It’s the kind of criss-cross universe comparable to that of their comics that made geeks salivate at the mouth. They even started off pretty well. “Iron Man” had an inspired bit of casting in Robert Downey Jr. and ended up making $318.4 million domestically. They even threw in a cameo of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury! Genius, I say.

Next came the more mediocre “The Incredible Hulk” which barely managed to top its Eric Bana-starring previous incarnation at the box office. But the films successfully began Marvel’s path to the upcoming “Avengers.” There were even rumors that “Hulk” star Edward Norton was so passionate about the character that he took on uncredited roles as both a producer and a screenwriter. He certainly wanted in on “Avengers.”

The company looked like it was different from the ignorant studios that seem to own Hollywood. They were giving fans what they wanted by hiring quality filmmakers and showing a dedication to the quality of their own projects–a live-action Pixar, if you will.

But the studio truly hadn’t been put to the test yet. Their next film was “Iron Man 2,” and it was a clunker if there ever was one. I mean, how do you mess up a film when you have Downey Jr., Jackson, Sam Rockwell and Mickey frickin’ Rourke!? Well, they managed to do it, alright. Audiences expecting the same smarts and energy as the first installment experienced shoddy storytelling, a plot that was not clearly fleshed out, and montages such as Tony Stark shooting lasers around a room and suddenly discovering a new atom… seriously?

What about the dark, alcoholic Tony Stark fans love from the comics? Why were actors like Rockwell and Rourke literally wasted, only performing in scenes necessary to move the plot forward but not to flesh out character? I mean, no one’s going to disagree that they are both excellent character actors.

The studio was clearly becoming a run-of-the-mill entity interested more in getting out quick, fast food-like product rather than giving people memorable films that entertain and refresh far beyond a 90-minute popcorn summer film. Rourke, known for his brutal honesty about everyone from himself to those he works with, outed the studio while he was out promoting the film “Immortals.” Rourke made the following statements about his experience working with the studio:

[W]hen I did Ivan Vanko in Iron Man, I fought… You know, I explained to Justin Theroux, to the writer, and to [Jon] Favreau, that I wanted to bring some other layers and colors [to the character], not just make this Russian a complete murderous revenging bad guy. And they allowed me to do that. Unfortunately, the [people] at Marvel just wanted a one-dimensional bad guy, so most of the performance ended up the floor.

[It’s] ****ing too bad, but it’s their loss. If they want to make mindless comic book movies, then I don’t want to be a part of that. I don’t want to have to care so much and work so hard, and then fight them for intelligent reasoning, and just because they’re calling the shots they… You know, I didn’t work for three months on the accent and all the adjustments and go to Russia just so I could end up on the floor. Because that can make somebody say at the end of the day, oh **** ‘em, I’m just going to mail it in. But I’m not that kind of guy. I’m never going to mail it in.

If they let you, play the bad guy with other dimensions other than one-dimensional. You have to fight for that though, to bring layers to the character. Otherwise, if you’re working for the wrong studio or let’s say a director that doesn’t have any balls, then they’re just gonna want it to be the evil bad guy. […] So, if you’re working with some good studio guys that got brains and you’re working with a director with a set of nuts that’ll let you incorporate that then it’s fun. Otherwise, you end up with what happened on “Iron Man.”

That sounds like enough explanation as to why “Iron Man 2″ felt like it was made by a 13-year-old boy. The films just got worse in quality with the release of “Thor” and “Captain America.” I mean, they picked the guy who directed “Jumanji” to direct “Captain America!” The same guy who was quoted time and time again wanting to downplay the patriotic side of Captain America. What? I thought these guys were trying to be more faithful to the characters they showed on screen. His name is Captain America! The film was awful. The special effects showing Chris Evans as a scrawny pre-Captain America were just sad and awkward. The action scenes were so cardboard that the film felt like it had no personality. And it all just felt like one big rush to the setup for “The Avengers” at the end. Clearly, Marvel Studios had become interested in simply making mindless comic book movies, which is the reason they took control of these projects in the first place.

The studio also dumbly fired Norton when it came time to cast The Hulk in “The Avengers,” and it replaced him with Mark Ruffalo. Here was their explanation:

We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.

I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but I can read between the lines. Basically, they needed someone who was more of a puppet than Norton and whose voice would not interrupt theirs. So much for being a novel idea.

