Comic book movies--why the renaissance?

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe
Hollywood has very few to no new ideas.

Please back that statement up.

What is a new idea?

Moulin Rouge seemed new, but it was based on a French play from the 1800s called "Camille", which took its themes from "Romeo and Juliet", which was based on other things.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous


You've heard so little, my young friend

and I've heard rumbings for Iron Man, Thor, The Preacher, and others.

I've heard a little about some mo vie coming out called The Fantastic Four



Though it seems to be strikingly similar to The Incredibles ...

[Theseus]

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe
Hollywood has very few to no new ideas. Comic books translate well as the graphics are essentially a story board for the (un)creatives for the movie.

That and the recent success of the movies generate a host of imitators.

Well, all things (Western civ, that is) lead back to classical Greece and Rome anyway... I don't think that is the point.

Further, one has to consider the question as asked: Why now? The 'comic books as story board' idea would have held just as true in the previous 30 or so years.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Theseus
Further, one has to consider the question as asked: Why now? The 'comic books as story board' idea would have held just as true in the previous 30 or so years.

The Seduction of the Innocent loosing some of its impact?

[Jaguar]

Re: Comic book movies--why the renaissance?

Originally posted by Guynemer
After the impossibly bad "Batman & Robin", it was widely believed that the comic book movie was dead. And apart from the "Batman" franchise, it had been dead already for sometime.


But, suddenly, in the past five years, we've had no less than six very good-to-outstanding films based on comic book superheroes. Granted, there have been some stinkers as well, but they have been outweighed by the below sextet.

X-Men
Spiderman
X2
Hellboy
Spiderman 2
Batman Begins


Now, I've never read a comic book in my life, but I love these films. Each is great as a simple popcorn movie, but each can also be appreciated on a deeper level. Why the sudden shift in this genre's fortunes?

X-Men and Spiderman were good, and then the rest were either sequels or attempts to capitalize on the fad. Hollywood is unoriginal and imitative. It's like the Armageddon/Deep Impact/Asteroid phenomenon. Once they make one of something, they can't stop.

[Zoid]

Nobody mentioned Sin City or Fantastic Four?? Both opens in Sweden in July.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel


I've heard a little about some mo vie coming out called The Fantastic Four



Though it seems to be strikingly similar to The Incredibles ...

Cause Pixar totally ripped off the Fantastic Four. Poor timing too, just a year before the release of the Fantastic Four movie. Sigh. No copyright on super powers I guess.

[Theseus]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
Sigh. No copyright on super powers I guess.

Thank god... Marvel going after NCSoft for 'City of Heroes'? Tragic.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by OzzyKP


Cause Pixar totally ripped off the Fantastic Four. Poor timing too, just a year before the release of the Fantastic Four movie. Sigh. No copyright on super powers I guess.

Actually, "The Incredibles" struck me not as a rip-off of Fantastic Four, but as "The Watchmen" played for laughs. Think about it - Superheroes forced into retirement by the government and a know-nothing public; retired superheroes being killed off, one by one; a criminal mastermind whose plan is to stage an alien invasion in order to stop it...it's all "The Watchmen," sanitized for your protection.