A Look Back at a Decade of Comic Book Films

 

Comic book film adaptations have come a long way over the last decade. A lot was learned on how the comic book films should be crafted, and now as the decade comes to a close it looks as if Hollywood has their head on strait on how these films should be made. It looks like from here on out Comic Book films should be something we can look forward to, and not dread.

Here is a look back at all the comic book flicks that have come out over the last 10 years. There were a good amount of decent films based on comics over the last decade, I have to say the good outweigh the bad. There are films on this list that people may not know were actually based on a comic book or graphic novel. The films are listed by the year they came out.

X-Men – 2000

The decade had a strong start with Bryan Singers X-Men. It’s good to see him getting back on the franchise. Why people didn’t follow his lead is beyond me.

From Hell – 2001

The Hughes Brothers directed Johnny Depp in this story about Jack the Ripper. It wasn’t a bad movie, but it wasn’t a good one either.

Ghost World – 2001

This film put actress Scarlett Johansson on the map. It was a good film.

Josie and the Pussycats – 2001

Never before have we seen a movie overblown with product placement and as a blatant use of advertising mostly for Target.

Blade 2 – 2002

Guillermo del Toro directed this cool little film. It was a fun watch but del Toro has come a long way since.

Road to Perdition – 2002

Sam Mendes directed a all star cast in this film which included Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Daniel Craig in this incredible gangster story.

Spider-Man – 2002

Sam Raimi brought Spider-Man to life in a way that everyone could love. He did a great job with the character.

American Splendor – 2003

This was a depressingly fun film that had a great performance by Paul Giamatti.

Bulletproof Monk – 2003

Based on the very underground comic book, a Tibetan monk becomes a mentor to a young street kid whom he can teach to protect a scroll. This starred Yun-fat Chow and Seann William Scott, and the movie wasn’t very good.

Daredevil – 2003

This was the first big comic book movie disappointment of the decade and for some reason they made a few more bad comic book films just as bad. Oh, Ben Affleck, you were no Daredevil.

Hulk – 2003

I actually enjoyed Ang Lee’s version of the Hulk. It has some great actors like Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Josh Lucas, Sam Elliott, and Nick Nolte, I loved the comic book feel of it. It had some great transitions.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – 2003

Based on the Alan Moore comic book, I thought this movie absolutely sucked - it was made so cheaply.

X2 – 2003

Bryan Singer returned to give us yet another great X-Men film.

Alien Vs. Predator – 2004

Based on the Dark Horse comic, the Alien Vs. Predator movie was very mediocre and quite a disappointment.

Blade Trinity – 2004

I actually enjoyed Blade Trinity more than Blade 2, mostly because of Ryan Reynolds; I really liked the character he played. It was the first time I saw him and said to myself, "this guy needs to play Deadpool." Oh! And Jessica Biel was hot in it.

Catwoman – 2004

What in the hell was FOX thinking?!

Hellboy – 2004

Now here’s where Del Toro’s full imagination and directing skills came into view. Hellboy was a freakin' awesome movie and he did a great job adapting the comic into a film.

The Punisher – 2004

Thomas Jane was a freakin' badass as Punisher! This was definitely the best of the two films.

Spider-Man 2 – 2004

One of the best films of the decade in my opinion! Spider-Man 2 was as solid as a comic book movie could get. Sam Raimi did a brilliant job with this one!

Batman Begins – 2005

And along came Christopher Nolan to bring Batman to life in the way he was always meant to be seen. He brought in the dark gritty reality of the comic book world to life. After this it seemed like every studio was talking about comic book movies being dark and gritty.

Constantine – 2005

I thought this movie was great. It was fun to watch and I just really liked the story.

Elektra – 2005

Once again Fox had a brain fart.

Fantastic Four – 2005

Fantastic Four could have been a great film! But it was done all wrong. Most of the cast sucked. And the Thing costume was laughable. The movie is already dated.

Sin City – 2005

Hell yeah! Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City kicked all kinds of ass! I loved how it was shot. Everything was frame by frame spot on with the graphic novel.

Superman Returns – 2006

Bryan Singer leaves the X-Men franchise to direct a craptastic version of Superman. He had all the right intentions, but it really wasn’t that interesting.

Ultimate Avengers – 2006 (Animated)

This was Marvel's first attempt into getting in the the direct to DVD animated movie market. I wasn’t a fan of this flick.

