Why Are Looks Are So Important In American Films

No matter the origin, superheroes all have something in common with the other. No superhero is completely unique. If every hero was made entirely different then there would be no way to define a superhero. From nation to nation, superheroes vary, but there are a few things that a crucial to creating a prosperous superhero film, such as: a distinctive outfit, a unique name, a pressing task, and a love interest, no matter where these films are produced.
Looks are not supposed to be everything, at least that is what society has lead people to believe, however, in the realm of superheroes looks are tremendously important. The appearance of a character may be important, but these physical characteristics are more important in some parts of the world
than others. The appearance of a superhero is incredibly important in foreign films, but is still relatively important in American films.
A prime example of a foreign superhero film that is popular primarily because of what the superhero is wearing is “Zebraman” (2013). This Japanese film is extremely successful because the hero wears a zebra costume that he designed himself. Everyone loves mascots, so to see a superhero that resembles a school mascot aids greatly with the films popularity. The directors of this film are aware that looks are tremendously pivotal to the success of films within their culture, so they must keep that in mind when creating a superhero film. Looks are vital in foreign films, and American films alike. An American television show that is currently taking to the charts is “The Flash” (2014), a DC comic original. The suit is a indispensable part of the prevailing show due to many reasons. There is an obvious
reason, and then an underlying. The obvious reason that the suit is designed the way it is is to appeal to the viewers, but the underlying reason is to symbolize change. Barry’s red emblem is changed to a white emblem during the course of the show, which also represents the change that Barry undergoes. Though costumes are vitally important in both foreign and American films, no superhero film can reach its full potential without a attention-grabbing name.
No one ever really takes the time to think about the meaning of a name, but they are heavily important, especially in superhero films.
The majority of people change their name because of marriage, some people change their name for the sole purpose of changing their name, and very few change their name with meaning behind it. When it comes to naming a superhero a lot needs to be considered. The acceptance of a film within the target audience is on the line when it comes to a superheroes name. When creating a successful foreign superhero film the name is not as pass or fail as in an American superhero film. An excellent example of a foreign film that did not put a tremendous amount of effort into creating a unique name for their hero is “Griff the Invisible” (2010), yet it was still relatively popular amongst Australians. If this film would have been produced in the United States of America it would not have been nearly as popular because of how important names are in the United States film industry. One American television series that comes to mind when thinking about a television show that is growing is “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” (2016). The intriguing show appeals to viewers for a variety of reasons, one being the that it comes from two other popular shows, “Arrow” (2012), and “The Flash” (2014), and another being that the name has a sense of mystery about it. The name makes people wonder why the characters are not legends of today, and why they have to be legends of
tomorrow. People are just as curious as the cat digging around in the neighbor's garbage can, so they have to find out what is so intriguing about the blue trash can. The name reels the audience in, but the fascinating plot keeps them on the hook. The film very well could have been just as popular with a different name, however, the name did aid a lot. The creators of the show had to put a lot of thought into the name because they had to bait their audience. Another, more widely known film is “The Avengers” (2011), which is a Marvel classic. Nearly everyone is a fan of Marvel, or has at least heard of them, which is one reason that the show flourished, however, it is not the only one. The name of the movie, well movies, mostly grabs the attention of people who are unfamiliar. These popular American films grab people with the name, and that is why a lot of thought must be put into the creation of these names. Names are significant and meaningful. A name makes something unique, which is why they are so important. Names distinguish and set something apart, but not in a bad way. Though names are tremendously important in both foreign and American films, slightly more in American films, no superhero movie is complete without a pressing task. Superhero movies are created around the world and all of them have tasks that must be completed, however some may be slightly more dramatic than others. No matter what the task is, it is made to seem pressing and urgent, whether it be saving a city or the entire multiverse. The astonishing superhero film “Zebraman” (2013) is centered around the task of a teacher saving the city. The task is without a doubt pressing, but it is not quite as dramatic as saving the entire multiverse, which is the task for a group of legends. The growing television series “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” (2016) is centered around a seemingly impossible task: Stopping Vandal Savage, who is an immortal set on the destruction of the multiverse. The entire first season of the show is centered around this task, therefore, the pressing task is one of the reasons that the show is so popular. Without the task of saving the multiverse there would be no show. Though both of the tasks are important, saving the entire multiverse is clearly more important than the single city in Japan. Most superheroes work out of the kindness in their heart, which is the organ that is associated with another successful superhero film characteristic.
Love, an undeniable emotion, and a superhero seller. When it comes to films, or at least successful films, it is nearly impossible to come across one without a tinge of romance. Take for example, “Griff the Invisible” (2011), an Australian film centered around a man that believes that he is a superhero, and then finds the woman of his dreams because she loves that he believes himself to be a superhero. The film was widely popular in Australia, and some of the popularity can be attributed to the love interest within the film. Australians are not the only ones with hearts, the well-loved DC Comic original, “Arrow” (2012), exemplifies this in between the impressive action scenes. “Arrow” (2012) does not seem like it is all about love, but when it boils down to it, it is. The protagonist, Oliver is a living definition of love. To love someone means to put them, their safety, happiness, and well being before oneself. Oliver does this on multiple occasions. Take for example, when Oliver joined the League of Assassins to save his sister Thea in “The Fallen” (2015), the twentieth episode of the third season. However, Oliver is not only portraying love, he is getting love to. Oliver and Felicity grasped America’s heart by her core and has held onto it since day one. This ship has helped largely with the shows popularity because it is an on-off relationship, which is not only because of emotional issues, but because of death. Love is important, and producers know this, which is why it is so prominent in successful superhero films, but love is not the only thing that defines a superhero.
Superhero definitions vary from source to source, but most can agree that a superhero is someone who puts others before themselves, is courageous, strong, humble, and purposeful. There is no argument, foreign films are tremendously different from films produced in the United States, but there are still some similarities. In foreign countries a superhero can be defined by their actions, but their costumes define them as well, whereas in American films superheroes are defined mostly by their actions, and their names. Though these things are important, the little things define the hero, no matter the hero’s origin. Going back into a burning building to rescue a feline friend, or helping a butterfly out of a spider’s tangling web can demonstrate what type of hero a character is. Is this hero an Oliver Queen, or are they a Barry Allan? That is the type of question that is brought about when the little things are considered. The two are both heroes, no questions asked, but they are very different in their tactics. All of these things come together as a whole to define what a superhero actually is.
Though there are many different versions of superhero films around the world, many of these films have some similarities, such as a distinctive look, a unique name, a pressing task, and a love interest. In seeing these patterns in films across the world, it can be concluded that they are pivotal to the success of these stories. No superhero is ordinary, whether they be set apart because of the way they look, or what they go by, they all have a distinguishing factor.