It is no secret
that superhero films are a very popular category of movies—even if you are not
a fan of superhero or comic book films, the chances that you have at least
heard of a character (Spiderman, Batman, etc.) and know at least the general
plot are very high. Superhero films have been around for ages, and still
continue to be made and also remade today, which makes it relevant for people
of all ages. The superhero world has become a phenomenon—expanding past comic
books and movies, and venturing into the world of action figures, video games,
costumes and more. Not many other
categories of movies can say this. But even with all of this popularity amongst
the public, superhero movies have gained somewhat a bad reputation with some directors
and actors.
One particular
director who has had enough with superhero movies is Dan Gilroy, the director
for the movie Nightcrawler. Gilroy
told his fellow indie filmmakers they were survivors against an onslaught of
superhero films. "Independent film, the foundation and everybody here
today, I think are holdouts against a tsunami of superhero movies that have
swept over this industry," said Gilroy. "We have survived and we have
thrived and I think that's true spirit” (Spirit Awards). The superhero movie
backlash does not stop there, however. Actor “Jack Black suggested superheroes
were a blight on Hollywood during the Oscars’ opening number on Sunday night,
singing: ‘Opening with lots of zeroes, all we get are superheroes: Spider-Man,
Superman, Batman, Jedi Man, Sequel Man, Prequel Man, formulaic scripts!’” (Child).
Superhero movies
are being viewed as quite trivial and less meaningful when compared to other
genres of movies like independent films. These types of movies are also being
seen as unoriginal and way overdone in the film industry today. Spiderman is an example of a superhero
movie that can possibly fit into this category, as there were already three
Spiderman movies made from 2002-2007 (Spiderman,
Spiderman 2, and Spiderman 3) and then there was a new cast basically
retelling the same story with slight changes in the plot in The Amazing Spiderman and The Amazing Spiderman 2. Batman is
another example. Currently, there is Batman,
Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin and Batman Begins. Similar to Spiderman,
a new revamping of the movie was created with The Dark Knight and The Dark
Knight Rises. Additionally, there are several X-Men movies including
sequels and prequels of the series. Jon Hamm says he turned down superhero
roles, stating, “you are signed on for not only the movie … but at least two
more that you haven't read, and you have no idea what they are going to be and
all the crossover ones you are going to have to do” (Rahmam). Superhero movies
are overall being seen as never ending movies that some directors and actors
seem to be tired of.
Not everyone
agrees with this, however. The AMC Movie News clip below states that if
superhero movies were to go out of style, it would not be because there are too
many of them. The reason they would become too overdone would be if there were
a cycle of too many bad superhero
movies that would scare people away from viewing them altogether:
This backlash
against superhero movies has impacted the directors of these movies in a major
way by insulting their hard work. James Gunn, director of Guardians of the
Galaxy (the highest-grossing comic book movie of 2014) felt the need to share
his opinion on the recent controversy of superhero movies. Gunn states that
just because the genre is very big and popular, it does not mean that superhero
movies lack the same dedication put into making other types of films (Child).
He says, “If you think people who make superhero movies are dumb, come out and
say we’re dumb. But if you, as an independent film-maker or a ‘serious’
film-maker, think you put more love into your characters than the Russo
Brothers do Captain America, or Joss Whedon does the Hulk, or I do a talking
raccoon, you are simply mistaken” (Rosen). Also, there is irony in this anti-superhero
movement because nine of the 20 acting nominees of the Oscars have appeared in
superhero movies in one shape or another (Sneider).
Even though
superhero movies are being seen in a negative light by some, I do not think it
will become a dying genre any time soon. Superhero movies are constantly being
remade and still do not lose popularity or hype when a new one is released. Although
some directors and actors are tired of these films, the public still enjoys
consuming them, and they still continue—and more than likely will continue—to
earn a great deal of revenue for the film industry as long as they are made.
Works Cited
Child, Ben.
"After Birdman's Oscars Win, Guardians of the Galaxy Director
Leads
Defence of Superhero Movies." The Guardian. N.p., 24 Feb. 2015.
Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Rahman, Abid.
"Jon Hamm Says He Made "Right Choice" in Turning Down
Superhero
Roles." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 14 Dec. 2014. Web.
15
Mar. 2015.
Rosen,
Christopher. "'Guardians' Director James Gunn Defends Superhero
Movies
After Oscars Diss." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23
Feb. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Sneider, Jeff.
"Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting
Nominees
With Comic Book Roles." The Wrap 22 Feb. 2015. Web.
"Spirit
Awards 2015: 'Nightcrawler' Director Blasts "Tsunami of Superhero
Movies""
The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 21 Feb. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
It is interesting to hear that superhero movies have many negative ratings and people who believe it will be a dying trend. Just like any category of movie, there are going to be people who like it and who don’t like it. When something is said at a live television event however, it makes it a little bit bigger of a deal. According to Jeff Sneider, “One day after Dan Gilroy took Hollywood to task for its over-reliance on superhero movies at the Independent Spirit Awards, Jack Black hit the stage at the Dolby Theater during host Neil Patrick Harris’ opening musical number to lambast Hollywood for its insatiable appetite for caped crusaders.” (Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles). This is proof that everyone has his or her own opinions and we cannot just listen to one person. I definitely agree that they will remain creating revenue for the film industry just as long as they keep get made. Many movies have been remade, but as long as they are better than the last make and take in more revenue, I don’t see the problem. It is interesting to think about the fact that the movie makes so much money in accessories as it does the movie. By this, I mean all the toys, posters, and apparel that is made along side the movie. This definitely is something that is crucial to this category of films, and really ups their income. As far as superhero movies becoming a dying trend, I cannot agree with this. According to Rebecca Ford, “Marvel had the top movie of 2012 with the star-studded ensemble pic The Avengers, but its accomplishments in 2014 may be even more admirable” (Box Office Winners and Losers of 2014). This is proof that not only two years ago did they make a remarkable about of money with The Avengers, but they are continuing to come out on top with Guardians of the Galaxy. I really do not believe we can sum up all of a category of movie with one sly comment at an awards show where as you said 9 of the 20 actors nominated had been involved in someway with a superhero movie. As far as there being too many superhero movies, that isn’t a bad thing one bit. There are billions and billions of love story movies over the decades and they still continue to be made and remade. We cannot judge a category of movie on one person’s opinion. If every superhero movie was just batman remade over and over again, then I could agree but that is not the case at all. Superhero movies will continue to be popular as long as they are being made. It compliments many peoples enjoyment and will continue to. If anything, this publicity of superhero movies will just bring in more revenue because as they say ‘there is no such thing as bad publicity’. The directors of these works should not take any negativity to heart, as it is just people opinions, the statistics say it all.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Ford, Rebecca. "Box Office Winners and Losers of 2014." The Hollywood Reporter. 2 Jan. 2015. Web.
Sneider, Jeff. "Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles." The Wrap 22 Feb. 2015. Web.
First off, let me say that I absolutely love superhero movies. I grew up making fun of my brother for liking these fictional characters, but as soon as I saw Marvel’s The Avengers, I became obsessed with all the superhero films. But apparently, my love for superhero movies is not enough considering they are receiving a bad connotation from directors and actors. Ironically enough, according to Jeff Sneider, nine out the twenty acting nominees this year have had a role in a superhero movie. Also, according to Rebecca Ford, in 2012 Marvel’s The Avengers was the top movie of the year, and Guardians of The Galaxy came in No 2 in 2014.
ReplyDeleteI get that some people aren’t into the whole “man with an iron suit saves the world with an army of robots” thing, but for actors and directors to make it seem like these are films that we should not take seriously, is absolutely absurd. Todd Cunningham and Brent Lang stated “Nearly everyone sees 2015 – with Star Wars 7,’ ‘Avengers: The Age of Ultron,’ a new Bond film and ‘Batman vs. Superman’ — as having record-shattering potential.” Just because the plots to these movies do not have historical influences or major life lessons, they are still brilliant and moving films. I’m not going to lie; I shed a couple tears in both The Avengers and Guardians of The Galaxy. Iron Man risking his life to save New York City, and Gru actually sacrificing himself to save his friends? Who wouldn’t cry?
I also agree with Kristen when she says that she doesn’t think superhero movies are going to become a dying genre anytime soon. Lets face it, people are complaining about these comic book movies, but in the end, movies such as The Avengers, Captain America, Guardian’s of The Galaxy and Batman, ALWAYS end up making a ton of money in the box office and becoming instant hits. Why? Because people want to see them! As Kristen mentioned, these movies are constantly being remade, and people are STILL going to see them. I will admit they are an acquired taste. As I mentioned I used to make fun of my brother for watching superhero movies but once I saw The Avengers, I not only downloaded it illegally to watch almost every day, but I started watching all the Marvel movies. And, I have to say, Guardians of The Galaxy may be one of my favorite movies now, but that may just be because the soundtrack was all 80s pop music and, of course, Chris Pratt.
