Screen Talk - Rise of the Superheroes

Fear not! James Yeats says there is life after superhero flicks:

I love a superhero movie as much as the next person. The idea that a superhuman is on our side, protecting us from a Demented Octopus or an Evil Scientist is enough to get my patriotism going.

In recent years there has been an influx of superhero movies that has resulted in a revival of the Superman, Batman and Spiderman franchises showing off amazing film technology. A great movie where the storyline meets special effects halfway is 'Batman Begins' (2005) starring Christian Bale and Michael Caine. This movie set the bar and all other superhero movies since then have fallen short.

This of course has not stopped Hollywood from trying every movie-making angle through churning out prequels and sequels. Hollywood is set to make over 30 new superhero movies in the next five years, from Ant-Man to Aquaman and everything in between. The truth is that this genre offers us a safe and predictable storyline, which entertains both children and adults.

Today computers and cameras work hand-in-hand to create things that would have seemed impossible a few years ago. With the aid of computer generated imagery and special effects, has this has taken away from 'pure' film-making which has always been narrative driven? Nowadays movies like, 'Legends of the Fall', 'Leon: The Professional' or 'Good Will Hunting' are hard to come by. Fortunately, a growing following of Indie Films which are usually made on shoestring budgets, still allow for filmmakers to express their artistic vision.

120 years after the first films were made, have we run out of ideas or stories to best utilize this art form. I hope that true storytelling will return once the dust has settled on the keyboards and computer screens. Luckily for us the greatest storyteller is real life, ad so we can expect great things in the documentary genre.

Trivia:

'Batman Begins' inspired James Bond producers to reboot the James Bond franchise and reinvent the character of British secret agent James Bond, making him much darker and more realistic.