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.

[@AristosProductions]

The way you remain open to criticism and feedback even after making successful feature films is really inspiring.

[@Nerdstalgic]

@ponysmasher man as stated, I LOVED what you did with Shazam. From Lights Out on you have easily been one of my favorite directors. Interesting to hear you say that shooting them isn't that fun either, hadn't really considered that. Looking forward to Shazam 2.

[@AVspectre]

Wow! Amazing to see you here. :) Great to be able to get that little insight into your experience of production. While I love the availability of content that streaming/digital has brought about, I do miss watching director commentaries. Perhaps I’ll have to snag this on Blu-ray to see if I can hear a bit more about production. Seeing your comment here makes me even more excited for the sequel. :)

[@kintsuki99]

Weird how fights while flying seem to work just fine in animation...

[@hydroking2969]

dragonball z has good flying fighting scene, tho i woulnt know how thatd be replicated in live action

[@carrie-kun3354]

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

[@carealoo744]

.... what was the 1 word?

[@gohan2791]

@@carealoo744 no it was physics

[@lioneleminence3401]

Same

[@Ygshey]

Like what makes the person thinks stop would work?

[@andrewgust-anderson5612]

Also, "ENOUGH!" is just so overused and annoys me every time I hear it

[@TeacherPaulReacts]

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

[@EndlessNameless5]

clickbait!

[@yetz2291]

Heck no, I love cheesiness in my superhero movies/shows.

[@BoScotty]

Me too! LOL

[@ReturnofBenjamin]

"No! Stop! THE PEOPLE!!!"

[@cooldude8437]

ReturnofBenjamin I will hurt people.

[@tizio3306]

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.

[@bobbymeyers6473]

Also the fight between Korra and Zaheer in Legend of Korra. Flight isn't the issue. A fight between two invulnerable people isn't compelling.

[@jonmiller6787]

I think in a practical sense, it's the weight and momentum of the characters. Which is kinda just the other side of invulnerability. Like, in Invincible- and actually in Korra- a well-placed hit knocks an opponent out pretty much every episode, so it makes sense for the characters to be dodging and deflecting, and that involves movement. Combined that with the fact that realistically animated movement is another major thing that both Invincible and Avatar focused on getting right, and it's not even comparable to the Man of Steel sky-hugging session of a fight

[@l.n.3372]

​@@bobbymeyers6473 Exactly. The avatar state may be insanely powerful, but it's not immortal. Dying in the avatar state is always a risk, and it was certainly a risk when Korra fought Zaheer in the season 3 finale. Invulnerability makes fights feel like they have lower stakes, especially if combatants don't even take damage when getting hit repeatedly.

[@andyaquitaine4225]

I think that your point balances the video’s. I think if the characters are invulnerable (think two guys with plot armor) you can get away with it if you’re able to lie in a language we understand. You’re right, even if I love good choreography. That said. My favorite fights are from properties like Chainsaw Man and Attack On Titan where people get utterly mauled in moments, chunks torn out of them and whole halves of the cast die because everyone’s out of their depth.

[@TomboTime]

While I understand where you're coming from, I don't think being in the air is necessarily the issue. I think in most superhero media he who flies Also happens to be he who can't be harmed by *most* things. Superman is mostly invulnerable, and so you demonstrate stakes by showing the destruction his fight causes. You don't necessarily need the ground to show impact or stakes, you just need the participants of the fight to be risking something. I think about a lot of the ultra violent fights in things like Invincible or DragonBall. Those fights have tension, even in the air, because fighters are getting visibly and brutally damaged. So in short, the solution is to make the air fights noticeably difficult for the character . . . . Which is admittedly a challenge when your flying character also happens to not be noticeably harmed by most things, and not everything can resort to the brutality or gruesomeness of Invincible. Still though: there's a way. Give Thor some bruises, make Iron man's armor look like it's running on fumes, tare up Superman's costume. Do SOMETHING

[@Noak5678]

people arent smart enough to realize this, these people be asking for some damage to characters but whole point of superman and shazam is they dont get hurt lol

[@mrcombustiblelemon2902]

Yup, turns out the natural human body is way too fragile for any superpowers cooler than "you can fly at walking speed up to 'small building' altitude"

[@fransiscayulianita68]

@@Noak5678 Well are the clothes also made of steel?

[@fe4rr74]

@@fransiscayulianita68 actually yes

[@lordofthesithvader9430]

@@fransiscayulianita68 One has a suit made out of Kryptonian fabrics which is different from earth's, and the other has a suit made from materials of the gods.

[@HeWhoBringsTheThunder]

"All air fights have to end with one or both crashing to the Ground" OBJECTION! May I present the End of the Incredibles Movie! Syndrome and Jack Jack have a fight in the air and it ends with Syndrome getting sucked into a jet turbine.

[@Nerdstalgic]

Hahaha yup! Lol

[@entonz2576]

But the plain kind of is the ground in that scenario I think

[@saltenzy449]

Another example of hero v villain battle in the sky ending not on the ground. The most recent season of My Hero Academia has Endevour fighting a regenerating vilian. Endevour actually cares about not causing collateral damage and gets hold of the villian and flys for the upper atmosphere so he can unleash his fire unrestricted to hopefully burn the villian to cinders.

[@novameowww]

Also, need I mention that space exists? That would also suffice.

[@Andmau2552]

And that's why it's memorable, because ir doesnt finish on the ground

[@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?

[@lawson1989]

yeah that's the whole point of series from both DC and Marvel (injustice , civil war like genres) . Like "the boys" on amazon and many more. Let us have our entertainment and eat it too, you heathen.

[@scumknight6074]

Especially Invincible, civilians actually die when the heroes fight.

[@thatrandommaninthestreet9160]

@God is a stupid idiot f*cking assh*ole bit*ch edgy

[@raidev_]

when an important character dies it's a tragedy, but when a skyscraper with thousands of people inside colapses during a fight, nobody gives a shit

[@ethanhawksley9097]

Invincible

[@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.

[@KlutzyNinjaKitty]

I think part of the problem just comes from the fact that these heroes are limited by human anatomy and expectations while doing something that’s distinctly non-human. Like, when I think of the most impressive flight-fight scene I’ve ever seen, the 2010 movie Legend of the Guardians comes to mind. Not just because I loved the movie + the book series as a kid. But because the fight scenes felt unique and had weight/impact to them, as well as strategies that can only be done from the air (like spiraling down from above to take out an enemy patrol, or two soldiers grabbing an enemy’s wings to immobilize them.) I seriously recommend looking some clips up to see what I mean.

[@owenneilb]

This is exactly what I was thinking about when watching this. When you punch someone your feet press against the ground, and both friction and your legs take up that force. When you are flying like a superhero there is only one force holding you in place, and it is your flight power. Depending on the exact characteristics of that force it would drastically change how you would hit somebody in the air. A punch can't depend on the ground to hold you in place, so you only have the strength of your flight power, so you should always get your full bodies momentum behind it or else you just move a bit backward. And how somebody like Thor flies, where he is more flinging himself around means a punch would be nonsensical.

