The Very Worst Comic to Film Adaptations

Not long ago I wrote about the most overlooked comic book films. These were films that had either never quite found their audience or not been properly associated with the comics that spawned them. It was a good list and I stand by it and recommend any of the films to anyone who asks for suggestions. It is in a similar spirit that I provide the following list, not to recommend but to save you, dear reader from having to watch these cinematic stink bombs.

I did make some automatic exclusions in the compiling of this list. All comic book films and TV shows made before 1970 have been omitted from this list. Whether they are good (the Batman movie serials) or bad (the Captain America serials) they all have one thing in common that excuses them from my list: They are a product of their time. There was no attempt made to create a good film, just exploit an audience and make a quick buck. Also, the passage of time has made films like these either entirely forgotten or beloved by the audience, and I don’t wish to incur the wrath of fans of the Batman TV show. They fight dirty (actually, I really like the show for what it is and didn’t want to pick it apart). Also exempted is the first Fantastic Four movie as it was only filmed to secure the copyright and never intended for release.

There are many awful films that I could have included (Ang Lee’s Hulk, Constantine, Superman 3 & 4, Howard the Duck, The Punisher, Steel or even Red Sonja) but the films on the list below all have one thing in common, they allow a little awful into your heart and make life less worth living.

5. Judge Dredd-1995

The whole rich, full, pouty lips thing is messing with my mind.

The formula for this was simple: Take a character beloved by several (in the U.S. only die hard comic book readers know him, but Dredd is a cultural touch point in England as a hugely popular comic); strip away everything that makes the character interesting (not very much since the character is designed to be an anonymous archetype) and add in an actor with fading box office draw. The result? Judge Dredd (and oddly enough, several other films).

Stallone was actually a decent choice given Hollywood of the 90′s but that was the only even slightly smart choice made during the making of this film. The low point of this film is Rob Schneider as Fergee, an interesting and heroic character that Schneider manages to completely bend over. Schneider’s portrayal is what helps this film onto my list; a callous disregard for anything that made the character good.

The saving grace of this film is that it was just bad enough to become a guilty pleasure for many people and a rallying cry on how NOT to adapt a comic into a major motion picture. Like most guilty pleasures (alcohol, overeating etc.), Judge Dredd leaves you a little sick, wondering why you enjoyed it in the first place and vowing NEVER again. Until the next time, of course.

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Article by: Taylor Ramsey

3212 Points

While I quietly wait for a really good excuse to go on an interstate mayhem spree, I read comics and watch movies. While I do the "writing" here, my wife makes it readable.

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