The Weird Comic Book Movies of the 1990s (That Aren’t Batman & Robin)

Superman made us believe a man may travel in 1978. But in 1989, Batman made film producers believe that comic book reports as a music unto themselves may be successful. Hollywood gave the green light to content that they would otherwise ignore in the wake of Batman’s huge cash. While that IP-hunt definitely proved successful for ]…]

The post The Weird Comic Book Movies of the 1990s ( That Aren’t Batman &amp, Robin ) appeared first on Den of Geek.

Superman made us think a man could travel in 1978. But in 1989, Batman made film producers believe that comic book reports as a music unto themselves may be successful. Hollywood gave the green light to materials that they would otherwise ignore in the darkness of Batman&#8217’s huge payday. While that IP-hunt definitely proved profitable for the Dark Knight also, who returned to cinemas in various sequels and in the animated movie Batman: Mask of the Phantom, it generally applied to B- and C-level characters, most of whom did not come from the pages of DC or Marvel Comics. And yet thoses that did, tended to be from the rear bench. Let’s take a look back at a strange and presently antiquated time in superhero theatre in this modern era of MCU and DC dominance at the box office. Also, at most of it.

You won’t get the Filipino film Darna here because we are looking at movies that had a positive impact on domestic musical production. Even this record will rely on movies based on characters or superhero-esque figures from comics. So Dick Tracy, with the headline figure &#8217, s unique clothing and talents, earns him participation on the list, but Richie Rich&#8216, s largess does not.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ( 1990 )

As much as film studios were ready to react comic books in the 1990s, they often wanted to adjust them diligently. To frequently, they simply insert some names and imagery into a completely different style of story. That desire makes 1990 &#8217, s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all the more impressive. Directed by Steve Barron and written by Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck, the drama draws most of its creativity from the dark first movie that spawned the sensation, as opposed to the more famous cartoon series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles performs remarkably well and continues to perform better than other movie adaptations of the heroes in a half-shell ( though Mutant Mayhem comes close ). There is an edge to this movie with a dark color palette and some relatively tense action for a children&#8217, s film. Additionally, it takes its quartet of heroes seriously enough that the viewer doesn’t have to as they scarf down pizza and yell cowabunga at the audience. &#8221,

Dick Tracy ( 1990 )

The majority of the films on this list were produced as a result of Batman and later Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Not so for Dick Tracy, a true passion project for star and director Warren Beatty. Beatty has made an effort to bring Chester Gould, a hatchet-faced detective and his grotesque rouges gallery to the big screen. At first glance, Beatty &#8217, s perseverance was worth it, as Dick Tracy is not only accurate to its comic strip roots, thanks to the incredible makeup work by John Caglione Jr. and production design, but also filled with top-level talent. With Beatty &#8217, s insistence on using just seven basic colors &#8212, the same you would have found in the funny pages of the 1940s&#8212, the film has a visual pop art look that has never quite been matched.

Ironically, Beatty himself drags down Dick Tracy because he refuses to cover up his own handsome mug with makeup or give Tracy much of a personality beyond that of a &#8220, dashing hero. &#8221, His one-note copper is never as compelling as the baddies and women around him, making the movie feel both overindulgent and undercooked.

Captain America ( 1990 )

&#8220, But wait a minute! &#8221, I hear you saying. I thought it was all B- and C-listers in the 1990s, but I forgot! Why did Captain America get a movie? The answer is straightforward. &#8221 Compared to Spider-Man, the X-Men, and even the Hulk, Captain America was in the second tier of Marvel superheroes back in the day. In fact, this 1990 direct-to-video movie, directed by Albert Pyun and starring Matt Salinger ( son of J. D. ) only proves this fact. Although the movie has its charms, such as the overstuffed script that Steve Rogers, who was a man-of-the-time in his own movie, was quoted as having an inert passenger in Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011 by Alan Silvestri.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze ( 1991 )

Just read everything I said about the original movie and reverse it if you want to read this entry on the 1991 sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. That is n&#8217, t to say that the sequel is a train wreck, but it takes more from the cartoon than the comics and tries to be as inoffensive as possible. The puppet work remains impressive, courtesy of Jim Henson&#8217, s creature shop, especially with new additions Tokka and Rahzar, and it &#8217, s nice to see &#8217, 90s karate kid Ernie Reyes Jr. do his thing.

