The Five Best Scenes from a Comic Book Movie

Posted by Mister Hand (misterhand@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 13, 2007

Previously, I ranted, I raved, and spat on myself discussing the worst. Today, I get to regain my composure for a much more pleasant exploration of comics on the silver screen.

Why the best scenes?

There are an awful lot of lists out there arguing what’s the best comic book movie. But after watching some of these films, I wanted to give some credit for going balls out with a scene–a single, passing bit of business that really takes your breath away, even in cases where, overall, the movie might not be all that great.

The Rules:

1. One scene per movie. Otherwise, this list would be entirely populated by scenes from only two films.

2. Superhero movies only. Rottentomatoes has a list of the top 100 best reviewed comic book movies of all time, but about half of those come from obscure so-called “graphic novels.” I’m not interested in that here.

What makes a BEST scene?

Something that astounds you, or is deeply touching, or that captures the essence of the depicted superhero character so perfectly it takes you back to your days of admiring the images on the comic pages. In short, something that just goes bang!

Other Caveats and Mea Culpas:

Quotes? Exact quotes? I think not. I’m not a film historian. I’m just a guy geeking out on some superhero flicks. So if my film quotes aren’t exact, send a note to Roger Ebert. He misquotes films all the time in his reviews. And he gets paid for it.

I’m presuming anyone reading this list has seen all of these films, but just in case you haven’t, be aware that spoilers abound.

5. The opening scene from Hellboy

Despite the fact that Hellboy wasn’t quite as good as it should have been, you have to admit the first ten minutes or so set you up for no-holds-barred badassness. The way Del Toro brings to life those Nazi’s and their crazy, impossible machines, and their murderous zombie-cyborg thingy (I like to call him a “zomborg”), followed by the very touching, oddly realistic-feeling discovery of the Hellboy baby by a platoon of American soldiers…

Well, this is Del Toro at his finest.

No, it doesn’t live up to any of the scenes in Pan’s Labyrinth, but that movie does not meet the criteria for the list. And when a man makes a perfect film, it’s not really fair to go back and compare past works disfavorably. I suspected Del Toro was going to be one of my favorite directors when I saw Blade II. I put him on my “Favorite Director’s Wall” after seeing Hellboy. I just had a feeling that something awesome was coming from this guy. PAN’S LABYRINTH exceeded my expectations.

Now he is working on the Hellboy sequel. Oops. Excuse that last string of nonsense. I had to wipe some drool from my keyboard.

4. The Death of the Penguin from Tim Burton’s Batman Returns

Tim Burton is the most overrated director alive.

There. I said it.

But the man does deserve some credit. After the debacle of Superman III, Hollywood pretty much gave up on superheroes until Burton reinvigorated the genre with Batman in 1989. (Superman IV? Wha–what craziness is this you speak of? There was no Superman IV. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

While Batman was far from a perfect movie, it created the template for the modern comic book film–bringing wit and style to the table after years of schlock.

I like Batman. But I love Burton’s follow up, Batman Returns. And I’m glad to see that recently this film has gained at least some of the recognition it deserves. Yes, it is a brutally dark film, with a chilling tone only exacerbated by its bleak snowscapes. And it is notably emotionless–overstocked with repugnant characters and brimming with weirdness, it’s almost like an abstract painting hung upside down.

But if Batman Returns is the abstract painting of comic book superhero films, it is on par with Picasso. Nothing should work–it’s all slapped together and misshapen. But it does work aesthetically, despite its clumsily-handled loose plot threads and nonsensical story elements.

And then, just when you think you’ve watched one of the oddest summer blockbusters ever, just when you’re ready to relegate it to the “nice eye candy” bin, something very strange happens. The Penguin, played by Danny DeVito, one of the most repulsive characters ever put on screen, dies. Out of nowhere, six huge emperor penguins appear and, like pallbearers, gently shuffle his body down a ramp to be claimed by an icy pond.

Brilliant and surprisingly poignant.

And let’s not forget DeVito’s agonizing death scene. It is a retching, stumbling bit of genius–dripping in brutality and disgusting black bile. With his last breath, the Penguin rummages through an umbrella stand to find the perfect item to finish off Batman. He locates his weapon of choice only to have it burst forth with pink trinkets.

“Ah. I picked a cute one,” he observes morosely before giving up the ghost. Best last words ever.

Just another reason why Batman Returns is, to me, the most underrated film by the most overrated director ever.

3. Superman rescues Lois Lane for the first time in Richard Donner’s Superman

Honorable Mention: Superman rescues Lois Lane for the first time (again) in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns

The past five years has seen the release of the best comic book movies ever. So by today’s standards, Richard Donner’s Superman movie seems a bit quaint. But the memory that I have as a kid sitting in the movie theatre watching this with my father–it is perfect. From the moment Superman tries to run into a phone booth and finds that they are all nothing more than cubicles, to the shot where he pops the buttons of this shirt to reveal that big red “S,” this scene is the perfect fusion of image and intelligence.

SUPERMAN: Don’t worry. I’ve got you.

LOIS LANE: You’ve got me? Who’s got you?!

Then, just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Superman tells Lois that he hopes this helicopter mishap won’t put her off of flying, as flying is still statistically “the safest way to travel.”

