Marvel Studios gets what Warner Bros. doesn't...

[enyawd72]

Guardians of the Galaxy appears to be doing VERY well...and I have to say I'm not surprised.

IMO this just shows Marvel is doing two things right. First, they're treating every character/team as A-listers. WB really needs to move past their "big three" mindset and do the same.
Second, I keep hearing the same key word pop up in review after review of Guardians...FUN.

The folks at Marvel seem to remember...these are COMIC BOOK movies.

IMO, this is THE key ingredient holding DC superhero films back. The Dark Knight and even Man of Steel were utterly joyless in their attempt at being too adult, too epic, and just too serious.

They should take the Joker's advice..."Why so serious?"

[Gorn Captain]

I've never thought of this, but yes, that is true.
Even in X-Men First Class, there were a couple of scenes where they were clearly aiming at the "fun factor", like when Magneto and Xavier are recruiting new members.

[enyawd72]

^It really becomes clear during repeated viewings of both studios films. I can watch Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and Avengers over and over again and I enjoy them more each time...I often find myself cracking a smile because they make me feel good watching them.

Compare that with the Dark Knight or Man of Steel. DK especially...it's a well done film, extremely well acted, etc. But, man is it depressing. It is just so bleak that I actually like it LESS and find it hard to watch now. Dark Knight Rises was even worse. To date, it remains the only superhero film I don't own. I saw it in the theater and had no desire to ever see it again. Just too depressing.

IMO, you should come away from a superhero film feeling better about the world, not worse.

[thunderbolt]

they don't get that Superman is not supposed to be cut from the same cloth as Batman. He should be the opposite of Bats, hopeful and more lighthearted. I am guessing they are thinking that they went a lighter, humorous route with GL and it bombed. It couldn't have been the movie was just all around poorly done?

[madmarva]

I agree. The lack of fun was what was so exhausting about Man of Steel. I'm hoping there will be more fun in Superman v. Batman, but from the teaser it doesn't seem to be where the film is going. We'll just have to see.

One of the problems with DC, imo, is that the company has been in deconstruction mode for about two and a half decades and their comics have lost a lot of heart that was at the center of most of these characters when created, and that's what is being translated to the screen.

It's funny that DC's best-selling book at the moment is Harley Quinn, which is literally a funny book.

[enyawd72]

they don't get that Superman is not supposed to be cut from the same cloth as Batman. He should be the opposite of Bats, hopeful and more lighthearted. I am guessing they are thinking that they went a lighter, humorous route with GL and it bombed. It couldn't have been the movie was just all around poorly done?

It's funny you say that TB...because of the three of them, I find Green Lantern the most re-watchable. In fact, it's actually grown on me. I also have high hopes for the Flash TV series. There's so much potential there. But I'm worried it's going to be all angst. Show me the Trickster and a proper Mirror Master. Better yet, show me Gorilla City and Grodd! Now THAT would be fun!

[samurainoir]

I love to laugh... and this move had great laughs.

but the humour was all character driven as well. it didn't take you out of the movie.

Also wonderfully sympathetic characters. All of them had relatable moments of pathos, but again they always managed to take you to the other end of the spectrum as well.

[MIB41]

Great points. But it also comes from a studio like Marvel that respects the source material. They trust the elements that made these heroes iconic. WB seems to be lost in formula to sell a concept that takes pride in being different rather than shining on the material that makes those heroes enduring. What's fun in watching heroes run around in dingy uniforms grimacing at each other? Marvel Studios has the perfect balance of colorful outfits, charming characters, and an incredible instinct to know when to bring it with story AND spectacle. But what I LOVE most about Marvel is they take great pride in showing off their universe. They're not embarrassed by it the way Warner Bros seems to be with the DC license. They seem to be stuck in that old era where the head studio execs grimace at the thought of making a "superhero" film. They're completely detached with the times.

[Hedji]

Absolutely. I've been thinking the same way for YEARS now. My GOTG audience clapped at the end, and that hasn't happened to me in ages. Audiences want to have fun with comic book movies.

To be honest, I wasn't drinking the Kool Aid with Captain America Winter Soldier. It wasn't fun for me. It was dramatic, sure. But not fun. I think it was to grown-up for me. But that's not the kind of Superhero film I want to see.

Guardians NAILED it.

And they made it look easy. People everywhere are slapping their foreheads saying "oh yeah, so THAT'S what an entertaining movie feels like!"

The advantage GOTG had, is most audiences didn't bring baggage or character expectations into it, because most people aren't familiar with these characters.

[madmarva]

The advantage GOTG had, is most audiences didn't bring baggage or character expectations into it, because most people aren't familiar with these characters.

I think you've got a good point, at least for my experience. I'm familiar with many of the characters in the film from older comics, but not the comics the film was based on. So in watching it I wasn't tempted to compare it to comics or various characterizations, just enjoy the movie.

I can't do that with most of the major characters. I have too many preconceived notions and preferences to not make comparisons.

And, as for WB's view of its characters, MIB41 nailed it. The company wants to capitalize on the notoriety of the characters but not embrace them for what they are fantasy characters. The more they are moved away from that core, the more charm is squeezed out of the property.

But it truly is hard to hit the sweet spot, which is why Marvel Films has to be applauded for its efforts.