There is, however, very little reason to revisit Secret of the Ooze thirty years later if the only reason is nostalgia. With that said, some around here will still put those nostalgia goggles on as they go to bat for Vanilla Ice&#8217, s &#8220, Go Ninja&#8221, rap…

The Rocketeer ( 1991 ) )

Given that artist Dave Stevens drew inspiration from Bettie Page to design hero Cliff Secord&#8217, s best gal Betty, one would expect a Disney take on the Rocketeer to fall short in every imaginable way. And yet, The Rocketeer remains one of the true gems of &#8217, 90s superhero movies, thanks to the incredible talent involved. Director Joe Johnston possesses that talent, who is able to create high adventure using the same sepia-tone nostalgia that inspired the first comics. Under Johnston&#8217, s direction—as well as some crackerjack performances from Alan Arkin as Cliff&#8217, s mentor and Timothy Dalton as an Errol Flynn-esque Nazi secret agent hiding in Hollywood—and augmented by James Horner&#8217, s glorious score, The Rocketeer is Disney doing pulp adventure correctly. Jennifer Connelly could undoubtedly play Bettie.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III ( 1993 )

After the diminished returns from the goofy Secret of the Ooze, one would understand why New Line Cinema would return to rougher roots for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. The Turtles are greeted as mystical creatures meant to intervene in a battle between local factions and foreign invaders in feudal Japan, which is where they are transported and welcomed. However, director Stuart Gillard treats the material with stultifying seriousness, making for a deadly dull kid&#8217, s movie. In addition, Casey Jones ( Elias Koteas, who is returning for some reason in the franchise ), gets time-displaced samurai to goof off in scenes set in the present day, goes too far in the other direction. As a result, TMNT III manages to please nobody and annoy everyone.

Cemetery Man ( 1994 )

We’re making things a little too much of Dylan Dog, the cynical paranormal investigator that Italian artist Tiziano Sclavi created as a superhero. Yet we&#8217, d argue that signature red shirt and gift for dealing with the supernatural is enough to include on this list via Dellamorte Dellamore, aka Cemetery Man. Rupert Everett is the lead character in a casting coup, according to director Michele Soavi. After all, Scalvi modeled the character on the English actor.

Everett brings the appropriate disaffected cool to a story involving a zombie invasion in a small town, and he has excellent chemistry with the stunning Anna Falchi as the wife of a rich man for whom he falls. However, Cemetery Man&#8216, François Hadji-Lazaro&#8217, s mugging and irritating performance as a mentally disabled man, severely undermines a lot of the attempt to create the tone.

The Crow ( 1994 )

It’s difficult to rival Alex Proyas ‘ tone-building with The Crow in terms of tone-building. Based on the indie revenge comic from James O&#8217, Barr, The Crow stars Brandon Lee as Eric Draven, who is resurrected a year after he and his fiancée ( Sofia Shinas ) were killed by a gang led by Michael Wincott&#8217, s chilly Top Dollar. Guided by the titular fowl, Eric brutally makes his way to Top Dollar by destroying thugs while a weary detective ( Ernie Hudson ) cleans up the mess left behind.

There is no denying that The Crow maintains a distinctive sense of style absent from most comic book movies today despite being a pretty one-note in terms of plotting. The film has an urban Gothic grandeur that in many ways outdoes Tim Burton&#8217, s more kid-friendly aesthetic in Batman, lacing elements of both Grimm fairy tale and neo noir into The Crow&#8216, s hellish cityscape. However, the film still has a sensitive beauty that is largely influenced by Lee’s haunting performance. And it lingers all the more when one knows he died while making the film.

The Mask ( 1994 )

Producers at New Line Cinema wisely abandoned the source material’s cruelness when bringing the Dark Horse comic The Mask to the screen. Even better they managed to cast Jim Carrey right as the Canadian comedian was about to break out, giving him the perfect vehicle to show off his rubber-faced talents. Although it &#8217, the still stunning live-action cartoon scenes that most people today remember merit more consideration because they reveal the dramatic prowess the actor would eventually develop in films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

The film also marked the acting debut of one Cameron Diaz who breaks into the film like a &#8217, 40s femme fatale, complete with a truly swinging swing number during the genre&#8217, s brief mainstream revival. It&#8217, s all the more remarkable since director Chuck Russell told us he had to fight for her casting.

