The superhero genre has fully matured in the twenty-first century, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe becoming one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time, wowing audiences across the globe and becoming an iconic element of pop culture. The DCEU, its closest competitor, hasn't quite matched the MCU's box office success, but it has produced a number of well-received pictures.
Despite having produced some of the finest superhero movies ever, the twenty-first century has also produced some of the worst superhero movies, notably in the years preceding up to the MCU. There have been some absolutely bad excursions on the big screen from practically every studio producing superhero flicks.
Jump to:
- Ang Lee's Hulk Was Pretty, But Lacking
- Batman V. Superman Was Too Grim & Too Long To Appeal To Audiences
- Rise Of The Silver Surfer Failed To Improve On Its Predecessor
- Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance Disappointed Across The Board
- Green Lantern Is Best-Remembered For A CGI Suit
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine Was A Ton Of Wasted Potential
- Elektra's Writing Doomed The Movie
- Dark Phoenix Is A Disappointing End To The Main X-Men Film Franchise
- Fant4stic Was Plagued With Production Problems & It Shows
- Catwoman Is The Nadir Of Superhero Films
Ang Lee's Hulk Was Pretty, But Lacking
Films like Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon have made Ang Lee a popular filmmaker. When he tried his hand at the superhero genre, though, he didn't do as well.
Hulk, a 2003 film that follows the exploits of a different Bruce Banner in a another planet, has no direct link to 2008's The Incredible Hulk or the MCU as a whole. Despite its artistically stunning photography, fans thought the picture lacked storyline and action, and the technology to make a credible CGI Hulk was insufficient, putting the film at a disadvantage.
Batman V. Superman Was Too Grim & Too Long To Appeal To Audiences
Following the polarising Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice sets two of DC's most renowned characters against one another, with Lex Luthor exploiting their weaknesses and opposing beliefs to foment conflict.
Despite its economic success, the picture was panned by critics due to its length and extended periods in which nothing of note occurs. The storey moves slowly, with little action or levity to keep things interesting. The action sequences were appreciated, but fans eventually felt that they were insufficient to make the picture genuinely enjoyable.
Rise Of The Silver Surfer Failed To Improve On Its Predecessor
Fox's initial foray into the Fantastic Four series failed miserably. The first picture was enjoyable enough, with nice acting, but it wasn't particularly memorable. Despite this, there was the possibility of a franchise based on that picture.
The 2007 sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer, on the other hand, failed to capitalise on anything from the previous film and instead matched it with a convoluted storyline, a lack of emotional resonance, and an inability to resist reintroducing Victor von Doom. Rise of the Silver Surfer effectively ended the series until 2015's Fant4stic.
Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance Disappointed Across The Board
Despite its financial success, the 2007 picture Ghost Rider was not regarded as a decent film. While actor Nicholas Cage is known for his performances, moviegoers and reviewers alike found the picture to be antiquated, conventional to the point of being boring, and uncompelling.
The film's sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, didn't manage to improve on any of the original's flaws, with reviewers praising Cage's performance even more. It would also be the end of the series, with no further live-action Ghost Rider films until Agents of SHIELD.
Green Lantern Is Best-Remembered For A CGI Suit
Ryan Reynolds portrayed Hal Jordan in Green Lantern only a few years before the DCEU debuted with Man of Steel. The film followed Jordan as he obtained the Green Lantern Power Ring and attempted to prevent Parallax from wreaking havoc on the cosmos.
The picture, on the other hand, did not go down well with viewers or critics. It is particularly well-known for providing Hal Jordan a CGI costume that never looks genuine and is still criticised by viewers— even Ryan Reynolds himself. While Reynolds would later redeem himself in the superhero genre with Deadpool, Green Lantern has only made minor appearances in the DCEU so far.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Was A Ton Of Wasted Potential
The X-Men franchise has a mixed history, with critically lauded films like X2: X-Men United and Logan coexisting alongside terrible pictures like The Wolverine. It's even created films like X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Apocalypse, which were critically panned. Few films, on the other hand, have disappointed fans as much as X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Beginning with a popular opening credits sequence depicting Wolverine and his brother Sabretooth battling through America's conflicts, as well as great casting of characters like Sabretooth and Gambit, many critics believe the film wastes these characters— and Wolverine himself— on a bland PG-13 film. The film's portrayal of Deadpool, who has his lips stitched up and is a silent killing machine, is particularly well-known.
Elektra's Writing Doomed The Movie
Daredevil was not well received by fans when it was released in theatres in 2003, but it got plaudits for its stunts and visual design, and it produced enough money to warrant a spin-off. Elektra follows Elektra as she battles assassins of The Hand, with Jennifer Garner repeating her role from Daredevil.
Garner's acting was praised, but the film was hampered by bad language and a plot that was difficult to follow and not very interesting. It was criticised in particular for being overly sombre and lacking in humour. It would also end up being a complete commercial flop.
Dark Phoenix Is A Disappointing End To The Main X-Men Film Franchise
The X-Men were set to be incorporated into the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe once Fox was bought by Disney, leaving Dark Phoenix to end the tale of Charles Xavier, Jean Grey, and the other primary characters of the series before The New Mutants apparently put the brand to bed.
The film was critically panned and went on to become one of the series' lowest-grossing instalments. Despite Michael Fassbender's praise, it suffers from a half-baked premise, unoriginal dangers in the shape of the Mutant Containment Unit and the extraterrestrial Vuk, and disappointing performances from many of the characters. Many fans see it as a disappointing conclusion to the storey of many beloved characters.
Fant4stic Was Plagued With Production Problems & It Shows
The Fantastic Four reboot Fant4stic, which premiered in 2015, had production challenges from the outset. Screenwriter Jeremy Slater and director Josh Trank had drastically divergent visions for the picture, with Slater favouring an Avengers-style adventure and Trank fiercely opposing it. As a result of Trank's decision to exclude Slater from studio discussions, Fox would eventually cut Trank out of the loop with post-production adjustments.
The film is known among superhero movie enthusiasts for its contradictory tones, lack of character, shallow narrative, and sluggish pace, with the danger of the picture being obvious only in the final half-hour. It is also the final Fantastic Four film to be released outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Marvel reacquiring the rights in 2019.
Catwoman Is The Nadir Of Superhero Films
Selina Kyle is a prominent character in DC comics who is a sometimes villain, sometimes antihero with strong links to Batman and a fascinating backstory. In the 2004 film Catwoman, the whole persona is replaced by Patience Phillips, a modest graphic designer who is brought back to life by cats who bestow real abilities on her, which she uses to fight a worldwide cosmetics conspiracy.
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