There is so much that I liked about Man of Steel and I even enjoyed that the stakes were so high. But, it would have been nice if it had just a bit lighter touch and if superman had of shown a bit more care for civilians before he made his snap decision.

I do think the amped up action and devastation in Man of Steel was a reaction maybe even overreaction to the criticism of Superman Returns (not enough action), so maybe there will be some course correction for Batman V Superman. I'm hoping for the best.

I like that the writer of Argo has been brought in to rework the script. While Argo was a high-stakes thriller, it was a heroic story with heart and moments of humor to break the tension. It gives me hope, although it does seem the film will have to end with a cliffhanger to set up a JLA film.

[clemso]

To be fair. GOTG was a complete gamble. But i agree, no baggage, no expectations like Iron Man 3 for example.

[LadyZod]

THANK YOU! I am a huge DC fan. HUGE. I prefer DC over Marvel. BUT... even I said Iron Man was a much better movie than Dark Knight. The first Spider-man was the best superhero movie I had seen since the Donner Superman.

Why? The characters looked like they stepped right out of my comic books. They rang true.

Sure, "organic webshooters"... but I counter with "spinning the world backwards."

Superman Returns made Superman a creepy deadbeat dad stalker guy who looked about 17 years old opposite a Lois Lane in a very bad wig.

Batman Begins made Batman an insane, depressed, MMA ******guy. Great detective skills, creepy big brother.

Man of Steel painted the Jonathan Kent as a batcrap crazy UFO freak who raised a scared, emotionally abused manchild.

Geez, has anyone over at WB even read a DC comic book? And I'm not talking the new 1990's Image inspired Jim Lee lovefest that is the New52...

What Marvel got right was the essence...
Iron Man is a rich, drunk jerk with a giant robot suit.
Spider-man is a nerd who gets bullied and has his wish of power fulfilled... only to find that with power, yada yada yada.
X-Men are freaks that are discriminated against due to humans natural need to fear the different.
Captain America is patriot who'll do anything for his country.
Thor is a being of Godlike power who was full of himself and was taught a lesson in humility.

How they get there may differ, but in ESSENCE, that is who they are.

Batman SHOULD be a man who never got over his parent's death, and used his wealth to make himself the best of everything (not just fighting styles.)
Batman is about rising from tragedy to become something more in order to prevent more tragedy.
Superman SHOULD be a man who while brought up as one of us by the kindest, most normal people ever, grows up to be the most powerful man in the world... and never questions what he should do with that power. Superman is about BEING something more, and inspiring those around you to become something more.

[hedrap]

Marvel movies work because they are cartoon-simple. Ultimate Spider-Man and Avenger's Earth Mightiest Heroes, are/were as intricate story-wise as Marvel produced movie. Feige is a product of the Spielberg/Lucas/Zemeckis era fot he 70's/80's, and that's what he's always aiming for and it's paid off. So it's not an accident that the newer Marvel cartoons, (Avenger's Assemble, Hulk and Agents), have gotten even more simplistic.

The sweet spot for DC is Young Justice. That was a really detailed show and would worked perfectly for a DC-movie template because it built off of what Dini/Timm did with their DCU Animated story structure. But the lack of synergy within WB's divisions has always been their Achilles. Just look at the DC TV output. Why are Constantine and Gotham not on HBO and TNT? Why was the Arrow DCU separated from the movies, when post-TDK Rises, the original plan was to have all live-action properties interconnect? Because WB is still dominated by fiefdoms where Marvel has one central planner.

WB operates in a panic, so the Bats v Supes title ends up clunky, the teaser is one-day green screen patchwork of nothing, Gadot looks absurd so lord only knows what we're getting with Lex, and now Affleck's Argo writer has brought on to write Justice League, which really means he's been brought back to do more BvS revisions, after WB delayed the movie for a year due to Affleck's previous revisions. It won't be a trainwreck, because it's not possible for the first big screen JLA encounter to be, but the odds of it being better than the TDK/MOS movies keeps getting smaller. They're heading into Transformers territory, where the spectacle is such a built-in marketing tool it doesn't matter what the reviews/opinions are.

[thunderbolt]

WB should really take a hint from the success of GOTG and maybe fast track the Doom patrol in development, give it more of the humor of the early comics (I always felt like the Patrol was a lost Marvel book anyway).

[madmarva]

Arrow is a decent show. I have more faith of something interesting coming out of one of the new TV shows than the films at this point. Who would have thought a Green Arrow show would make three seasons?

I've not watched the Flash pilot yet, but it has gotton good reviews. I'm hoping Hal Jordan gets introduced on the show. if you can do Firestorm, you can do Green Lantern.

Constantine will have a hard time on Friday nights like all shows do, but if it clicks it won't have to do great numbers to finish second in its slot.

I understand everyone's trepidation about Gotham, but I think focusing on the crime families and the cops is smart and could be fun as long as they don't trip all over the Easter Eggs with the villains. I'm just wondering what demographic it's going to aim for. It's a little high concept for your regular cop show viewers and most of the cast skews too old for your CW heart-throb type audience.

On the other side of the aisle, I've not found SHEILD all that watchable, but DareDevil has put together a very nice cast for Netflix. It appears they are going to tap into Miller's run, which should be fun.