I love Nolan's Batman films as much as anyone, but the more I think about the more I realize that the things I like about them are the things that no other Superhero movie has. In fact, all of the super hero movies I like are the ones that go against the tropes of the genre. I liked Watchmen, though it was a mediocre adaption, and I loved Kick-Ass. But I can't stand any Superhero movies that play the genre straight. I can't think of a single movie that has a "super-powered" character, and was better for it.
Even the few comic books that I like, such as Watchmen, V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (obvious Alan Moore theme is obvious) are more deconstructions or transpositions of the genre than legitimate parts of it.
It just amazes me how year after year, dozens of these movies are released, and they are, with Nolan's as the only exception, worthless. Every character is entirely meaningless, entirely detached from the real world. And every movie is exactly the same. Some nebulous, absurd force (norse gods, alien chromatic energy, "arc reactors", kryptonian genetics, gamma rays, mutation etc.) gives two people or groups some ability, they both go "wow, this is weird", and then they fight. These movies all lack any realism, any relatability, or any humanity.
In every case, superpowers do nothing for the story. They exist simply to give an excuse for special effects. Some people would say that X-Men used it to talk about discrimination, but what does X-Men accomplish that a movie about real people facing real prejudice does not? Nothing. Iron Man is about an arms producer wanting to use his company for good, but why does he need a magic suit to do that? Why can't they make a movie that handles that same plot realistically?
Nolan is the only person who realizes this.
Superhero's are played out and there's nothing left to do with them. Hopefully the genre will die after Nolan leaves it, and then everyone can hop on the bandwagon of whatever Nolan does next. People can swoon about The Avengers or the inevitable Justice League, but I'm sure both will be mediocre at best. Movies that are part of a carefully planned corporate strategy will always be sterile and pandering, will feature actors (or models in disguise) doing their best to get on tabloid covers, and will lack all passion.
Its already been made clear that nobody else is capable of matching the quality of this trilogy. Nobody else understands that Nolan's success is not just because he made a comic book movie, its because he turned a comic book into a real, well made series of films. But Hollywood only understands easy money making formulas. I'm glad that Nolan is leaving the genre behind, hopefully the public will do the same.
Even the few comic books that I like, such as Watchmen, V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (obvious Alan Moore theme is obvious) are more deconstructions or transpositions of the genre than legitimate parts of it.
It just amazes me how year after year, dozens of these movies are released, and they are, with Nolan's as the only exception, worthless. Every character is entirely meaningless, entirely detached from the real world. And every movie is exactly the same. Some nebulous, absurd force (norse gods, alien chromatic energy, "arc reactors", kryptonian genetics, gamma rays, mutation etc.) gives two people or groups some ability, they both go "wow, this is weird", and then they fight. These movies all lack any realism, any relatability, or any humanity.
In every case, superpowers do nothing for the story. They exist simply to give an excuse for special effects. Some people would say that X-Men used it to talk about discrimination, but what does X-Men accomplish that a movie about real people facing real prejudice does not? Nothing. Iron Man is about an arms producer wanting to use his company for good, but why does he need a magic suit to do that? Why can't they make a movie that handles that same plot realistically?
Nolan is the only person who realizes this.
Superhero's are played out and there's nothing left to do with them. Hopefully the genre will die after Nolan leaves it, and then everyone can hop on the bandwagon of whatever Nolan does next. People can swoon about The Avengers or the inevitable Justice League, but I'm sure both will be mediocre at best. Movies that are part of a carefully planned corporate strategy will always be sterile and pandering, will feature actors (or models in disguise) doing their best to get on tabloid covers, and will lack all passion.
Its already been made clear that nobody else is capable of matching the quality of this trilogy. Nobody else understands that Nolan's success is not just because he made a comic book movie, its because he turned a comic book into a real, well made series of films. But Hollywood only understands easy money making formulas. I'm glad that Nolan is leaving the genre behind, hopefully the public will do the same.
I don't know if this one counts but that's the reason I love Zorro as well.
