8 Reasons Why Fans And Critics Can’t Agree On Superhero Films

For fans of comic book franchises, there's often a "masterpiece until proven sh*t" ethos taken. Before the release of Batman V Superman I saw a widely retweeted joke that went something like this:

Person: What's your favourite movie of all time?
Me: Batman V Superman
Person: But that movie's not out yet...
Me: Batman V Superman

Now I'm willing to accept that the people relating with that sentiment skew a little younger than your standard movie fan and, of course, we've all been a little overexcited about upcoming movies before, but it's very emblematic of the assumptions made about these movies on a pure conceptual level by some fans. And while the statement comes from those obsessed with the franchise at hand, it does carry over into the wider audience.

Whenever I write a negative piece after seeing a movie at a preview screening but before it's out to the general public, the response tends to be much more vitriolic than if it's post-release. There's no real grounding for them to say I'm right or wrong, but decried wrong I dependably am. Some of it will be people upset that the film may not live up to expectations, but so often it's taken as an attack on the property; saying anything bad about the film is an affront to everything it stands for.

Even if some of those commenters wind up eating whatever the internet equivalent of humble pie is and agree with the earlier critical consensus, the initial anger still fuels that sense of divide.