What I meant by “comic book movie” is that the story/plot, dialogue, and most poses/scenes feel “comic booky”. (My comic book knowledge is 10+ years out of date.) Comic books do have a feel that is very different from a movie – different media, different methods of story telling. (Note how none of the X-Men wore tight, colorful costumes in their movie. “Would you rather wear yellow spandex?”) Dialogue is given in a different way in comics -- the illustrations are not moving, so standing still to deliver the dialogue feels more like a comic book scene.
For instance:
1. Voice over intro with words to the effect of, "They say the West was built on legends...." Who says this? Why does it merit repeating at the end of the film?
I imagined this statement on the first splash page of a comic issue, in a yellow box. I can again imagine it as the last yellow box of the issue.
2. Cowboy Ghost Rider outraces the devil, who remains perfectly still while Cowboy Ghost Rider gallops off toward the horizon. Some race....
I can picture this image as the last panel and text of the introduction (maybe 3 pages of the comic).
3. Blackheart (easily one of the stupidest villain names EVAR) can't enter holy ground to snatch the contract from the caretaker, but he can enter holy ground to torture a priest to find out where the contract is.
Blackheart is a comic book name – Like “Blade”, because he wields a sword? “Hulk” because he is big? "Doctor Doom"? Come on, cheesy names are the norm for comic books.
I was confused a bit over him being able to enter a church, also. I expected to learn that something had happened at the location that unhallowed it. <shrug>
4. No one in the entire history of the universe has ever said, "You!?" and then struck a pose to point at the surprising person, let alone done so twice.
Characters in comic books do it all the time. It’s a standard image.
5. Cowboy Ghost Rider wastes his last transformation to gallop across the desert just because it'd look kewl d00d!
I thought he changed his last time to show Johnny Blaze where the village was located – to take him to it. (A true ghost town wouldn’t be marked on a map). And it did look cool.
And even Spider-Man had some comic booky feel – a genetically altered spider cannot transfer it’s genetics through a bite. Why did Peter develop web shooters in his wrist (that’s not were spiders have “web shooters”)?
Interesting how some people can accept comic book story/plot, dialogue, and scenes in some movies, but they can’t enjoy it in another movie. So, anyway, I, personally, don’t care if you (general “you”) didn’t enjoy the movie. I enjoyed it, and I think it is because I was more willing to accept the comic book feel.
Quasqueton
The movie was better than the books. Maybe I had lowered my expectations enough?
