The appeal of superhero movies

[Bokanovsky]

It seems like 60-70% of big budget Hollywood films made these days are based on comic book superhero franchises. Can someone explain the appeal of those movies to adult audiences? I can understand being impressed by Batman or Superman if you are eight years old, but as an adult moviegoer, how can you be intrigued by the premise of some guy in a halloween costume fighting the forces of evil and saving the world? And I'm not even talking about the leftist political propaganda that is being packed into those movies - that's a different subject altogether.

 

[speed dawg]

It seems like 60-70% of big budget Hollywood films made these days are based on comic book superhero franchises. Can someone explain the appeal of those movies to adult audiences? I can understand being impressed by Batman or Superman if you are eight years old, but as an adult moviegoer, how can you be intrigued by the premise of some guy in a halloween costume fighting the forces of evil and saving the world? And I'm not even talking about the leftist political propaganda that is being packed into those movies - that's a different subject altogether.

I'm not a movie guy in general, but I've always liked Batman. I like the dark nature of it. I'm definitely going to see the new Joker movie, I just wish Heath Ledger was still alive to play it.

Either way I do not have a good answer to your question. The movie needs to be deeper to keep me interested. Batman seems less cartoony than Superman and Spiderman and the rest.

 

[Billtx49]

It seems like 60-70% of big budget Hollywood films made these days are based on comic book superhero franchises. Can someone explain the appeal of those movies to adult audiences? I can understand being impressed by Batman or Superman if you are eight years old, but as an adult moviegoer, how can you be intrigued by the premise of some guy in a halloween costume fighting the forces of evil and saving the world? And I'm not even talking about the leftist political propaganda that is being packed into those movies - that's a different subject altogether.

It appeals to a fantasy desire of many people to temporarily imagine being better and stronger than they really think they are.

 

[zekko]

Speaking for myself, I read a lot of comic books when I was younger, and it's a nice experience to see these characters that I grew up with up on the movie screen. Especially if they're done well. Because when I was growing up, there was an unwillingness and an inability to portray them convincingly onscreen - either they didn't believe they would be profitable enough to invest the money into them, or the special effects weren't good enough yet.

Now that it's been established that they can be profitable in a big way, the floodgates have been opened and they're making a ton of them. And it's great for the movie industry, because they now have a vast and proven resource that they can pull stories and characters from.

Superheroes are the modern world's mythology. They are also a type of fantasy writing similar to, but separate from the sword, sorcery, and dragons genre.

I think it's a mistake to dismiss all comic books as juvenile, however. Comic books are an art form just like anything else. There are good ones, bad ones, ones directed at children, and ones directed at a more mature audience. The Marvel heroes resonate with a lot of people because they were the first one to show superheroes with real world problems - for example, Spider-Man having girl trouble, needing money, dealing with his aunt's health problems, and trying to fit into a social hierarchy. Tony Stark/Iron Man dealt with alcoholism. Captain America appeals to our respect for the WWII generation and yearning for a simpler time, contrasted with the more complicated politics of today where there the heroes and villains are less clear cut.

A lot of non-superhero projects also started as comic books, like The Walking Dead, Sin City, 300, Men in Black, Preacher, Blade, Wyonna Earp, etc.

 

[samspade]

Superheroes are the modern world's mythology.

Exactly this. It's the same reason people used to listen to stories about Zeus and Hercules.

Besides that, people like different things. If it's not your cup of tea, no need to waste time wondering why other people like it. Just personal preference.

 

[zekko]

Exactly this. It's the same reason people used to listen to stories about Zeus and Hercules.

Superhero movies aren't that different from old Clint Eastwood westerns, really. I mean, no one could really be THAT good with a gun. He's kind of a mix between Wolverine and Hawkeye.

 

[Billtx49]

Superhero movies aren't that different from old Clint Eastwood westerns, really. I mean, no one could really be THAT good with a gun. He's kind of a mix between Wolverine and Hawkeye.

Clint will always be the Man…
TV, Spaghetti Western, hard core cop, or whatever, he perfectly defines basic masculinity …

 

[Bible_Belt]

Clint will always be the Man…
TV, Spaghetti Western, hard core cop, or whatever, he perfectly defines basic masculinity …

Let's just try the forget The Bridges of Madison County.

And I don't mean this as an insult to anyone here, but comic books and super heroes are nerdy. They symbolize the antithesis of social success, e.g. Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons. For these reasons, comic books are chick repellant. On a site about how to get girls, that ought to be at least noted.

 

[zekko]

And I don't mean this as an insult to anyone here, but comic books and super heroes are nerdy. They symbolize the antithesis of social success,

The nerds will inherit the earth.

 

[samspade]

Let's just try the forget The Bridges of Madison County.

And I don't mean this as an insult to anyone here, but comic books and super heroes are nerdy. They symbolize the antithesis of social success, e.g. Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons. For these reasons, comic books are chick repellant. On a site about how to get girls, that ought to be at least noted.

That used to be true, but they seem pretty mainstream now. I worked in an arts department at a university, and have met lots of girls who are into graphic novels and the like. I mean good looking fit girls. I don't know about actual comic books, but at least the films based on them are mainstream.

