RyderFlynn
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- Oct 5, 2020
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This is (hopefully) going to be a short post because I've been busy doing other stuff lately to write articles and will try not to let myself get dragged back into the article-writing game again... at least not yet. This is just a brief thought I have about superhero movies.
While watching Bob Chipman's "Really That Bad" video critique about Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, he talked about why superhero movies mean so much to him that he's willing to create a three-part video series (each video more than an hour's length) criticizing a movie about silly adults fighting each other in spandex. And the thing is, much of what he said mirrors my passion for this particular archetype of movies as well. I'm trying not to use "genre" because superhero movies transcend genre - it can be neo-noir, romance, comedy, science fiction, horror, character study drama, political thriller, crime thriller, and many more. That's one of the reasons Bob mentioned for his love of superhero movies, and aside from this fluidity being one of my reasons as well, I think I speak for many superhero fans as well.
And I think the reason I'm compelled to write about this is that, in spite of how popular and ubiquitous superhero movies have become... I still can't help feel lonely at times in terms of being the only one who cares that much about these men in capes, especially around forum communities like this. If anything, superhero movies almost feel like they belong to a younger demographic, and many of the older peers I've acquainted with either have much more serious issues in real life they care about, or they grew up with older movie "genres" like sci-fi of the '50s-'70s or even the westerns of old. I've come across at least one person who has told me that he simply just doesn't care about superheroes enough to be that passionate about a superhero movie I could spend an entire day (or week) raving about.
With that being said, why are superhero movies so important for me? Well, to understand my sentiment, one merely has to look back at what storytelling means to each generation. In the 18th Century, we had Greek Mythologies like Hercules, Prometheus and Homer's Iliad; 19th Century, we had westerns and cowboys; 20th Century, mafia fiction, spy fiction and science fiction; and now, 21st Century, the westerns of the modern world as Steven Spielberg observed, the superhero movies - and that was just the first two decades (yes, I'm trying to channel my best Peter Weyland impression). Aside from having the potential to embodying multiple genres, these stories have always been a gateway to explore ideologies and societal cultures reflected in each century. Just like how Greek myths sought to explain the mystical and inexplicable phenomenon people encountered back then through the use of gods and demigods, superhero stories provided a window of not just escapist fantasy, but beginning from the Silver Age of Comics in the '70s, tackled more grounded societal problems of drug abuse and disfranchised minorities - The X-Men, Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Batman, etc. They all evolved as avatars of fiction to play out real life issues like actors on a grandiose stage. They are the gods now.
And it is for that reason that someone like me who's tired and frustrated by the stress and mundanities of real life problems that I seek out a more fantastical medium to explore those problems in a more engaging manner. Even as a kid growing up watching American blockbusters like Aliens, Terminator 2 and Back to the Future, I've held this belief that movies can be a gateway to discuss real life problems in an entertaining manner. That belief became more than a little extreme at times back then, such that I believed that the best movies combine engaging entertainment with thoughtful didacticism... and any other movie that fails to do this simply isn't entertaining or intelligent enough. My views have mellowed a lot since my youth, but I do still believe that movies have that amazing potential to talk about life in such a bright and vibrant way - Superhero movies all the more so, with their bright-colored costumes and exaggerated personas.
This power of storytelling to grab someone's attention on a global scale while incorporating meaningful life lessons within such entertainment is amazing, and I grew up being impressed by storytelling as a tool. Superhero movies' ability to further improve upon the technique makes me fall in love with it, to see the infinite possibilities this newfound fire granted by the Prometheuses of our time can move us forward as a species, telling stories and shaping our ideologies and perspectives. It all sounds like hyperbole, but reality speaks for itself, how these movies have earned the devotion of billions almost like a newfound religion, a new geek culture zeitgeist that mirrors the Star Wars fandom in the '80s.
And that, long story short, is why superhero movies mean that much to me, and why I continue and will continue to write about them so often, from week to week, month to month, and so on. While countless writers out there devote countless hours into discussing politics and societal issues everyday, I simply find it more interesting to do so via a more fantastical medium. And if you'll indulge me as a reader, I would love to discuss with you all of life's various joys and anxieties as well, albeit through the magical lenses of storytelling.
