Comic books should be the easiest medium to adapt to the silver screen - the best examples of the form embody everything that is pure, beautiful and imaginative about visual-driven storytelling. However, like most simple things it is very easy to screw up - either by not taking it as a vehicle for self conscious campiness (Batman And Robin) or foolishly trying to intellectualize it (Ang Lee's unintentionally hilarious Hulk adaptation). The best examples of the comic-adaptation genre stick to the axiom of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

For proof, no one need look further than Danger: Diabolik. The plot, adapted from a popular fumetti (Italian comic book), is zen in its simplicity. Diabolik (John Philip Law) is a smart, slick super-thief who lives for two things - (a) a challenging robbery and (b) making his Eva (Marisa Mell), his luscious partner in crime, happy. The authorities want to put an end to his criminal reign, leading Inspector Ginko (Michel Piccoli) to coerce crime lord Valmont (Adolfo Celi) into flushing Diabolik out of hiding via the promise of a great heist. Diabolik takes the challenge but is smarter than they think, thus prompting an epic game of brinksmanship between Diabolik and the law...

Danger: Diabolik is the kind of movie that hinges upon the viewer being willing to set aside typical viewing concerns for a pure visual experience. Like many an Italian genre efforts, it is more about the mood and the look of its story rather than its plot or its characters. Despite a few clever plot hooks the story stays at a simple, minimalistic 'a to b' level .  The performances are stylized in the extreme: Terry-Thomas vamps it up as a pompous, arrogant government official while Law and Mell communicate through facial expressions in a silent-movie style. The only one who plays it straight is Michel Piccoli, a fitting choice since he is the most down-to-earth character in the film.

That said, if you can make this aesthetic leap, Danger: Diabolik is tremendously rewarding. The familiar territory receives a treatment here is unlike any comic book adaptation you've ever seen. Mario Bava draws on all his skills - director, photographer, visual effects designer, painter - to create a genuine sense of un-reality without losing the tactile visual feel necessary for a viewer to suspend disbelief. Using simple devices like matte paintings and camera angles that work more than one image into a single frame, he achieves a dazzling, sophisticated sense of visual imagination that better-funded Hollywood directors would give their eyeteeth to achieve.

Danger: Diabolik is also dazzling to the ear, thanks to a superb Ennio Morricone score. The maestro throws out all the stops here - fuzz guitar stings, jaunty orchestrations, frenetic instrumental rock and the wordless cooing of female voices are all deployed in his delirious wall of sound. The lush score perfectly accents the surreal goings-on while also enhancing their potency.

It all adds up to a delightful continental confection - those who associate Bava exclusively with the horror genre will be stunned by the playful and comedic mood he achieves here.  Danger: Diabolik is sophisticated eye-candy and proof that you can bring a comic book to life without aesthetically shortchanging the source material.