The Dark Knight, the Incredible Hulk and (Tough as) Hellboy
By James Clarke
(Moving Pictures Special Cannes Issue 2008)

Comic book movies have been a legitimate sub-genre staple of the mainstream movie schedule for the past 20 years. This coming summer slate adds credence to that thought with The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk and Hellboy II: The Golden Army all bursting onto screens with frenzied motion and IMAX-sized missions.

As always with sequels and serials, the hard task is to be both familiar and fresh. With a new franchise, Iron Man, already taking on the 2008 screens successfully, these three titles have to hit their marks. With hand-drawn charm, mythic allure and inconceivable graphics and effects, each of these marketing sponges seems set to deliver a product that differs in tone, style and heroics.

For the record, here's what seems to constitute comic book hero cred:
- physical prowess,
- a steely resolve in the face of adversity,
- stamina (for at least 90 minutes of high-octane hijinks),
- a tendency to brood, and
- a propensity for bone crunching.

What else? Oh yes, they have to be misunderstood by society. Beneath all that armor must sit something closer to a sensitive soul to which us regular guys and gals can relate.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Release date: July 11, 2008)

Think red. Bright red. With filed-down demon horns and a concrete fist.

Some of you might ask, "Who?" but there's time enough to get in gear. Start by watching the first Hellboy (2004), adapted from Mike Mignola's comic book series of the early 1990s. Hellboy is a demon manipulated by the Nazis but rescued from his evil lair to serve the U.S. Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. The fact that he is a kitten-loving anti-hero makes him an irresistible combination of heart and hurt.

Hellboy II centers on a fair-tale netherworld whose mythical creatures are fired up to take on humanity (those pesky pixies!). Hellboy has his band of outsiders as allies, the most notable of whom is Abe Sapien (a.k.a. The Angel of Death, a.k.a. The Chamberlain). Packed with paranormal know-how, the band of beasts sets out to save the world - but it is also a love story, with Selma Blair's fire-controlling character providing the sparks.

Directed by fantasy-film auteur Guillermo del Toro, the original Hellboy garnered a solid fan base more than respectable for its budget but didn't break through to the mainstream moviegoer. But things change. After audiences and the Oscar voters recognized del Toro's sleight-of-hand with his Pan's Labyrinth masterpiece, there are sure to be extra expectations for Hellboy II to provide a product packed with intelligence and beauty. Peter Jackson's hefty fan base will be taking note, too, as del Toro is on board to adapt Tolkien's The Hobbit.

The Dark Knight and The Incredible Hulk

To their advantage, both Batman and the Hulk have huge brand recognition - the marketing bucks spent on previous instalments of the winged-one have paved the way, over the years, for Christopher Nolan's reinterpretation of the dark dude. Ang Lee's efforts on the green guy's previous outing left a lot of people disappointed, but there's still that television series and the comic book, which prop up the muscular marvel for this second crack at franchise fame.

The loyalty of comic-book fans through highs and lows may be legendary, but the movie legacy of these crafted crime-fighters is far from forged in steel.

The Dark Knight (Release date: July 18, 2008) (pictured top of page)

The Dark Knight is probably the closest thing to a sure thing.

Incredibly, it has been almost two decades since Tim Burton (Sweeney Todd, The Corpse Bride) put Batman on the big screen (and billboards and merchandise), sautéing the masked man with just enough of the brood, and a healthy dollop of playfulness that brought big returns at the box office. Joel Schumacher's bright and breezy additions to the series were less well received but have at least provided food for thought in George Clooney's career.

Christopher Nolan (Memento, Following) reinvigorated the series with his titanic take on Bob Kane's original Batman myth. Nolan's first tour of duty, Batman Begins, starred Christian Bale in the caped costume, with Michael Caine as Alfred. The movie was a revolutionary renaissance for the character's roots in the depths of his own social (mis)fortunes, existing fans ate it up, and a new following was fostered to the tune of $370 million in worldwide gross. That it did almost as well in Europe as the U.S. is sure to weigh favourably in the minds of the franchisors as, with the Euro's strength, the sometimes secondary market's revenue now contributes a lion-sized share.

The Dark Knight has already penetrated the media with its vividly realised marketing campaign (in print and trailer form), and the IMAX clip introducing the Joker added weight to the must-see mantle of the film. Inevitably and understandably, though, the movie assumes an additional layer of interest on account of the late, great Heath Ledger's haunting performance.

It's hard to think of anything that might undermine the chances of this film. Nolan is an accomplished director with a real sense of the spirit of the source material, and Christian Bale and Heath Ledger are mercurial performers. The build-up to The Dark Knight has resulted in some suitably elegant and stunningly intense images. The Batman marketing team, combined with that logo is a winning combination.

The Incredible Hulk (Release date: June 13, 2008)

Directed by Louis Letterier, who also helmed the kinetic Transporter movies, this new version of the Hulk's story (i.e. the scientist hit by gamma rays who becomes a physical hulk) seems sure to cut to the chase, quite literally, with protagonist Bruce Banner (Ed Norton taking over from Eric Bana) on the run from the authorities.

Supported onscreen by William Hurt, Tim Roth and Liv Tyler (who should surely bring along a healthy dose of Lord of the Rings fans), Ed Norton exudes the brooding, intense and pensive character behind the Marvel Comics' action hero. Perhaps best known for the underlying intensity he displayed in Primal Fear, American History X and Fight Club, Norton has delivered interesting doses of subtlety in the intriguing Down in the Valley as well as the somewhat surprise box-office hit The Illusionist. Norton's considerable time out of the A-list limelight may lower public draw for the film, but the flip side, of course, is that, should Norton's efforts result in a check mark for the win column, he will have restored both his name and that of the franchise to bankable status.

On the story front, the new iteration seems to owe a nod to the influence of the 1970s TV series that starred Bruce Bixby. And with Producer Gale Anne Hurd on board comes the know-how for getting to screen solid stories that combine the fantastic, the action-packed and the character-rich. With a filmography that includes both The Terminator and Aliens, her behind-the-scenes efforts with The Incredible Hulk could yet surprise everyone.

So, with the landscape mapped out for another massive month, the one certain element is that this summer, like the last, is packed with pop culture that reaffirms and relies upon the paramount importance of the comic book. With the graphic novel and indie comics also spurring significant cinematic fare, it might just be time to start inking. -MPM

James Clarke is the writer of The Pocket Essentials: Steven Spielberg and The Virgin Film Guide: Animated Films. www.james-blueskies.blogspot.com/

The Dark Knight image (top) © Warner Bros.
Hellboy II and Incredible Hulk images © and ™ Universal Pictures