Tag: Comic Book

Kick Ass

  • Directors: Matthew Vaughn
  • Producers: Matthew Vaughn, Kris Thykier, Tarquin Pack, Brad Pitt, Executive producers, Mark Millar, John Romita Jr
  • Writers: Screenplay, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn, Comic Book, Mark Millar
  • Genres: Action, Comedy, Drama
  • Actors: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz Plasse, Lyndsy Fonseca

The plot of Kick-Ass concerns a lonely teenage boy, Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), who decides to become a real-life superhero after being inspired by the heroes of comic-books. He soon encounters a mysterious vigilante called Big-Daddy (Nicolas Cage), and his daughter Hit Girl (Chloë Moretz), who are working to bring down the drug baron, Frank D’Amico.

Hellboy

  • Directors: Guillermo del Toro
  • Producers: Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Mike Richardson
  • Writers: Screenplay, Guillermo del Toro, Story, Guillermo del Toro, Peter Briggs, Comic Book, Mike Mignola
  • Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
  • Actors: Ron Perlman, Rupert Evans, Doug Jones, Selma Blair, Ladislav Beran, John Hurt, Jeffrey Tambor

In 1944, the Nazis work with the undead Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin on an isolated island off the coast of Scotland to build a dimensional portal. They intend to use it, with Rasputin’s help, to awaken the Ogdru Jahad, monstrous entities that have been imprisoned and asleep since an undisclosed time, to destroy their enemies. But Rasputin secretly intends to use the entities to bring about the destruction of the entire Earth. He is aided by his servant, Ilsa von Haupstein, to whom he has granted eternal life, and Nazi Lieutenant Colonel Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, Hitler’s top assassin and head of the Thule Occult Society. The United States sends a small Army team to destroy the portal, guided by a young doctor, Professor Trevor Broom (professor Bruttenholm in the comics)[3], who is well-versed in the occult. In the ensuing battle, the German scientists and soldiers are killed and the portal is destroyed, in the process absorbing and apparently killing Rasputin. Ilsa and Kroenen escape capture. As the Army team surveys the ruins for anything that may have sneaked into their dimension through the portal, they discover an infant demon with a stone right hand. Broom coaxes it into his arms with a Baby Ruth candy bar. The soldiers affectionately name the little creature “Hellboy.”

…

Finally, the film ends with a humorous mid-credits scene, where a forgotten and frightened Manning is lost several levels down in the dank and dim halls of the mausoleum, listening to maybe the rustle of footsteps, and looking to see if there’s anyone around.

Spawn

  • Directors:
  • Producers: Clint Goldman, Associate Producer, Terry Fitzgerald, Executive Producer, Todd McFarlane, Alan C Blomquist, Co Executive Producer, Adrianna Cohen, Brian Witten
  • Writers: Screenplay, Alan B McElroy, Story, Alan B McElroy, Comic Book, Todd McFarlane
  • Genres: Thriller, Action, Fantasy, Horror
  • Actors: John Leguizamo, Michael Jai White, Martin Sheen, Theresa Randle, Melinda Clarke, Miko Hughes, Sydni Beaudoin, with Nicol Williamson, and D B Sweeney

The premise of the movie is similar to the initial storyline of the original comics. Al Simmons, a military soldier/assassin, has been betrayed by a covert government agency head named Jason Wynn. Wynn orders his top assassin, Jessica Priest, to assassinate him. After Simmons dies, he is immediately transported to Hell, where Malebolgia, The Devil of the various realms, offers him a Faustian deal. If Simmons becomes his eternal servant and leader of his army in Armageddon, he will be able to return to Gazer to see his beloved fiancee, Wanda Blake. Simmons accepts the offer and is transformed into a Hellspawn, which is a servant of Malebolgia in a necroplasm suit that is not only a living, breathing creature, but is also his only protection in the world.

Once he returns to the land of the living, Simmons learns that five years had passed. Wanda is now remarried to his best friend Terry and living the life he had always longed for, including the daughter he never knew, Cyan. Along his journey in this new life, he encounters a strange clown-like demon called Violator, who acts as a guide to put “Crispy” (as Violator calls Spawn) on the path to evil, and a mysterious old man named Cogliostro, who, as a fellow Hellspawn, teaches Al how to control his energy, which is very sparse. Jason Wynn is now a high-class weapons dealer rather than a government bureaucrat. He is also the ultimate target of the Spawn.