While watching Bob Chipman's "Really That Bad" video critique about Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, he talked about why superhero movies mean so much to him that he's willing to create a three-part video series (each video more than an hour's length) criticizing a movie about silly adults fighting each other in spandex. And the thing is, much of what he said mirrors my passion for this particular archetype of movies as well. I'm trying not to use "genre" because superhero movies transcend genre - it can be neo-noir, romance, comedy, science fiction, horror, character study drama, political thriller, crime thriller, and many more. That's one of the reasons Bob mentioned for his love of superhero movies, and aside from this fluidity being one of my reasons as well, I think I speak for many superhero fans as well.
And I think the reason I'm compelled to write about this is that, in spite of how popular and ubiquitous superhero movies have become... I still can't help feel lonely at times in terms of being the only one who cares that much about these men in capes, especially around forum communities like this. If anything, superhero movies almost feel like they belong to a younger demographic, and many of the older peers I've acquainted with either have much more serious issues in real life they care about, or they grew up with older movie "genres" like sci-fi of the '50s-'70s or even the westerns of old. I've come across at least one person who has told me that he simply just doesn't care about superheroes enough to be that passionate about a superhero movie I could spend an entire day (or week) raving about.
With that being said, why are superhero movies so important for me? Well, to understand my sentiment, one merely has to look back at what storytelling means to each generation. In the 18th Century, we had Greek Mythologies like Hercules, Prometheus and Homer's Iliad; 19th Century, we had westerns and cowboys; 20th Century, mafia fiction, spy fiction and science fiction; and now, 21st Century, the westerns of the modern world as Steven Spielberg observed, the superhero movies - and that was just the first two decades (yes, I'm trying to channel my best Peter Weyland impression). Aside from having the potential to embodying multiple genres, these stories have always been a gateway to explore ideologies and societal cultures reflected in each century. Just like how Greek myths sought to explain the mystical and inexplicable phenomenon people encountered back then through the use of gods and demigods, superhero stories provided a window of not just escapist fantasy, but beginning from the Silver Age of Comics in the '70s, tackled more grounded societal problems of drug abuse and disfranchised minorities - The X-Men, Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Batman, etc. They all evolved as avatars of fiction to play out real life issues like actors on a grandiose stage. They are the gods now.
And it is for that reason that someone like me who's tired and frustrated by the stress and mundanities of real life problems that I seek out a more fantastical medium to explore those problems in a more engaging manner. Even as a kid growing up watching American blockbusters like Aliens, Terminator 2 and Back to the Future, I've held this belief that movies can be a gateway to discuss real life problems in an entertaining manner. That belief became more than a little extreme at times back then, such that I believed that the best movies combine engaging entertainment with thoughtful didacticism... and any other movie that fails to do this simply isn't entertaining or intelligent enough. My views have mellowed a lot since my youth, but I do still believe that movies have that amazing potential to talk about life in such a bright and vibrant way - Superhero movies all the more so, with their bright-colored costumes and exaggerated personas.
This power of storytelling to grab someone's attention on a global scale while incorporating meaningful life lessons within such entertainment is amazing, and I grew up being impressed by storytelling as a tool. Superhero movies' ability to further improve upon the technique makes me fall in love with it, to see the infinite possibilities this newfound fire granted by the Prometheuses of our time can move us forward as a species, telling stories and shaping our ideologies and perspectives. It all sounds like hyperbole, but reality speaks for itself, how these movies have earned the devotion of billions almost like a newfound religion, a new geek culture zeitgeist that mirrors the Star Wars fandom in the '80s.
And that, long story short, is why superhero movies mean that much to me, and why I continue and will continue to write about them so often, from week to week, month to month, and so on. While countless writers out there devote countless hours into discussing politics and societal issues everyday, I simply find it more interesting to do so via a more fantastical medium. And if you'll indulge me as a reader, I would love to discuss with you all of life's various joys and anxieties as well, albeit through the magical lenses of storytelling.
