Marvel & DC (the film adaptions)

To be honest I have always wanted to love the film adaptions to the Marvel comics. I really have, and I have truly tried - but I just can't. I'm not saying that I don't like any of them - heck, I love X-Men: First Class (and who doesn't love Spiderman <3) - but the other ones I've seen... I can't really say that the majority of the ones I've seen are more then okay. Then again, I haven't seen that many Marvel movies, but the ones I have seen... No, I'm not overly impressed by them (even though I want to be).

Although, I am a lot more impressed when it comes to the DC movie adaptions. As a Christopher Nolan fan I wasn't really disappointed when I saw Man of Steel - it's not my favorite movie, but it's a really good one! And oh, how I loved V for Vendetta. Can't tell you how many times I've seen it.
The Batman franchise by Nolan is great as well (have only seen the first two though) - The Joker is the best villain I have ever seen on screen. I was truly blown away by Heath Ledger as The Joker. Although, I do have a small problem with Batman, since I don't like Christian Bale at all... But let's save that story for another time

Just like the Marvel movies, I haven't seen so many DC movies. But I would say that I have seen enough to say that I think that the DC movies are better. There's just something about those movies that makes me feel like they have a lot more depth, story and emotions in them. They have taken the action part and put it in the movie - but they haven't forgotten about other things that movies need to have to be great. And they aren't shallow, which I can get the feeling of that some Marvel movies are. (Again, this isn't about all DC and Marvel movies of course - there are bad DC movies as well as there are great Marvel movies. But in general, I prefer DC).

Haha, I appreciate that RR, and I respect yours as well! And I want to start with saying that I do agree with you - when you watch a Marvel movie, you definitely know that it's a Marvel movie! No one can deny that, and yes, the Marvel movies have more of a superhero style. It's also like you said - In the Marvel movies - the superheroes feel like a group, they're connected - while in the DC movies, it feels like the heroes stand on their own. They do that in the Marvel movies as well of course - but not in the same way.

What I don't like about a lot of Marvel movies is the fact that they are often predictable, I especially felt that with The Avengers. It just felt predictable, a bit boring, and one of the worst things a movie can make you feel - it felt to long! Which, for me, is not a good sign. The movie is actually only 2 hours and 23 minutes - but I think that it felt way longer.

Another problem I had with the Avengers was Loki. When you have a villain in a movie, especially a villain that is up against 6 bad ass superheroes, he/she has to be amazing, just as amazing, or even more, amazing then the superheroes themselves. Simply because the villain is the thing that they are fighting, the villain is the problem that the superheroes have to solve, the focus in the movie.
Loki was anything but amazing. He was dorky and I never felt like he was actually powerful. A villain needs to make the audience feel like he is powerful and dangerous - that's the villains job. Personally I liked the superheroes way more then Loki - which is sort of okay, to a certain limit - not to the limit where you completely forget about the villain and just sigh when you see him on screen (Yes, that is how I felt about Loki).

In the middle of my negativity though - I have to share this scene; a scene where the movie actually made me go "Holy shit, I really like this scene!" But at the same time as I liked it; I could have liked it SO much more! If the character Loki had only convinced me more before that he truly is powerful and dangerous. If I were to put a villain that I actually feel is powerful and dangerous (the first one that comes to mind is the Joker) in this scene; I know that it would have touched me a million times more, simply because in The dark knight, The Joker convinces you from the moment he is shown on screen that he is the villain, that he is dangerous and powerful. Loki doesn't do that at all in my opinon.
Still though, one of the best scenes in the movie!



Maybe that's what I feel with a lot of characters from the Marvel movies - they don't convince me. And if a character doesn't convince me - I give up on him/her pretty fast.

And before I quit talking about Avengers - I just have to mention Black Widow and Hawkeye - Are they really serious with these characters? Did they seriously put these two characters beside a group of truly powerful superheroes? Beside Thor? Iron man? The Hulk? Gosh, don't they see how it makes Black Widow and Hawkeye look? I'm sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.

What I do find funny about myself is that I feel like I dislike The Avengers (now I'm referring to all the superheroes and their movies, not the movie Avengers) much more then I dislike X-Men. I can't actually say why that is. Maybe it's simply because I like X-men more, or maybe it's something more to it. If I figure something out, I'll let you know.

Sadly, I don't remember much of Iron Man, and I haven't seen Iron Man 2 or 3 (or maybe I have, but if that's the case - it's been a while). So I don't feel like I can say to much about it and be fair - I'll have to rewatch and watch them and then I'll get back to you!

What I can say now tough, is that the thing about his anxiety attacks, that they are a result of what he went through in the Avengers - sounds really interesting actually. I love it when movies tie things up together like that! They do that in the Hunger Games franchise as well - but I'm not going to say anything more about that here, don't wanna spoil!

Althogh, there is a problem in that. And the problem is that in the Avengers - they didn't make me feel a lot for basically any of the characters. I didn't care a lot about any of them tbh, and I feel like that can destroy this thing with the fact that they want to make you feel for Stark in Iron Man 3. Although, at the same time, it can also be so that Iron Man 3 is a movie strong enough on it's own, so strong that the lack of feels in the Avengers don't matter. I'll just have to see for myself.

One thing that I also have to say about movies in general: movies can have depth, emotions and story. They can have a bunch of it, but none of it matters if the movie doesn't show it in the right way to the audience. A movie can have so much emotions and depth in it and a really important message and meaning - but if you can't translate those emotions, that depth, that message and that meaning in a good way: it doesn't matter. The movie won't be good, even if you have all of those things. That is, for me, one of the huge challenges with movies - I always want to find one who has all of those things in it - but who can show them to me in a unique and good way.

Well, depends on what movie you look at... But true, DC has a lot of predicable movies as well.

Yeah, I figured it did that. And in a way, I think it's sad that it does - cause I wanted to be able to sit down, watch the movie and get a decent understanding and connection to the characters. I wanted it to be a movie that could stand on it's own in that way - although I do understand why it isn't.
Well that does sound much more interesting! If I have to choose a favorite between the heroes - Stark is definitely in the top! I'm assuming he's your favorite as well?

Maybe that's one of the reason I like it more, the thing you just wrote about X-men!

I think that every movie has it - but like you said, it's so individual. That's why there aren't really any rights or wrongs when it comes to movies - it's so individual, so you can't really say that ones opinion is right or wrong in general. And of course it's not only like that with movies.

A little random thought, but I feel like this topic, or something similar to it, would be really interesting in a podcast...

Oooh, great idea with representing the two of them!
Haha well, I can't deny that really... but I Could be okay with not talking about it actually.

This topic has been debated for so long. I like both sides, but lean toward DC.

The only thing I love about Batman vs Superman is that with that movie, we are one step closer to the movie Suicide squad... I heard some rumor that The Joker was going to be in Batman vs Superman, in just a scene or so in the end, and that they're going to release Suicide squad after that... I really hope he is, cause something tells me he would be one of the best things in the movie...! (And yes, it's because of the horrible casting in Batman vs Superman).

RockRosen wrote:

Oh is suicide squad Joker's movie?

Yes it is, Joker and a a lot of other DC villains ^^