Timecop ( 1994 )

Dark Horse Comics had two adaptations in theaters in 1994, even if one is less obvious in its comic book roots. For the 1992 anthology series, Dark Horse Presents, the film is based on Dark Horse editor Mike Richardson, writer Mark Verheiden, and artist Ron Randall. Two years later, a movie version hit theaters, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as hero Max Walker and using the concept of a law enforcement agency for time travelers. Although Verheiden wrote the movie script, Timecop, directed by Peter Hyams, deviates heavily from the original comic. It&#8217 ;s difficult to get upset about the differences, given that Richardson commissioned the original story with an eye toward a movie adaptation ( as opposed to The Mask, incidentally ).

Tank Girl ( 1995 )

Even though Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, the studio’s directors for the 1996 film based on their comic series, expressed disappointment in the film, it quickly gained a cult following. It&#8217, s easy to see why the story of rebels in a post-apocalyptic world would resonate with viewers. Director Rachel Talalay, working from a script by Tedi Sarafian, gives Lori Petty plenty of space to play a punk agent of chaos. However, whenever the film begins to pay attention to its plot, which involves crudely rendered kangaroo men and Malcom McDowell acting like a bad guy, Tank Girl moves as slowly as its title. While Petty is still a delight today, the movie feels like a rough draft for the work that Margot Robbie would do as Harley Quinn decades later.

Judge Dredd ( 1995 )

Objectively, Judge Dredd fails as an adaptation. Star Sylvester Stallone puts his screen presence over the character, which means that instead of playing a fascist law enforcer who never removes his mask, Stallone portrays, well, a standard Stallone action hero. Even worse, Judge Dredd belongs to that ignoble group of 90s films that cast Rob Schneider as a sidekick. Still, the oppressive mega-city set designs by Nigel Phelps remain pretty compelling, and the weird world that director Danny Cannon and his team create often feels like the mutant dystopia from the 2000 AD comics.

Black Mask ( 1995 ) )

Like the other mask movie on this list, the superhero comedy Black Mask works as a comic book adaptation because its star provides all the special effects himself. Where Jim Carrey made the Mask antihero feel like a living cartoon, Jet Li&#8216, s martial arts excellence brought to life the 1992 comic that inspired it. Li portrays a librarian who is chosen as a test subject for a super soldier program after a covert military operation. Director Daniel Lee creates a sense of place that falls in line with the other distinctive cities on this list, which gives Black Mask enough personality to stand out in Li&#8217, s filmography.

Barb Wire 1996 )

The fact that Barb Wire adapts a little-known Dark Horse Comics story about a futuristic mercenary probably won&#8217, t convince anyone to check out the movie. Nor, really, would the fact that it stars Pamela Anderson, who spends the opening credits doing a striptease while being hosed down with water.

What if I told you that Pamela Anderson played a sexy future mercenary in Barb Wire, which also serves as a riff on Casablanca? And what if I added it also features great &#8220, that guys &#8221, like Temuera Morrison, Udo Kier, and Xander Berkeley, all of whom lean into the wacky idea of making a trashy version of a classic film? Barb Wire is a much more interesting movie than one might think, despite the fact that that isn’t enough to make it good, exactly.

The Phantom ( 1996 )

Defenders of the 1966 Batman series are quick to point out that Adam West &#8217, s stiff performance as the Dark Knight is a good thing, as it honors the square-jawed character from the comic. Billy Zane plays the lead role in The Phantom, and the same thing holds true. Somehow the ridiculously handsome but dramatically limited Zane makes sense as a purple-clad white guy who lives as a mythical figure in the African jungle. It’s great that he’s paired up with fantastic actors like Catherine Zeta-Jones and Treat Williams as the bad guy and, of course, it’s helpful that he’s paired with a vampy sky pirate, of course. By emphasizing that silly stuff, director Simon Wincer and screenwriter Jeffrey Boam give The Phantom the same campy, pulpy fun of the original Lee Falk comic strip.

