It is well known that the blockbuster machine that is Hollywood has run out of ideas. So to keep the dollars rolling in, every other movie release is a remake/reboot/reimagining of past hits or even flops (like ‘I Spit on you Grave’, I mean…really? ) with varied results, from the unquestionable success of ‘Star Trek’ to the fiasco of ‘Wolfman’.
In the search for new ideas, the industry believes it has found a gold mine by producing comic book-based movies about all the major and obscure superheroes. This obviously makes a lot of financial sense, as comics already have a dedicated following, which can easily be leveraged by bringing a fan-favorite character to the big screen. Currently, there are more than 50 superhero properties in various stages of development and production, and trailers for ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ were released last month.
GEEK ALERT!! Now considering the ‘Green Lantern’ trailer – if like me, you know the difference between the Marvel and DC Universes – seeing the antics of Ryan Reynolds (of ‘The Proposal’ fame with Sandra Bullock, and recently voted the People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive), one has the impression of watching ‘Wally West-Flash’ (yes, there is more than one Flash) fooling around like ‘Hal Jordan-Green Lantern’ (yes, there are also more than a Green Lantern). The casting choice is a bit off, to put it mildly, since this is not the personality of Hal Jordan.
Why does this matter, you may ask? Well, if Hollywood is serious about cashing in on the huge market for comics, and at the same time appealing to the average audience struggling to correctly identify an Avenger or Justice Leaguer, then they need to offer well-developed content. and investigated. set pieces, and not just special effects programs that have very little or very artificial plots (I’m looking at you Michael Bay).
Since these movie studios invest a ton in bringing these characters to the big screen, they have every right to play them however they see fit. However, when I expect to see the “cocky, arrogant, do-gooder I love to hate” that IS Hal Jordan, and get the “playful, lively man-child” that IS Wally West, then I’m not so sure I want to see that movie.
It’s also fair to point out that the movie studios aren’t entirely to blame. As at times when they allowed fanboys substantial creative input into what would be the final product, subsequent box office receipts did not justify the investment, either because the film was too faithful to the source material and therefore not it drew enough mainstream audiences, or because fanboys didn’t turn out in the expected numbers to see something they’re already pretty familiar with. These films become artistic and critical successes, but also commercial flops (see ‘Kick-Ass’ and ‘Scott Pilgrim VS’ for case studies).
So where does this leave us? As for ‘Dark Knight’ and ‘Iron Man’, you get 2 ‘Jonah Hex’ and ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ (make no mistake, this was an atrocious movie, commercial success notwithstanding). The solution I suggest is to focus on the source material!
Every Super Hero has an essence, which when drawn from mythology, succinctly defines who they are and what they stand for. This is what caught the attention of geeks when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first created ‘Man of Steel’ in 1932 and still has them hooked for decades to come. Like what human being can’t relate to the struggle of finding your place in a world where there is no other like you. Or how about the prejudice that one deals with because it is different (X-men). Consider again the damage and pain that uncontrolled anger can cause you and your loved ones (Hulk).
So, on a fundamental level, ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ were successful because they illustrate the strength one gets from discipline and overcoming adversity (plus the fact that Christopher Nolan is a great director). Just as the Iron Man movies identify the importance of a life lived for a cause for which one is willing to risk everything. The common thread here is that these are character-driven movies, and not just a collection of montages and sets that give the director a chance to play with the latest special effects magic.
If all superhero movies in development take this approach to character interpretation, then we can look forward to the release of ‘Thor’ and ‘Captain America’ as they lead up to the ensemble movie ‘Avengers’. With this in mind, there is still hope for ‘Green Lantern’.
GEEK ALERT!! To make a premature analogy, all “true believers” would agree that casting Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man was a terrible decision. Peter Parker is a witty know-it-all who throws a taunt faster than any villain can throw a punch. He is not the emo sap that Maguire played. However, I can venture that anyone who has seen Spider-Man will agree that growing up is hard. Dealing with new responsibilities on the cusp of adulthood is a difficult time for everyone. This is the essence of Spider-Man, and it was portrayed correctly in the movies (although not in the gruesome ‘Spider-Man 3’ with Topher Grace as Venom, really?), even though the character’s proper personality was not conveyed. There is a Reboot (again that word) of the franchise planned for 2012 by Marc Webb (‘500 Days of Summer’), where I hope we see the real Spidie, but I’m straying.
The point is that if I leave the cinema after seeing ‘Green Lantern,’ reflecting on the great potential that lies within each of us and the enormous possibilities that can result when we have the courage and focus to take on great challenges, then’ Green Lantern’ would be a hit movie, even if it’s Wally West in a Lantern uniform. Then we can look forward to the rumored sequels that aim to be like ‘Stars Wars’ in scale and execution. Otherwise, if it turns out to be another debacle, I would only watch movies by directors Christopher Nolan (‘Inception’), Zack Snyder (‘300’) and Darren Aronofsky (‘The Fighter’). Wait but all three are scheduled to go into production for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, ‘The Man of Steel’ and ‘The Wolverine’ respectively…bummer…so I guess the age of Super Heroes is here . stay!!