are handed perfect source material, and they feel the need to make it all more "Hollywood." Often, in that process, they seem to lose sight of the very core ideas of the comic books they are adapting.

1) The Mask

Recommended Videos

mask

The Mask may have been one of the more enjoyable comic book movies to hit theatres, but that is only to people not familiar with the source material. Which is to say, 95% of all life on Earth. But to anyone familiar with this twisted comic, this movie was like watered down version of everything that was enjoyable in the comic book. The whole “watered down” thing is a running theme you will see throughout this list, as Hollywood often gets its slimy mits on some good material and then covers it in grease so it can slide down everyone’s throat smoother.

The main thing separating the Dark Horse comic book from the Jim Carey film was the absolute absence of homicidal rage from the main character. Put it this way, The Mask was very much inspired by the character of The Joker. A maniacal man who is always one step of those on the right side of things. I mean, Stanley Ipkiss (who names the character he turns into when he puts the mask on Big Head) kills a handful of cops in the comic book, very early on. I knew THAT version of the story would not be the story they told in the movie, but man, I didn’t expect a fucking Looney Tunes cartoon.

Exit mobile version