Superhero movies have been on the rise for a number of years now and have become one of the most constantly anticipated genres when it’s time for a new movie to come out. Fans and critics alike flock to the unveiling of a new trailer when it’s produced, and will give their honest opinion of what they think the film will be like based upon a few scenes and whatever tempo the trailer takes. There have been some truly epic superhero movies made that had sought to redefine the genre, but there have also been those that have seemed to be little more than an embarrassment to superhero genre.
Steel (1997)
At one point and time Shaquile O Neal’s star was on the rise. Despite a rather up and down level of fame on the court, he was still sought after by many people as a spokesperson and, eventually, as an actor. Unfortunately for Shaq any movie that didn’t cast him as a basketball player seemed doomed from the start. His acting ability and the horrible premise of the film were simply too much to overcome as Steel became more of a joke and less of serious superhero as he was intended to be. In truth many people thought Steel was a blatant ripoff of Iron Man.
Daredevil (2003)
There are things that Ben Affleck can do, and there are things that he probably shouldn’t. Parading around as Hell’s Kitchen’s resident defense against common and uncommon criminals alike definitely falls into the latter category. The acting was choppy, silly instead of sinister, and the character of Daredevil just came off as, for lack of a better word, sketchy. Affleck has acting chops to fall back on, but with the lack of proper representation given to this beloved superhero it’s best if he just hangs up his horns for good.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
Now this is a hard one to call because the first Ghost Rider movie was actually fairly groundbreaking. It brought a favored marvel antihero onto the big screen to face a not so great villain and eventually tell of the devil himself. As special effects go it was mediocre and good in some spots, but the strange, frantic feeling that was given to Johnny Blaze in this film didn’t seem to match the quiet energy he possessed in the first one.
Supergirl (1984)
Let’s forget for a moment that special effects back in these days was pretty limited and didn’t afford the best look that could have been given to the cousin of Superman. Even with the best special effects however the story was slow, boring, and underdeveloped, and the idea of having a Supergirl when the Superman craze had not yet worn off was a risky proposition to start with. Had the effects and her backstory been given greater development it’s possible that she would have become much more popular in her initial movie debut.
Captain America (1990)
It was an attempt at making something that people love. The attempt wasn’t great, it wasn’t good, but it was an attempt all the same. Back in 1990 it might have seemed that the best the studio could provide was a Red Skull that looked like a psycho Cabbage Patch Doll and a Captain America that looked like a guy in a rubber suit, but, well, that is what the best they could do. From the sketchy acting to the cheesy sound effects to the horrible story line, there really weren’t any redeeming qualities here.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to state that some superhero movies shouldn’t be made, largely because if given the right actors and right director most any plot can become a masterpiece. These attempts however didn’t do their respective comic book personas any justice, and they certainly didn’t elevate the careers of those involved.
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