With the release of The Dark Knight three weeks ago, The Summer of Superheroes has come to a record-breaking close(sorry Dragon Emperor Mummy, but you don't count. Superheroes only.) Eight months into the year and comic-based films have surpassed the $1 Billion in revenue. We know the studios are happy, as are most fans and critics. But, as I reflect on this glorious achievement in comicdom, I'm not as satisfied as I thought I'd be. From May 5 to July 18, I dropped more than $150 bucks on the superhero moviegoing experience. Hindsight gives a little more clarity and I'm sure that at least half those flicks weren't worth the money and I could've waited to redbox them. Let's review:
1. May 5-Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr. was great as Tony Stark. Not awesome, not transcendent. Just great. To me, Tony Stark is pretty much an irredeemable jerk after what happened with Civil War (for the uninitiated: he betrayed his friends and inadvertently caused the death of Captain America.) So, the character is pretty much lost on me. But I can't deny that RDJ made Stark extremely likeable and for that I applaud him. Outside of Downey's performance, nothing in the film was especially spectacular. I know that: DJay from Hustle and Flow was his friend who didn't do anything besides worry, Gwenyth Paltrow was his secretary and she may or may not have loved Stark, Stark's business partner had a distracting beard, and Iron Man wiped out a camp of outmatched Afghan terrorists. Half the movie was spent testing or building the armor. While I appreciate the task of the origin story, I wish there was something clever about the process. In Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne had to construct the Bat suit through very practical means, which led to a lot of "oh, that's clever" moments. In Iron Man, it was mostly "Stark is super smart. He can build anything." Then there's the villian: Iron Monger. Seriously? I would've respected the villian more if he actually plagued Stark throughout the film rather making a 12th hour decision get dressed up as a Power Ranger robot. Aside, from Downey Jr's performance and the novelty of seing a B-lister faithfully adapted on-screen, the plot was too bare and the characters were too flat to sustain a memorable experience.
2. May 9th-Speed Racer
Here's a flick that won me over for its sheer audacity and heart. Yes, it was too much for mainstream consumption. Unabashedly wacky, colorful, and dizzying, but likely ahead of its time. Speed Racer reminded me of Japanese sci-fi/superhero flicks like Casshern and Devilman, which dutifully, though most times unsuccessfully, try to bring anime to life. An admirable goal, but more often than not a fool's errand. Beyond the anime stylings, Speed Racer had extremely likeable characters who were occasionally hokey, but always earnest. I appreciated the bond of the Racer family and the struggle Speed faced when choosing between them and his dreams. Alas, the downfall of Speed Racer was poor marketing and lack of recognition. Not many kids today know about Speed Racer and that lack of familiarity hurt the film's box office as much as poor word of mouth, which probably came from an audience too jaded to believe in honest heroes, loving families, and happy endings. I caught Speed Racer as a matinee and was completely alone in th theater. I guess that means I'm either way ahead of the curve or way behind. Time will tell.
3. June 13-The Incredible Hulk
I really didn't want to see this in the theaters. If not for the urging of friends, I would've happily redboxed this mediocrity. First of all, I was a fan of Ang Lee's hulk, so I was already biased. But, I kept and open mind and ended up disappointed. TIH isn't terrible it was just like Iron Man, mediocre. I appreciate Marvel Entertainment for bringing us this really kewl comic universe on celluloid, but after seeing Dark Knight their efforts seem too popcorn for my taste. TIH was more basic than Iron Man because it was trying to satisfy the audience's desire for non-stop action. If ever there was a character in need of development it's The Hulk, because the Hulk lacks personality when he's Hulked out. Hulk doesn't joke. Hulk doesn't think. Hulk just smashes. And that's fun for about a half hour. I admit Ang Lee's version could be obtuse with its psychological themes and talky dialogue, but at least it attempted to develop the monster beyond weapon of post traumatic destruction and avatar of adolescent rage. Even worse, TIH had the same problems as Iron Man: flat supporting characters, a bare plot, and a ineffective villian (though more assertive and menacing than Go-Go Iron Monger). Edward Norton delivered an earnest performance with material that was clearly dumbed down, while William Hurt yelled, Liv Tyler barely blinked and Tim Roth's villain smirked with the requisite evil delight. I guess TIH gets bonus points for the Tony Stark cameo, but shouldn't the real stars and story of a movie be the highlight, not some gimmicky cameo.