Has Marvel Studios really been a success? Not really. “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2″ managed to pull in heavy sums, but “The Incredible Hulk” couldn’t even match its production budget with its domestic haul. Neither “Thor” nor “Captain America: The First Avenger” could even touch the $200 million mark. The hauls they brought in were almost guaranteed just based on curiosity with the movie going public. I, for one, am not looking forward to “The Avengers.” Why should I? Marvel Studios has become just like the studios they were a reaction to. They make mindless entertainment that barely scratches out a profit and they allow no creativity, which we know leads to the lasting success films need.

We’ve already had Ruffalo out there comparing the Avengers to Occupy Wall Street, and behind the camera we have Joss Whedon, whose film credits include directing a whopping total of one picture. Marvel Studios is now just a part of the crop of studios turning out everything from crap to liberal crap and then not understanding the financial results. Waste your hard earned money on something more worth it.

Once a bastion of patriotism, personified by Marvel’s Captain America, comics now reveal a leftist agenda by having the Tea Party as villains worthy of Captain America’s hurled shield. So it is refreshing when one of their own breaks ranks.

Frank Miller, the writer/artist most responsible for returning Batman to his dark roots, lambasted the Occupy Wall Street movement on his blog over the weekend. His opening sentence was a barn-burner:

“Everyone has been too damn polite about this.”

His description of the OCW movement–”a pack of louts, thieves and rapists, an unruly mob”–could have applied to one of his supervillains.

The response from his industry has been instantaneous and true to the groupthink of the Left. The unifying theme, apart from the standard fascist labeling, is that Miller has lost his way, both from his creative roots, and reality (“I think Miller saw them filming the giant fight scene for Dark Knight rises in NY and confused it for OCW,” writes comic book writer Cully Hammer).  All of them point to Miller’s groundbreaking Batman comics as proof of Miller’s former leftism.

Before turning to their citation, it should not come as recent surprise that Miller is a supporter of the War On Terror.  His recent graphic novel, “Holy Terror,” depicts a vigilante (originally to be the Batman) taking on Al-Queda.

Miller clearly and overtly intended his hero to be political and patriotic:

“Superman punched out Hitler. So did Captain America. That’s one of the things they’re there for.”Again, Miller was portrayed as having lost his way from the alleged progressivism aired in “The Dark Knight Returns.”

But in this graphic novel, Miller has a mob scene brought about by a nuclear exchange with the Soviets. They take to the streets, looting, raping and partying.

Sound familiar?

Miller’s response was not to see their side of the story, or morally equate their actions with any right-wing street groups (there are none in the comic), but to have his ailing Batman mount up and stop the madness. He quells the revolt, leading one police officer who vowed to arrest him to holster her weapon and realize that the vigilante is the only thing between safety and anarchy.

Miller’s most trenchant criticism, though, is reserved for a government peopled by liberals who, even after the mayor has his throat ripped out by one of the criminals, still want to negotiate.

For those who cite this comic as proof that he has lost his way should re-read this comic.

Captain America: The First Avenger is the next step in Marvel’s massive attempt at crafting a cinematic universe for their comic book creations.  Marvel’s days of licensing out their characters for stand-alone Hollywood movies are thankfully over, with Jon Favreau’s excellent Iron Man ushering in a new era of comic book moviemaking.  The visionary approach taken by Marvel is that with each movie they make, they are crafting a larger mythos, a new universe for their classic characters to play in, not unlike the Ultimates line of comics they launched years ago.  We’re getting films less concerned with being stand-alone entities, that instead have more freedom to tie into, reference, and cross over with each other.  In other words, this is the way comic book movies should be.

Chris Evans, who previously played a Marvel’s Human Torch in Tim Story’s lackluster Fantastic Four films, fills the boots of Steve Rogers, the scrawny, strong-willed nobody destined to become the Cap himself.  With the Nazi menace sweeping Europe, Rogers attempts over and over again to sign up to go fight the good fight for good ol’ Uncle Sam, however his sickly physical attributes consistently result in his rejection.  Rogers’ determination to enlist catches the eye of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a German scientist who has found asylum in the U.S., who wants to use the good-hearted Rogers to test his super-soldier serum.  The experimental drug turns the scrawny Rogers into a super-man, however he ends up being used as a marketing tool to sell war bonds on the home front under a persona called “Captain America,” rather than fight the enemy at their doorstep.  But when one of his best pals gets caught behind enemy lines by a rogue Nazi organization called Hydra, Rogers springs into action on his own, and soon Captain America and his Howling Commandos tear a swath in the European countryside, battling the wicked Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) and his Hydra troops.

