Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future, we’re counting down our favorite body transformation! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
What is the most iconic superhero transformation of all time? We know the story. A radioactive spider. A young nerdy guy in high school. Put them together and you get… Spider-Man! This beloved character made a big screen splash in the early 2000s with Sam Raimi’s (the creator of Evil Dead) Spider-Man. This launch of a franchise has a relatable lead, the classic comic book romance of Peter (Tobey Maguire) and MJ (Kirsten Dunst), and the pitch-perfect origin story of the titular hero, Spider-Man. Maguire is the Spider-Man that so many grew up with and loved. Pit him against the likes of the psychotic and unhinged Green Goblin (thanks to Willem Dafoe), and you just might have one of the most classic comic book movies of all time. (Shane Conto)
Upgrade is not a particularly unique movie premise-wise. Logan Marshall-Green leads the film as Grey, a man who is allowed to seek vengeance when his paralysis is cured by a cybernetic augmentation. He must learn to work together with STEM, the AI, in his brain and the new capabilities that come with the transformation. Like I said, we’ve seen it before. However, this movie still has plenty to offer, and I believe it’s able to fully justify its existence. The transformation at the heart of the film works perfectly in tandem with Grey’s grieving process to offer an interesting exploration of change and growth. It’s a sci-fi movie that offers an optimistic, yet cautious view of technology. This film surrounds its story with frenetic action, immersive camerawork, and plenty of humor that all complement each other quite well. Upgrade still stands as one of the 2010s’ standout sci-fi action flicks that deserves a larger audience. (Jack Grimme)
In 2009, after many X-Men films, we finally got an appearance of everyone’s favorite Merc with a Mouth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It was so utterly disappointing that Deadpool went on ice for seven years — almost permanently. Then because of an “accidental leak” to the internet, a Deadpool solo story was finally given the green light and quickly became one of the highest grossing R-rated film. Deadpool tells the story of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a mercenary who signs up for a mutant experiment trail run by Francis/Ajax (Ed Skrein), whose trial leaves Wade grotesquely disfigured. This film wasn’t given the biggest of budgets, but it didn’t need it. Director Tim Miller brings this wonderfully bloody love story to us in the most fantastic of ways, showing how Reynolds is the perfect casting choice for this character. I cannot say enough good things about this movie. It hit all the right marks in all the best ways. This is one antihero I cannot wait to join the MCU. Deadpool will always be a high recommendation from me. (Austen Terry)
David Cronenberg’s 1986 film, The Fly, follows the morbidly beautiful metamorphosis of a brilliant scientist on the verge of a massive technological breakthrough, ultimately undone by his own hubris. Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) invents teleportation pods, and after a series of small-scale tests yielding varying degrees of success, one evening on a drunken whim he decides to transport himself between the pods. Seth initially believes his experiment to be wildly successful. Not only was his body transferred from one pod to the other, but his strength, agility, stamina, and sexual potency are all heightened, which he mistakenly attributes to the “purifying” of his body because of the teleportation. Unbeknownst to Seth is the true source of his impending mutation: a single housefly that made its way into the pod with him, resulting in the splicing of their DNA together. What elevates this remake above the original is that in the 1958 film, the scientist emerged from his creation completely transformed, whereas Cronenberg’s film is much more interested in the horror of watching the character slowly, terrifyingly evolve over the course of the story. The fly’s genetic material doesn’t’ simply overtake the man; rather, the evolution is that of Seth and the insect becoming one, as disgustingly illustrated when pieces of the scientist’s body begin to slough off. Body transformation on the big screen isn’t always pretty, and Seth’s final form in this story is truly a graphic assault on the viewer’s eyes, while still eliciting sympathy for the grotesque creature he’s become. (Jonathan Fedee)
Johnny Depp’s intricate portrayal of Edward Scissorhands may be the finest performance of his career. Edward, a gentle but troubled soul, remains the unfinished humanoid creation of The Inventor (Vincent Price), whose untimely death left Edward with all but his hands. In their place, we have two aesthetically striking hands made entirely of leftover scissor-blades, designed by the brilliant make-up effects creator Stan Winston. Edward Scissorhands is simply gorgeous. The cinematography, production design, and set decoration lend themselves to some of the most hauntingly beautiful imagery ever put to film. Backed by an inexplicably beautiful score from Danny Elfman, the film’s unconventional story allows for a surprising amount of emotional depth, as Edward engages in a journey of self-discovery in the face of judgment and isolation. Edward Scissorhands could only have come from the twisted genius of Tim Burton, and the film’s influential aesthetics and unexpectedly personal touch solidify its status as one of the all-time greats. (Foster Harlfinger)
