We have something to say about it
Superheroes fill the gaps
By Kristin Olson
There has been a new trend in the film industry since September 11, 2001. The media has been hyping terrorism, war, and heroes in a time of struggle. It seems that the media loves to tell the American people war stories, such as the Jessica Lynch story. These are the types of things that make the citizens of the United States uneasy. This is where the film industry comes into play. It�s here to make us feel safe for just a few hours.
This new trend is the super hero/comic book adaptation movement. I�m sure you can name just a few of the films in this little genre. X2: X-Men United, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Punisher, Van Helsing, Spider-Man, and Hellboy are just a few of the recent films in this trend. We need something to personify our fears and frustrations and we need someone to get rid of those fears. These films do that for us. These films give us the safety and stability that we long for.
Let�s take a look at the success of some of these movies. Spider-Man made one hundred fourteen millions dollars over the first weekend. X2: X-Men United made eighty-five million dollars in it�s opening weekend. Hellboy made twenty-three million in its first weekend, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen made about that as well. Spider-Man, X2, and Hellboy all took first at the weekend box office in their first week. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was in second its opening weekend; it lost to Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.
This has been the perfect time for all of these superhero movies, and trust me, the studios are cashing in on it. Universal Studios, which is producing this summer�s Van Helsing, is hoping that Van Helsing takes off. There are already plans for a sequel, a video game, and a TV show. These types of films make us safe, and we can identify with the protagonist. We want to stop the evil that is haunting us in our daily lives, and the only way ordinary people can do that is to see a movie about a superhero vanquishing evil in an imaginary world.
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