Why Don't Super Hero Subgenres (Comedies) Fair Well???

It's because people don't understand funny!

"Why do I have to balance a tack hammer on my head?"
"If you can balance the hammer on your head, then you can head off your foes with a balanced attack!"
"...and...why do I have watermelon my feet?"
"........I do not remember telling you to do that."

Hmmm, it's a tricky one. If we look at the other side, maybe that can indicate the opposite and prove the point from the back door. What's the highest grossing superhero film? The Dark Knight - very serious and very dark. See, completely the opposite. Not funny, dark, and rains cash down on Hollywood. I don't care enough to go into it very deep, but maybe this has something to do with it. Also, The Dark Knight is a superhero film by character reference only - otherwise you've got yourself a good ol' crime drama.

So what does this mean, and does it matter? Maybe us geeks still can't handle our genre being ripped satirical... not just yet. We need more time before we can watch our baby, however popular it may be, go out into the cold world to fend for itself, clad in spandex, being jeered and laughed at. Maybe us geeks still take our genre a little too seriously. But what about the regular folk? The families familiar with sunlight, the people who have no idea that with enough prep time Batman could beat God... why aren't these guys filling the seats? Here's my guess: Superhero films are probably comedy enough for them, without the added injection of lol factor. It would possibly be a bit too much for them to handle. Or maybe they only want to go out and see the Popular Franchises - think Spider-Man, Batman, and maybe one day Superman now Nolan's on the case.

Or maybe I should just shut up and finish my morning coffee.

Would you count the Incredibles as a Superhero Comedy? Because that was enormously successful.

And maybe that's the key. Maybe superhero comedies are perceived by the masses as something that should be family-friendly. I haven't seen Mystery Men or Kick Ass, but I'm willing to bet that at least Kick Ass isn't the sort of thing you take Ma and the Boys to see.

Or maybe it's because the mold has been set already for serious superhero films. Most are pretty lacking in the humor department (Iron Man and the first Spiderman did have some humor in them, though) but that seems to work for the audiences.

There was also that TV series they made of The Tick a while back. It was hilarious, but died a quick death at 9 episodes.

The main complaint from what I saw on Amazon was that it wasn't the animated series or that it somehow ruined people's memories of the animated series. Which is weird because the show was basically a live action cartoon. (Patrick Warburton in bright blue spandex. How is that NOT funny?)

The R rating on Kick Ass is probably a big stumbling point. Especially as I'm sure one of its biggest audiences would be teens. We'll just have to wait for the DVD release.

In all though, humour is a very tricky beast. And it seems that any kind of humour aside from the obvious doesn't do so well.

Um, it seems to be doing pretty well in the book office really (20 mill in the first weekend). It will make money in line how what Marv movies normally do. Superhero comedy isn't a huge genre, so i wouldn;t expect to see a top grossing one that often.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend did okay, despire being absolute dreck.

Dr.Gonzo said:

So what does this mean, and does it matter? Maybe us geeks still can't handle our genre being ripped satirical... not just yet.

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I kind of look at it the opposite way around...Superhero comedies are funnier to comic book fans. Sure, people can laugh at Mystery Men, but a lot of the jokes are funnier if you know about superheroes.

I think Watchmen didn't do as well as it should have because while it was a pretty well made movie, it's whole concept was based around the history of superhero comics, which the average moviegoer does not know as well as, you know, dorks like me.

veinglory said:

My Super Ex-Girlfriend did okay, despire being absolute dreck.

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I loved that movie. The scene where she catches him with that girl and she throws the shark at him makes me laugh my ass off every time I think of it.

veinglory said:

My Super Ex-Girlfriend did okay, despire being absolute dreck.

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Actually, that one bombed. Didn't make its budget back domestically and internationally only did slightly better.

Kick-Ass is moderately successful but suffered a significant drop in its second week. Whether or not that success translates into a sequel remains to be seen and a lot of it will have to do with DVD / Blu-Ray sales. At this point, it's certainly possible, depending on how much the parties involved really want to make the sequel.

I dunno, I think ultimately the quality of the films more than the concept of the genre mash-up have to be good for something like a superhero comedy. If a straight comedy film is kinda lousy, the familiarity with story tropes or actors might give it a pass. Likewise a superhero flick can ride a big opening and familiarity with characters to a solid profit.

