Today I sit in front of the computer, in the depths of the afternoon approaching the twilight days of lunch. I am here to discuss my feelings towards another article I have just read and gone through - ironically which has made it to be the title of this entry. The article is about the relationship between the huge movie conglomerations who market superhero movies and the films themselves, and how the exploitation of such lucrative genre is sucking it dry, metaphorically of course.
The article begins by describing comics, where the inspiration for the superhero comes from. Within its folded, colorful depths lies character, action, romance, and most of all - lots and lots of dosh. The author describes comics as "the currency in Hollywood" which I can honestly believe but not sure how this fits in with the changing representation of the superhero figure. Be patient and it will all become clear. Back in the early 21st century, the relationship began with two giants of the comic book world, whose appearance made all comic book fans wet themselves with excitement - that of "Spiderman (2002)" (not the most recent one, but the one starring Toby McGuire and Kirsten Dunst)
As an early example of the development of the Superhero genre, Spiderman is an infallible film, key to the progress the genre has made over the decade.
In addition to this hugely popular superhero "X-men (2002)" also raised its head to the world, all set for an action packed trilogy.
X-men is one of those superhero teams that have inspired many superhero team films - Fantastic 4, Kickass, The Avengars (2012), Superhero film (2008)
Such success, which is drawing in millions upon millions of dollars for the Hollywood studios was fuelled by, one of my personal favorites, "Iron Man" which was 2008's highest grossing film.
Iron man, sure not a hero team movie but one of those films that one cannot ignore for its everlasting impact of revitalizing the superhero genre. Can you believe that a Iron Man 3 is coming out?
Joined by other classic heroes, "The incredible hulk" and the "Dark Knight", this adds to the perception that comic movie marketing is more "in- yer - face" to these huge, vertical integrated international conglomerates than anything else. But where did this callous mentality come from? From whence did such a cruel and horrific treatment of noble, heroic figures of fiction orginate?
In the past, the West stereotyped comic books to be as the author describes it "the lowest common denominator fodder [for an] uncritical audience" how that has changed. Here is where my point finally emerges - everything changed in 1978, when the "Superman" films came out (Superman, the superhero of marvel comics), "[setting the stage for] comic movies" the film itself was marketed at a then eye watering $55 million (amazing how common that is now, isn't it?). This was in contrast to the previous superhero films that had come before it - "L'Arroseur Arrose" (1895), the starting point according to Roger Sabin of when film started to exploit the superhero.
From that point onwards, aided by the medias new found attention to graphic novels, the superhero genre has gained a respectable reputation amongst the multinational conglomerations - creating the inevitable representation that would be tantalizing to any large film corporation in Hollywood, "that comics and graphic novels were a fresh source of material to be mined", link this in with the changing representation of superheroes and you have got a smoking gun ready to shatter such a rich and deep genre. Indeed, producers now longer saw them as unique movies creating a stand alone genre that divides opinion on whether they are good or not, instead as "spectaculars with the potential to underpin a studio's profits"
In addition, the darker tones of the superhero movies, for example Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman", who presented Batman as a shadowy figure of intrigue (just as Nolan has tried to do in his recent trilogy, and has so readily succeeded in my opinion). Following the comic book recession, in which the mighty Marvel company fell into bankruptcy, early in the decade the genre began its long road to recover - on the backs of Spiderman, and Xmen. Sure, a few duds have come along which haven't really helped the genre - Daredevil, Elektra and Fantastic 4. But Iron man changed that for the better, and even had a glimpse of "Captain America's shield" obviously foreshadowing the film Captain America, and the Avenger film coming out soon.
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