Skip to main content

What's up with all these superhero movies?

It seems superhero movies are the rage these days.

From Batman and Superman to X-Men and The Avengers, one would think that Marvel Studios and DC Entertainment have deliberately hijacked the movie industry. It seems one or more of these CGI-laden flicks come out each year.

And who can blame them?

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was released in the U.S. on March 25, has already pulled in a whopping $851.9 million. Not too shabby, considering it was produced on a not-so-shoestring budget of $250 million. I saw the movie a few weeks ago and thought it wasn't as good as any of the movies in The Dark Knight trilogy. But that's neither here nor there.

Meanwhile, Captain America: Civil War, slated to hit theaters in the U.S. on May 6, is expected to earn more than $190 million domestically and somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million worldwide in its opening weekend.

I remember how, back in the day, superhero movies primarily targeted children, their key demographic. Now, just about everyone and his brother has seen one of these movies. They not only have a loyal following among different age groups, but across different countries. Indeed, the superhero phenomenon has gone global.

As long as these blockbuster films continue to rake in the big bucks, Hollywood will continue churning out sequel upon sequel. Unfortunately, seldom are sequels as good as the original. (One notable exception is The Dark Knight, in which Heathrow Ledger's Academy Award-winning performance stole the show.)

Do you enjoy watching these superhero movies? Do you think production companies should aim to scale back on making so many?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Women vs. Men: Who likes to backstab more?

Whether it's on TV or in the workplace, the general consensus seems to be that women gossip, backstab, and stir up more conflict than men do. But, as with every other topic, I thought it only fair to put this so-called stereotype under the microscope. If you watch reality shows like Celebrity Apprentice, you'll notice it's the women who spend far more time bickering. While the men do at times become embroiled in tit for tat, it's the women who are portrayed as meaner and more hostile. In the workplace, I have noticed that women seem to gossip far more than their male counterparts. I haven't really seen any cases where a person blatantly backstabs the other, but I have caught both men and women in little white lies. If it is true that women are generally more into backstabbing and gossiping than men, why is this the case? I believe that it isn't fair to make a blanket statement like "all women play these games while all men keep to themselves and pre...

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it?  After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

Men prefer to marry brunettes

Study after study shows that men prefer blondes as girlfriends or mistresses and brunettes as wives . It seems many men see brunettes as more trustworthy and loyal. What's more, even though participants claimed that blondes are better in bed, they feel brunettes are better kissers and more affectionate than blondes. I find these results to be rather interesting. In my high school and early college days, I actually had a preference for blondes myself -- that is, until I hooked up with my now-wife. From that point on, I deemed brunettes as more attractive and marriage material, probably because they reminded me of and more closely resembled her. I think we can blame Hollywood, shows like Baywatch, and Playboy for painting blondes as wild, big chested, promiscuous and loose. (Yes, I know that there are brunettes in Playboy, but they seem to be in the minority.) When someone tells a man to think of an attractive blonde, who do you think likely crosses his mind? More likely than...