You can find my jaundiced take on what Iron Man's box office bonanza means for the movie industry over at the Current.
« Heads in the Sand | Main | Jindal and the GOP »
Aquaman IV, Here We Come
05 May 2008 05:26 pm
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/21168
Comments (16)
Oh yeah? Well I don't like movies based on Jane Austen novels and they remake that stuff every 10-15 years so you're just going to have to suck it up for the Alpha Flight movie.
The Dark Knight is going to pwn.
Ugh. Without Downey Jr. it would have been nothing special, in the same way that Fantastic Four was nothing special(as in, a piece of total crap unworthy of the franchise it tries to tap into). At the end of it, I was thinking, "Haven't I seen this movie before?" And then, "Yeah, it was called Transformers."
Speaking of which--I'm waiting for a Green Lantern movie starring Keanu Reeves. That would be totally awesome.
But if Marvel Studios, in its maiden venture as an independent production company, can earn Batman or Spiderman-style box office off the billionaire arms dealer Tony Stark and his iron suit, well, then the road is cleared for literally dozens of efforts featuring characters just as obscure as Iron Man, if not more so.
I don't think it's accurate to say, "Well, if they'll pay to see Iron Man then they'll pay to see anything!" The character is a human being who is a superhero by virtue of his own talent and hard work, and (at least in the movie) is largely free of neurosis, dark thoughts, insecurity, etc. Iron Man/Tony Stark may be obscure compared to Batman, Superman, etc., but that doesn't mean he's not an appealing archetype for a superhero.
That said, of course Hollywood will produce a lot of crap in a particular genre if that genre's a proven money-maker. But I don't see how a new Dark Age of bad superhero movies will be worse than previous Dark Ages defined by odd-couple police detectives, heroic cowpokes, mobsters who eventually see the error of their ways or die as object-lessons, space aliens, etc.
It seems like the problem Douthat identifies is that legitimately talented actors and directors are now involved in projects that would have been B-movie garbage in previous eras. On the other hand, bringing Coppola into that discussion undercuts the point. You could have said the same thing about Apocalypse Now and the first two Godfather movies: that having a great director and great actors elevating genre material ('war movie'; 'mob movie') would keep Hollywood's best talent from focusing on more serious work.
I suppose it's possible that the superhero genre is so inherently unserious that it CAN'T be elevated--only made slicker and less-obviously second-rate. But you'll never know until you try. Yeah, superhero movies are often ridiculous, campy, poorly-made, self-serious, juvenile, etc., but you could say the same thing about other genres that ended up producing classic films. Hollywood sci-fi gave us paper-plate flying saucers, but it also gave us Blade Runner, 2001, etc. I don't know if there's been a great superhero movie yet, but there have certainly been some good ones that got beyond genre cliches.
In any case, actors and directors can do more than one thing with their careers. Downey's a case in point. Lately he's been in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Good Night and Good Luck, Zodiac, A Scanner Darkly, etc. Assuming he keeps making choices like that and stays clean and sober I don't think an Iron Man sequel every two or three years will destroy him or the artistic integrity (such as it is) of the movie business.
I don't like superhero movies much. But there's something unspecific about Ross's Iron Man complaint that suggests that he didn't actually go see the movie; most of the details could be gotten from reviews. Which is a fine choice; I'm not likely to see it either. But on the other hand, I'm not moaning about its crappiness on the front page of theatlantic.com. I think if you're going to predicate a editorial commentary on the trashiness of a culture-object, you ought to have seen it and have a specific complaint beyond "it was based on a comic book."
In other news, Hollywood likes blockbuster action movie franchises and plans to make more of them! Film at 11!
I don't like superhero movies much. But there's something unspecific about Ross's Iron Man complaint that suggests that he didn't actually go see the movie; most of the details could be gotten from reviews. Which is a fine choice; I'm not likely to see it either. But on the other hand, I'm not moaning about its crappiness on the front page of theatlantic.com. I think if you're going to predicate a editorial commentary on the trashiness of a culture-object, you ought to have seen it and have a specific complaint beyond "it was based on a comic book."
In other news, Hollywood likes blockbuster action movie franchises and plans to make more of them! Film at 11!
Sorry for the double post. If only I had superpowers and could see the future, this wouldn't have happened.
I suggest a new Superhero: Atlanticman. He will not only be able to remove double and even triple posts, but correct Matt Yglesias's profligate typos. His secret identity can be McArdle's boyfriend or something like that.
Iron Man is far from obscure. Granted all we've had before now was cartoons and comics but in the world of comics he was one of the most popular. I personally enjoyed Iron Man. As a comic fan, I see the flaws better than your average person would but this movie didn't stray too far from the original storyline like the last X Men movie did.