…

Meanwhile, Terry has just finished an online communication with a fellow newsman that he has sent evidence that will expose Jason Wynn. After the transmission, Cyan enters the room with Jason right behind her. He destroys his computer and holds the family hostage as Clown arrives. When Spawn arrives, he ends up in a fight with Jason Wynn. Spawn doesn’t realize that by killing Jason, he will activate the signal that will launch Armageddon. After not killing Wynn and extracting the device, a final battle ensues between Spawn and a transformed Violator, ending with the villain going back to Hell and his reputation is ruined. Spawn’s identity is now known to Terry, Wanda, and Cyan. Jason Wynn ends up arrested, and Spawn dedicates himself to justice rather than vengeance.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

  • Directors: Steve Barron
  • Producers: Simon Fields, Kim Dawson, David Chan, Co Producer, Graham Cottle, Executive Producer, Raymond Chow
  • Writers: Comic Book, Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Story, Bobby Herbeck, Screenplay, Todd W Langen, Bobby Herbeck
  • Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Family, Sci-Fi
  • Actors: Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas

The film begins April O’Neil, an investigative reporter at Channel 3 Eyewitness News, is researching a story on a recent, immense crime wave in New York City. She is later rescued by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from a group of street thieves. As the Turtles are celebrating their victory, an ex-hockey player called Casey Jones, having become a vigilante so as to combat the crime wave, is shown beating two thieves with his sports equipment and arguing with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Raphael over the proper way to punish criminals. The crime wave is traced by April to the Foot Clan; when she makes them uncomfortable, the Foot Ninjas attack her and knock her unconscious, whereupon Raphael rescues her – not noticing that one Foot soldier follows him through the sewer system.

As the Turtles escort April back to her apartment, where they remain for some hours, the Foot raid the Turtles’ lair and kidnap Splinter. They carry him back to their headquarters, where their master Shredder is forming an army of corrupted, ninja-trained teenagers to build himself an empire of crime. One of those teenagers is Danny Pennington, the son of April’s boss; having seen the Turtles at her apartment, he tells Shredder where to find them. The Foot therefore launch a surprise attack on April’s apartment. Caught off-guard and outnumbered, April, the Turtles, and Casey (who had intervened when he saw Raphael in danger) are forced to escape to April’s childhood home in a rural farmstead. Raphael is rendered unconscious during the battle and does not wake from his coma for several days, during which his brothers and their friends use diverse methods to recover from their losses.

…

The trainees of the Foot Clan confess all of their involvement to the New York Police Department, while April asks Casey for a kiss, which he gives wholeheartedly. The film concludes with Partners In Kryme’s track “Turtle Power” and the Turtles celebrating their victory over the Foot Clan. Splinter, to summarize their emotions, contributes the word “Cowabunga” (a favorite slogan in later films), to which he proclaims “I made a funny! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!”.

G I Joe The Rise of Cobra

  • Directors: Stephen Sommers
  • Producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Bob Ducsay, Brian Goldner, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum
  • Writers: Story, Michael B Gordon, Stuart Beattie, Stephen Sommers, Screenplay, Stuart Beattie, David Elliot, Paul Lovett, Comic book, Larry Hama
  • Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
  • Actors: Channing Tatum, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Lee Byung hun, Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje

Set ten years in the future,[3] the film is an origin story, showing the rise of the Cobra Organization.[4] Stephen Sommers said, “For people who know nothing about it, it’ll make sense. And to people who love this stuff, it’ll show where they all came from.”[5] The film focuses on Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord’s (Marlon Wayans) induction into the G.I. Joe Team, providing the audience’s point-of-view.[4] Locations include the Arctic, Paris, Moscow, Washington, D.C., Australia and the Sahara.[4][6][7] The G.I. Joe Team is based in the Pit,[8] while it was indicated Cobra Island will appear.[9]

Persepolis

  • Directors: Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
  • Producers:
  • Writers: Screenplay, Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud, Comic Book, Marjane Satrapi
  • Genres: Animation, Biography, Drama, War
  • Actors: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian

The film begins in an airport where Marjane Satrapi is unable to board a plane to Iran. Sitting and smoking a cigarette, she remembers her life as a girl in 1979 with Marji at the age of 10, a young girl with dreams of being a prophet and an emulator of Bruce Lee. (The film is black and white during her memories). At this time, the general uprising against the US backed Shah of Iran begins and her middle class family participates with high hopes for a more just society. Meanwhile, Marji attempts to participate in her age’s point of view whether it is threatening the child of an unpopular government official, or competing for the greater childish prestige of having a relative who has been a political prisoner the longest time such as her communist Uncle Anouche.

