Post by Neverending on Feb 11, 2016 14:40:02 GMT -5
blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/02/08/before-deadpool-6-essential-r-rated-superhero-movies/
Darkman (1990)
Sam Raimi was already a well-established director with two “Evil Dead” movies under his belt by the time he made this action-packed story of a scientist (Liam Neeson) who seeks revenge on the bad guys who burned him and left him for dead. “Darkman” has since become a cult classic, but it only made $33.9 million in North America, according to Box Office Mojo. Raimi eventually was given the helm to bring the first Spider-Man movie and two sequels to the screen from 2002 to 2007, each one grossing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Blade (1998)
This blood-soaked action fest featuring Wesley Snipes as Marvel’s half-vampire hunter of evil bloodsuckers helped make writer David S. Goyer a force in the then-nascent superhero-blockbuster segment of Hollywood’s business. He also wrote “Blade II,” which was also R-rated, four years later to acclaim and higher box-office grosses, and then he directed the widely maligned “Blade: Trinity” in 2004 (“Deadpool” star Reynolds co-starred in the latter). It’s when Goyer jumped over to D.C. Comics adaptations that he got in on the big stuff, however. He wrote “Batman Begins” in 2005, received story credits on “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012), and wrote Superman reboot “Man of Steel” (2013). He also splits screenwriting credit with “Argo” Oscar winner Chris Terrio on “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which opens in March.
Punisher: War Zone (2008)
Director Lexi Alexander’s take on the Marvel Comics vigilante Frank Castle — think Travis Bickle from “Taxi Driver” meets Rambo — was the third attempt to bring the character to the screen after the 1989 version starring Dolph Lundgren and the 2004 film starring Thomas Jane. Alexander, a championship martial artist, pumped up the violence — we see the Punisher (Ray Stevenson) punch through someone’s head, among other gory atrocities — and the dark humor, but the project was destined for a cult audience, not mainstream appeal, after making only $8 million in its domestic release. Meanwhile, the Punisher will return to the screen, this time in the second season of Marvel and Netflix series “Daredevil,” while Alexander has been working on tamer superhero stories, having directed episodes of CBS’ “Supergirl” and The CW’s “Arrow.”
Watchmen (2009)
Fresh off adapting Frank Miller’s comic-book version of the Battle of Thermopylae to the big screen with the R-rated “300,” Snyder turned his attention to another seminal comic book: Alan Moore’s D.C. Comics superhero deconstruction “Watchmen.” While the movie cleared the $100 million mark at the domestic box office, the movie, which challenged the necessity of superheroes, received a widely mixed reaction from critics and audiences, although, like pretty much every film on this list, it has developed a fervent cult following. Still, Snyder showed he could handle a big-budget superhero movie, and he eventually made “Man of Steel” (2013) and the upcoming “Batman v Superman.” He is also in charge of helming D.C. and Warner Bros.’ Justice League superhero team-up epic.
Kick-Ass (2010)
This adaptation of Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.,’s comic about a teenager trying to become a masked hero has the hallmarks of an R-rated comic-book film: filthy, juvenile humor, extreme violence and subversions of the superhero concept. It’s probably most well-known for introducing Chloe Grace Moretz (“The Fifth Wave”) to the world as her character, Hit-Girl, slices, dices and blasts bad guys while cutting them down with a sailor’s repertoire of crude, unprintable insults. Director Matthew Vaughn and writing and producing partner Jane Goldman then took their stylish filmmaking and flair for costumed avengers to “X-Men: First Class” in 2011 before returning to the realm of hyper-violent comic-book adaptations with “Kingsman: The Secret Service” in 2015.
Super (2010)
Square-but-deranged cook Frank (Rainn Wilson) has a vision, and he believes God is telling him to become a masked vigilante called The Crimson Bolt to battle the bad guys, led by Kevin Bacon, who have taken away the love his life (Liv Tyler). Frank, aided by the equally deranged Bolty (Ellen Page) launches a vicious offensive against criminals and all-around jerks. The movie’s violence, though, is offset by its bizarre and strangely sweet sense of humor, something director James Gunn translated to 2014 Marvel film “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which pushed the envelope with its humor in spots (the Jackson Pollock joke, for instance), but was still rated PG-13 on its way to becoming a megahit.