What excited me most about the prospect of a Captain America movie was that we’d be getting a mainstream movie with lots of unironic flag-waving, a patriotic flick with zero moral complexities, something we don’t really get anymore.  In essence, I was stoked to see a film that captures the spirit of the poster above, with an American comic-book icon punching the wicked bullies of the world right in the jaw.  Director Joe Johnston delivers this with a mix of Marvel lore, as Cap visually evokes the propaganda joy of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon’s original Cap comics, going so far as to integrate them into film itself.  Johnston, who is usually a journeyman you plug in when Steven Spielberg decides he isn’t available, hasn’t been this much fun since The Rocketeer.  It seems he is most alive when working in the forties American flag vs. Nazi scum scenario, though this is an occasion where he has gotten to build on subject matter he’s explored before.

The tradition that Captain America comes from is the World War II guys-on-a-mission flick.  Think movies like The Dirty Dozen, Where Eagles Dare, or Quentin Tarantino’s anachronistic throwback, Inglourious Basterds.  Captain America is similarly anachronistic, though it does so in order to build it’s Marvel universe, as opposed to make a grand comment about the power of movies the way Tarantino was.  Here we get classic stuff like Cap sneaking behind enemy lines to liberate P.O.W.’s, infiltrating an enemy train with his boys, and taking on the Hydra compound.  But instead of one or two big missions, we get a good sized one, and bunch of bite sized ones.  The film has a lot of story to tell, so it’s understandable why they would go this route, however an action montage in which we see a highlight reel of Cap and the boys on their adventures isn’t what I’d call satisfying.  The bigger missions we get are still fun an exciting, and the film is otherwise consistent in the sense of high-adventure, thanks to Johnston’s competent hand.

Because Captain America is an icon that emerged during a propaganda push in the Golden Age of comics, his presentation in a mainstream Hollywood movie has been subject to some scrutiny.  Early on, Joe Johnston seemed to assure the politically-correct Hollywood crowd that Cap wasn’t going to be a “jingoistic flag-waver” in this film.  With a big movie like this, Hollywood understandably wants those dollars from foreign markets. Foreign distributors insisting that the studio keep the Captain America title, as opposed to the considerably less-descriptive “The First Avenger,” is telling, in that Hollywood has bogged themselves down in the idea that the rest of the world despises America, so much so that they would never want to see a movie that openly glorifies this country.  This is the thinking that got us a neutered, U.N.-friendly G.I. Joe movie, as opposed the real American heroes guys my age grew up with.  Thankfully, the film that Johnston made depicts a Cap that we can all get behind: a man with a strong moral compass, dedicated to taking down evil as it preys on the weak, but never lets his considerable power go to his head.  One can wring their hands about American history, however Captain America represents the American ideal here, and that’s all it needs to be.  Chris Evans, an actor whose star shines brighter with each film he does, dons the shield with pride.  Captain America: The First Avenger joins Richard Donner’s Superman and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films as prime examples of comic book adaptations that combine their source material with classic American iconography in an artful manner.

This week Cap throws his mighty shield on Blu-ray and DVD, and of course, there’s that 3D version stinking up the shelves as well.  Complaining about 3D is old hat at this point, but I saw Captain America in 2D in the theater, and of course, nothing was missing from the experience.  Seeing Cap’s shield pop out at me is an experience I can happily live without, the plain ol’ 2D Blu-ray is good enough for me.

Available on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD

An older version of this Captain America piece appeared over at my blog

Other Noteworthy Releases

Attack the Block: This here is one of my favorite films of the year so far in terms of all-out fun to be had watching a movie. Big Hollywood’s Christian Toto just covered this release, so go check out what he has to say if you haven’t already.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy: All three Jurassic Park flicks are coming to Blu-ray packaged together in a slick little set.  Having an intense love for dinosaurs as a child made the first one a seminal film for me growing up.  The Lost World gets a lot of flak for having an annoying gymnast sidekick following Jeff Goldblum around, but it had its moments, many of which were provided by Pete Postlethwaite’s fun performance as a big-game dino-hunting badass.   Jurassic Park III was just forgettable altogether.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD or a special edition gift set

Winnie the Pooh: Disney’s revival of these beloved characters using traditional animation didn’t burn up the box office the way they would’ve liked, but it will surely find its young audience on home video.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Island of Lost Souls: This 1932 adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau comes to Criterion.  A genre treasure of pre-code Hollywood, it features some crazy performances from Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi.  Available from Criterion.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Dazed and Confused: Good things come to those who wait.  This film got a bare-bones studio release on Blu-ray earlier this year, but Criterion took the time to transfer their superior release of this Texas coming-of-age classic to Blu-ray.  If you’re a fan of this film, buy this release.  It’s a little more expensive, but Criterion gives you the bang for your buck you won’t get elsewhere.