The male superheroes are obvious male fantasies, sometimes simple wish fulfillment. Batman for example is wealthy, handsome, and goes out and kicks a$$ every night and has a dark/goth side to him.

Superman is the most obvious. He masquerades as a weakling, Clark Kent, who supposedly pines after Lois Lane, who treats him like dirt. Lois loves Superman, the alpha. But she can never have him. Clark can never have Lois. But since Clark is Superman, he's playing a pretty fukked up game lol. It was the fantasy of two awkward Jewish kids (descendants from immigrants that is) from Cleveland who dreamed this up.

And Spider-Man is a little more overt - he's a teenage nerd with problems but again, goes out and kicks a$$ every night.

The Hulk is a wish fulfillment for suppressed rage. He's the Angry White Male! Except he's green.

And yes not that much different from Western heroes, James Bond, etc. except they have superpowers. But like Zekko said, nobody could be that good with a gun. And if you've seen a Bond film you know he's not human.

 

[zekko]

If you have a strong feeling about the MCU movies you are literally a child and need to grow up.

I don't know what you mean by "strong feeling", but I have a lot of respect for the creativity and artistry of the people who created these characters. I (like a lot of people) enjoy the MCU movies, I've seen all of them (except Captain Marvel, so far). Some are better than others. You don't have to like them, but not everybody has to have the same taste as you. And I'm pretty sure I'm not "literally a child" and "need to grow up".

 

[zekko]

Spawn would actually be a good series to take on, but I dread to think what it would come out like in the current sjw environment with the main character being black.

I've heard that McFarlane is working on a Spawn movie (he's hoping it to be a series of Spawn movies) and is directing it himself.
I believe he wants them to be "smaller" movies, as opposed to being sweeping epics.

I don't know why not just call it a guilty pleasure?
I for example sometimes like wwe wrestling, but I know and willingly accept (and actually like it for) it's sillyness.

Something like Riverdale is a guilty pleasure. I don't get the hate for superhero movies in this thread.
Yeah, they can be silly, but so what? A lot of cop shows and medical shows are silly too, when you get right down to it.

You mentioned Shakespeare, is A Midsummer Night's Dream silly? Is Mozart's The Magic Flute silly? That doesn't mean it can't be art.
Look, bottom line is: If I thought all comic books and comic book-derived movies were CRAP, I would say so, but I don't. So I don't see them as a guilty pleasure. Like I said, there are good ones and bad ones, just like any other genre.

 

[Von]

Everyone needs a "model"
Everyone needs an inspiration.

God is gone... long live the Superheroes.

Mythology of our times!

Note: all comicbooks superheroes of today emerged in the 40s-60s (it's the end of ww2, it's the end of Religions in the public sphère and state etc.)

Also, people are child longer now. So they need these superheroes to "help them"

 

[zekko]

all comicbooks superheroes of today emerged in the 40s-60s

Most of them, but not all.
Wolverine and Punisher were created in the 70s.
Venom and the Watchmen are from the 80s.
Spawn and Deadpool are from the 90s.
Kick-Ass and the Runaways are from this century.
Etc, etc.

 

[Spaz]

That used to be true, but they seem pretty mainstream now. I worked in an arts department at a university, and have met lots of girls who are into graphic novels and the like. I mean good looking fit girls. I don't know about actual comic books, but at least the films based on them are mainstream.

The male superheroes are obvious male fantasies, sometimes simple wish fulfillment. Batman for example is wealthy, handsome, and goes out and kicks a$$ every night and has a dark/goth side to him.

Superman is the most obvious. He masquerades as a weakling, Clark Kent, who supposedly pines after Lois Lane, who treats him like dirt. Lois loves Superman, the alpha. But she can never have him. Clark can never have Lois. But since Clark is Superman, he's playing a pretty fukked up game lol. It was the fantasy of two awkward Jewish kids (descendants from immigrants that is) from Cleveland who dreamed this up.

And Spider-Man is a little more overt - he's a teenage nerd with problems but again, goes out and kicks a$$ every night.

The Hulk is a wish fulfillment for suppressed rage. He's the Angry White Male! Except he's green.

And yes not that much different from Western heroes, James Bond, etc. except they have superpowers. But like Zekko said, nobody could be that good with a gun. And if you've seen a Bond film you know he's not human.

The personality of Bond does exist.

Marmel, Amante and Glassguy r living examples, they could be naturally good with a gun if they put in the effort.

As for the others, it's a creation that arose out of the admiration to have traits that they inherently don't naturally have.

But everyone loves watching superheroes movies, for some it gives them strength, for others it's purely entertainment variety but it's an important cycle in humanity's growth.

 

[samspade]

The personality of Bond does exist.

Marmel, Amante and Glassguy r living examples, they could be naturally good with a gun if they put in the effort.

As for the others, it's a creation that arose out of the admiration to have traits that they inherently don't naturally have.

I was referring to Bond's physical feats. Of course his personality exists. Every Sosouaver is a mix of James Bond, Don Draper and "George Clooney," remember? I myself have a little bit of Shaft mixed in there.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Because Iron Man is the ****ing goat.

Marvel is killing it. Most of their superheroes are likable in some fashion. Captain America, Thor, even the villains like Thanos and Kilmonger.