Superhero Films

Slarti BartfastSlarti Bartfast Posts: 6,607
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When I was young I used to love superhero films like Superman and Batman, but now the whole 'man running round in latex and cape' is too much for my suspension of disbelief. I think this is made worse by the fact that modern superhero films are dark and more adult, yet we are supposed to accept this grown man in this dark and gritty city runs around in tights. The Dark Knight franchise seems to be considered the best thing since sliced bread but it does nothing for me, and part of me can't help but see them as kids films for grown ups. Does anybody else feel like this or am I as alone in this opinion as it feels?

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  • -GONZO--GONZO- Posts: 9,624
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    I dunno what films you've been watching recently, but when was the last time any superhero film had them running around in tights?:D
    If the director has done a good enough job then the film should bring your imagination into that world where you think it's believable.
    If your not getting that with the likes of the Nolan Batman films then I think your just getting old before your time, you've lost your imagination and your brains telling you your ready for The Last Of The Summer Wine, MindSummer Murders & Rosemary & Thyme.;)
  • -GONZO--GONZO- Posts: 9,624
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    ^^Oops that's MidSummer.:D
  • Mark AMark A Posts: 7,687
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    Don't watch them then would be my advice.

    Regards

    Mark
  • Slarti BartfastSlarti Bartfast Posts: 6,607
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    -GONZO- wrote: »
    I dunno what films you've been watching recently, but when was the last time any superhero film had them running around in tights?:D
    If the director has done a good enough job then the film should bring your imagination into that world where you think it's believable.
    If your not getting that with the likes of the Nolan Batman films then I think your just getting old before your time, you've lost your imagination and your brains telling you your ready for The Last Of The Summer Wine, MindSummer Murders & Rosemary & Thyme.;)

    I wouldn't say I've lost my imagination, I tend to enjoy pretty far fetched stories, including a generous helping of science fiction. It's just I find the new dark and gritty superhero films at odds with the whole costume concept. It's like having Jack Haier or 007 turn up in a cape and undies :D
  • Ted CTed C Posts: 11,730
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    Yes it would be silly with jack bauer in a costume, but then he is not a superhero.

    Plus, modern superheroes still wear costumes, capes, masks etc.

    Seriously, the camp tv Batman style just does not work any more.
  • Slarti BartfastSlarti Bartfast Posts: 6,607
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    Yes it would be silly with jack bauer in a costume, but then he is not a superhero.

    Plus, modern superheroes still wear costumes, capes, masks etc.

    Seriously, the camp tv Batman style just does not work any more.
    I'm not saying go back to being so camp, but that hilights that it has moved from being aimed at kids to being aimed at adults yet has retained the costume, which ultimately is silly and camp. At least I think that's what's problematic to my own suspension of disbelief.
  • Ted CTed C Posts: 11,730
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    I'm not saying go back to being so camp, but that hilights that it has moved from being aimed at kids to being aimed at adults yet has retained the costume, which ultimately is silly and camp. At least I think that's what's problematic to my own suspension of disbelief.



    Let me try and ilustrate it this way - comic book super heroes looked great in comic books in days gone by, but pre Superman in 1978 most attempts to bring super heroes to screen, be it small or large, were pretty dire and embarassing.


    The exploits, super powers and even costumes of these heroes simply could not be realised on screen properly, and were usually done on the cheap.


    Superman was the first super hero movie to go to geat lengths to try and get the character right, and make it look realistic. And using largely old fashioned methods and techniques.too.


    But with the explosion of CGI, all of this can now be realised,hence the increase in superhero movies.


    Plus, most comic books had a dark, realistic edge to them that could not be realised when you had a person running around in coloured tights back then.


    So, with the advent of better effects and technology, the spectacle of such movies is now taken for granted, therefore filmakers now have the luxury of concentrating on the stories of the heroes themselves, and fleshing out the characters.
  • PunksNotDeadPunksNotDead Posts: 21,125
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    Can't superhero movies be fun anymore Christopher Reeves superman is an amazing film. The reboot looks pretty damn dark and serious for my liking.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,895
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    I think some here are confusing dark for realistic. Man of Steel doesn't look dark at all... it just looks more grounded in reality (wekk as much as it can for Superman), didn't look gritty either. It's Superman there are bound to be a few jokes in there.

