"Decline and Fall?"
"DECLINE AND FALL?"
Another idea came to me while I was contemplating the rivalry between the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the D.C. Comics Extended Universe (DCEU). This idea focused upon how the media and the public regard the two movie franchises. And on how I now regard them.
Looking back at the seventeen Marvel Cinematic Universe films released so far, it occurred to me that I ended up being really impressed by only five films that I consider truly challenging or original. Five out of seventeen. Most of these five films were released before 2015 and one of them during that year. I am not saying that the other twelve were terrible. They are not. I regard some of the twelve films as decent and entertaining films, but not exactly mind boggling. As for the others, I regard them as either disappointing or mediocre.
If I can only find at least five outstanding films out of seventeen movies released by the MCU so far, why do so many people expect Warner Brothers' D.C. Comics’ D.C. Comics Extended Universe to be at the same level as the MCU? The latter has only been in existence for the past nine-and-a-half years. Seventeen films in the past nine-and-a-half years. And as I had earlier pointed out, I do not regard most of them as outstanding. On the other hand, the DCEU has released five films in the past four-and-half years. Nearly three years had passed between the franchise's first and second films. I believe that the DCEU has released three outstanding films out of five . . . so far. As for the other two, I regard them as decent and entertaining films. To expect the DCEU to quickly reach the same level of the MCU’s success at this stage would be unrealistic from a financial point of view.
This brings me to a few questions. Why is it so important to many moviegoers and critics that the DCEU fail? Why is it so damn important that the DCEU should follow the MCU's formula in order to . . . work? Formulas are great when it comes certain professions that involve rigid organization, science, etc. But when it comes to the arts and entertainment, it is a death sentence. This happens to a good number of film franchises that adhere to a particular formula, because the audiences and the critics embrace it. Initially. But when a production team or studio stick to a formula too long, its franchise falls into danger of transforming into a dinosaur. Personally, I believe the MCU has reached this moment in its existence. But I believe it needs to escape from the artistic rut in which it has trapped itself after nine years by changing the formula or doing something different . . . like it did with the 2012 movie, "THE AVENGERS"; and during the spring and summer of 2014 with Season One of "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.", "CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER" and "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY".
I do not believe that the DCEU is in danger of becoming stuck in a rut. At least not yet. But considering Warner Brothers’ interference with its latest film, "JUSTICE LEAGUE", and its desire to "copy" the MCU’s success, it might reach this point sooner than the other franchise. It is not a good idea to copy an artistic body of work at a point when the latter is in danger of becoming a victim of its success. Warner Brothers/D.C. Comics should try to maintain its own style, while utilizing different genres for its comic book films - either drama, comedy, film noir, science-fiction adventure, etc. Copying the MCU's style is simply not a good idea.
Perhaps both movie franchises are doomed to either remain in an artistic rut or drift into one. And perhaps both the MCU and the DCEU are simply doomed . . . due to public opinion. Many moviegoers and critics see nothing wrong with the "MCU formula". And they seemed to take great umbrage against the DCEU films - especially those directed by Zack Snyder. Many people seemed to want a superhero movie in which all is right with the world, the heroes themselves have no inner conflict and the world has no problems with the heroes. People want a formula, conformity and nothing really challenging in their pop culture movies. Blandness. And Zack Snyder has refused to give them what they want. His films seemed to challenge the accepted views of what a comic book hero is supposed to be.
But more importantly, Snyder's first two films for the DCEU, along with a few of his pre-DCEU movies, also seemed to provide a challenging and ambiguous portrayal of today’s society. Since humans tend to constantly wallow in illusions, they do not enjoy being examined or portrayed as a whole in a negative or ambiguous light. More importantly, they do not want to be reminded that the world is scary and complicated. And because of their audiences' illusions, movie studios like Disney and Warner Brothers are more than willing to spoon feed them bland and formulaic films for the sake of unearned acclaim and box office.