Big-screen superheroes have a new archenemy: EW’s Chris Nashawaty, whose confession, "Superheroes: How They Ruined Summer Movies," appears in the magazine’s current issue. Now, Chris is no snooty elitist who watches only art films; he also loves big, loud summer action spectacles — or at least he did until too many mediocre movies about dudes in spandex made him dread the summer movie season.
I’m sorta with Chris on this one. You and I may disagree with him on which superhero movies are less than super (he felt the first Spider-Man was a huge letdown, while I thought it was surprisingly good, with the second one even better — the third one did kinda suck, though), but I feel his pain over having to sit through too many movies about C-list comic book stars that should never have been greenlit. (I’m talking to you, Ghost Rider.) But as long as the current superhero cycle is hot (and remember, before Spider-Man six years ago, Hollywood had spent years considering superhero movies to be box office poison), unimaginative studio execs and filmmakers will continue to dip deep into the well of comic book avengers.
What needs to happen is for superhero movies to start thinking outside the cape. And fortunately, there are signs that this is already happening. This summer, for instance, we’ll have a truly unconventional superhero in Will Smith’s Hancock (pictured). Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight looks like he’ll be edgier than any supervillain that any superhero has ever had to overcome in a movie. And even Chris is looking forward to next year’s Watchmen, based on the most iconoclastic deconstruction of the superhero mythology ever put into comic book form. (Oh, and there’s also this funny piece at New York magazine’s Vulture blog that suggests that Sex and the City is really a superhero movie for girls, with costumes by Patricia Field instead of Edna Mode.) There are all kinds of creative twists that can be put on the superhero genre, and I’m looking forward to seeing filmmakers take those detours.
How about you, PopWatchers? Have superhero movies ruined summer for you the way they have for Chris, or are you a die-hard superfan? Do you think Hollywood should just quit making these movies now, or are there still interesting ways to tell superhero stories that have yet to be explored? And which comic book heroes who haven’t yet made the big-screen leap would you like to see do so? (I can think of one in particular, and she flies an invisible plane…)
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I saw the preview for the new Hulk, and I was not sure if it was a superhero flick or a Godzilla flick? Plus, I thought that the new Hulk was not supposed to look like the old version. But I digress. Is there any possible way we can get a Plastic Man movie in the near future?
I think it’s gotten to the point where we need to start accepting superhero movies as a genre, as real and classifiable as action movies or romantic comedies. True, this new genre has sprung up almost overnight, but it’s strong and sustainable and marketable, and I seriously doubt it’s going away.
Thinking of superhero movies in that sense, I don’t think it’s reasonable to dismiss the whole genre in one sweep. Just as it would be irrational for someone to say they hate every documentary ever made, we’re going to have to just take them one by one, as they come, and judge them on their own merits. A man in tights does not a bad movie make. At least–not necessarily.
Personally, I was sick of superhero movies after last summer (Spider-Man 3, Fantastic Four 2, etc.) but then I saw Iron Man. I even went back to the theatre to watch it again which is something I have not done since Star Wars 3 came out. I am excited for Dark Knight, Hancock, and even, Hellboy 2 (which looks more like a Del Torro film than the first one). I think that most people are tired of the Hollywood formula of churning out rip-offs of sucessful films or attempting to release a truly terrible film on the heels of a better ones. However, most superhero movies are good, stupid fun when watched in theatres. Hellboy and Transformers aren’t going down on my list of favorite films but they were enjoyable to watch and I’ll be seeing the sequels. For me, a bad superhero film is less painful to watch than a bad, pretentious, “made just to win an Oscar” drama. Thoose have less explosions.
I was never really into anything superhero-y until I met my husband who is an all-out self-proclaimed comic book geek. Now I love them. The stories are (well, can be) fascinating. And superheroes and comic books in general are quintessentially American. Superheroes have been around for a long time…Hercules, Samson, etc. I doubt the basic premise of why we’re drawn to these stories will die any time soon, so I doubt the movie genre will either. It’s best to sit back and enjoy the ride (as long as that ride is well-written and acted).
Nashawatay blasts movies for rubber nipples and cod-pieces, then mentions his interest in seeing the Watchmen which features RUBBER NIPPLES AND COD PIECES. Please make this guy write recaps for the Bachelor instead of giving him a featured article in a huge magazine.
