1. A giant man in purple armor, to me, would not translate well to film. I could only think it would look pretty goofy, almost kiddie-like. He works great in the comics as such, but it’s something we’re used to. Comics are a world of fantasy, and although the movies are also, films try to bring a sense of reality to what the viewer sees, and giant purple man has the potential to come off as just plain silly, and no one can take a giant man who wants to eat your planet that serious… until it’s too late, but then you're dead and you're planet is gone. I did, however, really enjoy the homages the film played to the original character (pictured right). Although some fans may not have enjoyed the way the character came out, you have to admit you got at least a few goosebumps seeing the silhouette of his helmet a of couple times.
2. The film version of Galactus is a little more grounded. I know what you’re thinking, “How is a giant cloud ‘grounded?’” Hear (read) me out. With life we know of three kingdoms (my biology may be off, please feel free to correct me) Animal life, plant life, and fungi. (I think viruses and bacteria may have their own too) When it comes to the rest of the universe, is it that hard to imagine something outside of those kingdoms? An entity entirely energy based? Or what about a creature whose physicality we can’t fully understand? The idea of an entity made of space dust and other debris, if that's what it is made out of, is incredibly intriguing. It's a being that is larger than life and has a life-force we do not completely understand. There is mystery behind that. With the comic version, there isn't too much left that is unknown, since his origin has been completely explained.
Things within the universe surprise us every day. They change our perception of how the universe works. A being like the FF2 Galactus is something along those lines: A giant space entity that feeds off of planets. There’s much more terror in that rather than the giant purple man. What works well in a comic may not always work well on the screen. I can understand why people would be mad about this. You go into a film hoping to see Galactus, and you get a space tornado. It's the same way I'm sure a lot of people felt when Gah Lak Tus was revealed in the Ultimate Universe, but sometimes we're dealt a weird hand and have to make due.
I grew up with this character being one of my favorites. I always felt sympathetic towards him. He essentially travels through space alone, and he must feed on other planets in order to sustain himself. He's still one of my favorite Marvel characters, but even though Galan doesn't appear the way I grew up with him in the film, I still love what they did with the character. I think the space-tornado was pretty awesome.
Love it or hate it?
I loved the film version of Galactus, it brought something fresh to the screen, and you may laugh, but it seemed more realistic to me than the comic version.
What about you guys? Did you love or hate the film version of Galactus? What are your reasons?
~Mat "InferiorEgo" Elfring is a comedian, teacher, comic book writer, comic store employee, and herald of space tornado.~