Available on Blu-ray

Identification of a Woman: One of Michelangelo Antonioni’s later films comes to Criterion.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

The People Vs. George Lucas: A documentary examining the hectic relationship between George Lucas and the Star Wars fan base.

Available on DVD

Destroy All Monsters: This Godzilla monster-mash isn’t the best of the original run of Toho’s Godzilla movies, but it has a fun rumble at the end that includes Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah, among others.

Available on Blu-ray

Rare Exports – A Christmas Tale: Don’t let the title fool you, this Finnish Christmas film is actually a quirky horror flick involving Santa being dug up in a archeological dig.

Available on Blu-ray/DVD combo and DVD

Shaolin: A semi-remake of the 1982 Jet Li film Shaolin Temple starring Andy Lau and Jackie Chan.

Available on Blu-ray, Blu-ray/DVD combo, DVD

This post originally appeared over at Parcbench

Can the British actor, who previously appeared in ‘The Social Network’ and ‘Never Let Me Go,’ spin a web, any size, that catches thieves, just like flies? And what about Henry Cavill, another relative unknown tapped to play the lead in ‘Man of Steel’ hitting theaters in 2013?

Sometimes looking into an actor’s past can reveal plenty about their future prospects. And, in the case of those cast in superhero franchises, there’s a lot riding on just how heroic they can appear on screen.

So let’s recall how other actors prepared for their super close-ups and what happened once they tugged on those unforgiving tights — or, in the case of George Clooney, poured themselves into an uncomfortable cod piece.

Exhibit 1: Michael Keaton in ‘Batman’ (1989)

The Evidence: He snarled up a storm in ‘Johnny Dangerously’ and scared Winona Ryder three fourths to death in ‘Beetlejuice.’ He also showed some serious dramatic chops in ‘Clean and Sober.’

The Worry: Bruce Wayne is … Mr. Mom? A receding hairline and slip of a frame hardly pass Superhero 101. Bat fanatics thought Jack Nicholson’s Joker was the silver lining to this otherwise troubling casting call.

The Verdict: Pow! Bam! Zoom! Keaton defied conventional wisdom to make ‘Batman’ a sensation even with those awful Prince tunes. Turns out he could do dark and foreboding when given the chance, and his pursed lips looked just right beneath that hard rubber cowl. Bonus points for ditching the franchise before Robin entered the equation.

Exhibit 2: Robert Downey, Jr. in ‘Iron Man’

The Evidence: Snared an Oscar nomination for ‘Chaplin’ but wasted much of his youth on drugs and dismissible film roles.

The Worry: Did you see ‘Back to School?’ Downey, Jr.‘s Derek Lutz couldn’t beat up a sorority girl, let alone a supervillain.

The Verdict: Handsome, edgy and super believable as a genius who saves himself by forging a suit out of metal scraps. A near perfect marriage of actor and material.

Exhibit 3: George Clooney in ‘Batman and Robin’

The Evidence: Clooney proved he could do complicated with his turn as Dr. Ross on television’s ‘ER.’ He later made the jump to the big screen, flashing Tarantino-esque cool in ‘From Dusk Til Dawn’ when his screen bro (Quentin Tarantino himself) became a vampire’s snack.

The Worry: You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have Clooney’s most regrettable role in ‘The Facts of Life.’ Let’s not forget his middling turn in ‘One Fine Day.’

The Verdict: Holy franchise ender! Clooney doesn’t deserve all the blame for the calamitous ‘Batman and Robin,’ but he hardly distinguished himself in his first super effort. It took nearly a decade for fans to forgive this bat-travesty and allow the mighty Christopher Nolan to bring Bruce Wayne back with ‘Batman Begins.’

Exhibit 4: Tobey Maguire in ‘Spider-Man’

The Evidence: ‘Wonder Boys’ showcased Maguire’s sensitive side. So did ‘Pleasantville.’ And ‘The Cider House Rules.’ Heck, he could do Peter Parker-style sensitivity in his sleep.

The Worry: Spider-Man isn’t the stockiest superhero, but a stiff wind would give Maguire trouble.

