It’s been about 5 years now since the current boom in comic book movies really took off, sparked by Bryan Singer’s adaptation of X-Men, and solidified by Sam Raimi’s take on Spider-Man. I’m sure there are a lot of reasons for the success of these films, not the least of which is the fact that they are cultural icons, stories that have been around for generations and thus appeal to the young and the old. They also present great opportunities for state of the art special effects and provide the spectacle and escapism that people want from the movies.

Lately, however, we’ve been seeing funnybook flicks put a stranglehold on the film industry, and I’m wondering whether or not this is an entirely good thing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy reading comics, and I enjoy watching a good comic book movie just as much as anyone else. But all this hysteria over comic book adaptations is having some negative effects on the movie business too, and I will take this opportunity to point out five of the problems that I see and throw them out there as food for thought. Hey… I’m not saying comic book movies need to stop, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to rein back our enthusiasm just a tiny bit!

Problem #1: Tying Up Big Name Filmmakers for Extended Periods of Time

One of the reasons why a lot of the previous comic book movies from the 80’s and 90’s didn’t work is because the people behind involved were not exactly top-tier Hollywood talent. Studios didn’t take the movies very seriously, and most respected filmmakers wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole. Well that’s all changed now with studios trying to land the hottest indie filmmakers to give their project credibility, whether it’s Sam Raimi doing Spider-Man or Christopher Nolan doing Batman Begins. Essentially we’ve got some of the most creative and visionary directors dedicating all their time to making popcorn movies… perhaps this sounds snobby, but isn’t it a waste of talent? I mean, there’s no question they’ve upped the bar for these comic book flicks, in some cases made them more than mere fluff, but what else are we missing out on? These huge franchises absolutely consume the people who helm them. Christopher Nolan somehow found time to direct The Prestige in between Batman movies, but we haven’t seen anything new from Raimi or Bryan Singer in years.

Problem #2: Studios Are Only Interested in Franchises Right Now

This brings me to my next point: now that studios have seen the massive following that comic book movies have, they only want to produce an endless stream of sequels based on familiar characters. Since the series name can carry itself in a lot of cases, they don’t even need to maintain the same creative team from movie to movie. And now a lot of studios are starting to evaluate all of their projects using the same mentality. They’re not interested in one-off stories, they want something that they can become a franchise to guarantee them a limitless pool of money down the road. Sequels are fine, but in the movie world, stories need to be self-contained. Not every story is (or should be) continuable. This one of the strengths of the medium; there is a certain finality to the end of a movie, it gives the actions of characters more weight to them. We should be wary of letting film turn into a serialized medium, and we shouldn’t throw out stories that have a finite ending just because there is no opportunity for sequels. Also, new and original content shouldn’t be ignored just because it doesn’t come with a built-in audience or brand.

Problem #3: Studios Are Concentrating All Their Efforts on a Few Blockbusters

The recent success of huge tentpole comic book movies has proven to studios that they can make a lot more money by focusing the majority of their efforts on a few huge blockbusters rather than wasting time with a variety of lower budget films that only turn a small profit. Not only does this mean we’re seeing some studios put out less movies, but it also means they are getting pretty loose with the amount of cash they are throwing at those few blockbusters. I would argue that this is a recipe for disaster because as the budgets balloon, the projects set themselves up to be an even more catastrophic failure when audiences don’t respond. Right now it seems like these franchises are invincible and immune to poor reviews, but they’re staking so much on a single film that it could have major consequences if it bombs. More to the point, diversity is always a good thing, and studios are simply narrowing their focus right now, which means consumers have less choice in the long run. Comic book movies are diverting studio resources from other deserving projects.

Problem #4: A-List Actors Want In On The Deal

The sheen of success and artistic credibility that is being brought to the comic book movie genre has started to attract the attention of A-List actors. Academy award winners and nominees like Nicolas Cage, Kevin Spacey, and Ed Norton are donning tights in the hopes of boosting their careers. Why is this a problem? Well, for starters, it’s just like taking talented directors away from the other projects they’d be doing instead. Actors typically don’t get tied up for as long as directors though. In this case, my bigger complaint is the fact that we have so many familiar faces stepping into the roles of established characters. I know some people will say that A-list actors bring much more depth to a character; I won’t argue that, but the truth is that it’s not always necessary. I am a fan of casting unknowns where possible, because a big name actor can just be too distracting. Fanboys pipe up about how this actor or the other resembles someone in the comic book world, and the studios go out and try to get them. We end up with people like Jessica Alba being shoehorned into the role of Sue Storm, caked with white make-up, bleached blonde hair and blue contact lenses for no other reason than because she is a well-known celebrity name. I don’t think this makes the movies any better. It also drives the budgets way up.

Problem #5: Fanboys Actually Influence Hollywood

This brings me to my last point, the one where I probably run the most risk of pissing some people off. Let me start by saying that there’s nothing wrong with being a fan of comics or comic book movies. I am one myself. But the criteria used to judge a comic book and a movie are (and should be) two completely different things. Some of the most vocal and active movie enthusiasts in film communities right now are huge comic book geeks, and in their passion for the medium, sometimes they to lose sight of common sense. For many of them, everything seems to hinge on being completely faithful to the source material — which, I’m sorry to say, is not always best for the movie. Fans will say they have a right to demand complete accuracy, since they are the target audience for the movie. But they aren’t the only target audience — the movie has to play to people who are completely unfamiliar with the comic book as well.

The scary thing is that studios are so afraid of how vocal the fanboys are, that they are starting to listen to them. They are overlooking the average moviegoer and trying to appease the hardcore fans from day one, creating goodwill and positive buzz to guarantee that the film will be a success. And this sets a dangerous precedent, where the focus is almost entirely on catering to the loudest members of the target market, instead of worrying about what will make the best movie overall. Call me old-fashioned, but I would much prefer to leave the filmmaking to the filmmakers, and allow a director bring his vision to the table with minimal interference. Even the mainstream media seems to be getting caught up in minor details like costumes and hairstyles, somehow elevating the importance of these films way beyond mere diversions. There is a strange cultural shift going on right now where film critics seem to be losing relevance, and have less impact on Hollywood than the opinion of the comic book fan. Blogs, not unlike Film Junk, have become a major force in determining both how a movie is created and how it is ultimately judged. We are entering a new age where fans are empowered, and while it can be constructive in some ways, we all know what happens when someone gets a taste of power… they want more! What I’m saying is, we need to tread lightly from here on in.

So there’s my two cents, and now in the words of Johnny Storm, let me invite your own responses to this editorial: Flame on!