Ramble On: BATMAN V SUPERMAN getting too overhyped?

Published by Shah Shahid on

In today’s world (I’m an old dude at heart) it’s hard to avoid expectations about a particular film given the sheer volume of media outlets, both web, video and print, whose entire reason for existing is to keep film enthusiasts like us excited about upcoming films or other highly anticipated projects. It’s great publicity for the movie industry, and also a great source of movie news for us geeks. However, sometimes this ends up being very detrimental to the project itself, where the amount of hype regarding it, or the project being marketed using a certain perspective, causes the audience to have expectations that ultimately aren’t met. Some major examples of this would be 50/50; a film from the makers of the same slapstick comedies that Seth Rogen is usually associated with, and marketed to appeal to that particular fan base, while the film itself was more of a coming to terms story of self discovery, leaving the audience mismatched and disappointed. Some other, and more high profile examples include films which, I personally thought were very well done but ones that, suffered with the masses due to negative news surrounding the project prior to the films’ releases, such as JOHN CARTER & WORLD WAR Z. (My Review here)

This year though, one movie seems to have taken the cake when it comes to ridiculous media coverage and utter hype. Since its announcement at last year’s San Diego Comic Con, BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, hasn’t let up with its rumors, news, and just over all media blitz in every aspect of the film, significant or otherwise. The coverage of trivial and minute details of the film, like vague set Photos and a broken telephone style source of speculations, supposed leaked teaser from 2014 San Diego Comic-Con, etc. is becoming ridiculous. Most recently the casting announcement of a, for all intents and purposes, strong character actor is doing the rounds. Given the actor’s previous credits, it’s obvious that  he’ll play a significant role in a film which already boasts of Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Diane Lane, Amy Adams… and a plethora of other actors. His casting has sparked much speculation, not limited to the craziest theory of his character playing Nightwing. I won’t even sound off the absurdity of that rumor, in order to avoid doing the very same thing I’m bitching about today. More recently, another un-official image of Henry Cavill on the sets of the film, promoting a charity has sparked obsessive analysis of his clothes as Clark Kent in the film.

scoot-mcnairy-premiere-argo-02I have an ominous feeling that the weight of the hype surrounding BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE will crush the film itself in an implosive and grandiose manner. It’s hype that even I cannot avoid, as set photos of the most innocuous kind perpetuate a week long conversation of how the color shade of the building and it’s position on the street, in relation to the sun, indicates its potential in-story significance which for some people seems to raise questions, despite those questions being based on… literally nothing! I feel that the film’s exposure to the masses is already getting over saturated, with still 2 years to go, and more official announcements to come, creating expectations that will ultimately be impossible to meet.

Does anyone else feel like the BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE media coverage and constant reporting on non-stories regarding the film is getting a little too much? Anyone else concerned how this will affect the audience`s perception of the film? Sound off below!


Shah Shahid

Entertainment Writer | Film & TV Critic | Bollywood Blogger | Host of Split Screen Podcast | Proud Geek Girl Dad

2 Comments

Tim The Film Guy · July 1, 2014 at 3:34 PM

Its not over hyped. People just keep running with rumours as news.

    Shah Shahid · July 3, 2014 at 1:04 AM

    Even the un/official ‘news’ that’s coming out, is basically everywhere… and it’s ridiculous. I know hype is by definition, overdone… but this is reaching the limits of even that I think. For me at least…

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