This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCT chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Films are made for everyone to enjoy and even critique, but when does it become too much?
During the university break, I was able to do something I enjoy most: going to the cinema. From ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’, ‘Superman’ and ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, how did these film releases turn into a box office war?
As a certified cinephile and a first year film student, I could say I am biased because I enjoy everything I watch in cinema but not everyone can say the same thing. An example of this was the box office war between the ‘Superman’ film directed by James Gunn (‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ trilogy) and ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ directed by Matt Shakman.
These superhero films had managed to move people emotionally and provide something for them to talk about during the July break. Suddenly, the box office warriors swooped in. There has always been a rivalry between DC and Marvel fans but this time, both seemed to take it a bit too far with regards to the box office records. Despite the fact that ‘Superman’ made atleast $588.8 million in the box office, some DC fans (specifically Zach Snyder and Henry Cavill fans) had criticised the film for being ‘too kind’ and not powerful, even though the whole point of ‘Superman’ is to be a symbol of hope for all.
Similarly, when ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ film was released, the box office charts faced a lot of criticism despite it being the highest grossing Marvel movie of the year (standing at $445.3 million). This is especially impressive,given that Marvel has been struggling to keep its audiences interested, so it’s important to show that both ‘Thunderbolts’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ helped them get their comeback in cinema as opposed to a box office position.
‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ performed surprisingly well at cinemas and at the box office, earning a whopping $811 million worldwide. Despite not being the best film in the franchise, it did seem to get people to actually go to the cinema which is great in itself. With the streaming services practically having a chokehold over the general public, it is important to see where it all began.That is why people still go to the cinema, because it is a part of society and the culture of today.
If someone is excited for a film and it isn’t performing well at the box office, don’t let reviews deter you from watching the film. Instead, let your own opinion decide if it is up to your standard. Films can be subjective but also for entertainment, and going to the cinema should continue to bring people together like it once did before.