The Verdict: More movie magic. The soulful Maguire nailed his dweeby high school moments, and the all-purpose Spidey mask helped distract us from that cherubic face. It helps that he got paired with the height-challenged Kirsten Dunst, with whom he shared one of the best screen kisses of all time.

Exhibit 5: Halle Berry in ‘Catwoman’

The Evidence: She overcame a lousy wig to play Storm in ‘X-Men’ and flaunted her curves in ‘The Flintstones.’ Oh, and she had just won a Best Actress Oscar for ‘Monster’s Ball.’

The Worry: Some pretty questionable film choices including ‘B*A*P*S’ and ‘Swordfish,’ even if the latter gave us the chance to ogle her, ahem, Golden Globes.

The Verdict: Me-ouch! Berry sure looked purty, but every other element of this neo-S&M dud went awry. She could have sauntered through the film nekkid and we’d still throw tomatoes at the screen.

Exhibit 6: Ryan Reynolds in ‘Green Lantern’

The Evidence: He looks like a superhero sans shirt. He’s even been a superhero of sorts twice already — as Deadpool in ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ and in ‘Blade: Trinity.’ Plus, he’s quick with a one-liner and wooed Scarlett Johansson off-screen. That’s a superpower 99.9 percent of men wish they had.

The Worry: Is Reynolds too pretty to be a rough and tumble superhero?

The Verdict: Thud! ‘Green Lantern’ proved the biggest disappointment of last summer’s super flock of movies. Reynolds looked lost amidst all those ones and zeroes zipping around the screen, and bland love interest Blake Lively couldn’t help.

Exhibit 7: Chris Evans in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’

The Evidence: Holy coincidence! Evans also played a superhero long before tugging on Captain America’s tights. In fact, even those who found the two ‘Fantastic Four’ films a bore, and that’s most of us, cheered Evans’ glib turn as the Human Torch. If that resume chip wasn’t enough, Evans also played a man with supernatural powers in ‘Push,’ a clunker co-starring Dakota Fanning.

The Worry: With apologies to Johnny Storm, the Human Torch is no Captain America. Ol’ Cap is an icon, a red, white and blue example of American pride. Those are pretty big boots to fill.

The Verdict: Let’s Salute Capt. Evans! ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ got the rah-rah spirit of the Allied powers just right, even if the film’s ending revealed the whole product was primarily a plug for ‘The Avengers.’

Exhibit 8: Christopher Reeve in ‘Superman’

The Evidence: Slim, at best. Reeve’s pre-’Superman’ work consisted of three TV appearances and a small role in the 1978 film ‘Gray Lady Down.’

The Worry: Who is Christopher Reeve, and why does he think he can share the screen with the likes of Gene Hackman? Or Valerie Perrine, for that matter?

The Verdict: Super, indeed. Reeve proved the ideal fit for The Man of Steel, capturing the character‘s innate goodness while proving you don‘t need CGI muscles to look like a hero. Director Richard Donner forged the template for future superhero films, combining the silly with the serious in just the right ratio. But that wouldn‘t matter if Reeve hadn‘t filled out the Superman costume in such convincing fashion.

In a word – “Oh, yeah.”

Yes, that’s two words. But you’ll forgive us while our inner geek runs wild.

The tease is exactly what comic book fans were waiting for, proof that this is a serious project combining many of the successful elements from past Marvel films.

Is it perfect? All you need to do is look at an uncomfortable Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner to answer that question. The Hulk character proved the thorniest her to bring to the big screen – it took two tries and neither proved as successful as his fellow superhero features. From what’s on display here that may still be an issue.

We’ll likely see more trailers in the months leading up to the film’s May 4, 2012 release. But this first glimpse should be enough to convince skeptics writer/director Joss Whedon could be the right choice for next year’s most anticipated summer movie.

The Marvel Comics epic won’t hit theaters until May, but we’ve already spent years watching end-credit snippets, fan-constructed posters and ‘Avengers’-related subplots meant to set up the saga.

Entertainment Weekly’s cover story on ‘The Avengers’ this week charts the start of the hype countdown beginning in 2008 with “Iron Man.” That film featured Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) hinting that the metallic hero was part of a much bigger plan. Since then, we’ve seen teases at the end of other superhero films (‘The Incredible Hulk’), suffered as the ‘Avengers’ storyline was jammed into the already packed ‘Iron Man 2′ and sampled ‘Avengers’ interviews tagged on to Blu-ray releases (like the recent ‘Thor’).

Just yesterday your humble film scribe received the above picture in my email box featuring Chris Hemsworth in full Thor regalia alongside Captain America (Chris Evans). You can even ‘like’ the movie on Facebook.

