Loonatic's Favorite Off-Brand Superhero Movies and TV Series
As we all know, there are a ton of comic book movies and series out there, and quite a few of them are fantastic. Nearly everyone can at least name one Avenger, and many more have watched the ups and downs of Batman. With Marvel steamrolling their competition in blockbusters and streaming services alike and DC gamely trying to match them, it's easy to forget the lots of little films and series that don't exactly align the recognizable Avengers or Justice League brands. Some of the ones I looked at are in fact part of the Marvel or DC universes, but they often get classed with the broader action or horror genres.
1. The Tick (2017-present)
Arthur Everest is a normal guy with a tragic backstory who is just wants to hold a steady job and to not believe the hallucinations. But destiny cannot be denied! In trying to determine what's real and what's just conspiracy Arthur runs into the Tick, a superpowered amnesiac in blue who's aimlessly bouncing from bad guy to bad guy. Reluctantly Arthur is drawn into a very real world of crimefighting. With the Tick's help and Arthur's own super-suit, the pair overcome evil plans and awkward parties alike. Arthur is fragile and relatable, the Tick is a hilariously epic idiot, and ensemble characters like tough-as-nails sister Dot, edgy anti-hero Overkill, electric villainess Ms. Lint, and a sentient boat fill out the great cast.
Starting my list is a much more recent production, which is currently still working on new seasons. This the second live-action version of the Tick, and I'm not sure how it stacks up to 2001 make or the previous 1994 animated series. I can say that this is a well-crafted little series that lives up to the source material. The Tick lampoons all the clichés inherent in the superhero genre, and yet lives up to its highest ideals. As much fun as it is to follow the silliness of themed heroes and villains, there are truly moving moments, and each character is made real with believable faults and motivations. An excellent series, and I can't wait to catch the new season.
2. The Punisher (2004)
Frank Castle has a very particular set of skills. Wait, that's Taken. That's not actually too far off the mark. He's adept at weaponry, intelligence-gathering, and otherwise kicking ass, making him a one-man operation for sending criminals up the river. But all the skill in the world won't help when his luck turns sour and his family ends up in the crossfire. With every ounce of joy drained out of his life, it's no wonder he turns his talents and resources to vengeance. Tracking his quarry to Tampa, he embarks a quest to surveil, coerce, deceive, and finally destroy his enemy in a manner that would make the Count of Monte Cristo proud. But is he a match for such a sadistic crime boss and his army of enforcers and assassins? Or will his own demons destroy him first?
Again, the Punisher has been adapted multiple times and I can't really speak as to how all the versions compare. At first glance this is a boiler-plate revenge story, and the first act setting up the family tragedy kind of drags and is pretty predictable. But there are little details in the character interactions, especially with Castle and his neighbors, that give the movie a little more prominence. Already a big fan of Thomas Jane (Deep Blue Sea is classic cheese), but we also see John Travolta play on his strengths as the egomaniac crime boss. I also don't see a whole lot of films based in Tampa, Florida, so that's neat I guess. This movie has a great interrogation scene, and probably my favorite fight scene of all time. Frank Castle vs. the Russian. If you watch nothing else in this film, watch that fight scene. Spoiler: Frank Castle gets his ass handed to him while his neighbors listen to Italian opera. Magic.
3. Blade trilogy (1998-2004)
Before Twilight made vampires lame but after Bram Stoker's Dracula made them famous, there were the Blade films to make them Wesley Snipes' punching bags. A child born from a vampire-infected mother, Blade is a very rare daywalker, a man with the strengths of a vampire without their weaknesses for daylight and silver. With his friend and mentor Abraham Whistler, he goes city to city rooting out the secret networks of vampires and their human accomplices. In each film he encounters another aspect of vampire society, and through martial arts, gunplay, and cunning he thwarts their plans to raise gods, unleash dangerous mutants, and otherwise take over the world.
Although Marvel's Black Panther broke a lot of records and barriers in 2017, it's fair to say that making a black superhero film is not a new concept. The character Blade is actually another Marvel superhero, and made it to the big screen over twenty years ago now. It usually gets more classed in with urban fantasy and supernatural action, but the character has all the hallmarks of a superhero. The success of the Blade funded a better sequel in Blade II and an enjoyably cheesy third movie in Blade Trinity. There's lots of great martial arts fight scenes and action. The third film gets a lot of grief because it kind of goes comical, but I do love that we get badass characters played by Jessica Biel and a proto-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds.
4. The Spirit
Denny Colt has a strange relationship with death. Killed in the line of duty, he has since reanimated and become an anonymous domino-masked vigilante. As The Spirit he patrols the City, tracking master criminals in detective noir fashion, and has since survived stabbing, gunshot wounds, falls from incredible heights, and drowning. But when con artist and childhood sweetheart Sand Seraf arrives in town, crime and mischief start putting in overtime. Facing down increasingly bizarre villains, the Spirit eventually must confront his nemesis, the immortality-obsessed Octopus.
Like Sin City, this film adapts a Frank Miller comic into a stylized noir. I'll admit this movie is definitely more style over substance, but it's so slick that it's worth a watch anyway. The colors match it's comic book roots, playing on the noir's greys, with flashbacks in sepia, and the pop of red here and there for emphasis. An all-star cast pulls out the stops to be over-the-top, an ensemble including Gabriel Macht (as the Spirit), Samuel Jackson (as the Octopus), Eva Mendes (as Sand Seraf), Scarlett Johansson (as Silken Floss), Sarah Paulson (as Ellen), Stana Katic (Morgenstern), and even Frank Miller making a cameo as Leibowitz. Ultimately the story line is a bit basic and focuses way too much on putting the women in skimpy outfits, but like all cheese it's fun to watch these actors play off each other in this quirky environment.