Unfortunately, the hopes of the family are profoundly disappointed when Islamic Fundamentalists win the ensuing elections and force Iranian society into its own kind of repressive state, which ranges from forcing women to dress modestly including the Hijab, to rearresting and executing Anouche for his political beliefs. Profoundly disillusioned, Marji rejects her prophetic aspirations and tries with her family to fit into the reality of the intolerant regime. Even as both the horrors of the Iran-Iraq war and blatant injustices occur such as an unqualified government appointed hospital administrator refusing to help a critically ill relative go abroad for medical treatment and thus precipitating his death, the family tries to find some solace in secret parties where they can enjoy simple pleasures the government has outlawed, such as alcohol. However as she grows up, Marji refuses to stay out of trouble, secretly buying Western heavy metal music on the black market, wearing unorthodox clothing such a denim jacket celebrating punk rock with a Michael Jackson button, or openly rebutting a teacher’s lies about the abuses of the government.

…

Back to present day, Marji once again is unable to return to Iran, and she takes a taxi from the airport. When the driver asks where she is from, she sighs, “Iran”. Her final memory is of her grandmother telling her how she put jasmine in her brassiere to allow her to smell fresh every day.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

  • Directors: Stephen Norrington
  • Producers: Trevor Albert, Rick Benattar, Sean Connery, Mark Gordon, Don Murphy, Michael Nelson
  • Writers: Comic Book, Alan Moore, Kevin O Neill, Screenplay, James Dale Robinson
  • Genres: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
  • Actors: Sean Connery, Naseeruddin Shah, Peta Wilson, Tony Curran, Stuart Townsend, Shane West, Jason Flemyng, Richard Roxburgh, Max Ryan

In 1899, an attack on the Bank of England by a group of men who appear to be German soldiers using advanced weapons followed by an attack on a German Zeppelin factory by the same men this time dressed as British soldiers, leads Europe to the brink of war. An emissary of the British government, Sanderson Reed, arrives in a gentlemen’s club in British East Africa, hoping to recruit the legendary, but now aged, hunter and adventurer Allan Quatermain to investigate the situation. Though Quatermain’s sense of patriotism has waned, he wishes to protect Africa from war and agrees, especially after his lodge is attacked and destroyed by a band of assassins.

In London, Quatermain meets with the mysterious “M”, who explains his plan to assemble a modern version of a group of talented individuals known as the “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, which aids the world in times of need, in this case to combat the threat of the “Fantom”, who is the true mastermind of the current crisis, and ensure world peace, by stopping him from destroying Venice. Quatermain is introduced to Captain Nemo, Commander of the world’s only submersible vessel, invisible gentleman thief Rodney Skinner, who works for the government in hopes of an antidote for the invisibility serum he stole, and Mina Harker, a vampire and well-regarded chemical scientist. The group also recruits the mysterious immortal Dorian Gray, Dr. Henry Jekyll (who can transform into the superhumanly strong Edward Hyde under the effects of a special elixir), and a American Secret Service Agent Tom Sawyer; in Hyde’s case, he has to be hunted down by Quatermain and Sawyer before Jekyll offers his services for reprieve in London for his crimes as Hyde. With the team complete, the group takes off on Nemo’s submarine, the Nautilus, and set off for Venice. The group worry there is a traitor in their midst when flash powder is found in the wheel room of the Nautilus, and a vial of Jekyll’s transformation serum is determined to be missing. Naturally, all think that the invisible thief, Skinner, is the culprit, but nothing can be done about it since Skinner is nowhere to be found. Though the group reaches Venice in time, a series of bombs that has been planted under the city start to detonate shortly after, toppling buildings in a domino effect. The team decides that knocking one of the buildings out of the sequence is the only way to stop the chain of explosions. Nemo has a missile that can be fired from the Nautilus at the building in question, but only if a beacon can be set in place. Since Nemo can track his “automobile,” allowing it to serve as the beacon, Sawyer drives the car past the chain of explosions, as Gray and Mina disembark to fight the Fantom’s henchmen. Quatermain, meanwhile, notices and gives chase to the Fantom on foot. During the chase, The Fantom is unmasked and revealed to be M, who then escapes. At the same time, Sawyer crashes the car into the target building, while firing a flare, which signals Nemo to launch his missile. The building is destroyed, the chain of explosions stops, and Venice is saved. The League regroups at the Nautilus, where Quatermain reveals that M is behind everything. Nemo’s first mate also reveals that Gray, not Skinner, is the traitor, as he had been mortally shot by Gray, who escapes in an exploration pod. Nemo sets the Nautilus in pursuit, but a record is found from M and Gray, revealing that the League was a ruse so that M could steal physical elements from each of the League members, so as to construct an army of super-powered soldiers; Captain Nemo’s science and technology, Jekyll’s formula, Mina’s blood, and a sample of Skinner’s invisible skin; Quatermain was merely used to capture Hyde. M seeks to profit by starting a world war and selling armaments and weaponry based on the powers of the League to the combatant countries. As the record is played, it also releases a second, high-frequency signal which sets off three bombs in the ship, but Hyde is able to stop the ship from sinking.

