We do not live in a PG-13 world.
According to the MPAA if you use the word [frick] more than once you reach the level of R. By that standard it is quite clear that we live on at least an R rated planet. Real life cannot be done under the PG-13 rules.
I will admit that a PG-13 film and the SuperHero comics do have much in common. Both are places where things are quite a bit nicer than true reality. All the nasty things in life exist but they are quite a bit cleaner than they should be.
I can often tell the difference between a PG-13 and a R film in seconds because of one simple thing.
Blood.
In an R rated movie when you are shot you bleed.
Now to me for true Heros to shine they have to be contrasted with some real Villains. And you know today it takes a fair bit to get an audience to dislike someone. You have to get pretty nasty to even get people to really notice. We now live in a world with people who actually flew whole plane loads of people into buildings. They murdered thousands to make a political point.
What the hell has Dr. Doom, Green Goblin, or even Lex Luther ever done to even come close to that?
Nothing because 9/11 was real. But we will measure our Villains against a tougher standard now regardless. The world is a harsher place and for our Heros to prove their worth they have to face the worst of it head on.
I am not saying the Villains have to be straight out of the Saw movies but to reach true evil is not going to be an easy task. In PG-13 I think it is pretty much impossible.
I expect Hollyweird will continue to make the PG-13 CBMs because that is how you get a blockbuster. They all want that magic Billion $ mark now. But along with those big movies is a need for a number of other projects that will not be expected to hit the blockbuster level.
To date the films that have been rated R in our genre have not done all that well. But in today's Entertainment Industry few films actually flop. 300 did $450 in it's full release along with $250 in DVDs, $700 for a $60 ain't bad. The Matrix movies were quite successful despite their R.
To make a SuperHero movie work with an R rating you just have to find the right Character. I love the Blade movies but before I saw them I did not know who he was. Watchmen is an artistic triumph but not a mainstream SuperHero comic by any means. I think it is great but also depressing. In only a few places did I get the feelings I wish to get from my SuperHeros. They are supposed to fight the darkness not get all cuddly with it.
I would also like to point out that back in the 50s and 60s comics were more popular than video games are today. As other means of entertainment rose up comics did slowly decline. But even through the early 70s comics were very popular. What this means is that of the entire adult population of the US the number who have at some point been exposed to comics is actually pretty high.
In addition to that modern mainstream comics are targeted to adults not children. Marvel has books for kids now but those are separate series. So comics are not for kids anymore and lots of adults know something about SuperHeros and yet all we get are PG-13 movies?
So what sort of movie might break the R barrier? Lets just see...
W O L V E R I N E
Weapon X Unleashed!
In the comics you can cheat like crazy. They can swear and kill people by the truckloads. Comics can be graphic. I have seen pages that were literally dripping with blood. But as a general rule the mainstream ones avoid blood and lightly censor language.
How could anybody honestly expect a PG-13 movie about Wolverine to be any good? I knew it was going to suck before I sat down in the theater. He kills people. I have always been convinced that originally the design that became Wolverine was going to be a Villain. He is tough enough to withstand a whole Hero team. His weapons are intended for a single purpose which is to kill. He was a loaded gun with no safety and that make him interesting as a Hero.
Do that in a PG-13 movie. Nope. Not a chance.
Now imagine Logan in a movie where he can curse and kill with all the intensity he has displayed in the comics. His story could be told properly and everything that made him popular could be on the screen in all it's violent intensity.
I am not going to do anymore on this one. It would work rather well I think. Wolverine does not have the history of the original Marvels or the older DC icons but he has been around for a good long time. Put him in a realistic setting where he can be himself and you have movie gold.
Nuff said.
Always wanted to say that and never found the chance until now.
Hawkman & Hawkgirl
The Immortal love of the Hawks
For those of you who do not know the tale the Hawks are a cursed pair of lovers. They were born long ago and are locked into a harsh cycle of reincarnation. In each life they find the other and then the clock starts ticking. One of them will die, perhaps both when they are lucky. If they are not lucky one of the must go on until their death. Their love never fades and the grief is never very far away.
Romeo and Juliet died once. They have nothing on the Hawks in the tragedy department.
In addition to this unique love story you also have a pair of violent and majestic SuperHeros. Alone or as part of either the JSA or the JLA they are amazing. This tale could be absolutely gut-wrenching and at the same time contain highs and moments that would be thrilling. They soar and they lose. Time and time again. But they always find each other again.
After Scott and Jean the Hawks are my favorite romantic pair.
Moon Knight
Mystic Warrior
He seems tailor-made for an R-rated action movie. Done right the Egyptian connections work better than almost any other fantasy element. People have always had a special fondness for the land of the Nile and that would help this movie.
Moon Knight is similar to Batman but with enough differences to make him stand-out. The slight mystical side helps to make him a fine choice for a hard action movie.
D e a d p o o l
I am not going to write much about this one because I am not a Deadpool fan. Sorry but wise-ass people annoy me and except for Peter and May Parker so do Characters of that sort. Deadpool showed up long after I had stopped reading comics on a regular basis so I don't know him that well.
But if you were going to do him right it would have to be with an R. His combination of intense violence, comedy and plain old insanity would not work any other way. With a very creative director I think this movie could work. My only worry would be that Deadpool is not that well known outside of the community and selling the idea to others would be tricky.
S u p e r m a n
Bet you did not expect this one.
Anybody with the massive level of power that old Supes has would work but Superman himself would have the greatest impact. Just as he would on our world which is what this movie would be about.
A good Science Fiction movie is about the effect of something on a Society. This is often technology but it can be other things like oh say mutants. A good SF story can also be able what happens to the human race if an alien with unimaginable power takes up residence on our planet. You could go with the original origin story or you could try something a bit more modern.
The important deviation comes when you head not to the fictional Metropolis but to New York City.
This movie would best be told over a long span of time. Months at the very least, years would be better.
Superman would not have a job so the whole hiding behind glasses and manner business is out. He can produce whatever money he needs easily enough. He could pass as a normal person on the street with a little effort on his part. Change of hair color and clothes does a whole lot for example. I see him meeting Lois Lane in a park. Their story would be quite different since someone with the sort of power Supes has will have to be very careful about extended contact. Nobody is perfect and one tiny mistake could be deadly.
One example of how Superman's presence would affect the world would start with a Fan Club. Harmless enough and while he might be a bit embarrassed about that sort of attention it is easy enough to cope with. Time passes a bit and the Fans decide Superman is not doing enough. They decide they know what he should be doing and describe it in great detail.
This cause friction in the vast group which turns into the split. The more positive less controlling ones form a separate group. A year later this new group has all the trappings of a religion. A year later it is recognized as a true religion with Superman as their official deity.
How does a Superman deal with that?
In the beginning there will be so many things he can do. He can turn deserts into farmlands. Even the worst natural disaster will claim far, far fewer lives. War can eventually become obsolete. In short in the span of a handful of years the Man of Steel can make this world a far better place.
We will love him, worship him, and generally drive him right out of his super-mind. Never happen of course and purists would kill themselves but it would make a unique movie.
The picture of Superman in Black was just for shock value. I would want him in a new suit but certainly not that one. It does look cool though. *grins*
Final Thoughts
I believe that the CBM has established itself as a very viable type of movie. To me this means we will continue to see them for a very long time. Hollywood will get over it's obsession with the SuperHero Billion $$$ Blockbuster soon enough but the movies will go on.
What I would like to see is the whole range of possibilities explored. I just hope some of them are rated R and made for adults to enjoy.