Support NeoGAF

[shawnbuddy]

Social justice oriented marketing. The movie is not anything special, but having a female front lead and female director sold it. That's what people want to hear, that's what they want to support, it represents a change over what has become a sea of white male superhero leads. I'd be willing to bet Black Panther sees a similar effect even knowing nothing about the actual quality of the movie.

That is not what happened, at all. Wonder Woman has better legs and word of mouth than most other superhero movies, because people actually liked it.. Also, if that kind of marketing worked the Ghostbusters reboot would have been a big success instead of a roiling controversial shit storm.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

That often the narrative you create around the film is more important than the narrative that plays out in the film when it comes to box office.

But to be honest, studios already know this.

 

[yuraya]

Wonder Woman is very charming and funny. Also very heroic and goal driven unlike most other superheroes. Gal along with Patty did a perfect job with the story. The mythology stuff also helps WW be different from all others.

I don't think you can just replicate WW style with other films and heroes tbh.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Don't prioritize fun in a movie that is trying to do something semi-serious.

 

[JDMC13]

Basically - be confident in your material, don't make excuses for it, and execute it well.

Absolutely.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Social justice oriented marketing. The movie is not anything special, but having a female front lead and female director sold it. That's what people want to hear, that's what they want to support, it represents a change over what has become a sea of white male superhero leads. I'd be willing to bet Black Panther sees a similar effect even knowing nothing about the actual quality of the movie.

Because Ghostbusters went over so well.

Is this post a joke?

 

[Somnid]

That is not what happened, at all. Wonder Woman has better legs and word of mouth than most other superhero movies, because people actually liked it.. Also, if that kind of marketing worked the Ghostbusters reboot would have been a big success instead of a roiling controversial shit storm.

Right, because it's a competent superhero movie about a women kicking ass and without terrible objectification issues. Of course people would be interested in it, it's practically revolutionary by Hollywood standards.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

Make fun, coherent, entertaining movies?

 

[MHWilliams]

- Return to Donner style heroes (I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do VS I'm doing this for personal gain)
- The character needs to be the driver of the film, not the action sequences
- Let films have their own distinct look and feel. Let them be works of their director rather than productions of a studio
- Create memorable scenes that transcend the film and elevate it from a movie to a pop culture moment (No Man's Land)

I mean, the first is the opposite lesson you'd take away from Deadpool and Logan, two of the other breakout superhero films.

Lesson is the same as it's always been:

Make a good movie
Put good characters in it
Have those characters engage the audience
Establish something unique in your superhero film that the others don't have.
SELL THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF IT.

Basically - be confident in your material, don't make excuses for it, and execute it well.

That's the lesson.

Pretty much this.

There's been no concept that I don't think can work onscreen, it's all down to the execution. Elements of Batman v Superman, X-Men Apocalypse, et al could be made into great films, it's just the results were not. Execution is everything.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

 

[timberger]

- Watch Captain America The First Avenger and take notes.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Make fun, coherent, entertaining movies?

A lot of these super movies are coherent. You can understand what they're doing so they make sense. What they don't do is engage that well. Engaging the audience is part of making an entertaining movie.

 

[DiscoJer]

My guess is, Chris Pine will co-star in every single blockbuster movie for the next 5 years.

Not what they should learn, but will try.

 

[Sunster]

- Watch Captain America The First Avenger and take notes.

i will never understand the love for this movie.

 

[shintoki]

Donner style can exist with Marvel pure Comic can exist with Nolan realistic can exist with Deadpool parody action.


What they should learn?
-Get an actual team who wants to work with the material. It's not perfect, but in a year where you had WW under Jenkins, GOTG under Gunn, and Logan under Mangold. All who were passionate about the project with all stating the studio largely let them do their own thing. It speaks volume to what you need. So whatever tone they decide to go with, studios should look for people passionate about the subject and have faith in them. Help, but not meddle.

-More women and minorities. Marvel should be shamed for getting beat to the punch, because WB is eating now. Also look at BP in Civil War. This isn't just another new hero, to many, it's more. It's the first time they can see someone up there like them and the big boy table. It's not always going to work out, but the world is expanding and many franchises are eating off of it like SW and FnF, now WW. Do the hardwork now and reap the rewards.

-You know what this film did? Gadot and Pine were equals. There was no damsel in distress, they had each others back even though Pine was not a hero, he wasn't just turned into a side kick or someone who needed rescuing. He could not do what Diana could do, but he was not MJ, or Potts, or anyone else. He was an equal to her.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

i will never understand the love for this movie.

I didn't even know people enjoyed First Avenger that much. It's fairly forgettable. Now Winter Soldier...that's a fucking movie. I do see the similarities between FA and WW though. Both characters have an unabashed earnestness, which is pretty rare to see in blockbusters these days. Wouldn't work for every comic character, but it's a good direction for those two.

 

[kswiston]

Wonder Woman is having a fantastic run from a legs standpoint, but it isnt performing so far above what is normal that everyone has to go back to the drawing board.

The major lesson is that there is an audience for a variety of takes on the superhero genre, from a variety of perspectives.

 

[HotHamBoy]

That often the narrative you create around the film is more important than the narrative that plays out in the film when it comes to box office.

But to be honest, studios already know this.

Brutal.

I thought the movie had a lot of problems so I sure hope they don't learn the wrong lessons.

But a female can lead a successful super hero film, that's the biggest lesson.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Brutal.

Cynical, really.