…

The League assembles in Africa to bury Quatermain. As the group departs, a tribal witch doctor takes handfuls of dirt from Quatermain’s grave and begins a ritual chant. We are reminded of a witch doctor’s pronouncement, recounted by Quatermain at the beginning of the movie, that Africa would not let Quatermain die. The earth shakes violently, making the rifle that Sawyer had left on the grave shake. Lightning strikes Quatermain’s grave right before the screen cuts to black.

Constantine

  • Directors: Francis Lawrence
  • Producers: Gilbert Adler, Michael Aguilar
  • Writers: Screenplay, Kevin Brodbin, Frank Cappello, Comic Book, Alan Moore, Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis
  • Genres: Action, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
  • Actors: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Djimon Hounsou, Gavin Rossdale, Peter Stormare, Nicholas Downs

Searching through ruins in Mexico, a young man accidentally finds the Spear of Destiny wrapped in a Nazi flag. Immediately possessed by a supernatural force, he is propelled on a journey to Los Angeles, where he is now seemingly indestructible and causing demonic and unnatural damage as he goes. In Los Angeles, occult detective John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) exorcises a demon from a teenage girl, finding himself unnerved by the demon’s unusually bold attempt at crossing over into humanity’s realm. Later that night, disturbed mental patient Isabel Dodson (Rachel Weisz) commits suicide, provoking the sorrow and disbelief of her twin sister, L.A.P.D. Detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz). Visiting the hospital where Isabel died, Angela encounters Constantine, who is being treated at the same hospital for his terminal lung cancer, a result of his decades-long chain-smoking habit. Disgusted with the prognosis, Constantine visits a nearby church to speak with the angel Gabriel (Tilda Swinton), angrily asking what more he must do to earn God’s forgiveness. Unsympathetic to Constantine’s plight, Gabriel rebuffs his attempts at reconciliation with God, tells him about sacrifices which can be done and then pointing out the selfish undertones beneath his good deeds. Meanwhile at the same church, Angela begs a priest to allow Isabel to receive a church-sanctioned funeral, which the Bishop has refused, pointing out the Catholic rules regarding suicides.

…

At the end of the film’s credits, Constantine visits Chas’s grave, leaving his cigarette lighter atop the grave. As Constantine turns to leave, Chas appears as an angel, and flies silently into the sky, leaving behind a smiling Constantine.

Daredevil

  • Directors: Mark Steven Johnson
  • Producers: Avi Arad, Gary Foster, Arnon Milchan
  • Writers: Screenplay, Mark Steven Johnson, Comic Book, Stan Lee, Bill Everett
  • Genres: Action, Crime, Fantasy, Thriller
  • Actors: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Michael Clarke Duncan, Colin Farrell

The film begins in medias res with Daredevil clutching a cross at the top of a church, wounded. Daredevil clambers into the church and collapses as a priest who knows his identity approaches him in concern. The events that led to this scene are shown.

