Why So Serious?

Why so serious?

 

*May contain spoilers of superhero movies*

 

You know, after my extensive contact with both DC and Marvel movies, comics, plotlines, fan-fiction, what have you, I have come to a realization. DC has no sense of humor.

            Now, I know you probably have no idea what I’m talking about, but think about it. Think about all of the most recent superhero movies you have seen lately.

The Amazing Spiderman:

“Peter, why is your face all dirty?”

“I uh…I was cleaning the chimney…”

“…We don’t have a chimney.”

“…Whaaaaaaat….?”

 

Superman:

-Father is about to get sucked into a tornado. Gives Clark a look not to save him-

-Clark lets him die-

-His real father dies 5 seconds into the movie-

 

…..You see the dilemma, correct? Besides Gwen Stacy, not many people in Marvel movies die. God knows they trick you into believing so every single Avengers movie. Frankly, I was tired of having my emotions played with, but I’m definitely happy Nick Fury is alive. Marvel seems to realize that they can have jokes in their movies. DC is always dark and brooding.

            Not only are the stories typically darker in DC, the actual filmography and landscaping of the movies is darker. Watch a DC movie and pay close attention to the coloring. At least to me, it seems that DC movies are darker both figuratively and literally. Marvel isn’t afraid to add some comedy, even if their heroes aren’t as strong of characters as DC. That is why Marvel movies are typically better than DC movies.

There Is A Difference

There Is a Difference

 

            I am sure that most of you are familiar with a few comic books characters. Even those of you whom aren’t the “comic book type”, you’ve most likely seen at least a few superhero movies: Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Thor, etc. I would hope that you could, at the very least, name a few (If you can’t.. shame on you). Now, what many people seemingly fail to realize is the fact that the more popular comics are split between two major comics; DC and Marvel. Sadly, I doubt that most people would be able to categorize the more commonly franchised heroes. To those people, I am scowling at you admonishingly.

            Now, under the assumption that most of you might not know which characters belong to which respective comic, I’ll give you a few examples:

            DC: Batman, Batgirl, Beast Boy, Catwoman, Cyborg, Deathstroke, Harley Quinn, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Damien Wayne, Lex Luthor, Joker, Hawkgirl, Nightwing, Penguin, Raven, Riddler, Robin, Superman, Wonderwoman, Swamp Thing, The Flash, and Zatanna. (There are countless others, but I’m sure that gives you a good idea of who corresponds with whom.) - http://www.dccomics.com/characters

 

            Marvel: Beast, Black Widow, Blade, Bruce Banner, Deadpool, Callisto, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Charles Xavier, Daredevil, Doctor Doom, Electro, Falcon, Green Goblin, Cyclops, Ghost Rider, Gwen Stacy, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Johnny Storm, Mystique, Nick Fury, Thing, and Thor.

http://marvel.com/characters/browse

 

            Now, as you can see from the list above, the DC characters are, in my opinion, a bit more commonly known. Marvel tends to have too many obscure characters that come in countless versions. The characters are usually quite a bit different.

First of all, Marvel heroes tend to have pretty normal lives before becoming a superhero. The most common reason for this is probably because the characters undergo some weird change later on in their lives and develop super powers. Peter Parker was a completely regular boy until his uncle died and he was bitten by a radioactive spider; Spiderman. Steve Rogers was an undersized boy who wanted to be a soldier, so, he did experimental testing for the government that turned him into a super soldier; Captain America. Though there are a few different background stories, Bruce Banner was a normal man until he was blasted by Gamma Rays during an experimental bombing; he then became the Hulk.

            On the counter side, the DC characters tend to be a bit more extraordinary. Bruce Wayne was a boy who saw his parents murdered before his eyes and swore then and there to exact revenge on criminals like the one that took his parents. For years, he trained physically and intellectually, and creates a mass amount of weapons and technology that allow him to operate as well or even better than other heroes with actual superpowers. Clark Kent (Born: Kal-El) is an extra-terrestrial from the planet Krypton. His father, a scientist name Jor-El, sent Kal-El away on a rocket as an infant before his home planet was completely destroyed. He was found in Kansas and adopted by a farmer and his wife, starting to develop powers at a young age. He always had a strong sense of protectiveness and morals, resulting in his becoming Superman. Diana Prince is an Amazonian Demigod princess from island Themyscira. Clearly, that is not an ordinary background. Diana is a fighter of Justice who protects the world as Wonder woman.

            I believe another reason it’s easier to identify specific heroes of DC comics is because they are much more… epic and powerful. Marvel characters usually have just one power; Cyclops has his laser beam eye, Wolverine has his claws. DC characters have countless powers; Superman has flying, laser vision, ice breath, super strength, x-ray vision, and many more. Marvel characters seem to stick in packs more often; X-men, Fantastic Four, The Avengers. Though there is the Justice League for DC characters, they tend to stick to their own individual storylines so that you are able to spend more time focusing on that individual superhero.

