TOP 3 TERRIBLE COMIC BOOK ADAPTATIONS..

Wowza! The past couple of years sure have been a doozy for comic book fans. Thanks to a series of extremely profitable adaptations, Hollywood has become increasingly more interested in adapting our favourite heroes and villains to the big screen. And frequently becoming some of the highest grossing releases in history.

Due to the runaway success of any given comic book adaptation, studios are quick to roll out a string of television tie-ins, remakes, reboots, sequels, book deals, comic books, toys and video games to ensure that the film be horizontally integrated with the other products and thus have more financial gain. After all, moviemaking is a business.

But in order to find those enormous returns, one must invest hundreds of millions of dollars. Whatever reason it may be, some adaptations may not vibe with audiences, leading to a large financial upset and critical derision. Whether it’s race-card casting decisions or a poorly executed narrative, many comic book films fail to achieve the cultural and critical stature of the new standard set by Marvel.

Before Marvel and DC began investing billions of dollars into superhero films, few studios believed comic books had the potential to draw large audiences. Up until that point, most superhero lore was to be found on television, where shows like the Lou Ferrigno starring The Incredible Hulk and the campy Adam West-led Batman thrived.

Therefore, it was not a surprise that many of the comic book film adaptations came out low-budget, hackneyed, uninspired, poorly produced and embarrassingly inept. And few other movies typify this sort of approach more brazenly than Albert Pyun’s schlocky Captain America. Whether it was the horrendous acting, poor dialogue or maladroit editing, this 1990 stinker was made with the jaw-dropping high budget of $10 million.Whether it was the horrendous acting, poor dialogue or maladroit editing, this 1990 stinker was made with the jaw-dropping high budget of $10 million.

Perhaps the director and/or producers pocketed some of that, because it certainly seems like almost none of the money actually made it to the film’s production or marketing. Having been released direct-to-video, it came as no surprise that the flick made a little over $10,000 back. Coupled with the universal panning from critics, Captain America stands as one of the most atrocious attempts at making a comic book film to date.

Considered to be one of the worst movies ever, Catwomen is perhaps the most deserving of the title “biggest comic book flop of all-time.” With its horrific acting, inane characterizations and sexist viewpoints.

The movie is widely seen as a career killer for Halle Berry. In any case, her casting in Catwoman certainly did not help the actress continue her impressive rise to fame, with Berry finding herself with fewer and fewer roles in critically acclaimed films in recent years.

It’s a sad state of affairs when the first African American woman to win a Best Actress Oscar is reduced to starring in hackneyed television dramas and poorly produced movies. Perhaps one day the world will remember how powerful her performances can be while also keeping in mind that everyone goes through career ups and downs.

It appears that the Daredevil spinoff Elektra certainly fits in that category of poorly made films, lazily exploring the narrative of a female protagonist superhero. After the horrific reception of Catwoman, many believed that perhaps Elektra could rescue the idea that women can be kickass heroes, too. But unfortunately, thanks to the poor direction from Rob Bowman (who has still not returned to feature films), a muddled script from three (yes, three) screenwriters and uncomfortably pacing, Elektra further propelled the idea that investing in a female-led superhero movie was a dangerous idea.

Thankfully, it appears that Patty Jenkins’ upcoming Wonder Women has undone that precedent by having a stellar cast, well-thought out plot and carefully curated characterization.

If the first wave of reviews are to be believed, then it seems that Jenkins and star Gal Gadot will be able to undo the damage done by films like Catwoman and Elektra.