But will all this promotion pay off in the end?

Superhero films print money, even sub-part models like ‘Green Lantern.’ And the mere thought of seeing a gaggle of super-powered beings in one film is leaving this recovering comic book geek woozy with anticipation. But is all this hype actually hurting the film itself? Can any film live up to all this potential?

It’s all up to Joss Whedon, the writer/director of ‘The Avengers,’ to make things right for comic book fans – and the bean counters at Marvel Studios.

Early on, there was a debate within Paramount and Marvel as to whether having Captain America in the title would be off-putting to international distributors, and so the studio offered an alternative title, The First Avenger.

Cripps turned out to be correct in his hunch that the Captain America character has such strong brand recognition — the comic books have been published in at least 75 countries — that foreign distributors would happily choose Captain America: The First Avenger.

Only three countries opted for The First Avenger — Russia, Ukraine and South Korea. Everywhere else, it’s being released as Captain America: The First Avenger. …

Defying perception, Paramount and Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The First Avenger has now earned more overseas than in North America

To date, the superhero tentpole has grossed $178 million internationally, compared to $173.5 million at the domestic box office. The overseas tally includes a strong $5 million opening in China over the Sept. 9-11 weekend.

It’s hardly uncommon for a summer event pic — and especially a 3D title — to do bigger business internationally, but many assumed Captain America wouldn’t play as well among foreign audiences because of its title.

Full story here.

If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The B-Team.

If ticket prices were the problem, then you would see a drop for all films. But there’s been no such drop. The “second-tier superhero” argument doesn’t wash either. It’s hard to argue that Iron Man or X-Men were “first tier” superheroes before they hit it big in theaters. And nothing is more first tier than Superman or the Incredible Hulk, yet both have struggled — not to mention Wonder Woman, who can’t even get a series off the ground.

The oversaturation argument is intriguing. On the one hand, oversaturation cannot be THE problem because people wouldn’t turn out for surprise hits like Captain America if they were just sick of superhero films generally. Also, if oversaturation really was THE problem, then why don’t slasher flicks or romcoms suffer from this? Those genres have been steadily turning out the same film year after year for decades. Still, I do think oversaturation plays a part in this puzzle. In particular, oversaturation makes these films less special, which makes people more selective. Being more selective means people are less likely to see films they don’t think are worth their time or money. But what is it that is causing people to choose some superhero films over others? In a word: plot.

Hollywood is using a bad formula for superhero films.

Hollywood wants to appeal both to fanboys and the public at large while also setting up the franchise for future films. But this requires catering to seemingly contradictory desires. The public wants a film that doesn’t require them to read the comic book series to understand the movie. Hollywood thinks that means they need to provide a primer on the series. But the fanboys want a deep, new story and don’t want to see a Cliff’s Notes version of the comic book series. And nobody wants to feel like they’re watching a movie that is just setting up future movies.

Hollywood tries to solve this dilemma by giving the public the origin story for the hero and the villain in the first half of the film, which is meant to teach the public the backstory and set up the franchise while making the public think they are seeing a full story. Then, in the second half of the film, they jam in a truncated version of some story from the series to please the fanboys. Then they finish with an “epic” 40 minute CGI fight to turn you into a drooling idiot and wipe your memory before you can leave the theater and warn people how much you hated the first 80 minutes.

This. . . satisfies. . . no. . . one!

Moreover, the formula used for the origin story stinks. This part of the story is presented in disguised-vignette form, connected only by the thinnest strands of plot. That plot is designed to feed you the information you need to know to establish the franchise and usually takes the form of a romance which connects the hero to the villain in some way. There are two reasons for this: (1) romances attract female audiences and (2) the romance gives the film a semblance of being one single story, even though it is really separate stories connected only by the love interest. The vignettes themselves are predictable and lame. They involve the hero discovering their powers, followed by a cliché-ridden 20 minutes of tired comedy as we see the hero learn how to use their powers through trial and error, the introduction of all the characters you need to know for the franchise and a quick glimpse into their lives, and a short version of the villain’s origin story. Then suddenly it’s off to the second plot, where nothing you just saw is relevant.

“I’ll be in Lex’s story for a while. There’s kryptoniteloaf in the fridge. See you in the second half of the film.”

