Critic David Bordwell takes a lengthy, smart and fascinating look at why superheroes movies are all the rage these days:
Shock and awe in presentation. The rise of the multiplex meant not only an upgrade in comfort (my back appreciates the tilting seats) but also a demand for big pictures and big sound. Smaller, more intimate movies look woeful on your megascreen, and what’s the point of Dolby surround channels if you’re watching a Woody Allen picture? Like science-fiction and fantasy, the adventures of a superhero in yawning landscapes fill the demand for immersion in a punchy, visceral entertainment. Scaling the film for Imax, as Superman Returns and The Dark Knight have, is the next step in this escalation.
Go read the whole thing. It’s really worth your time. (hat tip: Sean Collins)
August 21st, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Meh, Bordwell lost me pretty quickly when he started ragging on how “hollow” he thinks TDK and Iron Man are. Fuck him.
So, along with being huge hits both films are two of the very best reviewed films of the year as well. Probably only Wall*E has gotten higher marks overall (but not much higher than TDK), and that can be seen as something of a genre film as well.
The question is obvious, Mr. Bordwell: “Why so serious?”