10 Times Hollywood Learned The Wrong Lesson From Movies

10. Make Everything Dark & Gritty - The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight was a true watershed moment for blockbuster cinema - blistering, groundbreaking proof of how, in the hands of a skilled filmmaker, tentpole fare could fuse its mega-budget thrills with complex storytelling and deep-dish characterisation.

Between its wide critical acclaim and box office dominance, it was clear that The Dark Knight connected with just about everybody, from die-hard comic book fans to the most casual of audiences and, yes, even Oscar voters (though apparently not enough to nominate it for Best Picture, in a decision that's aged like milk).

All the same, it prompted Hollywood to do what they end up doing oh-so-often when faced with a stratospheric hit and pop-culture phenomenon - imitate its style until we're just about fed up of it.

And so, the years following The Dark Knight's release saw a bevy of movies attempt to imitate its gritty, operatic style. Some semi-successfully, some not, and way too many whose narratives were totally inappropriate for such a treatment.

Some of the more egregious examples include Snow White and the Huntsman, The Amazing Spider-Man, Power Rangers, and of course Man of Steel, which saw Zack Snyder ill-advisedly attempt to transplant a dour style and tone onto the most hopeful of all superheroes with wildly mixed results.

Within five years of The Dark Knight's release, the "grimdark" style had become a parody of itself, with audiences desperately longing for something a little lighter and more colourful - as the Marvel Cinematic Universe was firmly ready to deliver.