I mostly agree, though in the article he points to Iron Man as a bad example, that you’re supposed to root for such a flawed character. I think that was actually done well. But for the most part, as a former comic books fan, I don’t like super hero movies. I know a lot of people loved the X-Men, but as a former fan of that title, I thought it was SO lukewarm and watered down. That was not the Wolverine I grew up with. And while I did like that last Batman, how long till it gets crappy again? They should have just stuck to a few “odd” movies, like the Tim Burton Batman, that really did seem like a comic come to life, than crap like Ghost Rider (and I know, everyone points to it as crap…but I mean it was REALLY crap…) Yes, I’m looking forward to Watchman, but after this Batman…let’s take a break. No wussy team movies either, where it’s another Batman and not Christian Bale. Plus can we all agree that Christopher Reeves WAS Superman, so no more of those for 20 years or more
I like superhero movies as long as the presentation is well executed – and I don’t just mean special effects. However, that’s pretty much how I feel about most blockbusters in general. I would say the same for a drama or romantic comedy. I don’t think there are special rules to follow – just give us a good movie rather than simply cashing in, and we’re all good.
i think chris’ problem with the genre is that he goes out and sees all of these crappy movies. Certain movies — like Iron Man and Batman Begins — look amazing because they are. You couldn’t pay me to see The Incredible Hulk or Catwoman, and therefore I don’t. Superhero movies aren’t bad by nature… it just happens that some bad movies are about superheroes.
By and large, I do not think that superhero movies are good. The only Spiderman movie I enjoyed was the second one. I didn’t like any of the Batman movies but the third one with Val Kilmer. Rest in peace Christopher Reeve, but all of those Superman movies sucked. And, while the Fantastic Four DID have Jessica Alba, that one was lame as well. And, as for Hancock, I am a huge Will Smith fan, but the previews look pretty bad.
Oh yeah, I haven’t see Iron Man. I know it’s supposed to be great, but…..
I don’t believe that all super-hero movies are inherently good or bad- but it should be pointed out that the worst of the superhero movies- Ghost Rider, Elektra, Daredevil, Blade…are not summer movies. Those are ‘Well, they’ll pass the time in February’ movies. And many of the ‘great’ summer movies mentioned above (T2, Return of the Jedi, etc.) have their roots in, or at least strong ties to, comic book trappings.
I just don’t get why people feel the need to negatively review/complain about stuff that isn’t meant for them. This guy isn’t into super heroes, and doesn’t like super hero movies. SHOCKER!!!! Yet, for those of us who grew up reading comics and stuff, a lot of them are INCREDIBLE. This is just like a lot of the Sex and the City reviews out there now (and I don’t mean on EW, but in general). A lot of the negative reviews talk about stuff like how “Carrie is too neurotic,” or “Samantha is too into sex,” or “These ladies are too into fashion.” Well…it’s Sex and the City. If those points weren’t there, fans of the show would HATE it. So…if you’re a movie reviewer who hates comics, maybe you should avoid comic book movies. If you are a reviewer who hated Sex and the City (the TV show), then maybe you shouldn’t review the movie. Because, in the end, you lose some credibility if you type a review that is more opposed to the idea of the movie than the movie itself.
I thought Chris made a great argument, and I’m in agreement under a similar scenario: for every superhero, there seems to be a remake of an older movie, or TV show. I’m just over the lack of creativity and new stories. We hadn’t had a reset of Spiderman, but the Superman/Batman/Incredible Hulk vein put me off, although I did go see Superman, and I’ll probably go see Dark Knight. I think these movies are guaranteed money makers and until they start to flop, the studios will keep greenlighting them and ignoring different stories.
It sounds like the author is coming to the realization that he isn’t 16 anymore. Dude – you are just getting old! You sound like Dana Carvey doing the Cranky Old Man on SNL! Like all movie genre, the comic book movies have some stinkers as well as some solid classics. But this genre hasn’t really altered the summer movie landscape; nothing has fundamentally changed since a little movie came out in 1975 called “Jaws.”
chris, your head is up your axx. you’re sick of superhero movies? you own 300+ dvds of the evil dead series! earth to chris. ash is a superhero. so are the heroes of t2, independence day, james bond, and star wars that you revere. and as far as slamming superman returns, it made just a few million dollars less than batman begins, so how is that considered a failure? of course the genre has had some wincing moments, but tell me one that hasn’t. it’s the nature of the business. try to form a valid opinion before flim-flamming throughout your entire article next time.