Maximizing the formula. Everyone is talking about Spider-Man: Homecoming, and rightly so. Jon Watts’ production is a triumph, full of winning performances, classic Spider-Man moments, just enough of the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe to engage us in continuity without battering us into submission with it, and a genuine, well-motivated villain in Michael Keaton’s Vulture. It has rapidly become a lot of people’s favorite Marvel movie to date. Considering the generally high standard that Marvel has set with its films, and the two disappointing Amazing Spider-Man movies that Sony pumped out prior to this reboot, Spider-Man: Homecoming hit at the very top of the curve in terms of what we could have expected from this kind of movie, and will very likely be rewarded at the box office for its trouble.
Wonder Woman not only outperformed expectations that had been ground down to dirt by the three preceding entries in the DC Extended Universe (Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad), it also instantly vaulted Gal Godot into the very elite constellation of female action stars capable of anchoring a franchise – and superhero movies so needed that. The film itself delivered a crisp and well-paced origin story, deft characterization and solid action. More than that, it almost effortlessly achieved the balance of drama and lightheartedness that has eluded Warner Bros on-screen forays under the leaden hand of Zack Snyder. It restored hope to the DCEU, both artistically and commercially, to the point that if Patty Jenkins isn’t at least offered a more strategic role in WB’s superhero master plan, someone has some ‘splainin’ to do.
Both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Wonder Woman represent the full entertainment value that the superhero movie formula can deliver in the hands of talented creators and appealing stars. Yes, they are popcorn movies, stuck with a bunch of four-color conventions that are inherently difficult to bring to live action cinema, and they are required to deliver the overblown slugfest in Act Three that’s starting to feel like an endurance contest. But goofy plot twists and superpowered smackdowns are the essential appeal of comic book superheroes. After a string of movies in 2016 that indicated comics may have exhausted the ability of filmmakers to bring anything new or inspired to the table, these two movies show there is still some life in the genre at its most essential level.
Pushing the boundaries. As enjoyable as Spider-Man and Wonder Woman were, neither movie aspired to be anything more than a solid superhero movie along the lines we have come to expect. The two other big hits of 2017 had slightly larger ambitions.
“Ambitious” might seem to be a misnomer for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, a textbook sequel that rehashed everything people found charming and fun about the unexpected 2014 hit original while tying up some plot threads left strategically dangling for just this purpose. Elements of the story were so formulaic that you could practically see the writers mashing buttons on videogame controllers wired to audience emotions.
On the other hand, GOTG2 took a plunge into uncharted waters. More than any other superhero movie to date, it was an out-and-out comedy that delivered laughs based on timing, situational humor and clever scripting. It didn’t rely on smirking inside jokes or ironic inversion of the genre (looking at you, Deadpool, or also Mystery Men for those of us with long memories). It didn’t use humor to lighten the mood of an otherwise-serious, high-stakes action movie (the first Guardians movie was guilty of this, as are most Marvel Studios productions); it was just funny. The whole film was ridiculous from start to finish, relying on one of the most bonkers villains in the Marvel pantheon as a foil for a cast of already-ridiculous heroes, and getting comedy gold from the stylings of WWE’s Dave Bautista, who killed it every time Drax opened his mouth or furrowed his brow.
Guardians 2 wasn’t just a funny superhero movie. It was a comedy with superheroes that didn’t rely on making fun of itself to be funny. That, to me, is a step in a new direction.
Ripping the genre to shreds. The class of the 2017 field, in my estimation at least, was Logan, possibly our final look at Hugh Jackman in his definitive performance as Wolverine. Logan was less a superhero movie than a Western, dusting off the hoary old trope of the reluctant gunfighter dragged out of retirement for one last act in the service of justice. Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart, two of the most accomplished actors to work in the superhero genre, were amazingly intense, but both were upstaged by Dafne Keen as the pre-pubescent X-23. Director James Mangold made the whole thing look great.
Logan is as close to high art as we’re likely to get in this kind of movie, and yet its seriousness didn’t make anyone cringe in embarrassment, which is quite an achievement. I would not be surprised to see Logan become the first superhero film to earn an Academy Award nomination in a non-SFX or makeup category – possibly cinematography or art direction, and maybe even an acting nod for one of the leads. If it does, it won’t seem like a sellout or condescension; and if it wins, it will be on the merits.
On the upswing? After 2016, comics movies needed a string of successes like this: not just blockbusters, but excellent films to maintain the viability of the concept. With the latest triumph of Spider-Man: Homecoming, fans, studio executive and even jaded critics can feel a little bit better about a genre that has dominated the screen, for better or worse, for most of this century.
Let’s agree that superhero movies will never be The Godfather. The four that have led off 2017 show that at least, they don’t all have to be Suicide Squad either.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
Rob Salkowitz (@robsalk) is the author of Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture.
