Our Comic Book World vs The Rest

Recent less than favourable reviews have labeled The Green Lantern movie a bit of a turkey, while we wait in anxious breathe as to the real outcome of this, I present a view on how our very culture could be scrutinized like never before.

Editorial Opinion
By australiancomicbookmoviefan - Jun 15, 2011 09:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Other

There has been much postulating in recent times about how well movies like Thor, First Class, Green Lantern & Captain America will perform on-screen and at the all important box-office, our opinions, and comments form the basis of my day, I check this site regularly to read reviews, and news, and comments about the movies due to come out and are in production, like I'm fairly certain most of you do.

For the many people I work with, & know socially, these are things they take no notice of until the movies are showing at the multiplex, and after that are not given a second thought, many people I know look at me with wide-eyed surprise when they find out that this is something I am deeply passionate about more than almost anything else, its often discussed that comics are for children and that a grown man is silly for following such things, but I point out that comics aren't necessarily directed at kids just because its filled with pretty pictures, and the text in a funny font of type.

Whats interesting especially here in Australia, and more pointedly in my city of Perth, is that the geek culture is quite small, the overwhelming majority is sports orientated (I myself am quite the sports nut, and blend in quite well) or is of a family oriented culture, where the focus of people my age is get married have kids, play happy households and focus on work & family....urgghhhh, but it was some years ago that a local clothing shop had stocked t-shirts with the logos and symbols of some of our much loved heroes, & heroines for the ladies, and all manner of people would wear them from the muscle-bound no necks, to your garden variety geeks, like me, and all the rest in between. So while being a fan of this culture is certainly gonna get a snicker or two, the branding has certainly worked its why into the sub-conscience of the mainstream public.

With the success of Iron Man, Spider-Man, & Batman the good movies have shown that comic movies don't have to be campy like the Batman TV show from the 60's as they have seen Batman be a bad-ass who kicks ass and takes names, a character like Tony Stark keep a certain amount of the cockiness and pants man like behaviour some of the regular people in the world exhibit, which has made the films appeal like never before to a wider audience, do we now have a film that if you believe what you have read is that bad, it will put the Green Lantern in a bad light? Or is it that close to its source that it will alienate the wider audience, and have them write it off as a silly film?

Let's play devil's advocate for a minute and say it is bad, then what? Does it throw all the good that's come before off the slate for the mainstream to say its all crap, put back all the good work that Marvel & (let's just say) Christopher Nolan has done in putting the gritty "reality" back into comic movies, because the many people from the outside do not realize that Marvel and DC are two different companies, and just as being a geek was becoming somewhat cool this movie comes a long and ruins it, I'd like to be hopeful and think not, but it still probably won't bring the numbers in to guarantee it a success.

I won't have the opportunity to see Green Lantern until August, by which the heat on this movie from the rest of the world will have dissipated, but reviews from my local media will still have to give their opinions on this film, now going by what has already been said by industry media, it has not been flattering to say the least, and this trend could end up here, but should we be worried? There is a line from the last review I read on the front page that said Green Lantern is the most comic book film of all comic book films, and as such could this be the reason for the unfavourable comments directed at this much loved character, I mean we all know the story and with all that we know about this character and the footage we have seen thus far, are in for a thrill ride that only we will appreciate or are we doomed to bear witness a disaster that could set DC's cinematic desires back another 20 years where only Batman & Superman films will get made due to their wider appeal?