When I first saw The Matrix, there was something about it that just captivated me. I saw the trailer and thought the movie looked stupid. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would become one of my favorite movies of all time. Neo’s (Keanu Reeves) transformation into The One was so cool because the way the information was being downloaded into his brain was so creative. When he says, “I know Kung Fu,” and then has his fight with Morpheus, I was on the edge of my seat. The enhancements were so essential to his training, but to know that Neo could have anything at his fingertips in an instant was so cool to watch. How Neo used his enhancements was really fun as well. The scene in the lobby when he has all the guns was one of those scenes that was non-stop action. I love The Matrix so much, and this is definitely one worth checking out for any reason. The original will always be an all-timer. (Mike Hilty)
DreamWorks has made a lot of great animated features over the years. Their best ever might just be 2010’s How To Train Your Dragon. The film portrays a fantasy world called Berk where a tribe of Vikings live to fight the dragons that exist among them. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is a young viking who cannot get the hang of killing dragons. When faced with an elusive Night Fury dragon in the woods, he has the chance to kill it, but does not. Over time, Hiccup grows closer to the dragon, who he names Toothless. When he notices he is missing a tail fin, Hiccup makes a prosthetic one, allowing Toothless to fly to his full potential, and Hiccup learns how to control him. Through a series of events, Hiccup teaches his father and the whole village that they can coexist and live peacefully with the dragons. Now why is this the best DreamWorks movie? It has SO much heart. The relationship between Hiccup and Toothless is adorable and heartwarming, and the way in which Hiccup and his father have trouble communicating is so realistic and relatable, which makes it all the more satisfying when they come together. With an all-star supporting cast and incredible animation, this film soars above any other from the DreamWorks catalog. (Jacob Kinman)
For this week’s BEC, I decided it was worth it to go putting on the ritz and revisit the film Young Frankenstein, probably one of Gene Wilder’s most famous works. This comedic retelling of the Frankenstein story (or is it Fronkensteen?) is a movie where the comedy and the drama blend perfectly into a grand movie to watch. The cast makes several moments even funnier than you’d expect, from when the monster escapes to the mob that forms, and with some truly memorable one-liners that in one case has gone on to influence pop culture elsewhere. Probably my favorite part is Martin Feldman as Igor, who you can just see in his acting that he is having a blast here. So gather the mob, get your friend Abby Normal, and give this movie a viewing. (Joseph Davis)
This is Halloween, THIS IS HALLOWEEN!! HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN!! WEEEEEEE!!! Sorry… I just can’t help myself; I love The Nightmare Before Christmas! The soundtrack alone is one of my all-time favorite pieces of music, and it solidified Danny Elfman as my favorite composer. There is just this warm inviting feeling that the combination of the macabre animation style, the stop motion, and the music of this film make me feel at ease with the world. Maybe it’s the story of feeling out of place in your life and learning that your individual talents are what make you special, rather than pretending to be something you’re not. Maybe my parents just showed me too many Tim Burton movies at a young age and his style is just ingrained in me, I don’t know. But I do know that throughout my life The Nightmare Before Christmas has always managed to run on repeat in my house. Sally, especially, has always been an underrated character. Her role is so important to the resolution of the story. Her rebellious spirit adds an element of humor between her and Doctor Finklestein. I like how resourceful she is too, like when she poisons the doctor to sneak out… again and then sews herself back together after jumping out the window in order to visit Jack. Thank goodness it’s Halloween season so I have an excuse to watch it again! (Nick Ferro)
Everything Everywhere All at Once is an amazing movie that has been taking the film world by storm in recent months as it garners universal praise. It’s so good that I imagine it will be on many Best Ever Challenges in the future because, like the title states, it has everything in it. One of those things is most certainly body transformation. While it may not be in the traditional sense of a body part literally being modified or replaced, this movie evolves and improves the body by improving the mind. The movie follows several people who learn how to tap into the lives of their alternate selves from other universes. This grants them new experiences, which in turn gives expanded knowledge and bodily skill sets. A sedentary individual can suddenly become a master of martial arts as they are able to take on a hoard of people in one big fight, all at the same time. You even have some of these universal jumps that let individuals grow biceps on their pinky finger, or allow alternate selves to have hot dog fingers instead of human fingers. It’s deranged, hilarious, and wholly entertaining. EEAaO is a spectacular film for this list, and one of the biggest recommendations I could ever give to any movie lover. (Heath Lynch)
Shrek 2
