Photo of the Film Batman Returns

The Avengers, adapted from a best-selling comic in USA, is already on show in China’s cinemas. As a long tradition, many famous Hollywood films such as Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men, Sin City, Blade and Iron Man were adapted from popular comics. Now it seems to be an increasing fashion.

Quite a few foreign blockbusters last year were comic-adapted, and they are X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern, Conan The Barbarian, Captain America, Thor and The Adventures of Tintin while The Avengers, Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Wolverine are all comic adaption with large investment. Some films such as Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, Thor 2 are already in shooting and will premier for global audience next year.

Photo of the Film The Adventures of Tintin

Why is Hollywood in such fond of comic adaption and how long will this fashion last?

Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye…except Hollywood, who will have such a formidable courage and smart idea to bring all above heroes in American popular comic together to make this exciting and wonderful sci-fi movies The Avengers. Transcending the limitation of time and horizon, those heroes demonstrate their respective ability and fight in consolidation.

While watching The Avengers, people will feel like enjoying lobster meals in fast food store. They can not only benefit from the convenience of fast food, but also the luxury sense from lobster, both of which are just in accordance with the basic characteristic of comic films. By “fast food effect”, we mean the straight storytelling, simple plot and popularity of comic-adapted films.

Photo of the Film X-Men: First Class

In comics, there is a fixed system and formula in screenplay and character, and undoubtedly American dream and Egoistic Heroism are often available. At the beginning of the hero’s appearance on the screen, he will be an ordinary person just like one of us, and then will undergo hardship. Favored by chance and coincidence, he will gain supernatural capability thanks to some mysterious power or special function. Naturally many a difficult mission will fall onto his shoulders, and after conquering weakness and selfishness, the hero will become courageous enough to plunge into the justified war for saving the Earth and mankind. Maybe he will encounter a beautiful girl and develop a love story. Such a plot frame appears invariably from Superman in 1970s till currently The Avengers, and always witnesses the constant success.

Photo of the Film Spider-Man

So far American comics have developed decades during which the similar plot has repeated countless times. Will their audience be bored with this frequent formula and lack of novelty? Actually, this concern is not necessary at all. In retrospect of decades of comic-adapted films, audience still preserve their interest without fed-up or boredom because the producers persist in a kind of internal expectation hidden in human nature. Every single person desires to surpass itself and with their good luck become a hero to save the world out of trouble. When comic is on the screen, it seems to have helped ordinary audience to realize their great dream.

As to the theme, with simple and direct lines and rough description, comics mainly focus on excellent plot and stories and thus often neglect presentation of theme and values. In this case, film can be complimentary to endow the comics with more profound connotation, which is called “Lobster Complex”. Satiated with entertainment, stimulation or recreation in a fast food way, audience will pursue something in-depth like magnificent production and significance. On the basis of comic, film will be heightened to a higher artistic level.