Will Watchmen Make the Cut?

The highly anticipated Watchmen opens March 6 - a good excuse to review adaptations of graphic novels to the big screen and create our own Hall of Fame. And no, I’m not referring to The Dark Knight’s realism or the failed recent attempts to insert some darkness and psychology into the Spiderman and Superman franchises. What’s left, you ask? Plenty of intriguing stuff.

A quick explanation of the somewhat arguable distinction between comics and graphic novels: comics are often considered lighter, with a focus on images, while graphic novels can be longer with more complex storylines.

Most anticipated: Watchmen (2009)

Based on the highly acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen’s adaptation for the big screen has been awaited since 1986. Several screenplays were written and big-name directors were mentioned, including Terry Gilliam, Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass. After a ferocious legal battle between Fox and Warner Bros. over rights, the film is finally ready to hit the big screen, directed by Zack Snyder (300). The graphic novel is considered to be one of the most important in its genre. It won the Hugo Award (the biggest sci-fi and fantasy award) in 1988 and greatly influenced other comics and popular culture in general (e.g. the TV series Heroes). Due to its complexity, realism and stylized look, this graphic novel is sometimes known as the Citizen Kane of comics. No wonder Watchmen is one of the most anticipated films of 2009.

Also check here for an entertaining video pitting Watchmen against the upcoming Wolverine. Will Watchmen earn a permanent place in the Based-on-a-Graphic-Novel Hall of Fame? Read on before you decide…

Most stylish: Sin City (2005)

Of all the live action cinematic adaptations, this one is most visually true to its graphic novel origins, giving the viewer the feeling of watching a comic with live actors - probably thanks to the author also directing. The movie is based on three stories from Frank Miller’s award-winning graphic novel series Sin City. Miller co-directed with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino as “special guest director.” The movie is visually stunning, capturing the comics’ neo-noir style and by using mainly black-and-white with only a few flashes of color. The all-star cast includes Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson and more.

History shows it’s easy to go wrong with such an ambitious project, but Sin City was a hit, earning almost 4 times its budget. Success led to the scheduling of two sequels, due in 2010 and 2011. Let’s hope they won’t be a disappointment – unlike other long-awaited double-sequels, e.g. The Matrix…

Best indie: American Splendor (2003)

This interesting film mixes an adaptation of the graphic novel American Splendor with a biopic on the creation of the comics and the author’s life. This one doesn’t deal with a super-hero, superhuman powers, or sci-fi and fantasy themes. Instead, it describes the humdrum everyday life of eccentric loser-hero Harvey Pekar, from his workplace situations to relationships with his wife and friends. The film’s unusual artistic style involves animation, live action, narration and commentary from the real Pekar. Movie buffs and critics loved the film’s quirkiness, and it got the Best Film prize at Sundance and a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars.

Best future dystopia: V for Vendetta (2005)

This adaptation of Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta is a lot different from the original. Moore claimed the adaptation changed the political message by turning V into a patriotic freedom fighter instead of a raging anarchist. The changes were severe enough to make Alan Moore remove his name from the project. However, viewers and critics differed: the movie became quite a financial success, got a decent critical reception, and even landed in IMDb’s top 250.

Most personal: Persepolis (2007)

Persepolis is a coming-of-age story that depicts a girl’s life in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. The author, Marjane Satrapi, also wrote and directed the movie. The movie was a success despite the unusual black-and-white 2D animation style and not aiming for teen audiences like most graphic novel-based movies. It won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes and was nominated for an Oscar as Best Animated Feature. The film provides yet more proof that graphic novels and animation don’t have to be for kids and can deal with painful, personal subjects (just like the recent animated success Waltz with Bashir).

Goriest - From Hell (2001)

Another adaptation of an Alan Moore graphic novel and another disappointment for him. Yet again the movie takes very little from the graphic novel. The most basic change is that in the book the identity of Jack the Ripper is known, so the focus is on psychology and character development. In the film, Jack’s identity is a mystery all along, transforming the story in a whodunit rather than a complex psychological analysis. In this case it’s a real shame the directors did not stay truer to the original story, as from the award-winning graphic novel we got a mediocre film.

Most psychological - A History of Violence (2005)

In this adaptation of John Wagner and Vince Locke’s graphic novel, David Cronenberg chose to focus on the hero’s state of mind rather on the violence. A bit surprising, as Cronenberg is no stranger to blood and gore… In the comics, the main issue is the violence itself, with some very bloody scenes depicting his past. The film focuses mainly on the way the hero copes with his past, his relationship with his family, and their crumbling trust for him. (But don’t worry, it is Cronenberg, so there’s some gore…). This shift of focus led many to believe that the adaptation brought the original stories to a new level. The film was a critical success and garnered two Oscar nominations.

Best Teen – Ghost World (2001)

Daniel Clowes, author of the award-winning Ghost World, also wrote the script for the movie, promising to keep the spirit of the graphic novel. He succeeded. The movie, dealing with two misfit teenagers, was highly acclaimed by critics and developed a cult following. It won 24 awards, including two Independent Spirit awards, as well as a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination at the Oscars. Many critics included the film in their top 10 of the year. In 2002 it was one of the most rented films, far above films that were more successful at the box office. It’s still appreciated today as one of the best graphic novel adaptations ever.

Worst – Catwoman (2003)

So far this list mostly includes good adaptations of graphic novels. But we can’t end without acknowledging that, like any other art form, graphic novel adaptations can also be complete disasters. Catwoman failed in every aspect possible. The character of Catwoman has absolutely nothing to do her portrayal in the comics series. Critics hated it, with a ludicrous 10% good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. It “won” four Razzies for worst movie, actress, director and screenplay. All of this could somehow be redeemed if the movie at least made some money. But it didn’t even cover its $100 million budget and became a box office flop.

Did I insult Superman or Spiderman by neglecting them? Am I forever doomed for not including The Dark Knight? Do you think Catwoman is actually a misunderstood masterpiece? Let me know what you think in the comments!

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