As a child, Matt lived in Hell’s Kitchen with his washed-up boxer father, Jack Murdock. Matt’s father constantly reminds Matt to get an education and make something of himself, and not wind up like him. One fateful day, when young Matt takes a shortcut home, he stumbles across his father beating up a man at the behest of local mob boss Fallon. Horrified, Matt runs blindly away from the scene, and runs afoul of a forklift which swerves to avoid him and accidentally pierces a barrel of toxic fluid, drenching Matt’s face in the substance.

An unspecified amount of time later, Matt awakens to find that he is blind. However, despite his loss of sight, his other four senses functioned with super-human accuracy, hearing and touch in particular. While Matt uses his radar-like hearing to train his body, his redeemed father decides to fight again in the ring. One night, Fallon approaches his father and orders him to throw the fight; when he does not, he is brutally murdered by a shadowy figure later revealed to be the Kingpin. Matt is heartbroken by his father’s death.

…

A final post-credits scene features Bullseye in full body traction on a hospital bed killing a pesky fly despite being largely immobilized.

Batman Robin

  • Directors: Joel Schumacher
  • Producers: Peter MacGregor Scott
  • Writers: Screenplay, Akiva Goldsman, Comic book, Bill Finger, Bob Kane
  • Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller
  • Actors: George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, Chris O Donnell, Alicia Silverstone

The film begins with Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) stopping Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from a robbery attempt, but he escapes. In South America, Pamela Isley (Uma Thurman) is working under Dr. Jason Woodrue (John Glover), experimenting with the Venom drug. She witnesses Woodrue use the formula to turn a diminutive convict into a hulking monstrosity dubbed “Bane” (Jeep Swenson). Woodrue and Isley argue over the use of the drug and Woodrue kills her by overturning a shelf of various toxins onto her and she sinks into the ground. She transforms into the beautiful and seductive Poison Ivy before killing Woodrue with a poison kiss. She finds that Wayne Enterprises funded Woodrue, thus she takes Bane with her to Gotham City. Meanwhile, Alfred Pennyworth’s (Michael Gough) niece, Barbara Wilson (Alicia Silverstone), makes a surprise visit and is invited by Bruce Wayne to stay at Wayne Manor until she goes back to school.

Wayne Enterprises presents a new telescope at a press conference interrupted by Isley. She proposes a project that could help the environment, but Bruce declines her offer, as it would kill millions of people. That night, a charity event is held by Wayne Enterprises with special guests, Batman and Robin, and she decides to use her abilities to seduce them. Freeze crashes the party and steals a diamond from the event. However, he is captured and sent to a chamber prison in Arkham Asylum, but escapes with the help of Ivy and Bane. Batman and Robin begin to have crime fighting relationship problems because of the presence of Ivy’s seductive ability with Robin. Ivy is then able to contact Robin once more, but fails to seduce him. Robin becomes trapped, but rescued by Batman. Batgirl arrives and traps Ivy within her own plants, while Freeze and Bane flee. Batgirl reveals that she is Barbara and knows the location of the Batcave.

Batman, Robin and Batgirl decide to go after Freeze together. By the time they get to the lab where Freeze and Bane are, Gotham is completely frozen. Robin and Batgirl confront Bane and defeat him by disconnecting his venom hose, while Batman and Freeze begin to fight each other, with Batman winning in a cliffhanger battle; Freeze tries to kill Batman by destroying the telescope platform but only succeeds in crushing Bane. Batgirl and Robin unfreeze Gotham and Batman shows Freeze a recording of Ivy during her fight with Batgirl. Freeze learns that Ivy has betrayed him over the death of his wife. Ivy blamed Batman for Nora’s death, but she informs Batgirl that it was her idea. Freeze is angered by the betrayal and is informed by Batman that his wife is not dead; she is restored in cryogenic slumber and has been moved to Arkham waiting for him to finish his research. Batman proceeds to ask Freeze for the cure Freeze has created for the first stage of MacGregor’s Syndrome, the disease that Freeze’s wife is suffering from, for a friend (Alfred) who is dying. Freeze atones for his misunderstanding by giving him medicine he had developed. Nearly insane Ivy is shown imprisoned in the cold beam in Arkham and Freeze walks in and announces he will make her life a living hell of winter. Alfred is eventually healed and everyone agrees to let Barbara stay at the mansion. The film ends like (Batman Forever) with the image of the Bat-Signal, with Batman, Robin and Batgirl appearing as if running from the signal itself towards the camera.