The 5 Characteristics Of Any Great Superhero Movie

Superhero movies are all the rage right now and have been box office gold for the last ten years. The same can’t be said of previous attempts, and there are certainly some superhero movies that are favorites for being torched by angry fans who expect much more than they received.

It’s a matter of semantics, as the only way a superhero movie can be seen as successful is if it has to live up to the idea of ​​what a superhero is: super. Extraordinary. This, it seems, is the stumbling block of so many attempts at movies.

For the casual fan looking for a bit more of the superhero genre, it’s important to know what to look for in a movie of this type. Here are five absolute ‘must haves’ for a great superhero movie:

1. Be aware of the source material: This is, and always will be, the number one rule of thumb for a ‘crossed with a cape’ movie. These stories, for the most part, started out as comics, and comic book fandom is fandom at its most intense. These folks know the story inside and out, know the origin stories of everyone involved in the story, and are quick to pounce on any mistakes or creative touches a movie studio might try to add.

2. There has to be some tragedy – We live in a world where it seems like everything must have a happy ending. The fact is that most superhero plots involve death, deceit, lost love, and occasional uprisings between the heroes and the “norms” that deem them unsuitable. It is from these difficult times that a hero emerges triumphant.

3. There has to be some humor… some: This is tricky, but in the end, if an audience is simply watching a masked crime fighter in court ‘on the fly’ while beating up bad guys, the trick gets a little old fast. Yes, there is an element of humor that provides moments of catharsis, but a writing team needs to know when to interject a laugh.

4. You have to do the casting right – Going back to the idea that there is a group of hardcore fans who know the history of the hero in question well, they also have an idea of ​​what the characters feel. they all look alike too. Sure, a comic may only give the space of a small cell to do this, but the person cast in a role has to feel good.

5. There has to be a human element to the characters: Even if we’re talking about superhuman figures with superpowers, a movie audience needs to connect with the hero’s plight as well as all the other characters. Whether it’s a bad boy or a love interest, audiences want to feel invested in a story that carries weight. Otherwise, it’s just a lot of on-screen action for no reason.