4.June 18 Wanted
Never have I said "Oh Come On!" so much in a movie. I understand that part of the summer movie going experience is to completely abandon disbelief, but Wanted made me abandon reason and logic. Among the mind benders in this flick: a man jumping across a canyon of skyscrapers, bending bullets, a carbonite healing bath, and a prophetic loom. Seriously? I can accept the conceits of fantasy, but when the filmmakers try to pass this off-the-wall shenanigans as occuring in the real world then I have to object. Performance wise everyone except star James McAvoy hit their standard notes: Angelina was a sexy femme fatale bad ass, Morgan Freeman was the wise, mystical brother, Common was so cool that frost chipped off his nose. The plot twist was no twist, if you've ever seen a thriller like Wanted and the complete disregard for human life (with the exception of the stars) in a film with the line "kill one, save a thousand"
was astounding. I read Mark Millar's original graphic novel back in February before Wanted was supposed to be released (originally, March of 08'). While I was put off by the anti-fanboy tone, I wonder if I would've had an easier time digesting fecal monsters and zombie serial killers than a mystical loom that puts hits on random citizens.
5.July 4-Hancock
Despite the muddy mythology, I enjoyed Will Smith as Superman. One reason was that this is the closest we'll ever get to a black Superman film. Another reason is that this was a pretty unconventional and original (for films at least) take on the origin story. It had elements of early comic stories like Fantastic Four (hero with a public identity), Superman (the lonely god), Batman (no holds barred except killing-justice), Spider-Man (the public fears the hero as much as it needs the hero), and X-Men (isolation for those with strange abilities). This film also made a very timely and potent allusion to the notion of superheroes as the face of modern mythology. Clearly, an ambitious film with great conceptual depth. Unfortuantely, the execution stumbled near the end and snatched the rug from the film's critical success. All the writers had to do was clear up the mythology and backstory for Hancock and I bet this would've been almost unanimously praised. Alas, Hancock may only be remembered for Will Smith's consistently charismatic and heartfelt performance (he almost cries in every movie he's in these days, doesn't he?) and the wealth of squandered potential.
6. July 11-Hellboy II-The Golden Army
Know why I went to see Hellboy II? The Crow-looking Elf with the swords, Prince Nuada. That's it. I saw his scenes in the preview and I was sold. It's like someone smashed Sephirtoh from Final Fantasy into The Crow and then let him loose in the Mos Eisely cantina. Aside from the Prince, who was easily the most developed and exciting character, Hellboy was pretty much the same as the first. Interesting, but short of engaging. It's not for lack of effort, that's for sure. Director Guillermo Del Toro obviously put a lot of love into creating the world and creatures of Hellboy and it shows in the unique designs and authentic underground world. The problem is: the heroes were obviously wrong. As I've said in earlier posts, villains are great because, as agents of change, they actually try to do something. Most of Hellboy's time is spent sitting in his room and moping about his girlfriend. Prince Nuada, on the other hand, spent centuries practicing and focusing his determination on trying to save his people. While Hellboy may be cool to knock a few back with, who would you rather have defending you? The slacker or the dedicated knight-prince. If there is a third outing in store for the Son of The Devil, I hope he takes a more active role as a hero and does more wait at the barstool for problems to come to him.
July 18-The Dark Knight
This film changed the game. Before The Dark Knight, movies like Iron Man, Hulk, Wanted, and Hellboy would've been judged on a completely different standard. Now, they must be judged against a masterpiece that defied genre limitations and dared its audience to think. I was a little biased before seeing TDK because I love crime dramas (and make no mistake this is crime drama first, comic adaption second). The Dark Knight is a near perfect film because every aspect, performances, cinematography, plot, dialogue, theme, works together. Director Christopher Nolan delivered a focused effort that pandered to the highest denominator and dared the rest to catch up. Nolan clearly respects the material and the audience and doesn't care whether the tweens keep up or not. That type of boldness in filmmaking is sorely lacking these days and I appreciate Nolan's efforts. And I can't ignore the performances. Bale continues to amaze as a down-to-earth, non-assinine Batman who truly cares about saving his city more than himself (never more evident than the poignant ending). Oldman has changed how I view Commissioner Gordon. Who knew the Commish who used to run to the Batphone in the 60s could be such a badass? Eckhart's heart breaking portrayal of Harvey Dent is the heart of the movie and he deserves every ounce of credit he's gotten. Of course, Heath Ledger is The Joker. His amazing performance will likely remained unrivaled, setting a standard that movie, not just comic movie, villains should be smart, entertaining, and a step ahead of everyone (imagine that).
In conclusion, the Summer of Superheroes proved an interesting experiment in pop culture. It was great to see such enthusiastic responses from mainstream audiences for B-Listers, unknowns, and original properties. Despite my opinions on these films, all were expertly crafted, entertaining works of art. As a comic fan, what more can you ask? Hopefully, with the Dark Knight as standard bearer, we'll see more comic adaptations that dare to be more than just summer blockbusters, but aspire to be thought provoking examples of high art like some of today's best comics.
