Ryan Reynolds Says ‘Logan’ is “The Greatest Comic-Book Adaptation Ever Made."

Here’s Ryan Reynolds, who will soon be flying high with the success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” yet again starting up the debate about what is the best comic book movie ever made.

Speaking to Total Film, for this month’s cover story, Reynolds says that James Mangold’s “Logan” is potentially “the greatest comic-book adaptation ever made."

Reynolds’ high praise for Mangold’s darker, and R-rated take on the Wolverine character is shared by many, it was critically acclaimed at the time and laid the path for more intense, and profitable, comic book movies. To the point where two of the highest-grossing films of 2024 might end up being “Joker: Folie a Deux” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” — both have R ratings.

We’ve now been through this cataclysmic comic book movie boom for almost 20 years, spearheaded by an innumerable amount of DC and Marvel releases. Despite the whining that I’ve done all of these years, there have been some diamonds in the ruff within the genre. I can probably count them in less than two hands.

Fact of the matter is that even if a comic book movie is Rated R, that does not mean the director’s overall vision won’t be compromised by studio chicanery. Rarely does a top-notch filmmaker manage to convince a studio, particularly Disney/Marvel, to have his/her own vision, unfiltered, on-screen. It just doesn’t happen.

“Logan” is surely in the top 5 or 10 of the best comic book movies, but it doesn’t really come close to what Christopher Nolan achieved in 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” which is still the best comic book adaptation ever made. Not too far behind, in second place, for me is Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2.”

Nolan really changed the game in “The Dark Knight”. Many have evoked the film as this post-9/11 depiction of a world gone to hell — a “hero” committing evil to get rid of evil. This was Nolan’s dark and twisted take on a misunderstood superhero and the crowning achievement of the entire genre. Heath Ledger, if you believe the lore, went insane in trying to master the role of The Joker, winning a posthumous Oscar in the process.

Linus Sandgren to DP Shawn Levy's ‘Ghost Rider' on Film — Connor Storrie in Talks to Co-Star

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Jafar Panahi Sentenced to Five Years in Prison as Iran Orders His Assets Seized

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‘The Birds’ Limited Series Starring Sarah Snook Lands at HBO

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‘One of Them Days’ Filmmaker Lawrence Lamont to Direct Ice Cube-Penned ‘Last Friday’ Sequel

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‘Coyote vs. Acme' Ruled Eligible for Best Animated Feature Oscar — Crashes the Race Against ‘Wildwood’ and ‘Toy Story 5’

Should "Coyote vs. Acme" even be considered an animated film? The Academy requires animation to cover 75% of a film's runtime, and somehow this movie cleared that bar.

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

CONFIRMED: Sadie Soverall Exits Brady Corbet's ‘The Origin of the World' Mid-Shoot, Lily McInerny Steps In Lead Role

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Ron Howard’s ‘Alone at Dawn’ Starring Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway Sets Christmas 2027 Release

This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.

Jeremy Saulnier’s Next Film Retitled to ‘Slayground,’ Current Runtime is 2.5 Hours, Plot Details

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Jemima Kirke and Alexi Wasser to Star in Woody Allen's Next Film

A few months ago, Deadline reported that Woody Allen's next film, set in Madrid and carrying a $14M budget, will be "largely English-language" and feature a "high-profile cast."

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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