Pop Culture Wars
Comics usually deal with pop culture in some way. Captain America was born because the thought of an American superhero demolishing Nazi Germany is...well...pretty freakin' cool. In fact, comics tend to deal with pop culture directly, and the superheroes generally encounter present day problems that they need to solve.
But, do we really need to see Spiderman as an emo kid? I have no personal issues with emo kids (is that even how it's spelled?). And, yeah, it did get me to laugh, but it just doesn't seem to fit. It's not just Spidey, either. The Fantastic 4 are attempting to deal with their own fame and fortune (which is a pretty common problem we all encounter). In some ways we see the same thing with Spiderman.
Here's my take. Superheroes are something we all would love to become, but honestly, it's more interesting when they're dealing with our common-day problems. When Spiderman is having trouble at school because he's too busy, I can relate to that. But, when the Human Torch is deciding whether he should drive a Porsche or a Ferrari, I'm just shaking my head.
Winner: Tie. The first two Spiderman films did a better job, but the third brings it down a notch.
Overall Production Value
It's amazing what we're seeing in movies these days. One minute you're seeing Neo as Keanu Reeves, and then boom he's...a computer generated Keanu Reeves? (I'll let you decide which one was a better actor) It's pretty cool what can be done with special effects now-a-days.
The same is true of these two movies. And, before I go any farther, just let me say...I really like the way Spiderman was put together. I think it's a pretty strong franchise contender. The special effects are great. The way things move and the way the movie feels is excellent. And, as far as I'm concerned, it's a pretty accurate portrayal of the comic books. It's just a good ride.
Then there's choice of actors. Both movies have their fair share of bad acting, and even their share of good acting. But, the production values are pretty high.
Winner: Spidey
The Wrap Up
I'm not sure how many of you will disagree with me, but I find the Spiderman trilogy much more engaging than the Fantastic 4. I think the story-telling is better, the execution is better, and overall, the feeling you get when you're done watching is just...better. Is Spiderman the best comic book movie out there? Naw. I like Batman Begins and X-Men (the first one) better, but it's pretty good.
My vote goes to your friendly neighborhood guy in the blue and red tights. Where does your's go?
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1 comment:
It's hard for me to really even compare these two movie series because I don't even think the comics (the stories) themselves are on the same level. I think that Spiderman is just a better story than Fantastic 4. For one thing, like you said, it focuses on one main character. Also, Spiderman feels more classic and timeless, very American, and somehow more believable. I find myself more engaged in the story and rooting for Peter Parker. And I think the movie captures all this pretty well. I think it honors the Spiderman tradition that many of us grew up with. Perhaps that tradition makes us biased, but that's why I think the Spiderman movies work better.
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