Poll: Old Marvel vs. New Marvel

[Fox12]

In 2008 the world sat and watched Iron Man. It was a smash hit that would go on to make super hero movies a cottage industry, and would produce one of the most lucrative film companies in history. Hulk followed shortly after, and eventually we got Captain America, Thor, Dr. Strange, and even fucking Antman. Even their worst received films are generally seen as crowd pleasers.

Prior to this, however, Marvel had to work through third party film companies. Many of their biggest IP's are still in the hands of other companies. Prior to 2008 we got the Sam Reimi spiderman movies, the original X-men movies, a Fantastic Four film, and a Hulk movie. Many of these films helped legitimize superheroes to mainstream audiences.

While re-watching the old spider man and X-men movies, I was surprised by how well they held up. I thought the writing and cosmetics were much better then the average super hero film released today. Of course, I then remembered that there were some stinkers from that era as well. There seemed to be a sharp divide in tone between old super hero movies and post iron man/marvel superhero movies. My question is, which do you think was better overall?

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I prefer the modern ones, mostly because they're willing to be goofy and don't seem as afraid of/embarrassed by their comic book origins.

I'm obviously speaking in generalities here but 90s and early 2000s comic book movies were all trying to be serious, and to be taken seriously. They didn't want any elements that were too fantastical or which they thought that audiences wouldn't "get" and the ones which did try to be fantastical tended to end up being over-complicated poorly written messes.

Yes, Raimi's Spiderman movies hold up (the first 2 at least), as do the first 2 X-men movies, but I'd say out of that generation of marvel superhero movies that's all that holds up. Compare that to the movies that Marvel is making in-house, and while a lot of those movies aren't stellar, there isn't a single one that I would consider straight up bad the way I would something like DareDevil, Fantastic 4, or Ang Lee's Hulk. Even Thor 2 and Iron Man 2, what I would consider the worst of Marvel's line-up is a hell of a lot more watchable than X-men 3.

I think the big problem now is going to be over-saturation of the market. There's too many Superhero movies coming out, and when Superheros keep popping up in each other's movies it makes each appearance less and less special.

The Avengers was an amazing event for cinema because it was something that had never really been done before. Interweaving a bunch of different stories, characters, visuals, and time periods into one cohesive whole was really unique and cool. It gets much less unique and much more mundane each time you do it.

 

[circularlogic88]

I don't think the X- Men movies hold up as well anymore. There are scenes that I think work really well like the flashback with Eric in Auschwitz, Magneto holding shot bullets into police as a trump card against Charles, the assault on the Manor by Stryker's forces, Pyro's assault on the police at the Drake house. But these scenes are few and far between for me.

I like the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies even though all 3 follow the same basic plot structure of Mary Jane being the damsel in distress and the villain being a sympathetic victim of circumstances.

It's like the OP stated, a lot of the older Marvel movies were trying to find themselves and experiment. I think the biggest problem with a lot of those movies was they were afraid the audience wouldn't buy into the more fantastic and absurd pieces of comic book lore and tried grounding it to a certain degree where it understates exactly how fantastic and amazing these heroes are.

New Marvel likes to acknowledge it's comics goofier concepts. All of these movies from New and Old have a problem with killing off their villains. I wish New Marvel would stop making every New super hero movie an origin story. Like, Blade 1 all they did was rattle off a line or two of expository dialog and we were good to go with the rest of the main story.

So, New Marvel over Old Marvel for me.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

While re-watching the old spider man and X-men movies, I was surprised by how well they held up. I thought the writing and cosmetics were much better then the average super hero film released today.

Cosmetics? Do you literally mean the make-up (in which case, yes, I suppose so. Mystique alone would have everyone in the MCU beat), or the appearance of the characters? If it's the latter, then I disagree. If anything, one of the biggest edges the MCU has against Old Marvel is that the MCU has so many characters that not only got the costumes and casting right, but made it even better than the comics. Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man, and the MCU Captain America is the coolest he will ever look for a very long time. The X-men uniforms were pathetic, and Spidey's villains generally looked horrible.

 

[Saelune]

I like the ones with the unified universe. Seriously, I like having one thing matter to the next. It is part of why I dont give a fuck about say, Final Fantasy, and like Elder Scrolls. I like that the previous ones matter atleast a little to the next.

We're getting a Thor, Hulk, Dr.Strange team-up movie, how is that not a good thing?

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I like the ones with the unified universe. Seriously, I like having one thing matter to the next. It is part of why I dont give a fuck about say, Final Fantasy, and like Elder Scrolls. I like that the previous ones matter atleast a little to the next.

We're getting a Thor, Hulk, Dr.Strange team-up movie, how is that not a good thing?

