The Dark Knight
The superhero genre is one of the most successful in film over the last decade. Ever since big-name directors and stars decided to take them in different directions that were a world away from the formulaic flicks of yore, many of the biggest superhero movie franchises have gained unparalleled popularity, with the Iron Man trilogy being a prime example.
Iron Man 3 was released recently, receiving acclaim from some critics. It also succeeded at the box office, taking hundreds of millions of dollars at cinemas worldwide, much like the first two parts of the series. Unlike many modern superhero films, none of the Iron Man films were too serious – in many ways, they encapsulate all that a superhero film should be.
Superman to follow suit?
Next month, Man of Steel, the latest Superman movie, is due to be released on the big screen. After previous failed attempts to do the character justice, the signs are that Man of Steel will adopt a darker tone, much like that of The Dark Knight series, starting with a gloomy yet atmospheric new soundtrack.
If Man of Steel is to be remembered by moviegoers for all the right reasons, it’s got some stiff competition from most modern films. As well as pandering to fans of the original comic books and TV shows, some of the more recent superhero movies gave the lead character added depth, putting them a class above what passed for superhero flicks as recently as the mid-1990’s.
Dark Knight reigns supreme?
Ladbrokes recently conducted a survey that found The Dark Knight to be the most popular of all superhero movies. For both men and women, it came on top of the poll with 18% of the vote. 21% of men said they preferred it over any other film in the genre. Avengers Assemble was the first choice for women at 17%, while Catwoman was voted as the worst of all time (22% overall).
Women chose Batman as their toughest superhero, while all those who were polled said the Batmobile was the coolest superhero vehicle of all. This suggests that there’s a lot of love for the Caped Crusader and his antics, and the fact that The Dark Knight and sequel The Dark Knight Rises were voted as the best superhero films by so many prove that they will be seen as benchmarks.