Sam Raimi was already a well-established director with two “Evil Dead” movies under his belt by the time he made this action-packed story of a scientist (Liam Neeson) who seeks revenge on the bad guys who burned him and left him for dead. “Darkman” has since become a cult classic, but it only made $33.9 million in North America, according to Box Office Mojo. Raimi eventually was given the helm to bring the first Spider-Man movie and two sequels to the screen from 2002 to 2007, each one grossing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Blade (1998)
This blood-soaked action fest featuring Wesley Snipes as Marvel’s half-vampire hunter of evil bloodsuckers helped make writer David S. Goyer a force in the then-nascent superhero-blockbuster segment of Hollywood’s business. He also wrote “Blade II,” which was also R-rated, four years later to acclaim and higher box-office grosses, and then he directed the widely maligned “Blade: Trinity” in 2004 (“Deadpool” star Reynolds co-starred in the latter). It’s when Goyer jumped over to D.C. Comics adaptations that he got in on the big stuff, however. He wrote “Batman Begins” in 2005, received story credits on “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012), and wrote Superman reboot “Man of Steel” (2013). He also splits screenwriting credit with “Argo” Oscar winner Chris Terrio on “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which opens in March.
Punisher: War Zone (2008)
Director Lexi Alexander’s take on the Marvel Comics vigilante Frank Castle — think Travis Bickle from “Taxi Driver” meets Rambo — was the third attempt to bring the character to the screen after the 1989 version starring Dolph Lundgren and the 2004 film starring Thomas Jane. Alexander, a championship martial artist, pumped up the violence — we see the Punisher (Ray Stevenson) punch through someone’s head, among other gory atrocities — and the dark humor, but the project was destined for a cult audience, not mainstream appeal, after making only $8 million in its domestic release. Meanwhile, the Punisher will return to the screen, this time in the second season of Marvel and Netflix series “Daredevil,” while Alexander has been working on tamer superhero stories, having directed episodes of CBS’ “Supergirl” and The CW’s “Arrow.”
Watchmen (2009)
Fresh off adapting Frank Miller’s comic-book version of the Battle of Thermopylae to the big screen with the R-rated “300,” Snyder turned his attention to another seminal comic book: Alan Moore’s D.C. Comics superhero deconstruction “Watchmen.” While the movie cleared the $100 million mark at the domestic box office, the movie, which challenged the necessity of superheroes, received a widely mixed reaction from critics and audiences, although, like pretty much every film on this list, it has developed a fervent cult following. Still, Snyder showed he could handle a big-budget superhero movie, and he eventually made “Man of Steel” (2013) and the upcoming “Batman v Superman.” He is also in charge of helming D.C. and Warner Bros.’ Justice League superhero team-up epic.
Kick-Ass (2010)
This adaptation of Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.,’s comic about a teenager trying to become a masked hero has the hallmarks of an R-rated comic-book film: filthy, juvenile humor, extreme violence and subversions of the superhero concept. It’s probably most well-known for introducing Chloe Grace Moretz (“The Fifth Wave”) to the world as her character, Hit-Girl, slices, dices and blasts bad guys while cutting them down with a sailor’s repertoire of crude, unprintable insults. Director Matthew Vaughn and writing and producing partner Jane Goldman then took their stylish filmmaking and flair for costumed avengers to “X-Men: First Class” in 2011 before returning to the realm of hyper-violent comic-book adaptations with “Kingsman: The Secret Service” in 2015.
Super (2010)
Square-but-deranged cook Frank (Rainn Wilson) has a vision, and he believes God is telling him to become a masked vigilante called The Crimson Bolt to battle the bad guys, led by Kevin Bacon, who have taken away the love his life (Liv Tyler). Frank, aided by the equally deranged Bolty (Ellen Page) launches a vicious offensive against criminals and all-around jerks. The movie’s violence, though, is offset by its bizarre and strangely sweet sense of humor, something director James Gunn translated to 2014 Marvel film “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which pushed the envelope with its humor in spots (the Jackson Pollock joke, for instance), but was still rated PG-13 on its way to becoming a megahit.