[@kelplink8532]

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.

[@saint.rahrah3663]

doesnt make sense majority of his enemies cant fly

[@xrstevenson]

@@saint.rahrah3663 yeah the boys also doesn't have a high budget to do CGI fights like that so that's really more of a victory by default, not by choice

[@DajuSar]

@@xrstevenson with the current state of things I can see a real fight having more budget that crappy CGI

[@AbCd-sw8rk]

Homelander doesn't even fight, he uses his heat vision in all of his fights.

[@Handhandme]

@@AbCd-sw8rk Have you seen the last season?

[@NoOne0527]

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

[@thedarkjw6219]

Yes

[@chkik7385]

stopmakingsuperherofightintheair

[@stereoheart.806]

@@chkik7385 Hahahaha. You're amazing

[@waffles6280]

@@williamshelton4318 dude you misspelled it, its fisiks

[@juggetda8165]

@@waffles6280 nah, it's fyciks

[@tanayshrivastava8915]

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

[@myenglishisbadpleasecorrec5446]

That and always getting to survive are part of the job Note: There is no equivalent expression to "gajes del oficio" in English :(

[@Qardo]

Well, clearly the cameraman can sue for discrimination. As they are special and no other cameraman can do what they can do. Why should they get punished for being different? Oh wait...hold on. I think I ruined my defense on this one. I forgot the legal system is like in the United States. This guy is screwed as they don't act like Hollywood Zombies. In turn they are worthless as a cameraman. All because they are different.

[@DrDomich]

@@myenglishisbadpleasecorrec5446 what's the literal translation?

[@knigistudios9430]

@@DrDomich perk?

[@weirdtuxrainbow5208]

I can hear a future possible woosh

[@crablord7934]

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.

[@frrlnslowcostamv2966]

Yeah that's the thing, not flying but the lack of impact on the environment and the characters, dbs gets fine with this cause we see the impact of every blast on the characters, which makes it more interesting, due they will survive? His injures are bast That's the deal with this stuff

[@enigma3383]

I think Chronicle does an air to air fight scene very well specifically because we see the fight through the lenses of the people on the ground or on buildings.

[@jjboi6008]

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

[@lurker6918]

Another reason mid-air fights are boring

[@RealRitesh]

Same

[@user-mc2lg4iw9e]

"Fuck motion blur" ~a certain tech vtuber named linus

[@BygoneT]

The one dude who breathes bourne movies: WTF YOU TALKING ABOUT MAN YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE WHEN HE PUNCHED AND WHERE RIGHT BEFORE THE CUT YOU JUST CAN'T APPRECIATE THE STYLE

[@TheCollectiveHexagon]

yes.

[@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

[@YourCrazyDolphin]

Usually, they benefit from the villains being honorable or just not really caring as well, like the case of Vegeta, who was intrigued by Goku, and also felt confident enough in victory that he didn't really care where the fight was. However, there have been exceptions to this, like in the Android Saga where Cell and the Androids often have the specific goal of wanton destruction in mind, and won't easily leave the city... So fights play out in the Urban area where the Z-Fighters find themselves heavily relying on just punches and kicks if they can help it. At least until the opponent blows up all the surroundings anyways and at that point it doesn't matter. It was also seen in a short film release prior to Super (though I forgot the name of it)- when the Villain destroys part of the environment putting the normal people (just Hercule and Bulma at that moment) at risk, they make a point to show the other Z-Fighters on damage control, keeping the debris from hurting them.

[@quicklyform5162]

That’s what goku did with 19 and 20

[@quickstertwister3256]

CrazyDolphin Sounds like someone know his DragonBall..

[@wolframvoneschenbach1174]

This is spot on and is usually the case with Superman in the comics aswell. This is why he has to hold back, to prevent harm to civilians or even his foes

[@blackmagician7645]

True. Plus it is relevant to this topic to mention that in the earlier Christopher Reeves Superman films. That there arose a point in battle with Zod and his two other krytonian soiders that Superman realised the impact they were having in the city and indangering the regular human populace. That he used flight in order to leave the city and bait his opponents away from causing any further damage or harm to others.

[@SedatedandRestrained]

I feel like this raises a lot of valid points that are addressed spectacularly in the DragonBall franchise. Everyone can fly and it maintains the ability to present powerful blows by various methods such as separated shockwaves(indicating superhuman speed/power too fast for the audience to comprehend) or being thrown into the ground where a crater forms or mountain evaporates. I feel like the fights often take place in mountainous terrain which provides excellent background for them to get thrown into or buried in. Visual indicators of wear and tear are also progressively added to the fighters clothing and skin showing that they are actually getting hurt.

[@butter6442]

. Thanks for the comment👍. I was hoping someone would understand and bring this up.

[@inuhundchien6041]

Dragonball characters just use cotton for clothing

[@VestedUTuber]

Dragon Ball also does a good job of breaking up aerial combat segments with stretches of ground combat as well.

[@elevatexd]

No dragonball is totally different, there people aren’t invincible like superman and Shazam, that’s why the flying doesn’t matter

[@AlX-Ander]

The biggest difference is how they handle bringing the fighters back together after a separation. Superman, even in games, will continuously punch someone forward, catching back up just to repeat the motion. In Dbz, that has never happened because the characters don't just catch up, they go past and hit them in another direction.

[@paranomalycreaxionz]

i personally found the final fight scene of the "Man Of Steel" movie very entertaining because despite their flight the dramatic and exponential danger both were projecting was very something to greatly invest in since Clark or Kal-El made a crucial decision to end Zod's Life When faced with the ultimatum of letting Zod live or let the innocent people die. Not to mention that the sequel was very clear on the context of all those lives lost in the heat of their battle.

[@ghosted101_2]

superman can break his neck, but can't hurt zod with the punch and also when zod get hit by the building and the ground hes still okay I don't know man I don't think physics works like that. and Im sure both of them probably kill hundred people when the fight each other

[@Noak5678]

@@ghosted101_2 he obviously was being hurt by the punches bruh just cause you dont one shot ko doesnt mean they aint being hurt yal just silly

[@ghosted101_2]

@@Noak5678 breaking someone neck is harder than punching someone dude. its not even a normal human neck its fuckin zod neck

[@neosquirrel]

The neck snap also the biggest mistake of the movie, if not the entire DCU. You took a character who hasn’t killed anyone in his history (androids and slug monsters don’t count) and turned him dark. It turned the entire universe of their films dark short of Shazam and Aquaman (and maybe the second Suicide squad). It was “edgy” and nobody liked it.

