Setting aside the Batman Dark Knight trilogy which made an estimated 1.28 billion dollars at the box office, more than the gross national product of some small nations, the films produced under the auspices of the Warner Bros, and DCEU have faltered both critically and commercially while the overwhelming success of the MCEU, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is unquestioned. Marvel & Disney have produced hit after hit and has already financially far surpassed any other film franchise in hostory.
Zack Snyder’s first comic book/graphic novel adaptation was based on DC Comic’s “Watchmen”, frequently considered by several critics and reviewers as comics’ greatest series . Snyder’s approach and style, “Gritty and visually striking”, was considered a faithful adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel. The ultra violence and slow-motion exposition worked well with the story’s dark atmosphere and within an alternate universe where the superheroes negative (or positive) effects on society are questioned.
Zack Snyder’s work on “The Watchmen” was obviously why the Warner Brothers Brass slated him to helm their entire DCEU lineup, starting with 2013’s “Man of Steel”. The problem being; The Watchmen is a dark, satirical and dystopian take on the superhero genre. Someone should of told them.
The first film in the DCEU, a Superman reboot, was the “Man of Steel”. It received mixed reviews from critics who pointed out the “underdeveloped characters, the supercharged-fight scenes that offered nothing in the way of special-effects creativity” and for its overall “joyless” tone. This, “joyless tone” worked well in The Watchmen because it turned into a sort of poetic nostalgia, but it just felt boring here. It is one of the DCEU’s highest grossing films, which lead to continued faith in the Director. The next film in the franchise was “Superman VS Batman, “an exceptionally-unpleasant viewing experience”, we’ll leave it there. DC’s most recent release “Justice league” was reviled by critics, suffered production woes, including the now infamous digitally removed mustache and expensive re-shoots. Regrettably Zack Snyder suffered a personal crisis and had to leave the project. The film was completed by Joss Whedon who tried to lighten up the joylessness that permeates the franchise but succeeded in only achieving an uneven tone and halfhearted one-liners. Justice League barely made it pass the 670 million dollar mark and is the lowest grossing DCEU film of all time. Whether or not the studio’s flagship film was a “failure” one thing it did accomplish was the restructuring of the entire brand.
Zack Snyder’s dark and strikingly visual approach to The Watchmen was beautifully executed and was well suited for that particular story. He has since been unable to inject his sense of gritty realism into the DCEU again.
A very different kind of film maker helmed the first film in the MCEU. Jon Favreau directed 2008’s Iron Man with an unlikely star attached to the project. Robert Downey Jr was considered an outrageous choice by many but ended up bringing a comedic vulnerability to the role. The creative team for “Iron Man” created a compelling story with well paced and beautifully executed special effects. The combined improvisational approach by “Swingers” director, Jon Favreau and the talented and slightly unhinged performance of Robert Downey Jr, made for a highly entertaining and character driven film, more importantly it set the stage was for the entire MCEU, with Downey right at the center. 18 films and 14 billion dollars later, the franchise is showing no sign of viewer fatigue and the stories and characters have only gotten better. The “Black Panther”, a critically acclaimed “cultural milestone” has just recently reached the 1 billion dollar mark at the worldwide box office. The various film makers (emphasis on various) have stuck to a particular formula; a light hearted, character driven, and intertwined, serialized approach into pure escapism. I myself would of preferred a darker take on my favorite comic book series and that attempted approach by Warner Bros and DC is commendable. Regrettably it is also Joyless.
FILM ----- TV ----- Sci-Fi 