            DC likes to factor mythology into their stories. Princess Diana is a demigod, Zatanna is a magician, Thor is an Asgardian God, Superman is an alien. Let me put this into perspective for you. Let’s start back with the first season of Justice League. That season alone had an alien invasion, a war with Atlantis, a sorcerer blackmailing the Amazons to release the God of the Underworld, Hades, from Tartarus, people trading extraterrestrials as slaves, Gorilla Grodd attacking Gorilla City (which...sounds funny-), a demon helping the Justice League to defeat a sorceress, the League transported to a parallel comic book universe (There are so many different universes, it’s hard to keep stories straight), and an immortal ex-caveman going back in time to help the Nazis win WWII… Let’s all just take a minute to breathe. While DC is dealing with their battles with heaven, hell, and everything in-between, Marvel is usually sticking to their sci-fi world and battling evil scientists and the like.

            It is for these reasons above that I clearly find it difficult to pick which comic I love most. Of course, I would most likely pick DC characters and storyline, but I think Marvel has more realistic types of heroes as they are usually centered on typical humans that undergo a transformation.

Man Mulan

Mulan

 

As you could probably realize from my URL, I am a major advocate for any and all Disney creations. I love them to death, I hold them near and dear, I grew up watching them, and my children will watch them because they brought me happiness. I have realized that, as I’ve gotten older, I have begun to notice and analyze more of the plot line than I ever would have as a child.

There has been one plot point I never understood while watching the movie, Mulan. As everyone knows, Mulan is a young Chinese girl who has come of age and is supposed to be getting married. Yet, she cannot seem to fit to any of the typical standards for a woman of her age. She can’t play the part of a quiet and obedient wife. Her father is being drafted to go to war against the Huns and he is already injured from a previous war he had participated in. Mulan tries to convince her dad that it’s too dangerous but her father only speaks of family honor and says that her inability to follow orders shames them.

In order to save her father and prove herself, Mulan takes her father’s armor and goes to war in his place, disguised as a boy. Throughout the movie, Mulan trades off between her usual voice and her “man” voice. She was also bathing in a river with her hair down when a few fellow soldiers got in and no one had the slightest clue that she was a woman. While her façade was an important plot point and even a comedic point throughout the story, I find it hard to believe that no one realized that she was a woman.

She has a high voice, she came to training with no muscle mass, she is relatively petite and she has a feminine face. The fact that these burly men with whom she spent mass amounts of time with hadn’t realized that she was a woman is a bit unrealistic. Of course, it’s all a cartoon for children who most likely wouldn’t be analyzing gender roles, so I suppose realism isn’t exactly what they were going for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbp52Z9jRg0

Animated Abomination

Animated Abomination

 

“Like fire

 Hellfire

 This fire in my skin

 This burning desire

 Is turning me to sin”

 

 “Protect me, Maria

 Don't let this siren cast her spell

 Don't let her fire sear my flesh and bone

 Destroy Esmeralda

 And let her taste the fires of Hell

 Or else let her be mine and mine alone”

 

“Hellfire

 Dark fire

 Now gypsy, it's your turn

 Choose me or

 Your pyre

 Be mine or you will burn”

 

            Have you recognized this little poem yet? No? Well, I’ll give you a hint: It is the lyrics to a song from a famous 1996 movie. Is it a horror film? A musical? A thriller? You may be surprised to know, if you haven’t recognized these words already, this song comes from the ever popular Disney cartoon The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This song is sang by the Minister of Justice Claude Frollo. Of course, this Disney film is a remake of a classic Victor Hugo story that would still be much more grotesque than the movie you loved as a child.

In this version, a beautiful gypsy woman was carrying a bundle that was believed to be stolen goods. She ran from authorities and was pursued by Frollo whom chased her to the church where the woman tried to enter and claim sanctuary, meaning they could not arrest her within church walls. Frollo snatched the bundle from her and kicked the woman down, causing her to hit her head on the cement steps and die. Frollo realized that the bundle was only a baby, but it is horribly disfigured and he claims that it is a demon which must be killed. The Archdeacon of the church witnesses the whole thing and tells Frollo that the divine beings of Notre Dame witnessed the innocent blood he shed on the steps of the church and the only way to save his soul from eternal damnation is to raise the baby as his own. Frollo begrudgingly agrees and has the Archdeacon keep the baby in the bell tower for years. The baby is named Quasimodo. He is humpbacked and facially disfigured which is why he is forbidden from leaving the tower.

Over a course of events, Quasimodo meets a beautiful gypsy woman named Esmeralda when he leaves the bell tower. Frollo hates gypsies and believes they are witches who should be killed. Yet, despite his hatred, Frollo has a lustful obsession with Esmeralda. The song above named “Hellfire” is basically saying that Esmeralda shall be his or she will burn her alive. Now, as a child, I for one never realized the message or lyrics of the song. It wasn’t until more recently that I began to understand the dark meaning behind the song.

The entire premise of the movie is quite dark and a bit mature for children. It relies heavily on religion and has quite a few mentions of eternal damnation. Frollo kills Quasi’s mother and tries to burn a family alive after locking them inside, it speaks of lust, sin, and hell fire and labels Quasimodo as a horrible abomination. While I personally adore the movie and the friendship that develops between Esmeralda and Quasi due to their understanding of each other and being shunned by society, if you had not watched this movie growing up, it would be quite unsettling to discover that the movie is designated for children.

Not only is the story itself quite mature, it makes you question many other Disney movies. Walt Disney created so many movies that we as children grew up watching. Are there other stories and songs that we have never analyzed in depth which could be compared to “Hellfire”?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDacUZ-bEhE