[@thekoifishcoyote8762]

@@neosquirrel There were a few times Superman killed someone: Injustice, and an alternate cartoon timeline. Both kinda showed why he doesn't.

[@geoffberteau2847]

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.

[@dickshneeze4566]

DUDE WHY DID I NEVER THINK OF THAT

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

That's exactly right. I also kind of see the appeal of Batman now. He's just a human without any superpowers. He's vulnerable and every blow that he takes has an impact on him.

[@SevenZeroEleven]

@@hittingyouoverthehead but then again batman also ends up feeling like a superhuman cause in various places he does things he shouldn't be able to, kick darkseid in the gut and make him fall (yeah not joking even aguaman failed to make him move a centimeter) going toe to toe against Superman, taking Hugh falls and bug hits from other heros and Villans and healing from them like it's nothing

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

@@SevenZeroEleven Not to come across as a super mainstream/basic guy, but I was referring to Nolan's Batman portrayed by Christian Bale. He's actually vulnerable and almost dies several times. Yes, he too does unbelievable stuff like simply disappear in a second but that happens following a believable backstory about how he got his training. This is not to say that I hated the Batman played by Ben Affleck (in fact for a long time, he was the only thing I liked in the DCEU) but he's a bit too OP like you said.

[@SevenZeroEleven]

@@hittingyouoverthehead with Christian Bale I agree 100% I love thoose movies cause he is actually a regular dude in a spandex suit but when I saw you were talking about batman I ment the Character Batman in general not a singular version of him, my bad

[@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.

[@jameswallace3413]

I couldn’t agree more my man, the video says it’s about flying but most of the fights he has gripes with happen to be insanely op

[@forbiddenmace]

You have made much more sense than the video itself.

[@Cangaca777]

Why are people bothered with the "science" of a superhero not being affected by debrees or being smacked on buildings? the point of this battles is to put up a nice gigantic epic fight between two ridiculously OP characters.. we all know superman's powers, we all know goku's powers. we all know that they will not die if they fall from miles away, that's not the point.. and yes there IS danger! because the villain is powerful enough to do damage to the hero, so they are not invunerable.

[@pandemoniousivy4651]

@@Cangaca777 superhuman physics is one of those goofy nerd things that make fiction cooler if you can adhere to it without getting stuck in the minutae. For example, if Superman had a reveal that his power was tactile telekinesis (valid given most feats of strength), then it would allow for a Superman who uses his power in more creative contexts. Thus, more fun fight scenes and cooler overall stories. Relevant to flight? I'd love to see a story where the protag only has flight while still having to fight traditional superhumans. They'd have to be creative, knowledgeable, and prepared for each encounter, even if they're just doing variant divebomb tactics. Now, introduce something new: flying sniper/bomber. Green Goblin was a menace with only that artificial archetype, let alone incorporating true flight into the equation somehow. Tl;dr: No, it's not important, until A. You realize how dumb something looks or B. You realize how cool the alternative would be

[@Cangaca777]

@@pandemoniousivy4651 I think in general people should stop putting problems or concerns where they dont really exist. if superman has to fly and fight a flying villain so be it. if you can fly why the heck would you be stuck to the ground? there is nothing wrong with it.. and it's entirely justifiable in that scenario. and if it looks dumb then it's a artistic/creative issue... if you cut a sheet of paper the wrong way it's your fault, not the scissors.. if people have a problem with a superhero flying fight situation then why are they watching a super-hero movie? it's like watching a horror movie and being mad because you got a jumpscare.. alternatives are interesting yeah. but there is nothing wrong with airbourne fights. the latest dbz movie has some absolute glorious fights in the air!!

[@unlimited_power7666]

One of the worst parts of being hit, is your momentum slamming your head into the ground. When you can fly, you can instantly negate that momentum. And when flying through concrete starts to feel like nothing, it instantly ruins that feeling of a fight.

[@wyattwilburn3962]

"I can't conceptualize the idea of airborne combat, and neither can you."

[@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.

[@nicholasleclerc1583]

Hey, DBZ weeb natioooooon !!!!!

[@kingzingo1784]

I feel like noise has a very important role when it comes to these fights. You can tell when the Z fighters are flying fast through the air without even looking. And when they are thrown into the ground you *hear* that loud impact! Films could have citizens screaming in the background, or have a dramatic setting where maybe buildings are on fire. One of my favorite scenes are in Spider-Man 3 even with all of it's controversy, it showed Mary Jane Inside of a Car that was barely suspended in the air by Venom's webs. Everytime Spiderman would try to get to her, Venom would stop him. Then Sandman would show up out of nowhere and brutally attack Spiderman, and you would hear the surrounding citizens and news reporters in disbelief that their hero might die. One of my favorite scenes that have stuck with me.

[@Wyrmknave]

I feel like animation, especially styles like DBZ, can manipulate the way they show you a mid-air hit to make it feel impactful. Like, they can squeeze a lot more value out of things like hitstop and can use techniques like stretching and squashing to really make a hit land regardless of the fact they're in the air and maybe, realistically, they shouldn't have the leverage to really make that kind of it. It probably also helps that we just have less expectations of realism when it comes to animation, and seeing similar techniques applied in live action might just look "wrong". This isn't a problem in comics for similar reasons, and because storytelling in comics can be very condensed. In a comic book fight you don't need to do something like hold the tension of civillians in danger for a full minutes-long fight, you can just establish that once because you only have so much page-space to work with and it's not expected that you necessarily track that. So yeah, when it comes to live-action movies, they really need to think harder about what they're doing and why these flying muscleman are body slamming each other.

[@aimlessvalour]

@@kingzingo1784 Great example that, probably the only good part of that movie was that final scene, you felt the full force of Sandmans punches on peter because of the environment around them!

[@killofilms4162]

The problem here isn't just flight, it's the lack of intensity. The characters are not taking damage, there is no blood or bruises they're not even getting tired. They look the same throughout the fight which makes the fight is pointless for the hero and villain. Anime hangles this well.

[@smitmahajani7663]

One other thing I noticed in that the mall fight sequence in 'Shazam' is that it involves "near ground" flight and closed spaces. This adds to the feeling of the space being limited (and closer) and thus makes the scene visually and mentally feel more grounded and hits closer to home because there are walls/buildings all around the characters, and the onlookers/bystanders are close enough too. It intensifies the stakes and puts more limitations on the characters. This is also why the highway/supermarket fight sequence between Superman and Faora in 'Man of Steel' feels and looks so good. These scenes are in contrast to just fight sequences high up in the sky with no limiting space around, with the human bystanders far below on the ground, and with the characters just smashing each other into buildings or onto the ground. I feel that when showing fight sequences involving flying superheroes, it's better to show "near ground" flight with physical spaces and people much closer around them, than them being high up in the sky.

