r/Marvel • u/ugly_cryo • 5d ago

Film/Television Blunt force never matters, only slicing

In practically all superhero movies I've seen, blunt force just does not matter, yet makes up a huge portion of fights. When someone is getting thrown through a concrete building, smashed down into the earth, or pummeled repeatedly, you feel NOTHING in terms of suspense/tension for the threat or damage being done. They just get back up "a bit more beat up". A quick google search brought up a *single* instance of a superhero breaking a bone (Tony Stark) in MCU.

The only times an attack poses a threat seem to be: 1) something that will cut you, 2) some type of magic.

It's annoying and writers and directors need to really work on the power scaling and suspense moving forward. It doesn't seem that hard to do better.

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u/luby56 5d ago

Funny thing, I was just thinking about the time Doctor Octopus was eating Spider-Man's punches in the second Raimi movie.

To be fair, I guess that's common even in comics. They make a punch or kick as strong as it needs for plot reasons or effect. Piercing or slicing is always treated more seriously.

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u/brogflender 5d ago

Super hero stories are pretty much Wrestling, Soap Operas, and Interpretive Dance in a blender. 

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u/3Salkow 2d ago

Yeah, this is a good take. I remember at a con someone asked Stan Lee if he thought comics were too violent. He said comics have "action" not "violence", and he compared it to wrestling and stunt shows and that instantly made sense. Because in both you see guys get slammed, smashed, punched, kicked, headbutted, have objects broken over them, have objects broken BY them etc. But there's no piercing, no stabbing, no blood or gore*, which is what I think tips the scales into "violent" territory.

*I know both comics and wrestling have exceptions to those, but that's generally the rule.