    Batman makes perfect sense to be dark. The man does everything he does because his parents got murdered...
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,541
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    When I was young I used to love superhero films like Superman and Batman, but now the whole 'man running round in latex and cape' is too much for my suspension of disbelief. I think this is made worse by the fact that modern superhero films are dark and more adult, yet we are supposed to accept this grown man in this dark and gritty city runs around in tights. The Dark Knight franchise seems to be considered the best thing since sliced bread but it does nothing for me, and part of me can't help but see them as kids films for grown ups. Does anybody else feel like this or am I as alone in this opinion as it feels?

    ok, what would you dress them in?
  • Slarti BartfastSlarti Bartfast Posts: 6,607
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    Not sure really. But if a film is gonna be aimed at me as an adult then capes and undies is too much for my suspension of disbelief. It was fine when I was a kid, but not since they've started trying to make them into serious, realistic films. Batman almost has it right with a sort of high tech armour, but those ears? I dunno, the idea of a grown man dressing like a bat?!
  • jrmswfcjrmswfc Posts: 5,644
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    At least they got rid of the bat nipples from the costume.
  • Fowl FaxFowl Fax Posts: 3,968
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    I'm a huge fan of Superhero movies.

    Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers and Amazing Spiderman were some of the movies I enjoyed the most this year.
  • HelboreHelbore Posts: 16,066
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    Not sure really. But if a film is gonna be aimed at me as an adult then capes and undies is too much for my suspension of disbelief. It was fine when I was a kid, but not since they've started trying to make them into serious, realistic films. Batman almost has it right with a sort of high tech armour, but those ears? I dunno, the idea of a grown man dressing like a bat?!

    Batman Begins actually goes to great efforts to explain the suit. The majority of it is body armour designed for soldiers. The cape is memory cloth to allow him to glide. The mask is to hide his identity.

    Then there is why he makes it look like a bat - from the ideas seeded by Ras Al Ghul. Become a legend or a symbol. Be more than a man. Use fear and theatricality to confuse and terrify your enemy. Turn fear against those who prey on the innocent. It makes a lot more sense in BB when nobody knows who Batman is. When he is barely seen and just pops out of the shadows, picking people off one at a time. When all you see are glimpses of a horned silhouette.

    Then there are other modern superheroes like Iron Man - he is all armour. Captain America - a mix of real soldier's armour and the jingoistic red, white and blue because he was used for US propaganda. Thor also wears armour of sorts. No tights, though.
  • Virgil TracyVirgil Tracy Posts: 26,805
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    well Raimi's Spiderman movies worked very well , and probably the most faithful adaptation of a super-hero costume ever .

    I like Nolan's Batman films but even those still don't get the costume right , all that molded rubber is the same mistake Burton's movies made , he's supposed to be super-athletic , he can hardly turn his head in these movies .
  • -GONZO--GONZO- Posts: 9,624
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    well Raimi's Spiderman movies worked very well , and probably the most faithful adaptation of a super-hero costume ever .

    I like Nolan's Batman films but even those still don't get the costume right , all that molded rubber is the same mistake Burton's movies made , he's supposed to be super-athletic , he can hardly turn his head in these movies .

    In The Dark Knight Fox designed a new suit to allow more movement so he could turn his head.
    And as far as I'm aware the suits were not moulded rubber like they were in the Burton films.
  • Virgil TracyVirgil Tracy Posts: 26,805
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    -GONZO- wrote: »
    In The Dark Knight Fox designed a new suit to allow more movement so he could turn his head.

    yeah , took him long enough !
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,895
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    well Raimi's Spiderman movies worked very well , and probably the most faithful adaptation of a super-hero costume ever .

    I like Nolan's Batman films but even those still don't get the costume right , all that molded rubber is the same mistake Burton's movies made , he's supposed to be super-athletic , he can hardly turn his head in these movies .

