The other day, The Onion posted a hilarious video that made fun of the aggressive marketing for the upcoming superhero movie, Green Lantern. Green Lantern is a hero with a fanatical following, but he has nowhere near the level of recognition that DC superheroes like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have. While would hardly call Green Lantern an obscure property, it seems bizarre that he would be the subject of a big summer movie with a two-hundred million dollar budget.
Green Lantern stars Ryan Reynolds, who has played other comic book heroes in the past. These heroes include the wisecracking vampire hunter Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, and the wisecracking assassin Deadpool in the affront to God that was the Wolverine movie, both based on Marvel Comics properties. In Green Lantern, Reynolds flexes his acting muscles by playing Hal Jordan, a, uh, wisecracking dude who gets superpowers from a ring acquired from a dying alien.
The Onion video is funny, but it highlights a problem that (I hope) many of us are somewhat aware of. I remember as a kid, I would devour comics like Charles Bukowski devoured liquor, yet the idea of a Spider-Man flick or an X-Men movie was a pipe dream. Now it seems like a new movie based on a comic book property is coming out every damn weekend, especially in the summer. What I can’t quite wrap my head around is that they’re being seen by everybody, not just the geeks who grew up skulking around comic shops and getting in arguments with other patrons over whether or not Tony Stark could beat Ms. Marvel in a game of Edward Fortyhands.
I hate to sound like a snob, but as I write this, comic book movies are taking up five screens at my nearest local multiplex, and sequels are dominating another five. The only movies playing that aren’t based on branded properties are Brides Maids, Super 8, and Jumping the Broom (and Super 8 is debatable given the heavy early-Spielberg nostalgia element). God help you if you’re an art-house offering like Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life, which still isn’t playing in where I am in Memphis.
This sort of bitching is old hat for movie fans, but is anyone really that excited about Green Lantern outside of its cult following? Or are people going to see it because they’re conditioned to get interested whenever they see Hollywood relentlessly advertise something they’ve maybe heard about previously somewhere before? I’m aware hearing fanboys clamor about something on the internet doesn’t count, as their enthusiasm isn’t indicative of the populous at large. If anything the spectacular failure of Snakes on a Plane and Grindhouse proved that the internet buzz can be meaningless.
What boggles my mind is that the people who would make fun of someone for reading comics will go out of their way to watch to catch Spider-Man 3 on opening weekend. I had a roommate in college who watched Smallville religiously and never missed the latest superhero-themed blockbuster, but this same guy also berated me when I recommended a Superman graphic novel to him, telling me that comics are for babies. This guy is one of my best friends, so I’m not bitterly getting back at the bully here, but this was truly bizarre to me. When I called him on it, he really had no answer beyond perhaps that movies are socially acceptable and comics are not. I realize he’s just one guy, but he’s not some exception to the rule, tons of people who have never, ever touched a comic are seeing these movies. I’m not judging or saying that everyone shouldn’t enjoy these films. I’m asking why people who aren’t fans to begin with give a shit in the first place.
Green Lantern comes out today, and maybe it’ll be a huge hit, or maybe it’ll be the big bomb of the summer, all I really care about is whether or not it’s good. But this trend is something that exists regardless of the success of Green Lantern, but while branding big movies has been something of a safety blanket for Hollywood, it only seems to be getting worse, and the brands they choose are only getting more bizarre. I guess I’ll just look on the bright side and say I can’t wait for my two-hundred million dollar movie based on The Tick. Make it happen, Hollywood!
SPOOOOOON!
I am a huge comic book movie fan–in the first episode of the new DAMAGED Viewing Podcast we discuss X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and I admit that my favorite one is BATMAN & ROBIN–but, even to me, GREEN LANTERN, with all of it’s CGI just looks excessively ugly and unappealing because of it. Hopefully I’ll be wrong.
Also, WOLVERINE kicked f*cking ass.
Okay Louis, you gotta enlighten me, why do you like WOLVERINE? The only thing I found appealing was the image of Logan tearing shit up in his wife-beater. I like the idea of getting Deadpool and Gambit in a movie, but I felt they were wasted.
I explain it in the podcast. Available on iTunes or PodOmatic direct download: http://tinyurl.com/42k2zrl
Hunter,
Do you think, as I do, that this marks the (thankful) demise of over saturated cookie cutter comic licensed movies? Or are they going to keep keep going to the well for non thought out, pre canned material. I am pretty sure at this point, that most are aware of my level of comic geekdom (if not, hi im a ultra-nerd)…but most of that can not be translated to screen in a feature format. Excuse my brevity…my phone lacks the vim of my smith carona when trolling
As long as they make money, Andrew, they’ll ride it until the wheels fall off. There will always be a place for pre-canned cookie cutter movies in Hollywood.
Me, stu, and Louis! Hunter is officially outnumbered on Wolverine!
Oh geez. I guess I am in the minority huh? Seen X-MEN: FIRST CLASS yet? If so, how does it compare?
My issue is that I found Super 8 to be the most original movie of the summer. The movie that everyone almost universally dumped on was Pirates 4, myself included and I loved the last three. (I am in the minority for At World’s End but I don’t care.) What I loved with Super 8 was that yes, it was a tribute to Spielberg but I found enough in it that was specifically Abrams’. Remember, Abrams is of our generation. We write what we know and if Abrams is anything of a film geek that we are, he watched a TON of Spielberg (like we did). Regardless, he has yet to disappoint me with his movies. I would love to see Abrams take on something in the style of Indiana Jones. It would be a damn fun movie.
And for the record, Wolverine Origins SUCKED.
