Comic book movies might be big business these days but that wasn't always the case, and even now some get lost in the shuffle. With today's release of 'Dredd' on Blu-ray and DVD, we look back at just some comic book movies that, for a variety of reasons, you might have missed the first go around. Some might be worth checking out and others?… Well, not so much.
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Dredd 3D
Where were you guys when Dredd came out? It's such a good, fun, R-rated action film, and yet it died on the vine. Granted, this isn't the most cinematic character thanks to the gigantic mask and constant grimace. The film was never poised to be more than a B-level success, but it deserved so much for than the F-minus welcome it received from moviegoers. Hopefully, it will find the audience it deserves on home video.
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The Fantasic Four
No, not the super cheesy 2004 Jessica Alba film. I'm referring to the super cheesy 1994 Roger Corman one. Chances that you've seen this one are pretty low since it was never officially released. Some say the film was made only to retain the character rights, not actually to show anyone. Other stories say Marvel executive Avi Arad bought the film and had all the prints destroyed because it looked so cheap and horrible.
The film is now a curiosity, but we're probably not missing much. Those who have seen it have very few nice things to say about the film, and easily attainable photos seem to back this opinion. The Thing is particularly ugly looking, though not that different from the dog guys in The Fifth Element, really.
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Steel
John Henry Irons might have been the most inspired addition to the DC Universe that came out of the “Death of Superman” storyline. As one of the Superman copies who tried to fill his shoes after Doomsday punched him in the face to death with his knuckle bones, John Henry Irons (aka Steel) was the most human and least super-powered of the group, which in turn made him the most likable and impressive. He's kind of like humble, blue collar Batman, with a bit of African American iconography thrown in for good measure.
And then he got his very own movie where he was played by Shaquille O'Neal. It's all very sad.
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The Incredible Hulk Returns
Those of us over thirty might remember this, but we don't really count as people anymore. Youngens are probably less familiar with this Incredible Hulk TV movie. The Lou Ferrigno/Bill Bixby iteration of The Hulk actually enjoyed three post-series television films, but this one is best because it's the only one in which Hulk teams up with Thor.
Don't get too excited, though. It's pretty silly. While Lou Ferrigno's Hulk is always a delight, Eric Kramer's Thor isn't even as cool as Vincent D'Onofrio's real world approximation from Adventures in Babysitting. Still, he's better than Trial of the Incredible Hulk's version of Daredevil.
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Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
When you think of Nick Fury, the obvious face for the name belongs to Samuel L. Jackson, who started playing the role in the pages of comic books long before putting on an eyepatch in real life. But there is another film with Nick Fury in it, featuring the character's old look. It was made for television. It was written by David S. Goyer. And it starred David Hasselhoff. That's three bad signs in a row, usually enough to put a film in so bad it's good territory.
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The Punisher
A lot of you are probably aware of Dolph Ludgren's Punisher movie, but I wonder how many of you have actually seen it. The film isn't as blood n' guts awesome as Punisher: War Zone, but it stands head and shoulders above the lame Thomas Jane version.
Lundgren makes a surprisingly decent Frank Castle, and his version of the character exists in a suitably dirty, dangerous world. Literally, he lives in the sewers. Sometimes he's down there just sitting around naked. More than anything, he's just as ruthless and lethal as the character is supposed to be. Check it out if you haven't yet.
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