What if I told you that Shrek 2 is a better sequel than The Dark Knight or The Godfather Part II? Would call me a blasphemer? Revoke my movie fanatic status? Well before you demote me to watching YouTube videos from Jake Paul for a living, hear me out. For a sequel to be good it has to deepen the world we are in, continue the characters’ journeys logically, and remind us why we liked the original without just copying it. Shrek 2 does all of those things. Our titular ogre, his bride, and loyal steed return to her childhood home to meet her parents, encounter new characters, and learn what it means to fight for their relationships. The writing here is on par with anything you might see in an Oscar winner. Having Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona change forms into “better-looking” versions of themselves is a fun touch too. What’s even better is them learning that these more beautiful bodies they have do not matter if it is not why they love their partners. That is a great message to share. Tack on the best rendition of “I Need a Hero”, and you’ve got yourself an all-time classic. (Sam Nichols)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is another reboot. It’s the “rise” of Caesar’s power and leadership over the apes. His story starts when a chemist (James Franco) is trying to find a cure for Alzheimer’s while testing chimpanzees with a new drug. Unbeknownst to him, it made the chimpanzees genetically intelligent, but it infects humans when exposed. We watch Caesar (Andy Serkis in motion capture) live a domesticated but trapped life, before finding his place with others like him and living a free life. By the end of the film, you’ll be rooting for Caesar and the apes. Instead of having actors in monkey suits, we have performance capture technology, allowing Serkis to give Caesar a soul. The fluidity of Caesar’s movements are natural for Serkis. The king of motion capture should’ve been recognized by the Academy. Unfortunately, the Academy doesn’t believe motion capture is worthy for a nomination, which is definitely a loss. Rise relaunched the Planet of the Apes franchise, making you forget about the ill-advised 2001 version. This reboot gave us two amazing sequels: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes. With a sequel in development, it seems as if Caesar’s story isn’t over yet. (Chantal Ashford)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Perhaps the biggest reason Zack Snyder’s Justice League is simply a much better movie than Joss Whedon’s Justice League is that it actually pays attention to and puts emphasis on Ray Fisher’s Victor Stone/Cyborg. He’s the one who went from being the star football player whose dad never showed up to games to being the loner part machine, part man. Victor is the heart of this movie. It’s ironic — the 2017 version focused less on the robot character and felt more robotic, while the 2021 version focused more on the robot character and felt 100% more human. This movie feels like it was made by actual people who have actual stories to tell, while the original just felt like it had jokes to make, boring action to produce, and not much else. Zack Snyder’s Justice League might not be the best superhero of all time, but it definitely stands out for a lot of reasons, and Victor’s physical and emotional transformation into Cyborg is one of the biggest. (Robert Bouffard)
Captain America: The First Avenger
I’m currently reading a supersized book called The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and as you might expect, it covers every aspect about the making of every single MCU film. Seeing photos of Chris Evans and Steve Rogers stunt double Leander Deeny side-by-side, then a look at how the compositing worked where Evans’ face was placed onto Deeny’s body, is nothing short of remarkable. Remember, Steve doesn’t become Captain America until nearly 40 minutes into the film, which just makes the amount of visual effects work all the more impressive. The First Avenger gives us the perfect introduction to Steve, making him physically weak at the start of his journey as the ideal contrast to the beast of a man he soon becomes. His transformation is a pivotal moment in The First Avenger, and the fact that it’s a seamless effect (combined with Evans’ performance, which really sells both versions of Steve) make it a quintessential one in the film pantheon. (Rowan Wood)
Dredd
Whenever the question comes up about box office flops that are well-regarded, or films that deserve a sequel, you won’t get too far into the list before Dredd comes up. Admittedly, I too missed it in theaters and have come to love it. And what’s not to love? The action is awesome and actually uses slow-motion as more than just a crutch or a gimmick, thanks to the drug SLO-MO at the heart of the film. Karl Urban is the perfect casting as the titular judge and Alex Garland — whose exact role in the film will likely never be officially confirmed — is always a name that draws interest. But I’m getting sidetracked. The “transformation” here comes with a minor character who doesn’t even get credited with a name. A Ma-Ma clan tech wizard played by Domnhall Gleeson has his biological eyes involuntarily replaced with bionic ones. All in the name of ensuring Ma-Ma’s (Lena Headey) hold on the Peach Trees apartments. The way that futuristic tech is used in this world always adds to the story. Gleeson’s transformed eyes serve to further highlight Ma-Ma’s cruelty and the lengths to which she will go to keep her hold on power. (Jake Bourgeois)
Alita: Battle Angel
James Cameron’s passion project was brilliantly brought to the big screen by Robert Rodriguez. Alita Battle Angel was the perfect project to handover to Rodriguez, who is excellent at adapting source material from various media (he’s best known for directing Sin City). Yukito Kishiro’s sci-fi action manga is majestically brought to life by the creative minds involved. Great care was placed into all the set pieces for Iron City, as well as the high visual quality for characters, especially the love that was placed into creating the titular character, Alita. The beautiful character modeling and animation paired with the stellar performance by Rosa Salazar fleshed out Alita. Within a matter of minutes, I was infatuated with her character and was intrigued by her transformative journey to figure out who she really is. Going through this transformation both internally and externally shows off her character progression effectively throughout the film. Alita is a character that is so immensely fierce as well as incredibly sincere, it is difficult not to fall in love with her. (Joe Vargas)
