Children all ‘round the world dream to see their favorite superhero come to life and their story told to the greatest measure. This hope originates from reading comic books such as the Marvel and DC comics. The question now remains: which one of these franchise managed to deliver what everyone hoped for and which killed the dream?
Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The X-Men and many more have all had their moments in the Hollywood spotlight; each original superhero story has been created for a big-budget blockbuster film.
I tend to lean towards the Marvel Comics. Not only has Marvel done a fantastic job of choosing the cast for each film, but they have also chosen directors that have created films that legitimately captivate you and take you on a journey of exhilaration.
Let’s look at the blockbuster “Iron Man.” The creator’s first exceptional decision was casting Robert Downey Jr. as the witty, narcissistic and stubborn Tony Stark. Downey does an excellent job of embodying Stark’s movements and essence — and not to mention some fantastic one-liners. Also, Jon Favreau’s fantastic job as director kicked off from the first scene in the Afghanistan desert.
Some would argue that DC has made some good choices in casting as well. I won’t deny that “The Dark Knight” films did hit the money maker with Christian Bale, whose performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman was stoically mesmerizing.
On the other hand, however, it’s not that difficult for DC to find a hunky, dark-haired man in Hollywood to play the charming yet nerdy (referring to his alter ego Clark Kent) Superman. I’ll hand it to DC for making millions off their movies, but did they really have a challenge at conveying the comic book characters on screen?
Moving away from the topic of casting — audiences thrive for seeing the greatest cinematic effects right there in front of them, so who has truly delivered? Well, when looking at DC films like “The Dark Knight Rises,” some would say that the cinematography and the film noir setting are what entrances viewers. The dark lighting, the over-the-top scenes that can only be thought up in one’s imaginations, are brought to life. That’s all thanks to director Christopher Nolan.
When comparing the two companies, however, Marvel has got their act together when it comes to cinematography. The ability to create Thor’s home world Asgard is a clear indication of the amount of skill put in when forming the Marvel flicks. Yes, the DC movies have their explosions and their enormous football fields that perish in an epic manner, but Marvel had endless amounts of worlds being created, creatures being born and cities being destroyed oh-so-sweetly.
Naturally when making the debate between the two, one movie needs to be mention: “Guardians of the Galaxy.” This film alone grossed over $94 million opening weekend and over 300 million in overall revenue (talk about cha-ching). When this movie debuted in theaters, it became extremely evident the rules have changed. There’s no way to not make a fantastically comedic action film that will blow the audience’s minds when you put together a witty raccoon, a badass rebel woman, a sweet but deadly tree and a handsomely bright felon all on the same side.
I would honestly be surprised to see DC create something that will achieve the same hysteria that “Guardians” managed to brew up. They might have a chance in the year 2016 with the most anticipated collaboration since “The Avengers,” that being “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” This movie has caught the eyes of most movie-watchers and has been an epic battle long over-due. So fingers-crossed that DC Entertainment brings out the big guns and proves my thoughts wrong.
My intentions are not to bash DC Entertainment by any means. I was extremely entertained while watching Christopher Nolan’s Batman films and the newest Superman film “Man of Steel.” However, the quality of the superheroes and the amount that Marvel Enterprises has to offer is what sways me to their side. They have the amazing franchises like “X-men” and “The Amazing Spider-Man” to provide to the public. Let’s be honest; who would get tired of seeing some insane mutations used to the greatest extent?
So, all in all, my decision is that Marvel is the dominant company. It thrives today when it comes to the development of films with the choices of directors and the kinds of super heroes it offers. Marvel has created projects that incorporate all the desired elements: humor, darkness, action and sweet superpower moments. DC Entertainment still has the chance to step up their game and convince me otherwise, but as of right now I’m a Marvel girl.
