Why Spider-Verse Succeeds and Fast X Fails

Опубликовано 7 июня 2023, 13:15

It is the best of times, it is the worst of times — if we're talking about Hollywood's current franchise-forward decree where trilogies and beyond are every studio's goal.

We need look no further than the recent endings of Fast X and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which while both are cliffhangers, also play very, very differently from one another. Sure, audiences may have been surprised by how abruptly either film ended, but the ways in which the two hopeful blockbusters executed their cliffhangers — and how they treat their fanbases — speaks volumes about how these larger-than-life franchise films can and should be made.

Let’s dig into why Across the Spider-Verse gets away with what Fast X cannot!

Fast X and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are just two recent examples of contemporary moviemaking trends that put a massive stress on milking recognizable IPs for as many "universe" entries as audiences will financially support. It's not an unfounded strategy — think about marathon horror franchises like Friday the 13th that started in the ‘80s or pre-planned trilogies like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings adaptations. But it has become a crutch for multiplex theaters and superproducers alike. Studios chase the highest profit margins, making decisions based on box office returns. Consumers dictate what hits their screens by talking with their wallets, and right now, the overwhelming data suggests that the average moviegoer wants familiar characters (superheroes), recognizable stories (with superheroes), and the comforts of blockbusters based on known properties (loaded with superhero battles).

Watch the full video for why the latest Spider-Man movie gets away with something Fast X just can't!