The way Christopher Reeve pulled off that character is nothing short of brilliant. The fact that he didn’t win an Oscar for it just shows the Academy totally has its head up its ass when it comes to comic book movies. Superman could easily be the most insipid character in the history of film with his boy scout morals and his “God and the American Way” posturing. Reeve made him human, someone you could take seriously even when you were laughing at his pratfalls as Clark Kent.

The fact that the producers allowed this franchise to fall so quickly into shameful disrepair, all because of short-sighted greed, is a damned shame. Fortunately, Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns has gone a long way toward reviving the name of Superman on the big screen. That movie, while good, wasn’t great by any means. And it never lived up to its first big action scene, where Superman guides a careening 747 to the ground. Afterward, he repeats the speech recited by Christopher Reeve in the first movie to all of the passengers (including Lois).

For the first time in a Superman movie, we have action that seems to take some real physics into account. The result is pretty damned incredible, actually–probably the best action scene in any Superman film. But the original edges it out on this list purely out of nostalgia.

Hey. It’s my list. I’m allowed.

I predict a bright future for Singer’s Man of Steel. I’d be willing to bet real money that the next Superman movie (presuming Singer remains at the helm) will surpass its forbears.

2. “I never did say thank you.” Batman Begins

Batman Begins is a film of stubborn intelligence where the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts. However, the movie ends with a perfectly crafted comic book geekout moment. Meeting with Batman on the roof of the police precinct, (soon-to-be) Commissioner Gordon informs the Dark Knight that there’s a murderer on the loose.

“He leaves this as his calling card,” Gordon says, handing over a Joker card in an evidence bag.

Flipping the card, the caped crusader replies, “I’ll look into it.”

Batman goes to the edge of the roof, ready to make his very Batmanesque exit when Gordon stops him.

“I never did say thank you,” says Gordon.

After what has to be the most perfect pause in movie history, Batman replies, “And you’ll never have to.”

It’s totally over the top, it’s melodramatic–dammit, it’s downright manipulative. And it gets me every time.

But it’s a scene that would never work had the film displayed anything less than one-hundred percent pure class leading up to it.

1. “He’s just a kid.” Spider-Man 2

I can argue with my best friend all day about what makes Spider-Man 2 superior to the original Spider-Man, and I will never convince him. But the scene where Spider-Man and Doc Ock duke it out on top of a moving train transcends all such disagreements. I believe every signature Spider-Man pose that I remember vividly from the comics is seamlessly integrated into this scene. And it’s exactly everything I’ve ever wanted to see in a Spider-Man movie in less than ten minutes of screen time.

Haven’t watched it lately? Run it again. It is a masterwork of movement and style and, as is characteristic of Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise… it’s chock full of heart.

Because after the Doc Ock action, Spider-Man stops a runaway train. Wrecked and exhausted, with his mask tattered and burning, he falls back into the crowd of onlookers. They lay him down on the floor and examine his boyish face.

“He’s… just a kid,” one man says. “No older than my son.”

Parker regains consciousness. He puts his hand to his face to realize he has been unmasked in front of a crowd of civilians. Panic flashes across his eyes.

But then someone says, “It’s all right. We won’t tell.” They return his mask. Just as Spider-Man’s slipped it on again, Doc Ock boards the train and tries to take him hostage. The brave passengers step up.

The first takes a big gulp before saying, “If you want him, you’re gonna have to come through me.”

“And me.”

“And me.”

They are no match for Doc Ock. And they know it. But they step up all the same.

How is it that when I think of the enduring spirit of New Yorkers in the post-9/11 world, this is the scene that automatically pops into my head? I think of that gulp taken by the first passenger who steps between Spider-Man and Doc Ock. I imagine there were plenty of such gulps shared by New York firefighters before they ran up the stairs of those conflagrated towers. And that is the very definition of heroism–when, despite your palpable fear, you run into the flames anyway.

Have I diminished the sacrifice of those brave men by comparing their actions to those of fictional characters in a superhero movie?

I don’t think so. As we all know, art reflects life. And sometimes we have such deep, indiscernible feelings about certain events like 9/11, there’s no way we can channel them all into our grief. We need rivulets where our most inscrutable emotions can run freely. Amidst the tragedy of 9/11, we find something beautiful in humanity–something that I believe Spider-Man 2 articulates wonderfully in that single, considered gulp.

Putting all of that aside, cinematically this is a moment that rivals “I’m Spartacus” for pure, raw, humanist spectacle. It’s the closest I’ve come in a very long time to standing up and cheering at a film. Sure, the critics promise at least ten times every summer that “this movie will make you stand up and cheer.”

Let’s face it. No one cheers at the movies anymore. Too many of the big summer action films are like bad corporate motivational speakers. They rant and rave and say things like, “Ain’t that right? Yeah! Let’s hear it!” They clap their hands and prance the front of the stage and try to get us all clapping in rhythm, but we know better. And as a result of all this mindless pandering, we’ve become cynical and jaded.

But the train sequence in Spider-Man 2 has a magic that melts all of that away. If this was the only good scene in Spider-Man 2, it would be enough to place that movie on my top ten list of best superhero movies ever. It should also serve as a template for would-be superhero filmmakers. Is there one scene in your movie that comes close to this? Is there any moment that draws us into your movie on a level that even approaches it?

Watch and learn, future superhero movie producers.

‘Nuff said.

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