So, let me begin by informing the reader that I am no qualifying expert on any subject matter, however I do know things that I enjoy. I think in some instances I will hit a nerve with some of you. There will be those of you who will claim that I am nothing more than a bandwagon jumper in the recent wave of comic book to movie adaptations. I do believe, on the other hand, that the rest will see eye to eye with me. Whichever side you may fall on, I hope you will at least enjoy this as a decent read.
Fan-boys/girls, you are appreciated for having a passion about these story lines. Some of you have followed these stories; The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men; which such zeal that you know it all too well. That, I must state, is your downfall. You see, you go into a movie based off of a comic book you have been a fan of for a long time and your expectations are so high, that YOU yourself set the bar to an unreachable level. There is never a time, that I can recall, where a script writer, director, producer, and the actors lived up to how well crafted a book is. Considering the cost of movies, amongst other factors, you will never catch the atmosphere that words can express. I truly believe one who did very well in capturing the essence of a book series was, obviously, Peter Jackson (and I'm not referring to the movie about the giant ape). He did a great job with LOTR, and yet, I read people bashing even that. Most talked about how he left this out and that out. You know, directors have it hard enough trying to keep the actors in character, finishing within budget, and making sure that they are following laws and guidelines related to movie making without hearing you, the fan, talk down about their interpretation of a certain story to the big screen.
I am a fan of reading. When I see a movie coming out by one of my favorite authors, I do have a tendency to cringe, due to the question of, "What is going to end up on the editing room floor?" What I have learned is to not worry about how it's going to be done. I open my mind to the possibilities that a certain director may be able to bring to the table. Their interpretation of whatever writing they are bringing to a visual state is up in the air, kind of a certain sense of mystery that keeps me intrigued. I don't get all excited and worked up, because in the end, that is where "let down" comes from. Remember that expectations are pending disappointments.
I have seen all the Marvel movies to date. I grew up a huge fan of Spider-Man and later loved the Hulk. So seeing the interpretations of these two childhood heroes on the big screen had two effects: One character I really enjoyed the first and second movie , while the other was a disappointment at first, but the sequel had a redeeming factor in it, if that makes sense to you. My point is they have had some ups and downs in their interpretations. That is to be expected because just like with the rest of us, we will never reach a status of greatness without falling a few times on the road.
I am not disappointed in anything that lead up to "The Avengers" movie. Some, yes, I did enjoy more than others, but I think overall Marvel is doing a good job. Phase Two begins next May with Robert Downey, Jr reprising his role as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in the 3rd film of that series. RJD,J is a phenom when it comes to acting and they picked him spot on. Thor: The Dark World hits theaters next November and, once again, this is one I am looking forward to, especially with the announcement of Christopher Eccleston being cast as Malekith. Captain America: The Winter Soldier will be an early 2014 release, and not much details are out about it, so we'll see there. The next on the list, and this is one I am really looking forward to because it is getting the most "hate" from the community, is Guardians of the Galaxy, which I believe has been slated for August 14, 2014. The haters are worried about the comedy tag it may have been given. Seriously, in this day and age, when I go to the movies and there is a character that is a raccoon with an arsenal equivalent of most earthly military's, and a giant talking tree, I had better laugh. Trying to make something with characters like that too serious could really hurt your sales, especially with people not familiar with it. I know that's a tough pill to swallow, because you are the dedicated. No matter how much you cry about it, and I'm talking figuratively here (but maybe literally in some of your cases), that will not change the minds of the production staff. You see, Marvel has made so much money, and they have gained new fans along the way, that you as a fan could end up being collateral damage. So I say sit back and see where they take us, because after GotG in August '14, we'll see The Avengers 2 in 2015. If you're not happy after these transpire on the big screen, well, you should be done with college by this point and can start showing those "hacks" in Hollywood how it should be done.
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