The One Word Ruining Superhero Fight Scenes

Shazam is one of my favorite DC superhero movies. In fact, its a super hero movie that I had more fun with than any in recent memory. Yet, it does one thing that Man of Steel and plenty of other films in this genre do that I don't understand. I couldn't stop thinking one thing. Stop flying while fighting.

Outro track by GC!

[ponysmasher]

Can’t say I disagree. What I’ve also learned is that fights in the air is also the most boring thing to shoot. Definitely something I’m keeping in mind for the sequel.

[coco_chu]

Me seeing the thumbnail:
Yes, I freaking hate the word "STOP" and it ruins all superhero fight scenes.

[jjboi]

This dude: fighting in mid air is bad because there’s no physics and impact is missing
Me: I can’t see anything because of the motion blur

[geoffberteau]

This is why Spider-man has generally always been appealing in terms of stakes. He's literally dangling by a thread (spider web) all the time.

[tizio]

I think the problem here is not flight but invulnerability.
Take invincible, every punch in the air has weight because we see the consequences of that hit.

[MrEvilGrin]

"They become a danger to their world, not to each other"
Number one problem I have with super fights. So the "hero" throws a villain through a building. Hero has a code not to kill. But they toppled over a building full of people. Usually sparing the villain. What?

[MamaWantsWafflesHub]

There's a reason why characters like Goku choose to have fights take place in empty wastelands. They know the dangers of fighting in populated areas. Heck, the main objective of a DBZ fight is to make sure that your opponent's Ki attack doesn't hit the ground or you can say that the stakes of a DBZ fight is the recklessness of Goku's Villain/ Opponent.

So what I guess I'm trying to say is that the main objective of an air fight shouldn't be about aimlessly tossing your opponent to the ground, it should be a struggle to restrain the villain. Have creative ways for both the villain and the hero to go all out while the hero tries to prevent collateral damage

[spider-spectre]

What people forget a lot about "flying hero combat" is put great by Omni-man when he teaches Mark how to fight with it. You can get leverage from anywhere and it uses your muscles so its not just physical but, also mental which should effect the way they fly. Don't just fly straight with a punch, fly in a curve to get a super hook, use gravity to punch down harder than anyone grounded could. Also, without the resistance of the ground, hits won't hurt as much, punch a piece of wood loosely standing and it will fall over and be difficult to break, punch the same piece of wood when it's clamped in place and it can break.

[TeacherPaulReacts]

For some reason I thought this video would be about corny speeches during a fight...

[tanayshrivastava]

Cameraman who learned to fly for this movie: *sad flying noises*

[NoOne]

Ah yes, I hate that one word “Stop making super heroes fight in the air”.

[crablord]

A part of this is also how pristine these characters stay in these fights. Dragonball has tons of people flying and fighting, thrown into mountains, and we're shown that even these super powerful aliens still get bruised, cut, and their limbs broken.

[Thunderscreamer]

I have an alternate hypothesis. It’s not flight that you have a problem with, but invulnerability.

Look at it this way: imagine there’s a scene of flying superheroes who, unlike Shazam & Superman, can only fly. There’s no super strength or invulnerability. Then what happens when they hit the ground? Splat! It’s over, and the crash we can be sure is coming is in fact the end of the fight, or the solving of the problem. In such a fight every move still has weight, and thus would make for a good fight.

For an example of this, look no further than Civil War, when Tony & Rhody go after the jet, but must face off against an aerial Vision & Falcon to do so. Vision is the only invulnerable candidate in the air, and knowing this fact forced a hushed silence over theaters everywhere when Rhody eventually did come crashing down. Had this fight been on land, but with pseudo invulnerable people, it would never have had such impact.

All cards on the table though, I do think you’re on to something. Flight clearly requires a degree of suspended disbelief ground fights don’t. But, indestructible characters require even more, and when the two are combined, I think it’s man of steel aspect that does more damage than flight.

[traviswilson]

'Invincible', did a good job of showing how humans are the ones In danger and we start to feel for the the humans rather than the undamaged Superhero.

[aimlessvalour]

As someone who grew up watching Dragonball Z watching fight scenes in the air don't really bother me that much. It's just films do them so poorly where they blur everything and make it move st 10x the speed to disorientate people.

[kelplink]

I’d say The Boys is pretty great for this. Homelander can fly, yet basically any real fight we see him in is usually grounded and u can truly feel the brutality of the blows and the effect of them on the world. He usually flies to escape, like in one of the new episodes.

[SirArthurTheGreat]

I’m sorry but the fact that “Phsysics” was just left front and center for so long was hilarious

[joshuahardee]

Oh come on. The entire scene with Sivana launching into his grandiose speech and Billy just saying "What?" because they're A MILE AWAY was brilliant.

[jamesd]

While I agree with the premise. I thought the use of flying here was hilarious. That scene alone of Cap Marvel telling Savana he can’t hear him is great

[Dovahkiin]

3:55 this is something Dragon Ball Z did right a few times. The characters would often lead the villains away from civilization and to a deserted area whenever they could.