It’s safe to say that 2014 has been a major flop for the movie industry, especially the movies that were released over the summer. Usually the summer is when the best and top grossing movies are released, but this year it was a major let down.
I think it is because the movie industry has become too reliant on superhero movies to be big blockbuster hits and consumers are getting tired of so many of them. But it wasn’t just superhero movies that struggled this year.
Because of success in international markets, Hollywood will keep churning out more Marvel and Spiderman sequels which grossed 500 of its 700 million dollars overseas. For comparison, the first Spiderman grossed 400 million domestically so within 12 years there has been a 50% drop-off and that’s not even counting inflation.
I saw several movies so far this year and the only movies that exceeded my expectations were Guardians of the Galaxy and Lego Movie, which were the top grossing movies in America this year. I felt that Guardians of the Galaxy was fantastic and was the best Marvel movie I’ve seen, but that was because it was something completely new to the average American and had a great cast of characters. Now, I love the Avengers just as much as the next guy, but Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America sequels have begun to get duller and superhero movies are starting to lose their flair.
What made super hero movies special in the early 2000s, was that they were new and rare and technology had just gotten good enough to make the movies seem realistic. Even though Spiderman and X-Men were groundbreakers for the superhero genre in the early 2000s, The Dark Knight was the movie that I think blew the whole thing open.
The Dark Knight came out in the summer of 2008 and it took the country by storm. It was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, but not because it was a super hero movie. I felt that way because it had amazing acting and a fantastic director that wanted it to be more than a stereotypical superhero movie.
At the time the Dark Knight became the second highest grossing movie of all time in America and with that, every other movie studio began to take note. Marvel was already planning The Avengers and the success of the Dark Knight only added fuel to their fire of cashing in while you can, which they did. The Avengers grossed 1.5 billion worldwide.
However, the Dark Knight and the Avengers were two different types of movies despite both being considered in the same genre. One was their only for the purpose to entertain and the other had the purpose to inspire you, give you hope and wasn’t about money, but about sending a message.
Looking at the past ten years of movies, only twice was a superhero movie the number one hit and it’s a lock to guarantee that Mockingjay will pass Guardians of the Galaxy this November.
Recently there was a timeline of future superhero movies coming out by Marvel, Fox, and Warner Brothers. In the next six years there are 40 superhero movies planned. For comparison from 2000-2014 there were close to 50.
While I’m excited about the new Avengers, It’s hard for me to get excited about, Wolverine 3 and Thor 3. Hollywood should focus on quality and quantity.