    In TDKR he takes on 5/6 guys at once... that's pretty athletic. Plus Nolan acheives a near impossible task of Batman actually looking badass in the day time.
  • YuffieYuffie Posts: 9,864
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    -GONZO- wrote: »
    In The Dark Knight Fox designed a new suit to allow more movement so he could turn his head.
    yeah , took him long enough !

    Didn't take him that long. We don't get the exact time line but The Dark Knight takes place right after (or shortly after) Batman Begins. Remember Gordon at the end of BB showing him the Joker card, and Batman catching escaped inmates at the beginning of TDK.

    So Batman had one mission in his new suit and then decided that he needed to turn his head so he asked Fox for a new one.


    I do wonder what else people expect. If super heroes didn't wear costumes then they wouldn't really be superheroes. Most of them do it to protect loved ones, hide their identity, to be a symbol or they actually need the suit to be the superhero!.
  • circlebro2019circlebro2019 Posts: 17,560
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    Helbore wrote: »
    Batman Begins actually goes to great efforts to explain the suit. The majority of it is body armour designed for soldiers. The cape is memory cloth to allow him to glide. The mask is to hide his identity.

    Then there is why he makes it look like a bat - from the ideas seeded by Ras Al Ghul. Become a legend or a symbol. Be more than a man. Use fear and theatricality to confuse and terrify your enemy. Turn fear against those who prey on the innocent. It makes a lot more sense in BB when nobody knows who Batman is. When he is barely seen and just pops out of the shadows, picking people off one at a time. When all you see are glimpses of a horned silhouette.

    Then there are other modern superheroes like Iron Man - he is all armour. Captain America - a mix of real soldier's armour and the jingoistic red, white and blue because he was used for US propaganda. Thor also wears armour of sorts. No tights, though.

    brilliant post, were you in the league of shadows?:D

    as for raimis spiderman, i always felt the suit origins was kinda cack, he designs it based on luchadores-cool, then he makes it himself and it looks that bloody good? Hummm...i prefer amazing spiderman where he used sunglass shades for the mask

    still no film does it better than batman begins
  • Virgil TracyVirgil Tracy Posts: 26,805
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    Yuffie wrote: »
    Didn't take him that long. We don't get the exact time line but The Dark Knight takes place right after (or shortly after) Batman Begins. Remember Gordon at the end of BB showing him the Joker card, and Batman catching escaped inmates at the beginning of TDK.

    So Batman had one mission in his new suit and then decided that he needed to turn his head so he asked Fox for a new one.


    I do wonder what else people expect. If super heroes didn't wear costumes then they wouldn't really be superheroes. Most of them do it to protect loved ones, hide their identity, to be a symbol or they actually need the suit to be the superhero!.

    no , he still moves very stiffly for my liking , and thats inevitable with the way the suit is designed .

    the fights too often rely on fast-cutting rather than showing how athletic Batman can be .
  • circlebro2019circlebro2019 Posts: 17,560
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    never heard anyone bring this up before,cant say ive found batman restricted at all imo
  • HelboreHelbore Posts: 16,066
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    whedon247 wrote: »
    were you in the league of shadows?:D

    I couldn't possibly answer that without having to kill you afterwards. :p
  • circlebro2019circlebro2019 Posts: 17,560
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    Helbore wrote: »
    I couldn't possibly answer that without having to kill you afterwards. :p

    Maybe if I was uniniated, but I am initiated aren’t I? WE are the league of shadows and i will fullfill............oh wait a minute im not, I have to work 9-5 for a living

    Ill be quiet now
  • RebelScumRebelScum Posts: 16,008
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    no , he still moves very stiffly for my liking , and thats inevitable with the way the suit is designed .

    the fights too often rely on fast-cutting rather than showing how athletic Batman can be .

    Well as someone with 25 years martial arts experience I think he moved pretty well, particularly during his final confrontration with Bane where he avoids a number blows - and it had nothing to do with how the scenes were edited. CB is a fairly fit guy himself, being able to move so fast (even if choreographed) in the suit is in itself a testament to his athleticism. Now, if you want stiff, then look no further than KR and LF in The Matrix.
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