Think of this in Star Wars terms. Luke Skywalker: Curse of the Jedi Phantom Monster’s Vengeance would waste the first third of the film with Luke bumming around at work until he discovers he has hilarious Jedi skills: “Dude! I can make the coffee droid fly and make my boss change my evaluation.” This would be interspersed with scenes of hip, angry, young Darth Vader, a rich corporate titan who has the hots for Luke’s girl, who just happens to work for Vader LLC. The entire backstory of Vader’s life, i.e. the three prequels, would be condensed to about two minutes of whiny exposition as he woos the girlfriend: “Obi-wan never loved me and the emperor tricked me. . . now the world is going to pay. . . you smell purty!” Then suddenly Vader falls into an industrial grinder, ends up in the black suit, shoots a henchman, kicks a puppy, finds plans for a Death Star on eBay, builds it overnight, and kidnaps Luke’s girlfriend because that’s the only connection his story has to Luke. This forces Luke to use his powers to fight Vader in a 40 minute CGI death struggle as CGI buildings explode all around them. Roll credits. AndrewPrice slams own head into wall.

"I find your lack of faith in my TPS Reports disturbing."

A better approach would be to pick one of the stories from the comic book series that really struck a chord with readers and produce that. Forget trying to sample the whole series and forget giving the complete history of each character up to that point: people won’t miss it. Think about it. Do we care that we didn’t see a young Quint getting sunk aboard the Indianapolis or buying his first boat or catching his first shark in Jaws or that we never got to see James Bond’s training before he showed up in Dr. No? Heck no! We do want backstory in our films, but that doesn’t mean you need to spend forty minutes showing it. It’s usually best to bring it out through the dialog as the film progresses.

This is what Hollywood needs to realize. You don’t need a primer to set up a franchise and you probably shouldn’t start with the origin story. Audiences want real stories they can get into, not background information presented as barely-connected vignettes followed by a huge fight scene. And whatever information the casual fans need can be presented as the film goes along in the dialog. Trust me: give the audience a genuine stand-alone story and they will respond.

Know any good superhero films?

Well, now we have another “again” to add to our growing list of “agains,” this time courtesy — of all film sites! — our regular left-wing antagonists over at Movie Line:

Before Captain America: First Avenger was released in July, much was made about how the title — and title character in his red, white and blue — would play in foreign markets. In fact, three countries (Russia, Ukraine and South Korea) even decided to release the film with the Marvel-approved shortened title The First Avenger. Following a successful showing stateside, good ol’ Cap made his worldwide debut in many big foreign markets over the weekend; as the numbers trickle in, it looks he’s got some pretty enthusiastic allies. …

Overall, Captain America: The First Avenger has earned a reported $65,863,605 internationally thru Aug. 2 (Paramount has CA at $53.9 million thru Aug. 1), with tallies from openings in France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Greece, Egypt and Austria yet to come. As for Russia, Ukraine and South Korea: Captain America The First Avenger has yet to debut in those countries, but Movieline will update its progress there when numbers become available. UPDATE: Per Paramount, Captain America actually did premiere in Russia and South Korea, where it grossed $4.2 million and $2.5 million, respectively. Score one for the non-American title!

Below, the top 10 foreign markets for Captain America:

Words I never thought I’d write: Please visit Movie Line for more.

I will come right out and admit it. I am a geek. I am a hardcore geek. I revel in many different realms of geekdom. Amongst the fields where I am most comfortable with my geekdom is in comic books. I’ve been reading comics books since, well, I could read. During my early childhood, comic books were just entertainment, something to do when waiting at the supermarket whilst my mother shopped or to pass the time in line at the barber. There were the piles of Archie and Richie Rich comics that my grandparents stocked up on for the times a dozen grandkids would descend upon their house for summer vacation. In the end, I didn’t really care about comics themselves, just the ten minutes it would take me to read through whichever one was at hand. There was no appreciation of story arcs or pacing, art work and coloring, dialogue and continuity, all of these things were foreign concepts.

It wasn’t until I was about thirteen that a classmate of mine showed me that comic books were a world of their own. He had boxes and boxes of carefully stored books, each one in an individual bag with a cardboard backing to keep the spines straight. He was able to tell me about which stories were worth following, why Marvel characters were better than DC, and showed me where to go to get the best deals. I was hooked. From then on, I spent every spare penny of pocket money and any other money I earned on comic books. Throughout my high school years, I bought thousands of books, all still in their individual bags with cardboard backs, alphabetized, and organized by publisher.

