In early April 2011 I wrote an article (Click here to view it) wherein I set out to determine the quality of comic book related movies that have been put out since Y2K in order to measure the temperature on the annual CBM experience. I tried to stay as unbiased as possible and based my rulings on review aggregators, fan reactions and overall consensus of the films. In this setup there is no middle ground, the CBMs are ruled either GOOD or BAD. The annual result is found by gauging the GOOD and BAD CBMs, if there is more GOOD ones then the year is GOOD and vice versa. If the BAD and GOOD movies are tied a year then the result will be SO-SO.
2011
Definitely a year that many CBM fans looked forward to and it turned out to be an enjoyable ride for the most part of it. The Green Hornet was fun but unfortunately wasted a lot of potential and lies just short of being considered GOOD. Thor combined the mystical realm of Asgard with Thor’s earthly endeavors in order to make a nice hero’s tale. Captain America: The First Avenger was a satisfying period piece that combined many of the classic Captain America elements. The big surprise was without a doubt X-Men: First Class, which might have changed a lot from the source but blended cold war history and mutant ideologies with a surplus of good action sequences.
Unfortunately now, I have to grace upon something less beautiful, because IMO Green Lantern was shit. I cannot and will not rap it in for you. I realize that not all hated it but it has not in any way received raving reviews or any notable accolades. As you may have gathered from my reaction I am a big GL fan and to see all this potential (great actors, great director, Geoff Johns as advisor) being wasted on this travesty was just too much for me. Okay, I’m done fan-bashing. Now Green Lantern was not all bad but in the end the majority rules it BAD.
Besides this there was Priest which was unfaithful to the comic source and became nothing more than a unoriginal popcorn flick. Lastly is, Cowboys and Aliens, which was actually a half decent film that actually ends up tipping this year to the GOOD side.
Side note: Marvel showed DC how to set up a cinematic universe with both Thor and CA:TFA, perhaps DC could try and mirror this before plunging into a Justice League movie. GOOD 2012
In the other article I declared that 2008 was the year to beat, with Iron Man, The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk and Hellboy II (and the not so good Punisher: War Zone and The Spirit, and also Wanted, which actually holds a good score on most sites, but have garnered split opinions amongst fans). Well, this year beat that. The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises and Dredd. Just take a long good look on those four. It’s the first superhero team-up on screen, the return of Marvel’s probably most iconic superhero, the end of the magnificent Dark Knight Trilogy, and a gritty more faithful take on the Judge. How could this year not be the most awesome year in CBM history? The answer is it couldn’t.
The Avengers is Marvel’s match winner, and is their best outing since Iron Man and IMO beats it in many instances. The movie is so balls-out fun, exciting, thrilling and well-made that it makes me jump just by writing about it. The new Spider-Man is, whether you are more into Sam Raimi’s take, a solid reboot that captures high-school Peter a lot better and introduces Spidey as the witty joke-cracking webslinger from the comics. The Dark Knight Rises is without a doubt a worthy closing act to the arguably best trilogy in CBM history and perhaps also the most influential. Dredd is one that I have not watched yet, but so far have received good acclaim on most sites.
Sidenote: This year is GOOD, GOOD, GOOD and GOOD. Such a perfect CBM experience that I dare not touch down upon the Ghost Rider sequel. GR: Spirit of Vengeance is one of the worst CBMs ever. The good news is that this is the only skid mark in a otherwise refreshingly new-washed pair of pants.
Furthermore I might be flying a little high by declaring this year the best yet, when I touch the ground again I might reevaluate this and make a more in-depth comparison of the two years (2008 and 2012). GOOD So there you have it, 2011 and 2012, indeed great years for a CBM, and let’s hope that this streak is kept intact this year. The roster seems pretty psych-inducing to begin with. We will be treated to the long-awaited Superman reboot in Man of Steel, which the Nolan Bros are producing and CBM darling Zack Snyder is helming. The third installment in the RDJ fun-fest that is Iron Man. And a multitude of sequels such as Thor: The Dark World, which looks set to embrace fantasy and mystic more than its predecessor. Kick-Ass 2, which looks like it will hit right where the first one did. The long awaited follow-up to Sin City and also RED 2. Last but not least The Wolverine, which we saw the first trailer from yesterday and it did not look half-bad.
What is your initial feeling about this year of CBM movies as we are yet to see the first. And do you agree or disagree with my judgments for 2011 and 2012 or do you feel that I left out some movies, which could essentially have changed the outcome. Make sure to comment and if you feel like it give it a thumps up. As always thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!