In the end, like all movies based on books, the comic is much better than the movie. Just because these books have pictures in them doesn't mean they are just for kids. It's a script with art in it. Unfortunately in Hollywood, movies don't have the time to explore and develop characters and storyline quite like a book can but in this instance I think they did a good job. Robert Downey Jr. played the role of Tony Stark to perfection and I doubt there is any other actor who could have pulled it off quite like he did.
Iron Man is far from obscure. Granted all we've had before now was cartoons and comics but in the world of comics he was one of the most popular. I personally enjoyed Iron Man. As a comic fan, I see the flaws better than your average person would but this movie didn't stray too far from the original storyline like the last X Men movie did.
In the end, like all movies based on books, the comic is much better than the movie. Just because these books have pictures in them doesn't mean they are just for kids. It's a script with art in it. Unfortunately in Hollywood, movies don't have the time to explore and develop characters and storyline quite like a book can but in this instance I think they did a good job. Robert Downey Jr. played the role of Tony Stark to perfection and I doubt there is any other actor who could have pulled it off quite like he did.
Only one criticism:
You describe the Iron Man superhero costume as "faintly silly." That costume is totally silly.
I don't think it's nearly as silly as scientists' attempts to recreate it...
http://www.dannychoo.com/detail/mac/eng/image/1749/XOS+Exoskeleton.html
You said that the blacks did it. I want to know how many Blacks in this country even care to know that Obama is not a full black man. If they continue to believe, as they did with Tiger Woods, as being their saviour in sports. They (the Black Populous) are living a dream world. When are you, an American of either colour, when one will not even acknowledge the American Flag. When are you, an American, when your own wife (Michelle) denounces everthing American and America. Are People so blind they do not see an unpatriotic Nominee. Are people so ignorant that they cannot invision a President that would back the likes of Iran, Hamas, Iraqi Factions, Radical Isalmics here in our own Country. Haven't we, the American people learned anything with a Neo Con Congress of 12 years and a Fascist Regime for over 7 + years. Are we, the American people so dumb down,that we would allow another rookie in the Executive Branch of our Government. People wake up and smell the coffee. Obama is not ready and probably never will be to hold the office of President. We had 7+ years of one mistake. We do not need another. People of the United States of America. Vote with your God given brains not your skin colour. Besides, Obama is only Half Black. When will the Black people wake up to this realization. Finally! I want every single Black person to tell me what Obama's mother and Grandmother from Kansas looks like. Because of their White Skin. Both Mom and Grandma have been hidden away. But of course the Obama camp made sure to show both Fathers and grandmother from Kenya. Talk about sleaze politics. Hate the woman that gave you life and raised you with your WHITE grandmother and give all the publicity to the Black Folk.
You said that the blacks did it. I want to know how many Blacks in this country even care to know that Obama is not a full black man. If they continue to believe, as they did with Tiger Woods, as being their saviour in sports. They (the Black Populous) are living a dream world. When are you, an American of either colour, when one will not even acknowledge the American Flag. When are you, an American, when your own wife (Michelle) denounces everthing American and America. Are People so blind they do not see an unpatriotic Nominee. Are people so ignorant that they cannot invision a President that would back the likes of Iran, Hamas, Iraqi Factions, Radical Isalmics here in our own Country. Haven't we, the American people learned anything with a Neo Con Congress of 12 years and a Fascist Regime for over 7 + years. Are we, the American people so dumb down,that we would allow another rookie in the Executive Branch of our Government. People wake up and smell the coffee. Obama is not ready and probably never will be to hold the office of President. We had 7+ years of one mistake. We do not need another. People of the United States of America. Vote with your God given brains not your skin colour. Besides, Obama is only Half Black. When will the Black people wake up to this realization. Finally! I want every single Black person to tell me what Obama's mother and Grandmother from Kansas looks like. Because of their White Skin. Both Mom and Grandma have been hidden away. But of course the Obama camp made sure to show both Fathers and grandmother from Kenya. Talk about sleaze politics. Hate the woman that gave you life and raised you with your WHITE grandmother and give all the publicity to the Black Folk.
nmguk cleosjzbv likouzxf jinapr slgprwfmq xhpawurl cdbxwroe
| 
Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream
Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class
Too jaundiced, Ross.
I don't like movies like Iron Man. Not my cup of tea. So you know what? I *don't go to them.* I go see all the indie/foreign/art house movies that I *do* like. And there are lots of them! Somehow my enjoyment is not diminished by knowing there are movies based on obscure comic book heroes out there as well.
And does that mean we've forever lost the talents of Robert Downey Jr? Maybe, but I suspect guilt feelings will compell him to make a slew of low budget indie films as penance.
Posted by santamonicamr | May 5, 2008 6:00 PM