By: TwitterButtons.com

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jjmeylar
jjmeylar - 6/15/2011, 11:25 AM
I'm afraid that you're right about everything that you've said. While this is one of the more insightful articles on this site, I'm still saddened by it. The fact of the matter is: the world will never embrace geekdom. They will never embrace comics, anime, sci-fi, fantasy, or any other aspect ((except Bacon)) of geekdom, nearly as much as we do. While many tend be okay with us and watch our movies and such, we're still viewed as a massive group of people who really need to grow up. I think that this is why most CBMs and other geek films are panned as much as they are. Just sayin'.
Badawi
Badawi - 6/15/2011, 11:47 AM
I just saw Green Lantern today, it opened in Egypt yesterday, and as a HUGE Green Lantern fan, I thought it was okay. Without spoiling the movie but after the final fight I was like what is that it? I was really hoping for more, don't get me wrong I liked this movie a lot but there was something missing, not enough OA at all really, not enough action, too many characters a la Spider-man 3. You can disagree with me, but all in all I don't think this movie will be successful in the box office this weekend. I really hope I'm wrong
naterator
naterator - 6/15/2011, 12:10 PM
@Badawi...thats too bad. I hope that it does well enough to merit a sequel. I can understand where we might all say how we expected more....not enough of this or that but i felt the same way about THOR and XMEN and no doubt we will feel likewise about CATFA. There WILL be something lacking. Thats just the way it is...otherwise why would we get sequels if they have already given us everything in the first movie? ANd not only are these the First movies for these characters but they are all introductory movies...origin stories....SO...if we can accept these movies for simple origin stories from THOR and XMEN and GL and soon enough CATFA then i think we will enjoy them a whole lot more. THis, by the way is something that those that gave poor reviews to all these movies DONT understand. They want it all in one installment. But we all know that EPIC stories take time. After all the LOTR wasnt all crammed into one movie....and neither should any of these stories or characters. We simply need to give these movies a little more credit than the newspapers do.
CHAS65
CHAS65 - 6/16/2011, 5:37 AM
@naterator... True dat, but one thing bugs me. Of all the DC comic book characters that could of been adapted for the big screen, why The Green Lantern? Surely some other more down to earth strips could of been used, The Flash, Aquaman, etc. What I'm trying to say is that the reason Marvel are winning in the comic book adaption stakes is because they are slowly introducing comic book heroes to the masses complete with good entertaining stories which should inevitably build up into huge FX/action extravaganzas in the years to come,(positive box office returns willing). I feel perhaps where DC are going wrong is thinking geek first, general masses second which is a huge mistake with their only saving grace being the Dark Knight series, but when that is over what next?
australiancomicbookmoviefan
australiancomicbookmoviefan - 6/16/2011, 9:42 AM
Hey, can someone explain how I get a Follow me on Twitter thingy to be at the bottom of my articles?
Shaman
Shaman - 6/16/2011, 10:59 AM
naterator- I entirely disagree with your comment. A CBM does not ever need to put everything into one instalment for people to think it's complete. There are plenty of films that feel complete and oddly enough i feel Thor is definitely one of them. Ironman is another brilliant example as well as Batman Begins, Burton's 89 Batman, TDK, Spider-man, Spider-man 2, Blade, and a lot more. These are all stand alone stories that don't need "more" to be considered "good". If Green Lantern is missing something, it isn't because of it's vast comic book history. It's because the idiots in charge of writing and making the film dropped the ball. Let's stop giving ourselves excuses and reasons to settle for less that what other films give us.

A good film, is a well made film that stands on it's own regardless what it's based on and especially regardless of which chapter it is in the series of films. This isn't television, we don't go to theaters to spend shitloads of cash on a single "episode", we spend it on an entire film that shouldn't force the spectators to have seen the last chapters in the series in order to understand what's going on in their faces. The last thing we should do is put all the great CBMs in the same failboat as Green Lantern. Any single CBM should be considered as a complete story arch. You don't fit 50 years of comic books in one comic book story arch but a story arch is supposed to stand on it's own two legs without having the readers follow all those years of backstory. A film should be an entire story in and of itself. If the story of the first film links into a greater story and warrants a sequel then so be it but the first film should NEVER need it's sequel to tell it's story successfully. There are no excuses what so ever.

And that is why i feel that the LOTR trilogy failed. The first and third chapters(oddly enough) could stand on their own but the Two Towers didn't IMHO. I know it was meant to be this way which is why i felt it failed. This is why changes must be made to the source in certain aspects if the source cannot be fully adapted into a single film. Marvel don't shy away from those changes and DC shouldn't either. All that must remain intact is the essence of the source. The storytelling aspect should change to fit it's medium.
naterator
naterator - 6/16/2011, 2:04 PM
@chas65

they chose to introduce GL at this time because they felt that it would open avenues for other intergalactic characters in the DC universe a la Martian ManHunter etc. thats what i understand anyways. And it does make sense that they would use the GL franchise to slowly introduce other characters. Flash will have his own movie and GL will probably have a cameo in it but the GL sequel may have cameos Superman related.
naterator
naterator - 6/16/2011, 2:12 PM
@shaman well i certainly felt that there was something lacking with both Marvel installments thus far ie XMEN and THOR. Granted one is made by fox but you get my point. I thought they were both good movies even great but i still felt they lacked something greater....and LOTR didnt fail...perhaps in your eyes.

RT score for fellowship is a 94%
two towers is a 96%
Return of..is a 94%
and grossed ridiculous mounds of cash. IMHO peter jackson ought to work his magic with a JLA film.
Shaman
Shaman - 6/17/2011, 6:45 AM
naterator- Oh i know LOTR didn't fail at the box office, what i meant is that as a stand alone film, Two Towers failed in it's storytelling aspect to make it stand as it's own story. It felt like a three hour long bridge from The Fellowship to The Return of the King. I realise it was never meant to be it's own story because the three chapters are meant to be read as one, but that concept works a lot better in book format than on film IMHO.
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