Ultimate Avengers 2 – 2006 (Animated)

I didn’t like this animated movie either.

V For Vendetta – 2006

Yes, yes and Yes! Director James McTeigue did a brilliant job bringing this film to life! Definitely one of the best films of the decade.

X-Men 3: The Last Stand – 2006

Brett Ratner ruins the X-Men franchise, but in his mind he thinks he saved it.

A History of Violence – 2007

David Cronenberg and Viggo Morensen teamed up to create one of the most awesome badass films of the decade. I loved this movie!

Dr. Strange – 2007 (Animated)

Definitely one of Marvel’s best animated films! Now all we need is the live action version.

30 Days of Night – 2007

This was a fun vampire more that has a good amount of blood a gore. If you are a horror movie fan chances are you enjoyed this.

300 – 2007

Zack Snyder unleashes the slow-motion action glory in his adaptation of Frank Miller's 300. This would have to be the most testosterone fueled movie of the decade.

Alien Vs. Predator Requiem – 2007

Again they didn’t do it right!

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer – 2007

Silver Surfer was the best part of this movie.

Ghost Rider – 2007

Why Nic Cage!? WHY!?

The Invincible Iron Man – 2007 (Animated)

This was a lead in to Marvel’s live-action Iron Man film, I thought it was a fun film.

Spider-Man 3 – 2007

And Sam Raimi dropped the ball. Sony wanted more villains so they threw in more villains, made Peter Parker "emo," and many fans were disappointed.

Superman: Doomsday – 2007 (Animated)

This could have used some work. I thought it was a let down.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – 2007 (CGI)

I actually thought this movie was pretty cool. I liked the animation and the story was solid.

The Dark Knight – 2008

Nolan comes back and delivers a sequel that blows everything away. The Dark Knight was incredible and Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker is unforgettable. One of the best films of the decade.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army – 2008

Del Toro sure didn’t disappoint me the sequel to Hellboy; it was just as fun as the first film. We just got to see more of the Hellboy world.

Iron Man – 2008

Marvel’s first full on Live-Action film directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr. and boy, did it pay off for them! This movie was all kinds of awesome! Everyone loved it and it re-launched Downey Jr’s career. This was the start of the Marvel movie revolution.

The Incredible Hulk – 2008

This was another great Hulk film from Marvel. I think the main reason for this reboot is so it could be attached and connected to all of the other Marvel films they plan on making leading up to The Avengers.

Justice League: The New Frontier – 2008 (Animated)

This movie was such a let down! The animation was great, but the story was so all over the place it was ridiculous.

Punisher War Zone – 2008

This was definitely the most violent and bloody adaptation of The Punisher, but definitely not that best.

The Spirit – 2008

Please let’s not allow Frank Miller to direct another movie ever again.

Wanted – 2008

This movie was way cool and it put comic book writer Mark Millar on Hollywood’s hit list. His comic books are now being optioned left and right. This was a really fun movie, both action packed and humorous.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemy – 2009 (Animated)

This was a pretty good film. The animation and story were decent.

Green Lantern: First Flight – 2009  (Animated)

The animation for this movie was great and the story was pretty fun. Definitely one of the best of the DC WB animated movies.

Hulk Vs. – 2009 (Animated)

In this double feature The Hulk fights Thor and Wolverine. This was one of the most fun animated movies I’ve see this year. The animation is fantastic, the stories are cool and the action and violence are brutal.

Watchmen – 2009

I don’t care what anyone says, this is a solid adaptation of the graphic novel. Zack Snyder accomplished what everyone thought was impossible. This was a great film.

Whiteout – 2009

Unfortunately the studio didn’t know what to do with this film. They marketed it in the wrong way and the movie lost out because of it.

Wonder woman – 2009 (Animated)

Here is another one of the best DC WB animated movies. I enjoyed it.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine – 2009

I thought this movie sucked ass. The special effects were terrible, the dialogue was bad, the story was weak, and they went and turned Deadpool into a totally different character! Ryan Reynolds was perfect as Wade Wilson when he was Wade Wilson but that was the only part of the movie I liked. 

Surrogates - 2009

This Bruce Willis movie had some potential. I liked the concept but it wasn't executed very well when adapting it for the big screen. 

What are some of your favorite Comic Book films of the decade?