Man, I sure hope that DD as we know it now, finds a new home somewhere. I'm only halfway through it, but Season 3 is knocking it out of the park. Densely plotted, the actors are really digging into their characters, I-didn't-see-that-coming revelations, some of the best choreographed fight scenes I've ever seen on TV...
While I wasn't fond of Jessica Jones and didn't see Ironfist, all of the Netflix/Marvel series are an antidote to the candy-coated, CGI-heavy formulaic superhero movies coming out from both Marvel and DC. There's nothing wrong with these tent pole escapist movies, but they are pretty much interchangeable -- and forgettable -- once you've see them.
The Netflix series are more like true graphic novels come to life. They are more like dramas whose protagonists just happen to have superpowers, and they are way more engaging for that.
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cyberbob (3488)
6 years ago
Yup, I agree wholeheartedly.
Ever since Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy ended there was a void left for those looking for a more serious and grounded take on superheroes. Daredevil really picked up that mantle
Every Marvel movie is more or less the same, just like every Pixar movie is more or less the same. That doesn't mean they're BAD. On the contrary, they can be a lot of fun every now and then. But it does mean that anyone who isn't a mindless zombie fanboy is going to crave something different every now and then. The Netflix shows delivered that and now Disney is taking them away
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FilmBuff (7359)
6 years ago
I really have to question how much attention you've paid if you think every Marvel film is more or less the same. I'd argue that the primary reason for their staggering success is how different each film is from any other in the franchise, while still maintaining a consistent tone. Perhaps a good analogy is that the MCU films are like those of the Coen Brothers, in that each is radically different from the rest, but at the same time it has some intangible element that is consistent with their other films, and gives it an innate "Coen-ness."
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[deleted]
6 years ago
I don't know about describing them as "mindless zombie fanboy" but, because each movie is only two hours long -- and fully a third of the movie is generally taken up with a CGI slugfest at the end, there's precious little time for character development. And, it was particularly bad with the Avenger movies because of all the characters they had to pack in.
The result is that a lot of these movie just rely on 'check marks' to tell us all we need to know about each character rather than really getting into their psychology.
And Marvel seems to be moving toward a formula where each movie -- even the stand alone ones -- are packed with multiple superheroes. Black Panther was almost a secondary character in his own movie behind the women. Thor Ragnarok featured two of the Avengers. Civil War was essentially an Avengers movie.
Cyberbob's example of Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy is an example of where we got deep into the head of the main character because there was only one ongoing hero and two villains per movie. The final set pieces weren't these dragged out CGI world threatening events. We got to linger with the hero when he was out of costume.
There have been a few Marvel movies that stand out in a big way... Winter Soldier, essentially a Cold War spy thriller. Ragnarok stood out for its goofy humour. But, by and large, I couldn't tell you much about the others... like a fast food meal, they were entertaining while I was watching them, but forgettable as soon as I walked out of the theatre. I've no desire to re-watch them whereas I went out and bought the Dark Knight trilogy. Everybody can quote Dark Knight lines because they were so memorable for their veracity... Marvel movies (or DC)... not really.
Interesting that you picked the Coen brothers as a reference point because their stories are the opposite of superhero movies. The stories are always lean with very few characters at play and they move at a languid pace.
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[deleted]
6 years ago
Daredevil really sets the bar for what can be accomplished when you have the luxury of time to fully develop a character. I reiterate that the writers of these series are creating great drama about characters who just happen to be super-powered. Not a bit of CGI in sight and yet they are still more interesting than the cinema characters.
I'm hoping Marvel gives up more of this with the Disney streaming service and that they don't water it down to some generic PG formula of the sort that we used to get with shows like The Incredible Hulk which required Banner to Hulk out twice per episode at specific intervals. Ugh.
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cyberbob (3488)
6 years ago
Yeah, maybe mindless zombies is a bit harsh, but there are definitely some fans that don't like to acknowledge the flaws and limitations in the MCU
And the MCU and Coens comparison is pretty strange. The MCU is most similar to Pixar. Well produced and crowdpleasing, but kinda bland
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