NF Podcast Episode 54: “Summer Movie Fantasy Draft”

magik mike looks horrible!

I will add these speculations, in re, the Dark Knight Rises v. Avengers. One of you noted the necessity to transcend into the culture in order to achieve ‘pop culture’ status, so I’ll start there. Avengers doesn’t have what it takes because it’s really not attempting to pull on any heart-strings with its message. Explosions and the Hulk, that is, brute force is too existential, it’s stamina is just too short. The Dark Knight Rises wants to grab you emotionally just by the trailers alone. The possibility of Batman dying to save a city that almost doesn’t want to save itself is a considerably powerful message, especially in this era we live in. I mean, just watching the scene with the bridges being blown up, almost a non sequitar in terms of action/destruction, especially compared to the perpetual explosion that is Avengers, but come on. The scene with those Bridges collapsing with JGL character’s response coupled with those children immediately invites viewers to understand that real emotionally impacting doom is coming to Gotham, whereas NYC in Avengers and the people are taken as arbitrary background that’s necessary for big booms. People will identify more with that sort of impart. I think the ‘reality’ of Nolan’s series captivates people beyond comics, which by de facto expands your audience. Granted, TDKR loses a lot of kids, but they gain other generations of people. Though, Avengers does offer the whole ‘willing to die for the cause’ with ‘some’ characters, it comes off as really fake, because we all know they are not going to let anyone die, making it a quintessential comic book film and nothing else. So in a way, all that dialogue in Avengers comes off as unappealing because even though they’re saying it, the story doesn’t permit it. Nothing is lost and so there isn’t much investment for the audience to want to return. Avengers has 6 prime heroes swirling around and really no real threat to any of them, that kind of storyline wears thin quickly. I know tons of people who would never watch a comic book movie, but love the Nolan films because they offer that investment of human drama. This being the last of those films will drive people to see it again and again. Nolan’s films, Batman or not, demand multiple viewings; that’s just in their nature. Also, domestically, The Dark Knight, made a half a billion without the gimmicks of 3D or that silly interactive box contraption. I mean, people are shelling out what $20 plus dollars to go see the Avengers that way, whereas people were going to see The Dark Knight multiple times in what many would consider ‘highly inferior movie viewing’ theaters for $5 a pop. IMAX will help, and that will make it a spectacle, but I also know that people will see it in a rag-tag theater matinee and/or IMAX multiple times because the story and the drama is what brings them in, not intergalactic aliens attempting to defeat a bunch of Super-heroes that cannot be killed because Marvel studios will not allow this gravy train to ever end. Point is, people gravitate to finality. Who the hell is really going to be interested in Avengers 4 coming to a metroplex near you Summer 2020, when Hulk takes on Galactus in a fist-fight and beats him with Iron Man tele-porting trans-dimensionally with his MARK-77 suit that is now grafted to him on a cellular level. It’s just lunacy!
Yeah, Avengers is 12-year old boy fun, but like all toys, they are eventually put away. Nolan’s work is modern day Shakespeare, and Shakespeare is as popular as ever 500 years later!

@Hythloday:disqus 

Even though I think you’re underrating The Avengers and overhyping The Dark Knight Rises, you made some good points 

The Dark Knight Rises may do better than The Avengers in terms of critical reception (although that will be a tough task seeing as The Avengers has garnered near universal acclaim with 94% on Rottentomatoes). But it is certainly very possible. 

But I will go on record right now by saying that The Dark Knight Rises will NOT outgross The Avengers at the box office. It just wont happen. I guarantee it. There are several reasons why.

You’ll see when the time comes. The opening weekend should be a good indicator. There is no way it’ll make the $207 million opening weekend the avengers made. I honestly doubt it’ll even crack $200 million.