Fan Service Gone Wrong

[bullets]

I don't ever remember there being a big fan demand for the Sinister Six. I think this was just Sony's pathetic way of keeping up with Marvel and their expansive universe.

Exactly. Im sure fans such as myself would like to see the sinister six , but there was never a demand for a solo film. I could see reasoning behind a Venom spinoff , but the six movie was left field and clearly something they must of thought would work because of expanded universes and the like.

 

[Snow Queen]

I think the worst part is that a Spider-man universe could work fine, in my opinion. Not too sure if they have the rights to these characters, so it may be off the table and I'm just wrong, but what about doing something like Spider-Verse and have a few alternate universes that can converge at some point? Could have been something a bit different too.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Agree with Superman Returns. Ironically though, you could make the argument that it's also the opposite of fan service because it's basically fan service to all the Donner obsessives and a bit of a middle finger to anyone who wanted to see something different.

What's funny though is that it completely misses the point anyway. What made the Donner film work was that it made the audience understand and care about Superman. He wasn't just an emotionless nonperson who only shows up whenever a giant object was falling.

 

[Teelie]

I think the worst part is that a Spider-man universe could work fine, in my opinion. Not too sure if they have the rights to these characters, so it may be off the table and I'm just wrong, but what about doing something like Spider-Verse and have a few alternate universes that can converge at some point? Could have been something a bit different too.

The way those contracts work they have the rights to all of Spider-Man and his associated characters although that can be murky when there is so much cross-over into and out of other titles. They must have a book of nothing but usable character names to keep track of it.

 

[Octoberist]

Indy 4.

The Ark.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Lol

Everything about Indy 4 was a mistake.

 

[godisawesome]

I'll submit the transformation of both Superman and Batman's initial film series on their respective third installments. Richard Lester and Joel Schumacher both were hired to make up for their predecessor's perceived deficiencies (Donner's expensiveness and perfectionism, Burton's darker tone and more adult focus), both started out with comparatively competent first attempts (Batman Forever isn't all terrible, and Lester did a competent job with his part of Superman II), and both wound up being dominated by a perceive mandate to make the films "more kid friendly" and "marketable." And in the end, both wound up making films where the script was all over the place and superstar actors either wagged the director or didn't even really try.

Seriously, someone obviously thought that both series were missing their target demographic and tried to appeal to kids more in some way, and both wound up being made half-heartedly by a cast and crew that no longer even really cared. It's sad to watch stuff on Batman and Robin and see just how little anyone even knows about what their trying to do. They seem just as lost and confused as any of us.

 

[Rowsdower!]

True, though I would argue that Batman Forever IS terrible and the only reason that people don't loathe it as much as B&R is because B&R managed to somehow be THAT much worse by comparison. Jim Carrey's Riddler was alright, but Tommy Lee Jones turned in not only the worst performance of his career, but one of the worst performances of any actor in any movie, ever. Nicole Kidman was also pretty bad; she's supposed to be this top notch psychiatrist but she comes off more like sex addict with a fetish for black rubber suits. And while some will disagree with me on this, for my money, Kilmer was the worst Batman. He was even worse than Clooney, who was just phoning it in because he knew he was in a bad movie. Kilmer's performance though drifted back and forth between catatonic and ridiculously theatrical {"HAAARRRRVEEEEY!!! IIIIII'M BAAAAATMAAAAAAN!!!!"). I'm not sure if it's because he just didn't give a sh** (which is probable, given that Schumacher even said he "quit" on the movie) or if that was some weird sort of method acting he learned hanging around in batcaves in Utah.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Almost every movie where fan service is a major objective is bad.

The best movies of MCU say "hi".

 

[Octoberist]

True, though I would argue that Batman Forever IS terrible and the only reason that people don't loathe it as much as B&R is because B&R managed to somehow be THAT much worse by comparison. Jim Carrey's Riddler was alright, but Tommy Lee Jones turned in not only the worst performance of his career, but one of the worst performances of any actor in any movie, ever. Nicole Kidman was also pretty bad; she's supposed to be this top notch psychiatrist but she comes off more like sex addict with a fetish for black rubber suits. And while some will disagree with me on this, for my money, Kilmer was the worst Batman. He was even worse than Clooney, who was just phoning it in because he knew he was in a bad movie. Kilmer's performance though drifted back and forth between catatonic and ridiculously theatrical {"HAAARRRRVEEEEY!!! IIIIII'M BAAAAATMAAAAAAN!!!!"). I'm not sure if it's because he just didn't give a sh** (which is probable, given that Schumacher even said he "quit" on the movie) or if that was some weird sort of method acting he learned hanging around in batcaves in Utah.

I never understand why they didn't make Jones' Double-Faced into the straight-man against Carrey's Riddle-Man!

 

[PyroChamber]

I have a feeling Tommy Lee Jones didn't take the role seriously. I think I remember hearing a video where he said that he didn't want to do it at first and thought it was stupid, but took the role on the count of his son being a fan. But then again, that was the attitude from some actors back then who were in comic book movies.