So like I mentioned, people actually want to see these types of films, so I have no doubt that superhero movies will be around for a long time. Not to mention that these movies absolutely kill it in the box office and make a ton of revenue.
Works Cited
Cunningham, Todd and Brent Lang. "Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals." The Wrap 2 Jan. 2014. Web.
Ford, Rebecca. "Box Office Winners and Losers of 2014." The Hollywood Reporter. 2 Jan. 2015. Web.
Sneider, Jeff. "Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles." The Wrap 22 Feb. 2015. Web.
I completely agree with Mike’s point that superhero films are a very popular category of movies. This genre has been around for a long time and since the beginning of the 2000’s, the film industry has experienced an evolution in Superhero Movies. There have been multiple comic book blockbuster hits such as Batman, Superman, Xmen, SpiderMan, The Avengers, etc… According to Jeff Sneider, “Hollywood loves a good villain and with #OscarsSoWhite no longer trending, superhero movies have been cast as the new enemy plaguing the industry this awards season, despite the fact that comic book movies are the tentpoles that prop up the movie business,” (Sneider). He states what is ironic is that there was nine of this year’s 20 acting nominations at the 2015 Oscars have been featured in superhero films (Sneider). If you look at the Nielsen Ratings for the Top 10 DVD/Blu-Ray Titles of 2014, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Thor: The Dark World, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, were all on the list (Nielsen). Also according to the movie rating website Rotten Tomatoes, Guardians of the Galaxy and X-Men: Days of Future Past both made the top 25 movies for 2014 (Rotten Tomatoes). It seems evident that these superhero movies have captured viewers’ attention and will continue to strive in the film industry.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Mike’s point about how superhero movies will not become a dying breed. For example, cinema’s successful titles have consisted of superhero movies dating back to 1945 with Dick Tracy (Flight Stights & Movie Nights). A consistent trend I see in superhero films are continuations of stories and remakes of previous films. For instance, take a story like Batman, which first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939) as reported by DC COMICS.com . According to IMDb.com, the story was made popular as a television series that aired from 1966-1968. There have also been movies made in in 1989, 1992, 1995, and 1997. Then the blockbuster Batman trilogy movies consisting of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises lasted from 2005-2012 (IMDb). Another interesting trend in superhero films is the combination of different superheroes in the same story. Film makers took the idea of the comic book series Marvel’s The Avengers, and combined the clash of all different superheroes with unique superpowers and incorporate them all within the same story. The movie came out in 2012 and featured Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor (IMDb). The most noteworthy point to realize is how these superheroes already have their own movies inspired by Marvel and how they intertwine with one another. This is a brilliant idea because it capitalizes on the viewers’ interest in the individual popularity of the superheroes while seeing them in action with other favorite characters. To Mike’s point, superhero movies won’t become a dying breed because they are constantly refreshed and still do not lose popularity or hype when a new one is released. It is quite evident these films help generate massive amounts of revenue for the film industry and the general public continues to enjoy them.
Sources:
ReplyDelete"All Superhero Movies By Date." Flights Tights and Movie Nights. 13 Dec. 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. http://flightstightsandmovienights.com/review-index/the-list/.
Sneider, Jeff. "Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles." The Wrap 22 Feb. 2015. Web.
"The Avengers." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848228/
"The Dark Knight Rises." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/..
"Top 100 Movies of 2014." Rotten Tomatoes. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/?year=2014.
"Tops of 2014: Entertainment." Nielsen.com. 19 Dec. 2014. Web.
Megan Maher
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Kristen in that superhero movies are here to stay. As we have discussed in class, superhero movies have a wide audience because scenes with explosions and fights are liked and don’t need to be translated. According to an article by Jeff LeBeck for Entertainment Weekly, he writes, “China’s movie business is thriving, and no one with an appreciation for numbers doubts that it will eventually eclipse the North American market” (2015). LeBeck also states the top grossing movies in China with the two top grossing Hollywood films being, the final Hobbit film and Mockingjay which may not be superhero movies but are well-known for their action and best-selling novels (2015). So in a way this does prove that even though China has its own movie empire, American-made action or superhero films still get a lot of traction overseas.