Superhero comedy, like horror comedy, seems less forgiving. Comedy is obviously subjective, and superheroes are already a bit goofy and require certain amounts of disbelief suspension for the film to be good. A superhero movie purposely designed to not take itself or the material seriously leaves a lot of casual filmgoers wondering what's the point, I think. The Incredibles has been brought up, and a key difference between that film and something like Mystery Men or Kick Ass, in my opinion (aside from it being part of the Pixar dynasty) is that it treats the superheroes with a bit more affection. They're not really bumbling, barely capable schmucks. It's not an attempted "deconstruction" of standard superhero mythos. It pokes fun at the heroes and villains and conventions of the genre, but is ultimately paying respect instead of going purely for jokes.

I think something like Kick-Ass or even Watchmen would've potentially been more profitable / accepted if they were released closer to a point where the popularity of superhero movies was waning. Right now it's not even certain that it's reached an apex, so for a lot of filmgoers it's much too early to start making fun of something they're still in the midst of loving.

Kick-Ass was severely mis-marketed.

Well, I think the Incredibles had a more accepting mindset AND it was incredibly awesome and amazing.

Or else I would not have seen it sixty million times.

I thought the humor in My Super Ex-Girlfriend was off meter and uneven, like most of the punchlines were delivered without any sense of timing. It was great at the moments it hit a smooth patch, but HORRIBLE for the rest of it.

There are only a few funnyish scenes in Watchmen:

1) "yeah, human bean juice"

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2) "It doesn't take a genius to see the world needs saving."
"Yeah, but it takes a room full of morons to think they can handle it."

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Comedian lighting map of social problems on fire: "One day soon, the world is going to go up in smoke, and 'ol Ozymandias here will be the smartest man on the cinder."

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3) "Do you remember that guy, what was his name, Captian Carnage?"
"Yeah, I remember him, he would follow me around saying, 'Punish me. Punish me.' I said, 'No, get lost.'
"Whatever happened to him?"
"He pulled that on Rorshach, and he dropped him down an elevator shaft."

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4) To the very small, Mr. Big who threatens Rorshach, "tall order."

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5) "I'm not some sort of comic book villain. I wouldn't reveal my plan to you if there was the slightest chance of you interfering. I began twenty minutes ago."

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I love that movie, but it certainly isn't a superhero comic book movie. It's a deconstruction, but it is as dark as the Dark Knight is many ways, darker maybe.

Zoombie said:

Well, I think the Incredibles had a more accepting mindset AND it was incredibly awesome and amazing.

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Yeah, I think it works because even though it's obviously comedic, when it comes to the climactic scene and biggest moments, it still works as a straight up superhero movie. A lot of superhero-comedies are more comedies featuring superheroes, but still want to have moments or scenes that work well as a superhero movie. And it's hard to do when you seem to be disrespecting the material.

I found My Super Ex-Girlfirend only faintly funny and vrife with sexist tropes in a way that wasn;t as ironic as the writers obviously thought. Perhaps the makers of super-heroe movies don't quite appreciate how much of the comic book readership is female.

Well, if Howard Stern ever gets Fartman made, I think this paradigm will be broken.

Or maybe not.

I think most superhero comedies try the formulaic approach. Or worse, they fall into the trap of "trying" to be funny - which never works.

It looks like ABC is throwing their hat into the superhero ring.

The Powells are pretty much your average, everyday American family. That is until their plane crashes in the Amazon jungle. After that, well, let’s just say the Powells are a little less ordinary.


Jim is a frustrated police sketch artist married to Stephanie, a brilliant and successful scientist. Although they still love each other, their marriage has lost some of its spark. All of that changes, though, when Stephanie takes Jim and their two teenage kids along on a research trip to the Amazon. The Powell’s plane crashes into a swampy river; they manage to escape, but, their pilot, unfortunately, isn’t so lucky. As the Powells gratefully return to their old lives, they are shocked to discover that they have suddenly developed some rather extraordinary abilities.

Jim is super strong with amazing reflexes. Stephanie can suddenly move at lightning speed. Daphne can hear everyone’s thoughts including those of her 16-year-old-boyfriend, ick! Then there’s JJ, who miraculously goes from clueless to brainiac, seemingly overnight. The Powells are reinvigorated by their new powers, but they quickly discover that the toughest challenges may be the most ordinary ones. Sure, they can stop criminals, but all the super powers in the world can’t fix emotional problems.


