All-Time Top Ten Fantasy Movie Battles...
This week sees the British cinematic release of Monsters Vs Aliens, so to celebrate Ive decided to give in to my fantasies and offer up my ideal Versus movies for anyone who cares
10. Frost Vs Nixon Now, this could go one of two ways- we could either get Sadie Frost and Cynthia Nixon to have a good old kick-off for no good reason at all, or we could convince Hollywood that Michael Sheen and Frank Langhella arent done yet. For anyone that remembers Celebrity Boxing; seeing an obviously out of shape Ricky Gervais try not to cry while being punched by Grant Bovey might well have been the funniest thing ever. And pitting the deluded ex-Pres and the playboy TV presenter in a similar slog-fest would give me enormous satisfaction. 9. A Polar Bear Vs Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg We could call it Finally Some Justice Movie.
8. Bond Vs Bourne Since the last two Bond offerings paid heavy homage to Robert Ludlums most famous roof-top-hopping creation, is now the time to pitch Americas finest against Her Majestys greatest weapon? The fight scenes alone would be epic, hyper-real gruntfests, and maybe Bournes creators could bring back some kind of plot to the Bond franchise.
7. Supes Vs Zombies Go out now, buy a copy of the first Marvel Zombies graphic novel and rejoice. Seriously, your eyes will thank you for it. For the industry to be making a fucking Jane Austen Zombie movie, and to not be whole-heartedly behind this visionary masterpiece is a travesty that just doesnt sit right with me. Imagine the unbridled, crotch-moistening joy of seeing everyones favourite invincibles succumbing to the brain-munchers.
6. Thatcher Vs The Miners Call me a sadist, but I really want a biopic of Margaret Thatcher, particularly focused upon the period of the Miners Strikes- in the current economic climate and after the obvious (but by no means universal) failures of the New Labour experiment the time is right to usher in the cinematic age of the Iron Lady. I even know who I want to make it: In The Loops writing and directing team lead by Armando Ianucci would be perfect to recapture the tension of Thatchers sparring with Arthur Scargill. And to set it against the events of New Labours early days, or even those of Gordon Brown recently would be a remarkable and intriguing prospect. Michael Sheen could play everyone.
5.The Hulk Vs Everyone It is a travesty that World War Hulk and Planet Hulk are not in production already- obviously there is a certain amount of cross-over that would necessitate the Fantastic Four films, and possibly also the Avengers movie franchises being more established before that particular plot-line is revealed, but it would be infinitely preferable to another fucking origin story. We all know where Big Green came from, his story and even his catchphrase because they are parts of the very fabric of our cultural heritage, so it can only be a matter of time before someone is brave enough to commission either of the best stories from the Hulk universe.
4. Batman Vs Superman Everyone and their wife will no doubt point out that the Justice League project is perpetually on the back-burner: but Im not canvassing for a team up, I want them to get at it like raging bulls. It would be the ultimate battle: technology and endeavour pitted against superhuman strength and ability, with the caped duo finally working out years of frustrated aggression on one another. Of course this is going to inspire a reaction, because any battle would demand a monumental suspension of belief and indeed moral logic, but I for one would welcome the fight.
3. The Battle For Heaven I know it doesnt say Versus anyway, but the implication of the title is God Versus the Renegade Angels- an old school epic story taken on by someone with the visionary creative vision of Del Toro would be a mouth watering prospect. It always amazes me that noone has tackled the story of Lucifers fall, or even Miltons Paradise Lost either, but then I suppose any project would risk the wrath of the Church for representing God.
2. Godzilla Vs Mothra Why must Godzilla be the last cinematic mention of the much loved mecha-beast? As far as Im concerned there plainly isnt enough car smushing and building swatting going on in the current movie industry (and if youre wondering I dont count Cloverfield as that was too much of a monster cock-tease to be an outright celebration of monsterdom). And this time, I want him to be pitched against an equally radioactively enhanced buddy, smashing up the landscape without so much as a cursory glance at the human collateral- after all, how can we mere humans claim to be of any consequence to the mighty destructive lizard?
1. Cap Vs Iron Man Yep, another comic adaptation- I'm sure its been rumoured already, but anyone who makes the Civil War comics into a grand movie will get a hearty handshake from me, and as many sexual favours as they wish. Not since the Death of Superman have I been so gripped by a comic-based narrative; and there has never been anything so grand in scope and catastrophic (until they went and bloody resurrected everyone). Again, Im all too aware that in order To give the story any sort of authenticity and context, we will have to wait for several other movies to finally be made- most notably Thor and the Avengers movies. But I did say it was all fantasy