[@Scroolewse]

The difference between Chronicle and the other movies shown is that the main struggle of that in the air battle was Andrew being a threat to all the people on the ground. They didn't show it quite as brutally as they should have but that is the consequence of it and it was very real. Plus the flying perfectly set up the killing blow at the end. That sudden death was really well done.

[@traviswilson3614]

'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.

[@firstnamelastname5048]

Invincible also did a good job of showing the heroes getting damaged

[@rudraksh5692]

@@firstnamelastname5048 mentally or physically?

[@rudraksh5692]

Yes

[@karofuor5036]

Damn i thought I was done seeing Midvincible references, mentions or comparisons 😭

[@thatrandommaninthestreet9160]

@@karofuor5036 damn you really hate popular stuff? 🤨

[@wetershinobi4111]

I think flying just removes one of the best part of a fighting scene: Choreography.

[@waterywingz]

Orrrr is it cuz they can’t do solid choreo, they decide to go for flying?

[@nnnnnn496]

@@waterywingz orrrrr flying scenes would be awesome with great choreography. Imagine Naruto fight scenes x DBZ

[@nickburns4322]

Air fight definitely be good but they must good fight choreography or make us feel like the people are the real one in danger like invincible

[@keihazuki22]

On the other hand, it leave kids with imagination of superhero fighting in the air. Keep in mind that it's a kids movie. Kids will pick up his Shazam/Superman action figure and make it fly while fighting their other toys, knocking off building blocks, tossing the opponent around, etc. Sure critics won't enjoy being treated like a kid but if it's a fun movie, then we can enjoy it together.

[@Sharp_3yE]

But.... There is still Choreography. Flying is part of the choreography.

[@Dovahkiin106]

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.

[@adityakhanna113]

Yupp! Also dbz gets flying n fighting so right

[@jimenezaquino1539]

They always do it

[@JessicaChastainFan]

But it's immediately ruined when that fight starts. Rapid punches and kicks don't work, launching someone into a mountain doesn't work...why is this fight happening? That's just the surface because the story writing as to why the fight is happening also doesn't work. DBZ has aged badly.

[@FreshZCORD]

anime does that really well

[@bulb9970]

@@JessicaChastainFan That’s because DBZ never bothered to explain how ki attack works. The characters supposedly can blow up planets yet fight scenes conveniently just destroy some mountains or barely make a dent on their clothes. It’s visually cool but the inner consistency in the series is a complete mess, it’s usually up to the fans to make up stuff explaining what happens in the fights.

[@lou6018]

Woah. The way you explained this so well and from every possible angle. *Chefs kiss*🤌🏼🤌🏼

[@ThatJohnKillion1970]

The hero and villain are thrown through dozens of buildings with no harm to either one. Meanwhile, how many civilians are now dead?

[@masterofdragons82]

What’s your point? It’s not like the hero wants to be crashed in a building for people to die. Besides people with super vision or something like that can see if people are there. For example, iron man both comics and mcu can see if people are in any buildings or anywhere near him, Superman can also do that, anyone with X-ray or sensors can do that but not Thor or any of those heroes

[@supremekingcolour8668]

@@masterofdragons82 but.. that is he's point? You said that the heros doesn't want to be crashed into building's for people to die but if that was case why would they throw the villains into building's as well? Like I don't see Superman giving a flying fuck about what he was doing and when Iron-man did the same thing to Hulk at least he shot four mini missiles into the building before so the building would cave in on itself instead of falling to side

[@trevorphilips9065]

@@supremekingcolour8668 Iron Man didn't seem to care in the Avengers when he went to eat shwarma

[@supremekingcolour8668]

@@trevorphilips9065 true

[@trevorphilips9065]

@@supremekingcolour8668 But then again he was hungry

[@joshuahardee8837]

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.

[@krabsisdaddy447]

He wasn't dissing that. He was dissing the midair fight afterwards.

[@joshuahardee8837]

@@krabsisdaddy447 That's fair.

[@amanofreviews]

Yesss

[@nick8416]

I mean it was funny. But shazam has superhearing. So it really doesn't make sense.

[@violentcroissant]

@@nick8416 maybe he doesn't activate the ability on spot, you know, like switch the light on and off??

[@JoJo_Binks_]

This is why Invincible has such incredible fights. It often switches back and forth between fighting in the air and ground. While fighting in the air, it shows the stakes at hand with how brutally all the civilians die. When on ground, it shows how brutally Invincible himself gets pummeled by his enemies

[@DeVoidLij]

I couldn't stop thinking about Invincible while watching this video. I think the final fight was amazing, because the characters kept switching between grounded fighting sequences and airborne ones, while keeping the stakes as high as they've ever been.

[@t65bx25]

Nerdstalgic: “When we are in the air, we lose a sense of danger” The millions of people that are scared of planes: •__•

[@itsjustvin7630]

@Albert D I think falling would be scary

[@games_on_phone89]

I'd say the sense of danger is GREATER up in the sky, what with the risk of falling

[@salami_lid7614]

you mean afraid of heights?

[@sleepingzoro7530]

I hate planes. Not because of the flying or height, but fuck planes for popping my damn ears. They’re my ears. Please don’t touch them.

[@AA-tz2bm]

@@sleepingzoro7530 Ur ears

[@jkap2042]

Nerdstalgic: Stop fighting in the air! Aang and Ozai have entered the chat.

[@skaionex]

Which is one of the most boring fights in the show tbh.

[@jkap2042]

@@skaionex Fair. That being said, I think it's still better than most mid-air fights because it utilizes the environment creatively. Its boringness might also be due to the fact that it's happening alongside arguably the best fight of the series (Zuko vs Azula) which was much more emotionally engaging.

[@skaionex]

@@jkap2042 this is true on both accounts

[@nekoqueen5524]

@@skaionex I personally disagree but that may be my own taste

[@leonardpanergo7066]

@@nekoqueen5524 Don't worry, I also disagree, even though Azula vs Zuko was emotionally engaging and the visuals are awesome, I still think Aang's final battle is one of the best fight scenes in the show.

[@Hollowdude15]

I hope fights in movies gets better and great video man :]

[@SirArthurTheGreat]

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

[@a-aron4148]

I like how he didn’t go back to when it first appeared but toward the end thinking that would change the whole time the word appeared lol

[@ItsOver9000Productions]

@ look at the fucking video man

[@Texan.Insomniac]

@God is a stupid idiot f*cking assh*ole bit*ch No one asked =)

[@collenpartridge8342]

Phsysics can be very inter-rantsting.

[@trist10]

@ he's talking about how the video misspelled it dumbass 2:19

[@jamesd4695]

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

[@Nerdstalgic]

Yeah that was a great joke!

[@mohammadmurie]

WHAT I can't hear you your like a mile away

[@justinliammartinez4738]

Don't woosh but isn't it supposed to be shazam or billy

[@NaughtiusMaximmus]

@@justinliammartinez4738 capt. marvel is his original name

[@foreverbored1713]

@@NaughtiusMaximmus well it ain't anymore

[@dillonglaab6066]

Didn't know I needed this information in my life. Thank you much!

