Damn It! This is Not the End of the Comic Book Movie!

Do you know what sticks in my craw?

The headline “Does (Failed Superhero Film Adaptation) Spell the End of Comic Book Films?”

Groan. It’s so lazy and it ridiculously generalizes audiences tastes. Every few years you get a Dark Knight or Iron Man and suddenly their phenomenal box-office take becomes a totally unrealistic benchmark. Just because a movie fails to capture a similar audience doesn’t mean this is the ongoing trend for a sub-genre.

Perhaps the film didn’t appeal to general audiences (Kick-Ass). Perhaps the film appealed to a very specific audience (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). Perhaps the film suffered from the lack of the expected marquee names (X-Men: First Class). Or maybe the film just wasn’t all that great (Green Lantern).

I totally reject that audiences have grown tired of superhero films. During the summer movie season, people want to see explosions and special effects. They want to marvel and be taken to other worlds—or see our world invaded by other worlds. Whether this involves superheroes, the gods of myth, pirates, student wizards, or snarky intergalactic robot automobiles—I don’t think audiences care. They want to have a good time at the movies.

Two years ago The Hangover earned an astounding $45 Million and went on to rake in $277 Million domestically. Unfortunately Bad Teacher opened last weekend with a mild $31 Million and Bridesmaids has only been able to take in $148 Million so far this summer. My goodness—this can only mean this is the end of comedies!

Films of all genres and their sub-genres fail. It doesn’t mean that a few failures in a row is indicative of the end of a certain type of film—except for Lambada films. The failure of Lambada and The Forbidden Dance to capture audiences was the death knell for that sub-sub-sub genre.

I am hopeful that Captain America: The First Avenger earns a healthy box-office when it opens next month—but not because it will be a sign that superhero films are here to stay. I kind of think they are. But because I want to read articles that state “Just when it was looking like audiences were done with comic book films, Captain America debuted with a shocking blah-blah million!”

So Green Lantern is not the end of the superhero film folks. Unfortunately it is also not the end of the lazy speculation of the health of these films.