Look.
According to the numbers.com - the total number of movies released in the United States of America in 2010 was 891.
Now, since the exact numbers of how many movies 2011 isn't known, it is safe to say that 890 is a nice base number to use. On the front page of this site, ten, 2011 movies are listed as CBMs. 10. How can 10 out of an estimated 890 be considered over-saturation? It cannot.
Let's look at this further. Perhaps the over-saturation concern is not a direct thought in regards to movies as a whole, but rather a more specific genre like action movies. Or maybe they are science fiction? Maybe they are adventure? Nonetheless, if I do not crunch numbers here I will get a bombardment of criticism, so let's do just that shall we.
From 1995 through 2011 the total number of action films released in the Untied States was 530. To contrast this, within the same time span the total number of dramas released was 2,958 and there were 1,685 comedies released. I do not have the exact numbers, but Ben Stiller was in 90% of those comedies and Hollywood keeps shoving him in movies. From these numbers it seems rather clear there isn't an over-saturation of action movies.
But I refuse to believe that every CBM released is an action movie and I hope you agree.
So why not just put this to rest? From 1995 until 2011 there have been exactly 104 films released in the United States based on comics or graphic novels. When compared with 4,104 original screenplays, the 104 "CBMs" is not an over-saturation considering there were additionally 1,288 films based on books or short stories and 1,348 films based on true stories. Not to mention the few hundred remakes or films based on plays, TV or Disney rides.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Small minds discuss people. Average minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas."
Keep on with the fan casts and bitching on role selection.
The event already happened. CBMs are a growing genre and a clear money maker for Hollywood. In fact, when looking at the top grossing sources, movies based on comics or graphic novels rank 5th in the last 15 years. CBMs are not going anywhere when there is this kind of money involved.
The idea, and the actual topic of conversation which we should engage ourselves in, is how to continue to develop the legitimacy of the genre. The beachhead is established. It is a matter of advancing from here. I am sorry, but that falls as much on us as Hollywood. None of us work for Fox, Sony, WB or Disney/Marvel so ranting about what THEY need to do is as pointless as it is tiresome. THEY only ever listen to one thing: the cash register, and we have to let them connect the dots as to what makes the most noise and what doesn't. So what do we do?
I know nothing of live theater. Literally. However, this doesn't mean that I have no interest, I simply don't care enough to learn anything about it. So when I want to go to see live theater, I have to figure out how to make an informed decision so I am not watching some stupid play/musical I sleep through. I have friends working within the industry so I ask them. I also know of various websites which I can check so I can make sound decisions.
The reviews on this site serve a purpose. Pretty much everyone commenting or contributing on this site will go see the movies. We don't need reviews. The people who just want to know the whiskey tango foxtrot can come here to read up on if they should spend their money seeing a film. However, based upon reading the reviews all summer, we rarely offer anything objective for random folk. Some do, and they do a fantastic job of it, and I will name no one, but most are just discrediting themselves and this website and in effect, the genre as a whole. Giving average or above average films a 5/5 on your arbitrary scale because it was "epic" and made you "cum in your pants" is childish. Likewise, bashing average to below average films is just as childish when juxtaposed against the showering of praise and adoration of the mediocre or slightly better than. If some average guy came to this site and saw the constant 5/5 or 4.75/5 star reviews for Captain America, then went and saw it, this site and you as a reviewer lost credibility. Captain was fine, it was no Goodfellas or Cool Hand Luke. Rate it what it is.
Also, do not regulate the genre yourselves. Do not "slide" the scale as it is "just a CBM." The rest of the world can do that, but the core people demanding legitimate and good movies shouldn't degrade the genre itself.
As far as I can see, the reviews on this and similar sites are the best way to influence others and we are doing ourselves an injustice.