1. The Tick (2017-present)
Arthur Everest is a normal guy with a tragic backstory who is just wants to hold a steady job and to not believe the hallucinations. But destiny cannot be denied! In trying to determine what's real and what's just conspiracy Arthur runs into the Tick, a superpowered amnesiac in blue who's aimlessly bouncing from bad guy to bad guy. Reluctantly Arthur is drawn into a very real world of crimefighting. With the Tick's help and Arthur's own super-suit, the pair overcome evil plans and awkward parties alike. Arthur is fragile and relatable, the Tick is a hilariously epic idiot, and ensemble characters like tough-as-nails sister Dot, edgy anti-hero Overkill, electric villainess Ms. Lint, and a sentient boat fill out the great cast.
Starting my list is a much more recent production, which is currently still working on new seasons. This the second live-action version of the Tick, and I'm not sure how it stacks up to 2001 make or the previous 1994 animated series. I can say that this is a well-crafted little series that lives up to the source material. The Tick lampoons all the clichés inherent in the superhero genre, and yet lives up to its highest ideals. As much fun as it is to follow the silliness of themed heroes and villains, there are truly moving moments, and each character is made real with believable faults and motivations. An excellent series, and I can't wait to catch the new season.
2. The Punisher (2004)
Frank Castle has a very particular set of skills. Wait, that's Taken. That's not actually too far off the mark. He's adept at weaponry, intelligence-gathering, and otherwise kicking ass, making him a one-man operation for sending criminals up the river. But all the skill in the world won't help when his luck turns sour and his family ends up in the crossfire. With every ounce of joy drained out of his life, it's no wonder he turns his talents and resources to vengeance. Tracking his quarry to Tampa, he embarks a quest to surveil, coerce, deceive, and finally destroy his enemy in a manner that would make the Count of Monte Cristo proud. But is he a match for such a sadistic crime boss and his army of enforcers and assassins? Or will his own demons destroy him first?
Again, the Punisher has been adapted multiple times and I can't really speak as to how all the versions compare. At first glance this is a boiler-plate revenge story, and the first act setting up the family tragedy kind of drags and is pretty predictable. But there are little details in the character interactions, especially with Castle and his neighbors, that give the movie a little more prominence. Already a big fan of Thomas Jane (Deep Blue Sea is classic cheese), but we also see John Travolta play on his strengths as the egomaniac crime boss. I also don't see a whole lot of films based in Tampa, Florida, so that's neat I guess. This movie has a great interrogation scene, and probably my favorite fight scene of all time. Frank Castle vs. the Russian. If you watch nothing else in this film, watch that fight scene. Spoiler: Frank Castle gets his ass handed to him while his neighbors listen to Italian opera. Magic.
3. Blade trilogy (1998-2004)
Before Twilight made vampires lame but after Bram Stoker's Dracula made them famous, there were the Blade films to make them Wesley Snipes' punching bags. A child born from a vampire-infected mother, Blade is a very rare daywalker, a man with the strengths of a vampire without their weaknesses for daylight and silver. With his friend and mentor Abraham Whistler, he goes city to city rooting out the secret networks of vampires and their human accomplices. In each film he encounters another aspect of vampire society, and through martial arts, gunplay, and cunning he thwarts their plans to raise gods, unleash dangerous mutants, and otherwise take over the world.
Although Marvel's Black Panther broke a lot of records and barriers in 2017, it's fair to say that making a black superhero film is not a new concept. The character Blade is actually another Marvel superhero, and made it to the big screen over twenty years ago now. It usually gets more classed in with urban fantasy and supernatural action, but the character has all the hallmarks of a superhero. The success of the Blade funded a better sequel in Blade II and an enjoyably cheesy third movie in Blade Trinity. There's lots of great martial arts fight scenes and action. The third film gets a lot of grief because it kind of goes comical, but I do love that we get badass characters played by Jessica Biel and a proto-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds.
4. The Spirit
Denny Colt has a strange relationship with death. Killed in the line of duty, he has since reanimated and become an anonymous domino-masked vigilante. As The Spirit he patrols the City, tracking master criminals in detective noir fashion, and has since survived stabbing, gunshot wounds, falls from incredible heights, and drowning. But when con artist and childhood sweetheart Sand Seraf arrives in town, crime and mischief start putting in overtime. Facing down increasingly bizarre villains, the Spirit eventually must confront his nemesis, the immortality-obsessed Octopus.
Like Sin City, this film adapts a Frank Miller comic into a stylized noir. I'll admit this movie is definitely more style over substance, but it's so slick that it's worth a watch anyway. The colors match it's comic book roots, playing on the noir's greys, with flashbacks in sepia, and the pop of red here and there for emphasis. An all-star cast pulls out the stops to be over-the-top, an ensemble including Gabriel Macht (as the Spirit), Samuel Jackson (as the Octopus), Eva Mendes (as Sand Seraf), Scarlett Johansson (as Silken Floss), Sarah Paulson (as Ellen), Stana Katic (Morgenstern), and even Frank Miller making a cameo as Leibowitz. Ultimately the story line is a bit basic and focuses way too much on putting the women in skimpy outfits, but like all cheese it's fun to watch these actors play off each other in this quirky environment.
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