Also, what about Episode I?

 

[Tacit Ronin]

What about fan service done right?

Misato in Neon Genesis Evangelion.

As well as Rei.

 

[mclay18]

Speaking of Batman, I wonder if Batman & Robin would go in here too. I mean were the filmmakers really thinking fans would love it or were they thinking moreso that kids would love it? Because I don't even think kids liked that movie.

Joel Schumacher said in the B&R commentary that Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy were in the movie because they appeared in the animated series. I guess he wanted it to be more relevant?

The thing is, what was wrong with the movie was the putrid script. Akiva Goldsman is a decent screenwriter... outside of his two Batman movies. Schumacher could've made a decent B&R even with the same cast and characters, but the script had to be good or at least competent. Even retconning Barbara's past as Alfred's daughter (as opposed to Commissioner Gordon's) would've worked if it was better handled.

 

[Slushy]

I'm not sure what to make of Sucker Punch.

It was a good movie, but I thought the whole movie was going to be like Ultraviolet, this fantastical world where you don't what's going on, but you're along for the ride.

Instead, we get a movie about the girl trying to break out of an insane asylum and the best parts were just dream sequences. I can see why people hated it due to being misled.

The "Robin" line from Dark Knight Rises.

Actually, I'm not sure if it was cringeworthy fan service to movie fans or a big "**** you" to comic fans who want to see Robin done well in a movie.

It was stupid and reckless, but they had to give a reason why Blake got much screentime.

 

[Jochimus]

Indy 4.

The Ark.

Eh, I admit that was a pretty damning indicator of just how far afield from the franchise' glory days the movie itself was, but I was never particularly bothered by it. I think I was more troubled by the fact that they thought it'd be funny to lop the head of Marcus' statue off when the Not-Nazis-er, I mean, Russians slammed their car into it.

Of course, personally I also think Lucas' Saucer Men From Not-Mars did more damage than even that nuked fridge (right down to providing an excuse to shove "I got a bad feeling about this" out of Ford's mouth...as if we need another reminder of just how badly you've fallen, George).

 

[DarthDaveBanner]

When it's not just a cute cameo or two Fan Service usually drags a film down terribly...hence why I am both anticipating and dreading BvS.

 

[souvlaki]

The "Robin" line from Dark Knight Rises.

Actually, I'm not sure if it was cringeworthy fan service to movie fans or a big "**** you" to comic fans who want to see Robin done well in a movie.

I think people would have reacted different if his birth name was Richard Grayson. The "Robin" thing just seem forced. At least the other way fans can pretend he still had kind of the same storyline minus Bruce Wayne adopting him.

 

[The Endless]

The John Blake thing would have been cool if he found the Bat Cave and then suddenly the lights come on and Bruce is like "your training begins now". A nod to TDK Returns and Batman Beyond in a way. I think that would have been a better ending to the film AND a bit of fan service.

As it was Bruce pissed off to Italy with a woman he barely knows whilst leaving his legend and the protection of his city to an untrained young cop who is completely out of his depth just because he figured out who Batman was by seeing anger behind his smile...

 

[Zantera]

I think both the TASM movies could fit here. They were so busy with trying to get the details right, having winks to Sinister Six, going the classic route of Peter designing his own webshooters, and many other things, that they forgot to make great movies in the process. There's some cool stuff in both movies, but on a pure moviemaking level, they are both far from Raimi's movies.

 

[bullets]

John Blake was Nolans version of Robin. I know some will disagree , but to me it felt like a way to have Robin in the film and Nolan must of thought Robin should be the successor.

 

[Teelie]

I have a feeling Tommy Lee Jones didn't take the role seriously. I think I remember hearing a video where he said that he didn't want to do it at first and thought it was stupid, but took the role on the count of his son being a fan. But then again, that was the attitude from some actors back then who were in comic book movies.

Also, what about Episode I?

I have read that of Tommy Lee Jones too. I have also read it of many other early comic book movie actors who did it for their children (or so they say).

It was a good movie, but I thought the whole movie was going to be like Ultraviolet, this fantastical world where you don't what's going on, but you're along for the ride.

Instead, we get a movie about the girl trying to break out of an insane asylum and the best parts were just dream sequences. I can see why people hated it due to being misled.

I liked it but I also felt disappointed by it. There was some awesome stuff in it but it was also so (appropriately) schizophrenic that I felt let down by the missed potential in it.

 

[PyroChamber]

Some could argue that Catwoman being in TDKR was fan service too. Nolan wasn't even going to have her in there until his brother convinced him to do so.

 

[Marvin]

Most post credit scenes in cbms.
Given they are un needed to the prior film as well as the following, I would say they are the definition.

 

[DJ Kornphlake]

The Juggernaut line in X3.

Anakin building C3PO in Episode 1.

Boba Fett's dad being the gene donor for the clone army in Episode 2.

 

[PyroChamber]

The Juggernaut line in X3.

Anakin building C3PO in Episode 1.

Boba Fett's dad being the gene donor for the clone army in Episode 2.

Jango Fett period.