Watchmen
When it comes to adapting novels into films, you can’t be much more faithful than Watchmen. With the apparent exception of the ending, everything is taken directly out of the graphic novel. Some shots even look exactly like the panels in the novel. It’s odd how hung up fans got about the changed ending when the film is so faithful to the novel. I guess that just made the ending stick out like a sore thumb. The message and ambiguous neater of the ending are still there. It’s just the way that it happens is different. If anything, the way it happens in the film has more relevance to the story because it involves Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) and his omnipotent power. The story takes a more realistic look at how the public and media would probably react to the idea of superheroes, with them loving them at first, but gradually growing to hate them. I love how they shot this in the opening credits sequence with historical events being shown with the Minutemen involved. The stand out performance is Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, who just disappeared into the role. Even when his mask, or “face” as he calls it, is removed, I still had no trouble believing it was the same person. Every second of this film captivates me. The look and sound of everything are so immersive. It’s such a travesty it didn’t get a single Oscar nomination. (John Tillyard)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
The groundbreaking special effects in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids remain mesmerizing 33 years after its release. When ranking body transformation movies, it doesn’t get any better than the one making you feel the experience of the characters being shrunk down to a quarter inch tall. While it was a pioneer in using green screen, it’s the practical effects which truly stand out. The moment they shrink establishes the feel with the detail of the wood grain, dust bunnies filling the cracks, and a giant fly. It only gets better from there as the typical backyard turns into a minefield of deadly obstacles. There is so much detail in the blades of grass, layers of rocks, fire and ash raining down from a discarded cigarette and more. The Lego piece and Oatmeal Creme Pie are all-time great set pieces. Seeing them at a Disney World playground as a kid was thrilling. A couple moments utilizing stop-motion animation feel dated, but for the time they were great, and it doesn’t take you out of the excitement. Rick Moranis is great as always playing the neglectful father consumed by his project, and the contrasting themes play well as Matt Frewer feels Jim Carey-esque as the overbearing father next door. The rest of the relatively unknown cast turn in great performances, which is rare with so many child actors involved. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids flies at a breakneck pace and makes you feel the plight of the shrunken characters every step of the way. (Jason Mack)
Mortal Kombat
I could talk about either Mortal Kombat movies, but let’s go with the latest one, from 2021. Based on the infamously “violent” video game series from the 1980s (even though that is laughable now, given how technology and tolerance for blood, violence and gore… evolved (?)) Mortal Kombat couldn’t be simpler. There is a tournament where humanity’s future is at stake. There are different races of warriors fighting each other. That’s pretty much it. And yet, movies often struggle with that. Take this film — we get a lot of action, blood, gore, and violence, but not so much of the actual tournament; you know, the title of this film, Mortal Kombat…? But oddly enough, I didn’t mind. Because this film was fun. The game series is full of body transformations, most famously Jax and his two metal arms (what a detailed and gory scene that was in this film). What the 2021 version of Mortal Kombat did well was simple — they knew what they were making. The movie never takes itself too seriously, but it’s not winking at you (at least not often), the fight scenes are edited surprisingly well, and most importantly, the fatalities this series became famous for are bloody, gory, and violent. It’s like the people behind this film woke up and chose violence. Which in this case, makes total sense. I hope we get a sequel where we get to see and “attend” the tournament… you know, the Mortal Kombat as the title suggests…? (Luke Burian)
Old
M. Night Shyamalan movies have been mostly misses for me over the years. Split brought me back to his movies, then Glass almost pulled me out. But then I saw trailers for Old. The trailers for Old seemed like a great mystery thriller; I had absolutely no idea where it was going and I was hooked. The film tells the story of two families and two couples who are sent to a private beach, owned by the tropical resort they are all staying at. But something starts happening after they arrive at the beach. For some reason, they cannot leave and they all seemed to be rapidly aging. The camerawork truly makes up for any mistakes you might find with the story, especially when the kids are aging up. The adults stay in frame and you can just see subtle differences, but the kids stay off camera or out of frame just enough for them to age and for people to start freaking out. This film has an interesting twist that I actually enjoyed because I could see it happening if a beach like this was real. If this is a film you haven’t seen because of whatever reason, just go watch it and see that it is pretty great. (Austen Terry)