 

[Monocle]

I expect Hollywood to take away all the wrong lessons and completely misunderstand what Wonder Woman achieved, so:

- feature women with great legs in wildly overblown action scenes, in the tradition of Sucker Punch

- have all-female groups of guards or warriors or police officers who dress naughty

- flips everywhere. Everybody does flips

- give the main character a group of kooky sidekicks who each embody an offensive stereotype

- fill the soundtrack with trashy electronic strings when there's any hint of something cool or dramatic

- focus on a simplistic love story where only the man is given real agency, and there's a running gag where he keeps catching the woman naked

- use a wartime setting that trivializes the historical conflict

- have characters take away the wrong message from their allies' sacrifices

- add lots of melodramatic voice over by the main character

 

[One Eyed Willy]

Make good movies and audiences will respond well.

 

[7Th]

That domestic and international markets are slowly growing apart, but that's a lesson they should've learned from Star Wars.

 

[George Oscar Bluth II]

While Spidey's % drop will be a big cause for commotion and think pieces this upcoming week

The "commotion", as you put it, is nothing more than an overreaction by a small number of people to a twice rebooted superhero having his new movie perform pretty well, instead of excellent. The only people actually saying it's a cause for "concern" are trying to push some weird fanboy or anti-superhero agenda because... I dunno, they have nothing better to do? They certainly don't know what the numbers mean.

Also, only one think piece has been written so far. It included official numbers but the writer had no idea what they meant or what to do with them so they mashed some shit together to get some clicks. Those numbers mean jack shit and I don't think anyone reputable will think it's a topic worthy of writing a think piece about.


As for your question, I think the lessons that should be learned are quite clear:

- Allow more female creators to, y'know, create . Give directors more opportunities to make a movie like this.
- More female-led action movies.
- Make a good movie with likeable and interesting characters, especially in a film that's supposed to have wide appeal, like... Say, Batman v Superman.
- Trust in the director's vision (unless they're pulling a Josh Trank or something). Let them make the film their own.

 

[elrechazado]

I expect Hollywood to take away all the wrong lessons and completely misunderstand what Wonder Woman achieved, so:

- feature women with great legs in wildly overblown action scenes, in the tradition of Sucker Punch

- have all-female groups of guards or warriors or police officers who dress naughty

- flips everywhere. Everybody does flips

- give the main character a group of kooky sidekicks who each embody an offensive stereotype

- fill the soundtrack with trashy electronic strings when there's any hint of something cool or dramatic

- focus on a simplistic love story where only the man is given real agency, and there's a running gag where he keeps catching the woman naked

- use a wartime setting that trivializes the historical conflict

- have characters take away the wrong message from their allies' sacrifices

- add lots of melodramatic voice over by the main character

There isn't a umad or salt mine gif big enough in this world for this post.

 

[Dr. Worm]

More nice Jewish girls in lead roles.

 

[Woo-Fu]

I don't think there is anything to learn there that they couldn't have learned from other movies. Thing is, it isn't as simple as just learning and knowing how to make a successful film.

 

[airmangataosenai]

"Chris Pine=Box Office Gold!"

 

[zerosum]

Lesson is the same as it's always been:

Make a good movie

Not to be reductive.

But this is really it. Harder said than done and all that, but still...

Studios still want to throw established shit at the screen, and then wonder why we don't want to watch the same shit drip off if it.

 

[Apt101]

That it's OK to be earnest. You don't need to be cynical about having heart. Audiences still enjoy a good old fashioned hero.

To be fair, Marvel already did this with Captain America - it just gets lost in the greater shuffle that is The Avengers and the connected universe. It seems so original and pronounced with Wonder Woman because the film stands in such stark contrast to the other WB/DCEU films.

 

[Not]

make a couple of bad films before so expectations are low

lolol

 

[Monocle]

There isn't a umad or salt mine gif big enough in this world for this post.

If it wasn't clear, I wasn't attacking Wonder Woman at all. I'm just saying we're probably due for another instance of a Suicide Squad aping a Guardians of the Galaxy.

Wonder Woman came out and surprised everyone by subverting all sorts of cliches and avoiding all kinds of pitfalls. The other shoe's gotta drop soon. It will be spectacularly bad.

I hope you like leather miniskirts.

 

[Falchion]

Understand the character and make the movie true to them and their motivations. Wonder Woman did a great job of this.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Edit: I opened this window in late at night and hit post in the morning. Don't do that, kids.

There isn't a umad or salt mine gif big enough in this world for this post.

He liked the film. He's just being cynical - but not without reason - at how the studio will respond to the success of the film.

Bobby got it right, though. As usual. Not sure that's the lesson they'll learn, but it's what they should learn.

 

[broncobuster]

Social justice oriented marketing. The movie is not anything special, but having a female front lead and female director sold it. That's what people want to hear, that's what they want to support, it represents a change over what has become a sea of white male superhero leads. I'd be willing to bet Black Panther sees a similar effect even knowing nothing about the actual quality of the movie.

That wasn't part of the marketing push, though.

And the problem with saying the movie is not anything special is conflating personal taste with the reception from audiences and critics alike.

I didn't even know people enjoyed First Avenger that much. It's fairly forgettable. Now Winter Soldier...that's a fucking movie. I do see the similarities between FA and WW though. Both characters have an unabashed earnestness, which is pretty rare to see in blockbusters these days. Wouldn't work for every comic character, but it's a good direction for those two.

If anything Wonder Woman and Winter Soldier felt more similar. The First Avenger comparison? I think it's a superficial thing. People say it try and sound clever; it usually has the opposite effect.

 

[Budi]

One thing would be to finance Jenkins' I am Superman with Ryan Gosling, since she seems passionate about it.