In 2013, Marvel gave us Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, and while those were both good movies, they both felt just mediocre when compared to the rest of Marvel's films (also, DC released an angst-filled Superman movie). Of course there was 20th Century Fox's The Wolverine, which was a breath of fresh air from all the explosive, big-budget blockbusters of that summer, (and was my favorite comic book film of the year) but even that film didn't match the greatness of X2 back in 2004.
2014 has proven to be much different for the genre. Three films have each brought something refreshing and exciting to their franchise/genre. But before we get into the specifics with each film, let's look back at why 2008 was such a big year for comic book movies to begin with.
2008: The Game Changer in the Superhero Genre
Flashback to the end of 2007 and the state of the superhero genre is pretty weak. The original Spider-Man trilogy has just wrapped up with a disappointing conclusion. Earlier, the original X-Men trilogy also finished with a disappointing conclusion. The Fantastic Four movies didn't even make it to a third film because the second one was disappointing, and then you have films like Ghost Rider that just make everyone angry. At this point in time, a lot of people were beginning to say that the superhero film was "dying out," and with good reason too.
Enter 2008 and two films are released that both reinvent the comic book genre and put all that talk of "dying out" to rest.
In one summer we were introduced to two films that are among the greatest Superhero films of all time. Iron Man not only kicked off the Avengers story arc with a bang, but propelled Robert Downey Jr. back to the top of Hollywood fame with his unforgettable performance as the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, Tony Stark. And speaking of unforgettable performances, The Dark Knight is full of them. From Christian Bale's conflicted Bruce Wayne, to Aaron Eckart's tragically compelling Harvey Dent, the film is full of incredible acting. Yet none quite compare to the chilling performance of Heath Ledger as the menacing Joker (made even more eerie due to the tragic passing of Ledger earlier that year). Ledger's career defining role later earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and many now consider his performance to be one of the greatest of all time. Personally, I will never forget my first viewing of The Dark Knight. It is so captivating from beginning to end and has it's place among my favorite movies (it's also the the first film I ever wrote on for this blog).
2008 was great, and since then there have been some good-to-great superhero films, but not since 2008 has there been a summer of multiple films that have really been something special. So lets dive into each one.
Why Captain America: The Winter Soldier is so great:
It's easy to say that The Winter Soldier is so good because it's better than the first Captain America, but that is not the only thing that makes this sequel so special. Winter Soldier doesn't just improve upon the original, it totally reinvents the franchise from a campy, light-hearted WWII period piece to a modern, gritty espionage thriller. The film gave audiences something new and fresh and promised from the very first trailer that the sequel would have a very different feel from the first film. And the final product does good on the promise, giving us a fast paced, thrill ride that packs in some twists and turns along the way. Not only that, but the combat choreography is largely improved upon showcasing several intense hand-to-hand combat sequences that have a very "Jason Bourne" feel to them. Chris Evans continues to shine as Steven Rodgers and is backed up by a great supporting cast that brings old and new characters to life, particularly Anthony Mackie's performance as Falcon. Superhero movies have always been full of action and big budget explosions, but The Winter Soldier proved that they can be capable to telling stories full of mystery and suspense as well.
Why X-Men: Days of Future Past is so great:
To use a cliche term, this film is truly epic for several reasons. First of all, the story: Bryan Singer found the perfect way to unite two all-star casts into one huge storyline, taking much inspiration from the famous comic book arc of the same name. Not only does he find a really good balance between showing us the different worlds of the past and the future, but he also established two radically different tones for these different times (with the world of the future being almost downright depressing). The film is also careful to make sure that all of the time-travel mechanics and details of the story never get too confusing for the viewers. Wolverine goes back in time to unite Professor X and Magneto so that they can save the future X-Men from Tyrion Lannister...its just as awesome as it sounds.
And while the film has some great action scenes (especially one featuring a scene-stealing Quicksilver) the greatest strength of the X-Men franchise has always been the conflict between the views of Professor X and Magneto (and the social commentary that it provides). Which is why the climax of the film is so great and different. While most superhero movies now feature a huge physical brawl between the heroes and the villains, the climax of Days of Future Past is more a conversation, a battle of worldviews between Professor X and Magneto as they battle for the soul of one of their fellow mutants. The whole scene is gripping and exciting, even though there aren't punches being thrown around.
Finally, the X-Men films have often benefited greatly from strong performances and this film is no different. Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Ellen Page, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, and of course Hugh Jackson, are all very talented actors/actresses, and they are all given there moments to shine throughout the film. But it's James McAvoy who really stands out here, as his performance as a broken Charles Xavier who must learn to overcome his struggles is full of emotion and heart. The expectations for this film were high, and they were undoubtedly met thanks to an ambitious story, committed performances, well-written dialogue, and even an exciting score from John Ottoman (who's "X-Men Theme" he brings back from X2 gives me chills every time). Not only does Days of Future Past restore the franchise to its former glory, but it proves that there are still stories left to be told in the X-Men universe (bring on Apocalypse).
Why Guardians of the Galaxy is so great:
I already listed off several reasons why I loved Guardians at the start of this article, but to go a little more in depth, director James Gunn has done some great things with this movie. With Guardians, we are introduced to a whole new set of characters (something that hasn't happened with Marvel films since 2011) and really interesting characters at that! This ragtag team of outlaws includes a vengeance seeking Drax the Destroyer who is unable to understand the most simple metaphor, a walking tree who can only say, "I am Groot", and a gun toting, foul-mouthed raccoon (but don't call him that). And just because Peter Quill is the only "normal" human in the film, it doesn't make him any less interesting as a character. Thanks to a very enthusiastic performance from Chris Pratt, the character of Quill/Star Lord carries the film with his mix of humor, wit, and swagger that is very reminiscent of Harrison Ford's Han Solo. Each character is a scene-stealer and each character has something about them that the audience can find to be compelling, which is why Guardians also has more heart than any other Marvel film. This is a story about family, about dealing with loss, and about overcoming it, and these themes and emotions can really be felt thanks to the well-written and well-acted characters.
Not only that, but the film is beautifully shot and has some great set designs. The film does a great job of not only introducing us to new characters, but to this new and expanded universe as well, featuring odd and intriguing planets and locations scattered throughout the galaxy. It's even more exciting knowing that these characters share the same universe as all the other Avengers, and that some day they are bound to meet up. Like I said earlier, it's refreshingly original, it's laugh out loud funny, it's smart, it's heartfelt, and it's badass. Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best films Marvel has done to date and really is an instant classic!
Looking forward:
When will there be another year as great as 2014? It very well could be next year, when we will see the release of the highly anticipated sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron as well as Ant-Man. And if not next year, 2016 will have Captain America 3, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, The Sinister Six (Spider-Man villains), AND another "Untitled Marvel film" (probably Dr. Strange). Going forward, every year will now see the release of at least three super-hero films and we will begin to see a lot of new characters come to the screen (mostly from Marvel but a few from DC as well) as the superhero genre continues to grow larger and larger. But for now, I'm just happy that a comic book nerd like myself can enjoy the great year that 2014 has been for the genre.
Tomorrow: I will take a look at why one superhero film this year was such an unfortunate disappointment.
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