[@L.i.am95]

Ive never heard of this channel but what a breath of fresh air, a video essay in a sea of video essays that i genuinely enjoyed from start to finish

[@opedromagico]

I’ll remember to don’t record flying fight scenes, thanks!

[@abruhmoment1041]

Good way to counter this argument "tell superheroes and villians who can fly to stop fighting in the air"

[@abhiklovesbadbitches]

i thought you were a filmmaker and i looked your name up. then i started to wonder why a portuguese left-back would want to make superhero films

[@abhiklovesbadbitches]

@@lunadias1289 what

[@Jaeyun1]

@@abhiklovesbadbitches a what?

[@abhiklovesbadbitches]

@@Jaeyun1 its a position in football

[@matty1214]

*Killed one villan, caused more than 10B dollars of damage, killed more than 1k innocent civilians* *Gets called the hero*

[@marshetshimelis5339]

if those people don't die millions will die becauseof zod

[@alexanderhamilton6391]

Billions*

[@firstnamelastname6016]

@@marshetshimelis5339 yeah but he’s still not much of a “hero”. There can be 2 villains, or a morally grey character and a villain. Or a reckless superpower abuser with such a vendetta the villain they don’t even care about how much they destroy, as long as that villain is no longer. I am saying this as an unashamed lover of all things superheros and superpowers.

[@shaquillek379]

i hope you know they made a whole sequel where Superman is taken to court for what happened and the the world is split between people who see him as a hero and others who see him as a threat...

[@wackyboss4649]

@@firstnamelastname6016 k

[@thecad8163]

I would argue that in Man Of Steel, Zach made me feel the weight behind every punch. It had a Dragon ball feel. It's pure strength, no magic, nothing fancy just pure fisicality. The complete decimation of Metropolis made it even more believable. Where as Shazam is more like a fan film made for 12 year olds.

[@dogmeat2418]

Absolutely agree with everything except the stuff about Shazam

[@alispeed5095]

I totally agree with everything. It's had to take Shazam serious at all. Clearly it's amovie for kids

[@hariman7727]

@@alispeed5095 it's a movie that's fun.

[@Prince36300]

Maybe but it was meaningless because unlike DBZ, theres no nuance in fighting style or interesting strategy to defeat each other. It felt like an expensive video game cut scene showing the devastation instead of an interesting fight with real stakes

[@viscountrainbows2857]

Imma have to disagree on the Man Of Steel point respectfully; I feel like up until Supes did his deed to end Zod, it was a stalemate destruction derby Rock-em-Sock-em sesh that would have seen no end otherwise. This might just be me, but I didn't see even a glimmer of the refinement that Dragon Ball can have in its stakes of destruction. Typically destruction is emphasized as involving civilian casualties, except in the wimpier English dubs; Superman V. Zod caused billions in property damage and untold casualties/injuries only tangentially mentioned in BvS. Almost makes me agree with Batman if I were seeing the footage of a city being levelled over an alien tizzy.

[@orangepotato2112]

When you were doin the ad read I thought you almost ran out of air bro. Great video though, enjoyed it

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

Even dragon ball z figured out this a while ago. Granted this might be why the fights in the original dragon ball were so engaging since ring Knockouts pretty much require that you be on the ground kinda

[@erichall090909]

In general dragon ball fights are better than most dbz fights. They feel more impact and have great choreography and don’t follow the same script so much

[@erichall090909]

More about technique and cool moves where dbz is just one person being dramatically more powerful than the other and swapping who that is

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

@@erichall090909 good point yeah.

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

@@erichall090909 agreed

[@cmbaz1140]

The coolest fighting scenes in dbz happen on the ground... Like the first goku vegeta fight has lots of them you can feel the impact on the ground ...goosebumps... Or the frieza goku fight on namek each punch and kick and move has mass and impact you can literally feel the force of it...

[@Sputlo]

Sounds like they just gotta stop casting the ground in movies

[@263malice]

Well there’s only one ground, so that would be discriminatory to a marginalized group.

[@thekitmi9156]

Literally died

[@rionizeman]

Linyoshi Belle I’m offended and your cancelled

[@rrivera497]

I love fighting in the air scenes 👀

[@Salnax]

Thing is, flying action scenes can be interesting if we’re talking about fighter jets, spaceships, dragons, etc. And I think the reason is that in those cases, being able to fly is not paired with being nigh-invulnerable. All they have to do is make the characters not immune to consequences. Even superhero stuff can still do this sort of thing. In the original Iron Man, the hero is running on a limited battery and is suspect able to the more physically powerful enemy suit, so the flying becomes something used to gain an advantage. In the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films (web swinging is basically bootleg flying), we see Spider-Man lose control at points, causing him real pain and taking the audience by surprise. Aerial movement is fine, flying bricks are boring.

[@squireob]

The other word being: invulnerable. Most of these characters in the air are so tough that a full force impact into a hard surface is usually an inconvenience, regardless of the power of the opponent or anything else.

[@thekodex1186]

This should be the ONLY word, since the video implies we can't fathom what it's like to be punched though a wall, but in the air

[@Noak5678]

@@thekodex1186 yea its not a very good arguement at all flight is not the issue it doesnt even correlate

[@happysmash27]

That gives me an interesting idea for a superhero: What if there was a hero who could fly or whatever, but was _not_ crazily resistant to impacts from punches and such, and were actually effected like a real person? All the heros I see always seem to be so resistant that they can be smashed into cars or concrete and the obstacle bends or breaks against them instead of them going splat. I'm not sure I've ever seen a character with super powers _without_ that ability and think it could be a really interesting concept.

[@thekodex1186]

@@happysmash27 Fun Fact: The Flash dosn't have super duribility, just super healing, so he does indeed feel everything

[@sakuseihuoshen]

@@happysmash27 🤔 There's a hero like that, but in a manga called MHA: Vigilante.

[@TheNeilBlack]

I feel like the problem you're describing doesn't come from flying in particular, it comes from filmmakers padding out fights with a bunch of action. Nothing about flying stops there from being stakes to the fight.

[@trequor]

It does though... like he said they ALWAYS have to come back to the ground. Nothing meaningful happens in the air *unless* specific stakes have been made for the fight other than beating the shit out of each other.

[@TheNeilBlack]

@@trequor Again, though, that's the fault of filmmakers, not a necessary consequence of air battles.

[@trequor]

@@TheNeilBlack a pure beat-your-shit-in fight works on the ground, but not in the air

[@TheNeilBlack]

@@trequor It can also work in the air. There's no reason it can't.

[@trequor]

@@TheNeilBlack Yes, there is. As outlined in this video. We dont understand the physics involved. Punches have no power and shoves are meaningless until they hit something.