I wonder what the weirdest team up we will have in the future will be. Spider-man and Gammora? Nova and Daredevil?

 

[Saelune]

I like the ones with the unified universe. Seriously, I like having one thing matter to the next. It is part of why I dont give a fuck about say, Final Fantasy, and like Elder Scrolls. I like that the previous ones matter atleast a little to the next.

We're getting a Thor, Hulk, Dr.Strange team-up movie, how is that not a good thing?

I wonder what the weirdest team up we will have in the future will be. Spider-man and Gammora? Nova and Daredevil?

They should do something -really- weird and have, oh, I dunno... Captain America, Black Panther, Luke Cage, and Spider-Man...kinda like the Avengers, but New...yeah, that would be weird! ( )

Or beat up Fox (the company) and have Black Panther, Storm, Thing and Human Torch team up.

Though as long as they dont pretend to be taking a plot from the comics, do whatever. My favorite stuff in anything Marvel is team ups. Hell, they should have every Spider-Man movie be a team up...again like the comics...

 

[Scarim Coral]

Technically I prefered the modern Marvel movie BUT before the Avenger, well the end of it. That means Iron Man 1-2, Thor and Captain America. I'm not saying the recent Marvel movies are bad but it expanding alot.

I don't think the old ones hold up too well, they still a blast to watched.

 

[Saltyk]

Going to go with the general consensus. I like the Modern MCU films much better. Not only is it great to see things get set up and pay off in later installments, but the quality is generally better. I can honestly say that the worst of the MCU movies are still enjoyable films. And the best are experiences, like Avengers.

I like the ones with the unified universe. Seriously, I like having one thing matter to the next. It is part of why I dont give a fuck about say, Final Fantasy, and like Elder Scrolls. I like that the previous ones matter atleast a little to the next.

We're getting a Thor, Hulk, Dr.Strange team-up movie, how is that not a good thing?

You might wanna try the Suikoden franchise. The first three games are available on PSN as Classics (at least on the US Store). Every game in the series takes place in the same world, shares some characters, and you can even load Save Data from the previous games for some benefits (the best one being getting the hero from the first game as a party member in the second game). Since you like unified universes, that might be up your alley.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I would have to say the modern ones are better, but they lack the identity of the older ones. Because they need to fit into a cinematic universe there can't be any real divergent visions. This is what makes all the current Marvel movies feel so bland and samey.

They also lack the balls the older ones had. Specifically when it comes to villains racking up some body counts. You don't have that scene from Spider-Man 2, where Doc Oc's tentacles murder a whole room of doctors, in Captain America or Iron Man. You never feel a sense of danger or stakes like you did in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man or the early X-Men movies.

 

[McElroy]

The new Marvel has been mostly downhill since Iron Man, but that one was great. I like Raimi's Spider-Man films and the Blade movies but hardly care about the rest. I'm voting for 'old' but it's a 50/60.

 

[Kenbo Slice]

Oh I thought we were talking about the comics.

Bummer, I had a lot to say too.

OT: The films made by Marvel studios have been pretty good, whereas Sony screwed the pooch and Fox is now gonna ride Deadpool forever.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Jeez, 2008 is considered Old Marvel now...fuck I'm old. I still have the shirt I wore to that movie. I remember because I saw it on a Wednesday and my shirt said 'Merry Tuesday'

 

[Chanticoblues]

Sam Raimi is still the best director to work in the modern super hero genre, so I'll say old Marvel based on that.

 

[King Billi]

It just goes to show how much continuity and world building can effect an audiences opinion.

Pretty much everything pre Iron Man is now deemed less important cause they don't share continuity regardless of individual quality.

Likewise even the most lacklustre of Modern Marvels efforts are afforded more legitimacy purely by virtue of being connected with something bigger.

 

[Hawki]

Old, I guess, since it gave us stuff like Rami Spider-Man and I guess Blade.

"New Marvel" films are probably better overall, but even at their best, can't escape the assembly line feel that's permeated the MCU.

 

[Zhukov]

I'm surprised this is even a question.

I'm not crazy about the modern Marvel movies but they're watchable. The old ones were shit.

X-Men was shit, Hulk was shit, Fantastic 4 was shit. I thought the Spider Man movies were shit too, but people seem to like them for reasons I do not understand.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Oh I thought we were talking about the comics.

Bummer, I had a lot to say too.

After finishing Civil War II and coming into this thread thinking the same as you, I am considering making a comic centered thread. Might wait till this one does down though.

 

[Kenbo Slice]

Oh I thought we were talking about the comics.

Bummer, I had a lot to say too.

After finishing Civil War II and coming into this thread thinking the same as you, I am considering making a comic centered thread. Might wait till this one does down though.

Please do. I wanna discuss the shitfest that was that comic.