Superhero films not only gather traction overseas they, “are the tentpoles that prop up the movie business,” according to an article on The Wrap by Jeff Sneider (2015). Which I think is true because superhero movies are the most popular movies for all ages because it contains components that everyone likes. Thus they movie industry will continue to make them, even if certain heroes get movie remakes. At the same time though, there are thousands of different comic books out there so even if no one wants to watch a Superman movie anymore, there can be others not to mention movies based off of video games like Tron or Assassins Creed.
With popularity comes more movies, especially within the action movie world. It seems there are more sequels for action movies than for any other genre (besides book adaptations, of course). In an article by Todd Cunningham and Brent Lang from The Wrap talk about how 2014 was not the year for sequels (2014). When they did mention which sequels will be released like, “…with “Star Wars 7,” “Avengers: The Age of Ultron,” a new Bond film and “Batman vs. Superman”” (2014), all of them are action/superhero movies. Even with the 2014 Top Domestic Grosses, the top three movies are action movies, and within the Top 10, I would say that six of the ten could be considered to be within the action/superhero genre. So this really proves that superhero movies are here to stay especially now with social media and fans adding fuel to the fire to add more movies.
Works Cited
2014 Domestic Grosses. (2014). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved from http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2014
Cunningham, T., & Lang, B. (2014, January 6). Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals. The Wrap. Retreived from http://movies.yahoo.com/news/box-office-2014-likely-down-because-not-sequels-023153361.html
LeBeck, J. (2015, March 2). China Monthly Box Office Tops U.S. for First Time. Entertainment Weekly. Retieved from http://www.ew.com/article/2015/03/02/china-tops-global-box-office
Sneider, J. (2015, February 22). Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles. The Wrap. Retrieved from http://www.thewrap.com/superhero-movies-dissed-at-oscars-despite-9-acting-nominees-with-comic-book-roles/
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAbigail Sisti
ReplyDeleteSuperhero movies are definitely a popular genre in the movie industry. Due to the huge high ratings, I believed that superhero movies are not going anywhere anytime soon. Personally, I enjoy a superhero movie. Also, I believe that superhero movie have dedicated followers. For example, there is festivals that many people attend to express the joy they have about superhero movies, such festivals include Comic Con. Superhero movies are great movies because they appeal to every generations. Families can go together for family night and not worry that something inappropriate will occur. Superhero movies are age friendly. Most superhero movies are based on comic books, this allows the readers to see a real life version in the movies. “Hollywood loves a good villain and with #OscarsSoWhite no longer trending, superhero movies have been cast as the new enemy plaguing the industry this awards season, despite the fact that comic book movies are the tentpoles that prop up the movie business,” (Sneider). If the movies are good then people will watch them and recommended them to their family and friends. I remember when the first Avengers movie came out and my parents said they use to read the comic books.
Superhero movies I believe is a growing market. The superhero movies do not just make money off of the movie but off of the toys they make. Children that watch these movies usually ask for a toy of the superhero. “Marvel had the top movie of 2012 with the star-studded ensemble pic The Avengers, but its accomplishments in 2014 may be even more admirable” (Ford). The Avengers made major profit and two years later the movie continue to make even more profit on the sequel. I believe that there is a minority of people that would say that they dislike a good superhero movie. Some people watch the movies because they are comic book fans to begin with. Other people watch the movies because the trailer looks great. The great thing about these movies is that the movie industry can make more then one movie based on just one superhero. I do not read comic books but I do watch superhero movies. Personally, if I watch one superhero movie, then they come out with a sequel and now I am more likely going to see the sequel. I believe that they make so much revenue because the audience is so diverse. Superhero movies audience can range from any age and fans will be usually dedicated to that movie.
Work Cited
Sneider, Jeff. "Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles." The Wrap 22 Feb. 2015. Web.
Ford, Rebecca. "Box Office Winners and Losers of 2014." The Hollywood Reporter. 2 Jan. 2015. Web.
