The Boys series deserves an honourable mention. It’s super heroes behaving badly and lots of very wrong things happening to the human body. It’s also available in highly (un) digestible hourly chunks.
Hi Mike. The Boys is definitely worth a watch. As is The Umbrella Academy. As much as I "enjoy" superhero movies (some of them), your piece is spot on.
Rule 32: No matter how typical a superhero movie is (and they’re all typical) fans will tell you that you have to see it because it’s different from the others. This is never true.
At risk of pointy stick, the first Iron Man was 'the same old bollocks' but the bollocks had yet to be firmly established. I think because of that, it nearly gets away with it. At least you don't have to try to remember all the mind-numbing detail of the previous 17 loosely-tied plots to know what the frack is going on.
I'll second 'The Boys' as a good bit of anti-superhero nonsense, though by season three it's getting a bit tired. It really only has one surprise - 'not all superheroes are good' & that's blown early doors.
As for the rest, I've seen them all… or half of them. I'm usually fast asleep by act three when the big battle comes up. [Advantage of being a sound engineer, I have some very clever compressors strapped to my HTPC outputs so the explosions don't wake me or the neighbours up, but I can still hear what they say when they whisper.]
… and do keep teaching the Americans the usages of such as bollocks, otherwise they're missing out on some of life's most succinct damning terminology;)
OK mate get your pointy stick sharpening implement ready because I'm going to recommend you a supe movie. Captain America: The Winter Soldier! I honestly think it's a bloody good movie!
Could it be I've lived most of my life immersed in cinema from around the world, did my undergrad degree in film, worked for the Hollywood studios for 15 years and have written 9 feature scripts or are you just a weee bit crazy :-)
My faves are the meta types already mentioned and I liked the premise of Hancock, but I’m not sure they pulled it off that well. If you watch it, a blunt stick might be in order 😬
This is the type of movie where they leave logic and reason at the door and I'm all for it. I don't mind a ridiculous thrill ride. Also I've been trying to climb on walls since I was 8.
I honestly don't know. A simple formula over and over again, maybe... like comfort food. And there's a place for that... these movies just don't do it for me though.
I never read superhero comics when I was a kid, and aside from the glorious Adam West Batman, didn't care about the stories one bit. As an adult... I still don't care! but I do enjoy comedy stuff like Deadpool and Guardians of the Galaxy.
I was utterly blown away by Black Panther, just a gorgeous piece of work. I think my enjoyment of the marvel movies has to do with the actors, rather than the movies themselves.
The Boys series deserves an honourable mention. It’s super heroes behaving badly and lots of very wrong things happening to the human body. It’s also available in highly (un) digestible hourly chunks.
Ah, I did hear good things about that, actually. Thank you for the reminder...
Hi Mike. The Boys is definitely worth a watch. As is The Umbrella Academy. As much as I "enjoy" superhero movies (some of them), your piece is spot on.
Yes, I did quite enjoy UA, actually...
Rule 32: No matter how typical a superhero movie is (and they’re all typical) fans will tell you that you have to see it because it’s different from the others. This is never true.
TRUE
Nooooo
At risk of pointy stick, the first Iron Man was 'the same old bollocks' but the bollocks had yet to be firmly established. I think because of that, it nearly gets away with it. At least you don't have to try to remember all the mind-numbing detail of the previous 17 loosely-tied plots to know what the frack is going on.
I'll second 'The Boys' as a good bit of anti-superhero nonsense, though by season three it's getting a bit tired. It really only has one surprise - 'not all superheroes are good' & that's blown early doors.
As for the rest, I've seen them all… or half of them. I'm usually fast asleep by act three when the big battle comes up. [Advantage of being a sound engineer, I have some very clever compressors strapped to my HTPC outputs so the explosions don't wake me or the neighbours up, but I can still hear what they say when they whisper.]
… and do keep teaching the Americans the usages of such as bollocks, otherwise they're missing out on some of life's most succinct damning terminology;)
Bollocks, The New Superhero!
…and his sidekick, Cobblers the wonder boy, ably assisted by Scrotum the wrinkled retainer [with credit to Viv Stanshall].
If you turn the sound up enough to hear the mumbled monologue, the action scenes will rupture your eardrums.
Yes!
OK mate get your pointy stick sharpening implement ready because I'm going to recommend you a supe movie. Captain America: The Winter Soldier! I honestly think it's a bloody good movie!
Hmm. Okay. I'll look it out, as — for reasons I don't quite understand — I generally trust your taste.
Could it be I've lived most of my life immersed in cinema from around the world, did my undergrad degree in film, worked for the Hollywood studios for 15 years and have written 9 feature scripts or are you just a weee bit crazy :-)
Unbreakable.
I'd see that as a meta example, but yes: THAT was a good movie.
See also phenomenal quantities of property damage
Oh I do like that! and why do ALL movies these days go on for hours and hours and hours... Gone with the Wind had an interval
They’re ENDLESS
And to be honest, if you take out the CGI and leave the acting, they're a reasonable length
The Incredibles, though...
That's a meta movie, though ;-)
It all went downhill after the first two Superman movies(Christopher Reeve, of course)
My faves are the meta types already mentioned and I liked the premise of Hancock, but I’m not sure they pulled it off that well. If you watch it, a blunt stick might be in order 😬
I shall consider that a semi-recommendation ;-)
This is the type of movie where they leave logic and reason at the door and I'm all for it. I don't mind a ridiculous thrill ride. Also I've been trying to climb on walls since I was 8.
I tried to fly. I still think I did it.
:-)
I'm sure you did. I stuck to the wall once. Now those shorts are covered in paint.
why are they so popular?
I honestly don't know. A simple formula over and over again, maybe... like comfort food. And there's a place for that... these movies just don't do it for me though.
Look no further than Doom Patrol for an oddly compelling antidote. Emphasis on “oddly”.
I never read superhero comics when I was a kid, and aside from the glorious Adam West Batman, didn't care about the stories one bit. As an adult... I still don't care! but I do enjoy comedy stuff like Deadpool and Guardians of the Galaxy.
I was utterly blown away by Black Panther, just a gorgeous piece of work. I think my enjoyment of the marvel movies has to do with the actors, rather than the movies themselves.
Friend of mine keeps badgering me to see DEADPOOL... haven't got round to it yet :-)
It has that sassy sarcastic breaking the fourth wall kind of charm. And Morena Baccarin!
Condorman, Flash Gordon, Manimal...
They just don't make them that bad anymore, but at least they had humour!