The genre has changed dramatically since I started following it back in the 80s. It is, to some extent, still dominated by the two major players, Marvel and DC, each of which has its own diehard adherents, but there is now a plethora of thriving independent publishers, each one pushing the envelope in both art and with storytelling. More importantly the consumers have evolved. The geeks who grew up in the 80s, downtrodden and ridiculed by the jocks are the engine that drove the technological revolution of the 90s. They now find themselves hitting middle age flush with success at being the new arbiters of cool and that cool is the geekdom that they grew up loving; comics.

Over the next while, I would like to introduce the readers to this medium and to some of what I see as the more interesting and exciting offerings on the market today. Keep in mind, comic books are no longer reserved for kids. Many books are squarely aimed at the adult market. While there have always been those that were of a more prurient nature, today’s mature comics actually try to tell stories that evoke the same emotions and thoughts as other mediums have been doing for years. I want to share that love with you.

I will start with a brief history of what is referred to as Sequential Art.

Comics began in the late 1800s with single frames, in black and white as part of the Sunday editions of newspapers. The Katzenjammer Kids, first published in 1897 by Randolph Hearst was the first comic to be recognizable as such, a sequence of panels with balloon speech. As it happens, it’s still running today.

It would be another 30 years until the next major advance in comics would hit the scene. Following the rise of Science Fiction and Fantasy stories, pioneered by Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1929 saw the serialization of Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century as well as the adaptation of Burroughs’ Tarzan. As the Great Depression took hold of America, many people turned to movies to escape their daily troubles, others went to comic strips. 1931 saw the genesis of the most popular comic strip character of all times, Dick Tracy and his two-way wrist radio. 3 years later, Flash Gordon came onto the scene.

Around the same time, 1933, the first comic book was published; a collection of comic strips put together in a folded multiple page format. The first book of all new content came out in 1935, put out by National Periodicals. The industry was starting to grow and experiment, and it was in 1938 that a strange visitor from another planet became the first in a pantheon of heroes with powers beyond the ken of normal man. Based on a series of stories they had written six years earlier, Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster sold the rights to Superman to Detective Comics (later DC) for a whopping $130. With the advent of the Superhero genre, the industry moved from the serialized strip wholeheartedly into the comic book era. Comics were outselling even the most popular news weeklies, some moving two million copies per issue, a huge amount even by today’s standards. The era saw Will Eisner’s creation The Spirit published. As World War II began, the comic book industry joined the fight, Captain America burst onto the scene, famously punching Hitler in the face in 1941. A year later he was joined by Wonder Woman, whose alter ego Diana Prince was in the Women’s Auxiliary Corps.

Also in the early 40s, another comic genre started to show up, one that wouldn’t really be noticed until after the war. True Crime comics, pioneered by Crime Does Not Pay, became the new rage. Lurid covers and graphic stories supposedly taken from the most violent police dispatches began to draw the largest audiences. True Crime was soon joined by Horror comics, both using drawings of scantily clad women on the cover to help move the product. As the fifties brought more and more horror comics into the market, each trying to outdo the next with their racy and macabre content, a backlash was building in Washington.

1953 saw the creation of the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, chaired by Robert Hendrickson (R-New Jersey). It was founded to investigate the problems of, of course, juvenile Delinquency. Its 1954 hearings concentrated on the popular Horror and Crime genres. The committee released their findings , which were very critical of the industry. The direct result of this was the publication later that year by psychologist Frederic Wertham, of Seduction of the Innocent; a book that is the poster child for the Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc logical fallacy. Wertham argued that, since all delinquents read comic books, comic books cause delinquency. This caused a huge backlash against the comic community. Sales fell, books were burned and publishers went out of business. The industry, in a move aimed at salvaging what they could, instituted the Comics Code. Based on Hollywood’s Production Code, it was a self-censoring move to limit the graphic depictions of violence and sexual innuendo in comic books.

One of the results of the Code was that many of the smaller independent publishers went out of business. DC was one of the few companies to survive mostly unscathed with their stable of tame superhero books. Marvel, then called Atlas, barely survived and the only remnant of the house that brought forth the most graphic horror comics was MAD magazine. The late 50s and early 60s brought us many of the most iconic DC heroes. The Flash, The Green Lantern and The Martian Manhunter showed up, forming the Justice League along with veterans Wonder Woman and Aquaman.

The superhero genre was back, and it was back in a big way. In 1961, Jack Kirby joined Stan Lee and began publishing Marvel’s new brand of Super Hero starting with the Fantastic Four. The Marvel Age of comics was underway. The Fantastic Four was followed by the Hulk and Spider-Man a year later.

Next: Comics Move into the 70s and beyond

Cross-posted at JooFood