I have never really thought about Superhero movies as negative genera within movies. After reading this article I now see how different directors and or actors themselves are against superhero movies, “but, what’s ironic about all anti-superhero movement is that nine of this year’s 20 acting nominees have appeared in superhero movies in one shape or another.” As stated in the article by “Jon Hamm who has turned down superhero roles, ‘you are signed on for not only the movie … but at least two more that you haven't read, and you have no idea what they are going to be and all the crossover ones you are going to have to do” (Rahmam). Superhero movies are overall being seen as never ending movies that some directors and actors seem to be tired of.”‘ Again, understanding the viewpoint of directors and actors I now see why superhero movies are over done, unpopular, and negative genera. Although, from a consumer perspective I believe superhero movies will always remain popular. The genera of superhero movies can be consider a classic. Those types of movies, whether it is Batman, Spiderman, X Man, or Superman movies, regardless of your age, many people love to see those movies over and over again. I for one have seen Spider man several times, and have a friend who loves Batman! Going back to He-Man, and other superheroes they have always been captivating to children, as well as adults.
ReplyDeleteBefore there were superhero movies, there were action figures and comic books. Then when different superhero movies began to come out it was a huge epidemic and could still be considered one today. Even though I understand why some directors and actors don’t want to be making or apart of superhero movies anymore, the amount of money and publicity it generates is enormous. “For instance, Wolverine” was widely distributed online a month before the film opened in 2009, but the picture still managed to rack up $373 million globally. That’s a big number and one that suggests a lot of people were still willing to shell out for the finished product.” An unfinished product of Wolovernie made up to $373 million globally, imagine what a completed production of Wolverine would what made globally, the movie industries make an immense amount of money off these superhero movies. “Then there’s the continued strength of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which still managed to do more than $20 million of business in their third and second weeks in theaters.” These movies have and will always remain popular for children and adults. For children because of all the action and imagination the movies provoke, and for adults because of the action, because what adult doesn’t love action, as well as it bringing them back to their youth when they used to dress up for Halloween as Batman, or Superman. These movies are here to stay, and if different directors, producers, and actors won’t be apart of making new ones, then viewers will just resort to watching reruns of old superhero movies.
Work Cited
Lang, Brent. "'Expendables 3' Flops: Is Piracy to Blame?" Variety. N.p., 17 Aug. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. .
Sneider, Jeff. "Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles." TheWrap. N.p., 22 Feb. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2015. .
I agree with Kirsten that Superhero movies are an extremely popular genre of movies, and I don’t think they are going anywhere any time soon. Like she said in her post, just about everyone knows about superheroes in some way; if you don’t know their exact story line you at least have heard of them and known their “super powers.” An article from Nielson explains, “When it comes to movies adapted from young adult fiction, fans say they're 1.31x more likely to be interested in films where characters beat challenges” (Nielson). As a kid, I remember my siblings and cousins all pretending to be our favorite superheroes and we grow up always looking up to them. Some people might be sick of the continuous phenomenon of superhero movies being made just about every year in our society, but they provide something different to our film industry. These movies provide a bit of nostalgia to those who have always been loyal comic book and superhero fans. Also, they serve as a different version of positive role model in our society, rather than a celebrity who provides really nothing to our society other than mindless entertainment. Of course, it is completely unrealistic that any of us will grow up to be our favorite superhero but it teaches us important lessons at a young age. From Batman and even Superman we learn to protect our community and that criminals are the “bad guys.” There aren’t many other important figures, that children would listen to, that are spreading that kind of message. This is also why superhero movies do so well in our society, they reach out to children in a positive way that they respond to and are excited to watch. Jeff Sneider says in his article, “Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles,” “Hollywood loves a good villain and with #OscarsSoWhite no longer trending, superhero movies have been cast as the new enemy plaguing the industry this awards season, despite the fact that comic book movies are the tentpoles that prop up the movie business,” (Sneider). Superhero movies bring a vast amount of revenue to the movie industry, they also bring an extremely large fan base with it. Comic book and superhero fans are a very loyal community because it is what they have grown up with, and everyone loves to watch their favorite hero beat the villain in an action packed film. The other interesting thing about superhero movies is that, the negative connotation that comes along with sequels of movies, doesn’t apply when it is a superhero movie. Look at The Dark Knight trilogy for example, The Dark Knight brought in worldwide $1,084.4 and The Dark Knight Rises wasn’t far behind with $1,003.0. Superhero movies will always be something that we look forward to in society, and they will always bring in an immense income to the film industry.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited
Sneider, Jeff. "Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles." The Wrap 22 Feb. 2015. Web.
"Tops of 2014: Entertainment." Nielsen.com. 19 Dec. 2014. Web.
"Batman." Moviesat the Box Office. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.