by Kerby Anderson

Superhero movies aren’t what they used to be. They are bigger, bolder, but also more adult-oriented. That is not good news for parents who have kids that want to go to all of these movies.

Christopher Gildemeister (Parents Television Council) was on my radio program to talk about his article, Many Superhero Movies Not for Kids. He reminds us that originally superhero comics were for young children but later were able to attract older teens and even college students. The current trend has been to make superhero movies that attract kids and adults.

Two companies dominate the superhero world: DC and Marvel. Marvel is the home for Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers (including Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and Ant-Man.). DC has the more iconic superheroes like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Some of the movies began to become “dark” and “edgy.” The Christopher Nolan trilogy of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises are a good example. Frankly, these films may have fit the character of Batman, but it seems to have led to more and more films (especially by DC comics) that are also dark, violent, and destructive.

The recent movie, Batman vs. Superman is a good example. It was originally intended to carry an R rating, but got by with a PG-13 rating by pulling some footage. This is not the Superman from previous years.

Don’t take my word for it. One of the most compelling quotes in the article came from a man who was an artist on DC’s Supergirl comics. He lamented, “My most prominent memory as a five-year-old is my grandfather taking me to see Christopher Reeve in Superman. The fact that I can’t take my eight-year-old to a Superman movie disappoints me on a level I have trouble reconciling.”

I agree. It is a sad commentary on Hollywood movie producers when we can’t take our kids or grand kids to see Superman, a man who used to stand for truth, justice, and the American way.