[@alanfischer7523]

Can we agree the best airborne fight ever is Doc Ock vs Toby Maggie’s Spider-Man when they are falling off the building in the original Spider-Man. It’s still one of the best fight scenes ever

[@mieastra]

This is super insightful. Glad it popped up in my suggestions.

[@moonknight5588]

"The *one word* ruining superhero fight scenes" *starts speaking about flying and fighting scenes*

[@koleszgdanska7149]

Yeah. The title is shitty

[@plalvor]

i think the word was "physics"? idk tho

[@crisunjackalD]

Granted, it's not said outright as "One word: flying" in the script as far as I can tell. But yeah, "flying" seems to be the thing ruining fight scenes. Relative frames of reference help an audience to identify with what they're watching, and flight can add difficulties to that.

[@zarbonthebeauty5086]

Think it was the word flying

[@ArchangelExile]

Yeah, wtf is that title?

[@tiramiiisu]

when they were just “hovering in the air” it honestly looked like two dudes were just standing there bc there was NO WIND making the things on their body move (clothing, hair). These things only really move when the characters themselves are moving. as someone was raised in a city once you go over the 10th floor there is a bunch of wind blowing, even if its a relatively calm day/night weather wise. so every scene i see in the air and there’s little to no wind effects im immediately turned off

[@toasterowens8916]

except that most times when a character is flying, they're creating a sort of vacuum/bubble around them that goes against everything around them

[@yewdielrosas5727]

So conversely, when weather effects are actually present, you get turned on? ._.

[@cristopheralcala6824]

@@yewdielrosas5727 Hell yeah

[@yeahkeen2905]

toaster in the tub sounds like you just made that up.

[@toasterowens8916]

@@yeahkeen2905 sounds like you're stupid then

[@anthonymcgrath]

Great video thankyou! As an animator i'm often against airborne battles - it needs to be used very sparingly. In the first Iron Man we see Tony go up against two Raptors in the sky and that airborne battle feels so good but i think much of it comes from an understanding of it being the pinnacle of military tech. We see him take off.. then the jets pursue... then him go supersonic and you get a great sense of speed as he pushes the clouds apart into vortex swirls... so they switch to missiles which knock him around. Then we see the actual effects of them damaging his armour with vulcan cannons. Even when he's hanging onto the underbelly the jet spins and rolls and he's hanging on for dear life before being knocked off and taking a wing with him! the point is theres alot of contact in the air... the missile impact.. the guns ammo hitting and damaging him... then the jet trying to spin around to get him off. Even though its airborne he still feels like he's coming into contact with things. The understanding in that scene of taking what is an airborne empty chase scene and turning it into something that feels lethal and gritty is fantastic.

[@pigizoid9924]

flying scenes dont have to end how we expect them to, if we just throw the villain into the sun

[@lordsiomai]

i love how "Phsysics" turned into "Physics" as if like nothing happened

[@b.s.a.suburbiaproductions840]

I almost thought it must've been on purpose because of that, lmao.

[@Ou8y2k2]

It takes "Phsysics" to turn "Fisix" into "Physics".

[@trihermawan9553]

We..... We dont talk about that

[@Jeff_May]

Typos - Happens to everyone, but it's the easiest thing to fix if you want to elevate the integrity of all your hard work.

[@chet_awesomelad]

@@b.s.a.suburbiaproductions840 I know that some creators will deliberately leave a typo or misspelling in a video because it prompts people to make a comment. Even someone saying "You're a dumbass, you spelled 'physics' wrong!" is good for the algorithm.

[@scottbauer71]

Spoiler: To me, Shazam's climax was Billy accepting his mother doesn't want him, then turning to save his real new family... paid off sharing his power with them MARVELously

[@zylnexxd842]

Yeah

[@WitnessRAH]

Pretty sure you meant “DCvously”

[@-faramoluwanbi-6469]

Ahh I see what you did there, well played.

[@zaam5506]

@@WitnessRAH You missed the pun

[@zaam5506]

@Jonas REYES How?

[@b4thewar540]

I think we can thank Sam Raimi for Spider-Man rarely succumbing to this problem in his movies. That last fight between Peter and Goblin in the first movie set the bar for the way Spidey’s climactic battles rough him up in the process. That being said, I don’t think any of his onscreen fights have lived up to that one since in terms of tangible stakes and intensity. Sure, No Way Home literally has the entire multiverse under threat in its climax, but it’s another trope-ical instance of some vague sky-disaster threatening lives most of which are offscreen and not in any visible danger. Meanwhile in Raimi’s Spider-Man, you see Peter get the shit kicked out of him, his costume is torn apart. Goblin’s strength and speed match his, but his brutality gives him the edge that brings Peter close to death, which he only escapes by getting a second wind of anger when Goblin taunts him with killing MJ.

[@Kalond_irlanda]

Very interesting. If anything, this video really does solidify how subjecive movies are. I have a lot of issues with MOS, but enjoyed it overall. The ending fight between Supes and Zod made me feel something; I cannot say the same about Shazam - that was one of my LEAST favorite DC movies of all time. Thank you for sharing this perspective on flight fights, though. It is something I hadn't considered, and does make sense. I've been writing Superman fan films, and this is definitely something to keep in mind.

[@WafflePenguin36]

Really? That was your least favourite? Was it too kiddy-fied for you? I loved Shazam, it’s my second favourite DC movie, and my number 1 is Man of Steel.

[@Birzo754]

Nerdstalgic: Don't do flying fight scenes Dragon Ball: Haha he's funny

[@nineten9011]

Anime doas flying fights much better honestly

[@TemariNaraannaschatz]

@@nineten9011 More like: Don't do flying fight scenes if you don't know how to. Anime: knows how to!

[@orangeball8872]

this reminds me of jotaro vs dio fight Spoilers: Before the fight Dio kills kakyoin in a flying fight scene and he also "almost" kills jotaro with the knife throws

[@orangeball8872]

So i think that fight was a good example of How a flying fight should be handled

[@JaydevRaol]

Yes

[@thedollfin112]

"Stop flying while fighting" Dragon Ball Z: I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that

[@doctorofskillz2932]

Part 3 final fight: *am I a joke to you?*

[@z.incognito6259]

Endeavor vs High end: I dont think I will.

[@Towkeeyoh]

I had the same thought. When I first watched DBZ as a kid, so much fights were in the air and it was total fire!

[@doctorofskillz2932]

@@machiavelli612 I wouldn't say jojo references are anywhere near dead, they are down cause vento aureo is over but when stone ocean comes out it'll start up again Edit: I just checked ur profile and saw that u r subscribed to hamon beat, that explains it somewhat

[@fireredtheredfire1050]

@@doctorofskillz2932 yeah Ima just wait till stone oceans comes And thats where the chaos(the good kind) begins.

[@TOBI.SARU.]

