Comic Books To Movies – Are They Good Adaptations?

For more than a decade, comic book movies have been dominating the film industry. For many, they are simply oversaturated and unoriginal films that do not deserve the title of “true cinema”. To others (such as comic book fans), seeing their favorite heroes on the big screen is always exciting, if the characters are done right. Today, I want to discuss some popular comic book movies and share my opinions on their accuracy to the source material, as well as their overall quality!

MOVIE ONE – CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

In terms of late 2000s comic book events, it is difficult to think of an event more popular and successful than Civil War. It took a genuinely interesting concept of the Superhero Registration Act (where all superheroes would have to publicly reveal their identities) and expanded it into an onslaught of battling hero factions. To be completely honest, although I enjoyed the story’s concept, I was never the biggest fan of the source material. However, I definitely enjoyed the movie, so I see it as an improvement.

In terms of how well the movie adapts the comic, it is only very loosely inspired by the source material. Many plot elements were changed to work inside the MCU (mainly the change of conflict from the SRA to the Sokovia Accords). Also, another major difference is no hero casualties in the movie (where the comic had a few). While fans of the source material may be disappointed for an accurate adaptation of the comic, I personally believe the movie is good enough in its own right.

MOVIE TWO: GHOST RIDER (NICHOLAS CAGE FILMS)

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t really like Nicholas Cage’s version of Ghost Rider. It might not be entirely his fault, as both films are very forgettable accompanied by decent CGI for the time. However, I feel like there could have been a better casting for the role of Johnny Blaze. As far as adaptations go, I don’t think the films did a very good job either. It felt like Marvel focused on making the character look cool during every scene instead of focusing on a worthy adaptation of the character.

Even if the movie wasn’t completely accurate, it could have been excused if it had a well-written story. Unfortunately, the only parts of either movie that I really remember were the parts where Ghost Rider intimidates criminals. While they were cool (and memorable to some degree), the lack of substance and tone make for two bad movies and adaptations of the character. I personally think the Ghost Rider character should be attempted in the MCU with a new actor.

MOVIE THREE: THE MASK

This one might be a bit of a wild card. The Mask comics are generally niche nowadays, so this is a perfect opportunity to bring some light to them. Like many others, I loved the Mask movie. It’s one of Jim Carrey’s most iconic roles from the ’90s, and is a film I can always come back to if I need a good laugh. The comics, on the other hand, were VERY different. Most importantly, the comic version of Stanley Ipkiss is notoriously violent in the comics. Besides simply killing evildoers, he enjoys using a variety of brutal torture methods on his victims before their untimely death.

The tone of the comic was generally darker and more horrific compared to the movie. This tone was definitely avoided in the film to be more family-friendly (and profitable). Additionally, the Mask in the comics gets passed around to multiple people instead of focusing on one protagonist. While I respect The Mask movie as a ’90s comedy classic, I think it would be interesting to see a movie/TV show more akin to the original and darker comics.