TMC
2012-01-09 08:33:24 UTC
http://realwrestlecrap.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=offtopic&action=display&thread=409505&page=1
I hope I am not the only one who has noticed that DC has seriously
fallen short of Marvel in the movie department. Not for the lack of
trying, but outside of the Batman movies DC has yet to have any
success on the levels Marvel has: Catwoman and Jonah Hex both bombed
flat out, Superman Returns, Watchmen, and Green Lantern didn't exactly
do badly but they all fell far short of expectations and got crucified
by critics. They are preparing a fresh round with plans for a Superman
relaunch and a Wonder Woman movie, but it is hard to feel optimistic
with their track record so far. So what gives?
I think part of it is timing: Marvel got a head start on DC in
Hollywood, so they have a monopoly on some of the best talent
available (actors, writers, directors, etc), and also DC waited so
long to get involved that people were already starting to burn out on
super-hero movies by the time they got in the game. But I also think
they have been trying a little too hard in some cases: they are
obviously eager to try to establish the kind of trilogies that Marvel
has created, but if you watch films like X-Men, Spider Man, or Iron
Man, they all could easily have been stand alone films but they were
successful enough to spawn sequels. With movies like Green Lantern, DC
has been obviously trying to set up the stage for more, and they end
up packing too much too fast into any one film.
I also think it might do DC some good to keep getting their feet wet
on the small screen; they had a great launching pad with Smallville. I
could easily envision a Buffy-esque series about Nightwing. And I
recall hearing that HBO was briefly interested in making The Watchmen
into a mini-series, which I think would have suited the story much
better since it could have been told in its disjointed fashion more
easily that way.
Any other theories?
I hope I am not the only one who has noticed that DC has seriously
fallen short of Marvel in the movie department. Not for the lack of
trying, but outside of the Batman movies DC has yet to have any
success on the levels Marvel has: Catwoman and Jonah Hex both bombed
flat out, Superman Returns, Watchmen, and Green Lantern didn't exactly
do badly but they all fell far short of expectations and got crucified
by critics. They are preparing a fresh round with plans for a Superman
relaunch and a Wonder Woman movie, but it is hard to feel optimistic
with their track record so far. So what gives?
I think part of it is timing: Marvel got a head start on DC in
Hollywood, so they have a monopoly on some of the best talent
available (actors, writers, directors, etc), and also DC waited so
long to get involved that people were already starting to burn out on
super-hero movies by the time they got in the game. But I also think
they have been trying a little too hard in some cases: they are
obviously eager to try to establish the kind of trilogies that Marvel
has created, but if you watch films like X-Men, Spider Man, or Iron
Man, they all could easily have been stand alone films but they were
successful enough to spawn sequels. With movies like Green Lantern, DC
has been obviously trying to set up the stage for more, and they end
up packing too much too fast into any one film.
I also think it might do DC some good to keep getting their feet wet
on the small screen; they had a great launching pad with Smallville. I
could easily envision a Buffy-esque series about Nightwing. And I
recall hearing that HBO was briefly interested in making The Watchmen
into a mini-series, which I think would have suited the story much
better since it could have been told in its disjointed fashion more
easily that way.
Any other theories?