I would agree except that the fight with Superman vs Zod in Man of Steel. You could tell how much damage and strength was used. It was pretty visible.

[@gargantuar490]

Very interesting video, air fights are quite lacklustre in most movies. I think the big PHYSICS text in the middle of the screen was a little annoying because I was trying to observe the fight scene to see what you are saying about weird air-fight physics but the text "physics" made it hard to focus on it.

[@hajile404]

"And none of it really feels like it matters except to the civilians watching." I think that's literally the point in that sequence in Chronicle.

[@Nerdstalgic]

Yup! Well, kind of. I mean we’re supposed to believe that these people are on the verge of killing one another, THESE characters are who we’re supposed to be invested in. Yet instead it’s more, oh no, think of the kids! Which kind of defeats the purpose of creating this fight in the first place.

[@BatmanAoD]

And also in Man of Steel, as demonstrated by the premise of BvS.

[@returnofhorusthegalacticor9704]

@@Nerdstalgic you're unrealistic because the fights aren't both people agreeing to go away from the city it's like a street fight not a boxing match

[@user-fs1lc2cj5s]

Retùrn of Horus the galactic order either way it was choreographed being a movie

[@coldermusic2729]

Nerdstalgic I understand where your at here, but the point of the fight wasn’t that they where trying to kill each other, but more so it was the sane one trying to calm down the crazy one, and protect the people that he was harming, whilst the crazy one is trying to kill the sane one (I forgot their names). It wasn’t a struggle of strength, but a struggle of will, which one will give up first. That’s why this fight scene still works, and is still enjoyable. You made it sound like it was a bad fight, when it was one of the most unique fights out there, showing the entire thing in the prospective of a civilian via the camera, and the danger that they are put through. But like I said, I understand where you’re coming from, and respect your opinion.

[@rohohol]

Did anyone else notice that the word 'physics' was on screen for like a minute spelt 'phsysics'?

[@argrusvfx1582]

that's why im in the comment section lmao

[@hystericallover5989]

@@ryumalick1817 *literally* killing you? oh god...

[@the_r4ts]

That was on purpose, to highlight how your brain can’t understand flight physics. It switches to the correct spelling when he starts talking about grounded physics your brain *can* understand

[@argrusvfx1582]

@@the_r4ts or it's a typo

[@jakezimmer7256]

I thought I just learned it wrong or something

[@Rioraku]

Someone else mentioned it but I think the problem (or rather the point/problem this video is discussing) is with the characters themselves being invulnerable. If you watch a scene from an anime like Dragon Ball Z, when they get tossed into cliffs or the ground the characters are definitely feeling the impact and you can recognize the damage. So those kinds of fights are absolutely doable.

[@hariman7727]

Even when they're barely damaging each other and it's just the start of the fight in dragon Ball z, the choreography makes you feel each hit, or it lets you know that each hit is barely registering.

[@Katana314]

The Matrix Revolutions tried to alleviate the physics issue by using rain as an echoing effect for impacts - having raindrops fantastically scatter around on each punch, get scattered by Smith/Neo's clothing. It still has all the other issues of course - you get no sense of momentum effect from travel/acceleration. IMO, a great addition to superhero fly-fights would be if a movie could establish both characters cannot shoot impulsively in a given direction - they have to accelerate, and so a lot of their big motions thrusting out at each other come from pushing off something or wallrunning; leading to an expression of creativity in the ways they come at each other.

[@nrpbrown]

I think this is at least partially a problem with having flying indestructible bricks as protagonists and giving their foes identical nearly powersets every time and the flying and related problems are more of a byproduct of that. Still good food for thought though.

[@martinmorles1]

That is my main issue with heroes like superman , his powers , costume is so basic yet he's portrayed as indestructible so their force to write dumb things like krytopnite , so when comparing him to other heroes like iron man he has not aged well

[@MatthewCampbell765]

@@martinmorles1 Well, to be fair, Superman is the codifier for the superhero genre. He's going to be a generic superhero by definition. Having said that, he does have some issues: -They kept giving him new powers without any consistent theme necessarily. Originally, the character was basically Mr. Incredible, for the record. You want to give your heroes a 'theme' of sorts to their abilities. For example, let's say a hero who can control light, and therefore can make laser beams, create holograms, turn invisible, etc. -They made him overpowered, moreso than really serves the plot most of the time. To some extent, part of his character is him being invincible in a lot of ways and the responsibility that carries, but you can still have that and have him be beaten down occasionally. -Kryptonite is bad as a weakness for two reasons: It ought to be really rare, and it's also something that doesn't have a lot of "real world" context. Basically, the only situation in which it would exist is if a bad guy planned to fight Superman. It's a "Superman is arbitrarily able to lose" button. If it were something more mundane, like say, harmful radiation in general, you could have interesting scenarios like Superman having to save people from a nuclear powerplant or something, and it wouldn't be contrived.

[@tiagodarkpeasant]

@@MatthewCampbell765 another minor ways are electricity, he cant burn to death but otherwise is as vulnerable as any human to being unconscious and stunned and magic, that affects him as if he is a normal human, except when the mage is not creative and just shot magic laser beans, instead of turning him into stone or something like that

[@nadroji6549]

@@MatthewCampbell765 If one of the problems you have w/ Kryptonite is that it's not rare enough, then wouldn't making radiation his weakness have the same problem if not be even more convenient? I mean, it's not like it would be hard to get a hold of radiation, especially for Luther, a rich business man & super genius, or even steal it from other countries, stealing radiation would be piss poor easy for the LoD.

[@nadroji6549]

@@martinmorles1 It seems like in recent years, Superman has become a walking Deus ex Machina, he's too strong & has too many powers that come outta nowhere. It's so boring to watch Superman, Superman rarely struggles & loses/dies, but on the rare occasion he does, he just comes back! It also doesn't help when there are times when villains use his weakness & they don't work, I have seen so many times when Superman just get's so angry that he overpowers his weakness, like what? Just one piece of Kryptonite brings you to your knees & yet you get so pissed that you're able to rip apart Luthor's Kryptonite suit?

[@mrscrappz1063]

The thing I really didn't like about the "Shazam" movie was that the child version of billy had somewhat of a mature personality, but the adult version had this very goofy, expressive, overreacting personality. It was weird seeing the kid act like an adult and then pull a 180 and act like a kid when he was an adult. I don't ever see anyone mention this..

[@deathsticksaddict7756]

I noticed this detail too when I first saw the movie. I took it as Billy having this deep-rooted psychological issue due to the fact that he didn't have his real mother around his life as he was growing up. To a kid, that pretty much forces you to "grow up" and develop maturity at a much earlier age. He developed trust issues and a slight juvenile tendency. Billy constantly felt like he had to prove that he could always take care of himself and that he doesn't need anyone. As Shazam, he didn't have to worry about all that for the first time since he's finally "big" and with superpowers. In a way he lets down his emotional walls whenever he's Shazam. I personally think adult Shazam is what Billy is meant to be on the inside with immature/childish tendencies finally being let out for the first time. Maybe the wisdom of Solomon has something to do with that too but that's just my take on Billy's character based on the movie. Zachary Levi probably could have taken it down a bit with his character though but it is what it is.