Vampirella ( 1996 )

Fans of the Fantastic Four argued for a long time that the 1994 Roger Corman film was still the team’s best film version. One has to wonder if such a reputation would have developed had the film actually been released. If the response to Corman&#8217, Vampirella, was any indication, the answer is#8220, no. &#8221,

On the surface, the movie has what a Vampirella adaptation needs: a pretty lady in a skimpy outfit ( Talisa Soto ), plus a plot about alien bloodsuckers on Earth ( led by the Who&#8217, s Roger Daltrey as the villain ). Even a game lead can save Vampirella from becoming a dull mockery of the comics it claims to adapt, because the film’s director Jim Wynorski and screenwriter Gary Gerani approach the subject with such little interest.

Spawn ( 1997 )

A hero who escapes Hell on a quest for retribution is the subject of the film Spawn. After spending five minutes watching John Leguizamo do motormouth comedy riffing under hideous clown makeup, most viewers think they &#8217, ve been sentenced to eternal damnation in exchange. Spawn the movie came out just a few years after Todd McFarlane introduced the character through Image Comics, and the film retains all the limitations of that initial run: lots of surface-level edgy designs, a preponderance of lore, and zero character stakes.

The practical effects of the movie still look fantastic, and Michael Jai White does a good job portraying Al Simmons ‘ anger. But between Leguizamo&#8217, s grating performance and a climax that features the worst CGI to ever appear in a Hollywood film, Spawn is only for those who crave punishment.

Steel 1997 )

Okay, let&#8217, s get this out of the way up front. You could replace Shaquille O&#8217, Neal with an actual lump of metal and it would have more charisma and screen presence than the basketball player/insurance pitchman who plays inventor-turned-hero John Henry Irons. Even though Steel was only four years old when it first appeared in theaters, we should probably also acknowledge that the excellent character from DC Comics is not nearly as strong as the film version of it.

Nevertheless, Steel has an aw-shucks charm that makes it impossible to hate. The portrayal of a man who wants to help his beleaguered community is always successful, especially when Richard Roundtree and Irma P. Hall serve as elders who guide John on his mission and Annabeth Gish as Steel’s sidekick, Judd Nelson as glowering villain Burke, and Neal and Richard Roundtree as Irma P. Hall as his mentor.

Men in Black ( 1997 )

It&#8217, s common knowledge that the next movie on this list is the first good Marvel movie. Men in Black may technically be based on a Marvel comic, but that doesn’t diminish Daywalker’s accomplishments. It may be a perfect movie. That&#8217, s because Men in Black is n&#8217, t really a Marvel comic. The Men in Black was written by Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers for Aircel Comics, which Malibu Comics acquired, which was then later acquired by Marvel.

Whatever the origin, it was worth it to make the flawless thrill ride that director Barry Sonnenfeld and screenwriter Ed Solomon concoct, anchored by a pitch-perfect Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as co-leads and Vincent D&#8217, Onofrio giving an all-timer performance as an alien bug wearing human skin.

Blade ( 1998 )

No one can come up with a better film about the Daywalker in the era of MCU dominance, which is a testament to the excellence of the first Blade film. Half of that is due to star Wesley Snipes fully embodying the role, dropping lines about skating up hill with believable ease. However, Stephen Norrington, the director, has contributed an equally significant portion to making a cool, stylish, and satisfying film. From the incredible blood rave opening scene to the final showdown with Deacon Frost ( Stephen Dorff ), Blade ushered in the age of great superhero movies.

Mystery Men ( 1999 )

The cast and the script of Mystery Men are fantastic. So good is the script and cast, in fact, that they manage to make Mystery Men an entertaining film despite having some of the worst direction in Hollywood history. A group of loser superheroes from the odd ball comic series Flaming Carrot is brought to life by an ensemble cast that includes Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Wes Studi, and Paul Reubens, adding real pathos to its team of rejects. Even though director Kinka Usher feels the need to punctuate every moment with squishy noises and fisheye lenses, Mystery Men remains an unlikely cult classic due to its kooky ensemble energy and forward-thinking cynicism toward cape stuff.

The post The Weird Comic Book Movies of the 1990s ( That Aren&#8217, t Batman &amp, Robin ) appeared first on Den of Geek.