With the avalanche of comic book superhero blockbusters that are cascading onto our screens, it appears the real battle is not between the heroes and villains, but a stand-off between Marvel Comics and DC Comics for supremacy at the box office.
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These films employ the latest and greatest special effects, but it seems that we, the audience, want more. We’ve had standalone films to highlight the super powers of individual heroes such as Captain America, Doctor Strange and Deadpool. We’ve had superhero buddy films with Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers. We’ve had superheroes fighting superheroes in Batman Vs Superman. It seems we’ve had it all. Maybe we’ve had enough.
How do the studios keep it fresh, given there are a lot more comic book movies to come, including Deadpool 2, Venom, Captain Marvel and X-Men: Dark Phoenix?
The answer at the moment seems to be to inject humour and self-deprecation.
That brings us to Justice League. After Superman’s death in Dawn of Justice, Batman unites with Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg to fight the latest villain on the block, Steppenwolf, whose mission is to desolate the Earth and the rest of known universe. Yes, that’s pretty much the job description for comic book villains.
Batman, or maybe actor Ben Affleck, comes across as bloated and tired. As Bruce Wayne explains to Barry Allen/The Flash, Batman’s superpower is that he’s rich. That’s it. Wayne sounds exhausted and ready for a holiday in the Bahamas.
Aquaman, with his finely honed, sculpted physique and smart quips, seems to be DC Comics’ challenge to Chris Hemsworth’s Marvel Comics’ Thor. Bulging biceps at 20 paces.
The issue is there are too many superior humans with extraordinary powers in one movie. They’re as sharp with their tongues as they are with their abilities. We don’t know who’s meant to be the centre of attention. It’s all grand and spectacular and a stepping-stone to the next heroic film spectacle.
If you’re an aficionado and/or geek of Marvel and/or DC Comics, you will already be enamoured with every film in their universes.
For the rest of us, seeing every fourth film in the series will be enough to keep us up to date.