The Powells better get their act together, soon, though, because that pilot they left for dead at the bottom of a river… he just woke up.


From Brother & Sisters’ Greg Berlanti and Jon Feldman comes a wild new dramedy about a totally relatable family who just happen to be a little bit amazing.
​

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It's like The Incredibles meets The Fantastic Four. It even has The Thing in it.

My Take: The base difference between The Incredibles (great movie) and the others is very basic: The Incredibles was animated. That automatically put it in a different category of entertainment in the mindset of the average American. "Animated"="cartoon"=kid entertainment, which allows for improbability and silliness galore.

Mystery Men (wonderful movie), Kick Ass (didn't see) and the others don't have that automatic "gimme" for the average American, I don't think. Live-action is held to different standards and SuperHero movie standards was set long ago by Batman, Superman, Spiderman and other serious/non-funny tones. When you've got people in stupid costumes doing impossible things, it's already pushing the line toward silliness that anything more just spills right into campy and/or stupid.

This analysis stems completely from discussions with my family and friends, some of whom follow comics & some who don't, FWIW. The medium in which it's presented seems to make a serious difference to them. Once it was mentioned, it was readily agreed upon by all, including myself.

Dr.Gonzo said:

Hmmm, it's a tricky one. If we look at the other side, maybe that can indicate the opposite and prove the point from the back door. What's the highest grossing superhero film? The Dark Knight - very serious and very dark. See, completely the opposite. Not funny, dark, and rains cash down on Hollywood. I don't care enough to go into it very deep, but maybe this has something to do with it. Also, The Dark Knight is a superhero film by character reference only - otherwise you've got yourself a good ol' crime drama.

So what does this mean, and does it matter? Maybe us geeks still can't handle our genre being ripped satirical... not just yet. We need more time before we can watch our baby, however popular it may be, go out into the cold world to fend for itself, clad in spandex, being jeered and laughed at. Maybe us geeks still take our genre a little too seriously. But what about the regular folk? The families familiar with sunlight, the people who have no idea that with enough prep time Batman could beat God... why aren't these guys filling the seats? Here's my guess: Superhero films are probably comedy enough for them, without the added injection of lol factor. It would possibly be a bit too much for them to handle. Or maybe they only want to go out and see the Popular Franchises - think Spider-Man, Batman, and maybe one day Superman now Nolan's on the case.

Or maybe I should just shut up and finish my morning coffee.

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I kind of think the opposite is true. Comic book fans like to see comic book characters/scenarios deconstructed, reconstructed, and the real-life implications explored. Whether using humor (Incredibles) or tragedy (Watchmen), the subject is of interest, and it's interesting to go deeper than POW! BLAM! ZORT!

The movie-going masses, on the other hand, don't want to get that deep with it. They like superheroes to 1. swoop in at the last second to save the girl, 2. land a thrillingly heroic uppercut on the villain's jaw, 3. hopefully blow some shit up, or at least knock down a building. Without these things, they feel something is missing.

I don't think one group is wrong, but people want different things from their movies. And deeply exploring the superhero paradigm has a limited audience. (I mentioned Incredibles earlier, but it has a lot of other things going for it besides just deconstructing the superhero paradigm*: Pixar, famous cast, brilliant writing, general hilarity, very sympathetic characters)

Single possibly relevant data point: I went to see Iron Man 2 last weekend, because I thought the acting and action in Iron Man 1 were well above average and very enjoyable. Iron Man 2 was SO SO comic book-y and ridonkulous that I was laughing all the way through the movie. No one else was laughing, and the teenage boy sitting next to me kept glaring at me, like Iron Man was VERY SERIOUS BUSINESS and how dare I make light of his epic struggle to defeat Mickey Rourke? And I wanted to swat him on the nose with a Twizzler, cause I've probably read more Iron Man comics than the rest of the audience combined, and in 2010 it's very hard to take the old original comics seriously. And I think the movie acknowledges that. But the movie does do a good job of balancing the humor, action, and melodrama.

Noah Body said:

Well, if Howard Stern ever gets Fartman made, I think this paradigm will be broken.

Or maybe not.

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Yanno, they already made a movie about a superhero with super farting powers. Thunderpants. Starring Ron from the Harry Potter movies. I think it was not a huge success.


*sorry for being a tool and saying things like "deconstructing the superhero paradigm"