That’s TWO, Farmer! I just need one more and we’ll have an even score. WOLVERINE haters UNITE!
No doubt SUPER 8 is original programming for the summer Rick, I’m not really disputing that, just saying it’s “debatable” in that it is being marketed as “Hey, you know those Spielberg movies you love? Here’s something like that!” But that’s not the movie’s fault, it’s the marketing department’s job to sell the movie using the best angle possible, and making comparisons to something familiar is usually a safe strategy.
Television is the better medium for great comic book adaptations. But I still love seeing them on the big screen. Then again, 4 of the 5 X-men films are pretty darn good. Two of three Spider-Man films are fun (if flawed, and weighted down with a boring, not witty Peter Parker). Both Iron Man movies are entertaining and one is exceptional. Thor, if not great, exceeded my wildest expectations. Watchmen: Also flawed but worth it for the opening montage alone. Kick Ass kicked ass. Hellboy: Rock. And I–taking a minority opinion–even thought Green Hornet was a nice, offbeat effort. Frankly, not every original comic series and storyline was perfect or even good. With that last bit in mind I don’t think Hollywood’s Comic Book track record is all that bad, really. If the trend didn’t end with the badly misunderstood Daredevil, or the truly embarrassing takes on the Fantastic Four Green Lantern isn’t going to kill it. Besides, I suspect there are a lot of hardcore DC fanboys who are thrilled to see Hollywood doing something other than Supes and Bats. I think a Green Arrow/Speedy flick could be great if they were based on the darker, more mature storylines. And I’d love to see some real second tier characters get a shot like Elongated Man and Booster Gold who really got to shine (along with the Question) in the 52 series. I should stop now.
I too enjoyed THE GREEN HORNET, I felt like I was maybe the only one. Also, let’s not forget SCOTT PILGRIM!
I don’t think GREEN LANTERN could possibly kill the juggernaut that is comic book adaptations, but it struck me as strange that they’re investing this much on it. But hey, I’m glad to see a different DC property come to the big screen (we’ve forgotten about JONAH HEX by now, I assume). Like you, I dig most of these movies, but when this much money is spent on a property like GREEN LANTERN, it causes me to question who the movie is for. But i’ll see it, and hopefully enjoy it as well.
If AVENGERS fails, that will kill the comic to film adaptation thing for sure. But it’s not going to fail. There is too much hype and star power (director included) to do so. And yes, GREEN HORNET was a lot of fun!
If Avengers fails, Hollywood will shrug their shoulders and say “too many superheroes” and retreat to safe ground. It won’t kill comic-to-film adaptations, all it will have done is show them how far they can push it.
Good call on Jonah Hex. I’d forced that turd from my memory. But to do that right you’d need to plop ol Jonah down in the middle of Deadwood for a season or so. Still, when I compare the body of full length comic book adaptations (especially if you include animation) to other genres–rom coms would be a good example– the track record is really almost startlingly impressive. Seriously, who was wondering about the fate and future of Rom coms after Swept Away? Yeah, nobody.
It is very impressive, especially when you consider that the rom-com is a genre on life support. It has pretty much been overtaken by the bromance at this point. I’m just amazed comic book flicks have come as far as they have in ten years.
If you think the Avengers movie is going to fail and kill off the comic superhero in film – think again. In all honesty how can the Avengers fail? At the box office? nope, way too many characters in the film with fanboy appeal to kill it there – I mean honestly, do you really think it is only going to scrape in and earn only a couple of hundred million? Nah, gonna be a shit ton more than that. So how is it going to fail? Oh a poor story? Baaa hhaaaaa do you think that has ever bothered Marvel before? I know for a fact it doesn’t, especially after certain people have voiced their disgust at the Wolverine movie ( which I LOVE by the way – so there)
So, please tell me how this is going to fail? A lot of people are too busy honing their blades ready to stick into the heart of THE AVENGERS or any comic book film when it is on the horizon to be released. Myself personally I prefer to sit back and wait for it and see what it brings – ok, stop right there Stu, weren’t you the same guy kicking the boots into THOR long before it was released? Yes, guilty as charged, and I will admit I looked like a fool afterwards because THOR was excellent, and it taught me to shut my trap and let the film do the talking. That’s why I am excited for the recently released X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, GREEN LANTERN and the upcoming CAPTAIN AMERICA and AVENGERS films. I mean, seriously, they are comic book character films – what do you expect? “Oh but ‘The Dark Knight – stop right there ok, not every damn superhero film has to be dark, in fact having EVERY superhero film DARK would kill off these comic book characters a lot quicker than the way they are supposedly killing themselves at the moment.
And for the record VAN HELSING was a kick arse film also (not a comic book superhero as such but still it is one that is universally panned).
I think you’re confusing predictions with hypothetical situations, no one said THE AVENGERS was going to fail, that movie is gonna be HUGE. Rick was saying he felt that if it turns out to be a failure box-office wise, it could kill the comic book movie, and I was disagreeing with him.
I think the point of my piece is being missed on some level, I’m not saying that the comic book movie is dead, or that they suck, or that we’re in for a slew of failures, or any nonsense. I’m simply expressing bewilderment at how we’ve gotten to a point where Hollywood is willing to dump $200 million (although someone at work claimed they spent $300 million, but that could include marketing costs) into a property like GREEN LANTERN. I’m more or less interested in seeing how the movie fares with audiences this weekend (right now it’s getting beaten by the critics, but that doesn’t really mean anything other than it might be a bad movie).
I may post a follow-up to this story after this weekend, once I see the movie and we can get a better idea of how audiences are responding to it.
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