[@u-thix2436]

I think it's just how Billy is, he looks scrawny as a kid so he essentially has to keep himself quiet as to not get targeted, but as Shazam, the hero he has enough power to act as goofy and fun as he wants

[@jannicaflyncuaresma5853]

Psychologically. Kids act like an adult. Adults act like theyre kids.. Also young billy gets to show his real enthusiasm whenever transforms into shazam. Like any kid would react if they ever got to have superpowers. It shows how they are just really kids if they are able to pretend and transform into adults.

[@fredrikjohansson7854]

spot on, i noticed it as well and wfound that one thing to be what i disliked the most about the movie, billy batson acted like a somewhat mature 10 year old, while shazam acted like an imature 6 year old, very jarring.

[@michaelt779]

That was just one reasons I did not like the movie. Zachary Levi just came off too campy, goofy and cheesy. I debate whether it was a terrible director or terrible actor on this one.

[@altaccount9351]

I want more fights where it's a mix of both, with the flying power people using their powers during the ground fight to add to their punches or whatever while still staying mostly close to the ground

[@RazvanSuioganTiberiu]

Very well worded! Really enjoyed this analysis, you articulate the issues really well! 👌

[@ashtonstory7832]

Thanks for telling and showing ❤️ 👍 👌 👏🙌😊 you really helped 👍 😊❤

[@THE_UNENDING]

Kung fu panda 2 did the "I can't hear you you're too far away" thing first and in my opinion better

[@nathanieldiaz5254]

Shazam literally ripped off that part of Kung Fu Panda without adding anything new. I love Shazam, it's a great movie, but in terms of that scene, it's ironic how the animated movie did the joke more maturely than the live action movie.

[@leflamf.c.u.]

oh my god no wonder I thought i recognized the scene!!

[@semelatifofalism5833]

@@nathanieldiaz5254 animated movies are art bruh

[@nathanieldiaz5254]

@@semelatifofalism5833 Yeah I know. But most of them aren't made with much effort because they're "films for kids".

[@myenglishisbadpleasecorrec5446]

​@@nathanieldiaz5254 No, it's not ironic.

[@moonlight2870]

I think the problem is less flying, and more super heroes like superman and shazam being literally invulnerable so hits have no weight. The things you said were the problem don't need to be a problem with flying. Like, there's no reason flying through a concrete and glass building should feel weightless and with 0 impact, unless they come out of the other side unscathed. And if they can do that, getting punched in the face while standing would not be that different.

[@tmrevenge]

I agree. But marvel also has a big share of character staking building busting punches and they get up laughing and making jokes remember thor vs hulk? Anyways I agree with you. If two characters with about the same power hit each other they should be hurt by the mere punch or kick, the same way we get hurt when somebody hits us

[@Cipher_Paul]

Yeah, same for the civilians getting hurt, if it's just some regular dude flying and punching another then there's no reason for there to be any civilian casualties. Also, I don't see how civilian casualties is a problem, I mean it's just that we see them in DC movies unlike in Marvel movies where we see alien invasions and islands being destroyed but no casualties.

[@JohnDoe-zw8vx]

What you point out is why the flying fight in "Chronicle" had stakes and kept me engaged. Especially because the characters were shown to have telekinesis but no other special healing or invulnerability powers.

[@deathsdoor07]

@@Cipher_Paul Didn't Ross show the casualties from collateral damage in Ckvil War?

[@Cipher_Paul]

@@deathsdoor07 we never saw casualties during the battle itself, we were just told about it years after. It was also long after Man of Steel which is from where they got the inspiration to do that just like Batman V Superman which had came out just a month before.

[@bwowzah]

The issue you covered here with airborne fights feeling like nothing was solved in anime/manga. The secret is an air blast. Nothing makes the viewer fill their pants with bricks more than having a character get slugged in the chest and then a shockwave blows away all of the buildings behind them in a cone shape. Now the stakes are set and tension is built by having the character attempt to dodge and parry subsequent attacks while trying to accomplish their task.

[@Arenrocksthesocks]

I appreciate how you put a placed a big blocky word right in the middle of the screen to keep us slack jaws not just zoning into the fight scene and not listening to anything you're saying. Its smart. It's annoying, but I respect it.

[@TayoEXE]

Are you okay? It sounded painful to talk about manscaping.

[@exploshi1]

Yeah his voice changed when he was talking about it.

[@clownfromclowntown]

Poor dude sounded like somebody was holding him hostage and making him read a script

[@funkymonkey7202]

Im dead

[@Nerdstalgic]

Lmao this comment literally made me laugh out loud. To answer your question, I've now escaped.

[@papasquatofficial9282]

I’m crying

[@Darthgipsyjoe]

Flying isn't the problem, merely the lazy and unimaginative way it has been portrayed in films so far. Flying could look good but it needs choreography to not come across plain and boring, the physics behind it need to be consistent and rich in details to keep the immersion despite its absurdity. The characters fighting need to use flight in a strategic manner and their airborne fight-style should be efficient first and only flashy on occasions. Flying should come with an interesting set of rules to have pros and cons, so there are situations where it's worth using and and others where not and some where it's very risky but could have great payoff. But above all the viewers should feel like it makes sense and things aren't just made up on the fly. Flying should be used in small bursts opportunistically whenever it makes sense, just because someone is flying they shouldn't fly all the time. Also landing could be done not just on the ground but on any surface for a momentary increase in maneuverability or to have something solid to blast off from as a surprise attack. Flying looks bad because making it look good takes talent, effort, time and money and most films cheap out on at least one aspect.

[@NeinKyori]

Yes, it always baffles me how someone just stay in the air like forever just because they can fly. If non-flying fighters can use terrain like building or debris as foothold for mid-air maneuvers, why don't flying fighters do the same but much more effectively thanks to their essentially gravity defying power.

[@Yohannai]

If they really bothered to take the time and make the inertia work (ex: how much time it would take them to slow to a stop, before changing directions which, without any friction would take a lot more time than just turning on a dime on the ground), had consistent G-forces involved and (for the heroes that can fly that aren't immune to damage) a far more careful approach to colliding with literally anything so that they don't break their ankles, arms, etc. upon impact because they could be moving at the same speed you would if you got in a car accident and were flung out the windshield, I think flying fights could be a lot more interesting and "grounded". Make the physics work, make the stakes of actually physically being in the situation feel real and all of a sudden I'm buying your fight a hundred times more. And for the love of god, if you have a character that flies by beating their wings or something study big birds (eagles, vultures, cranes) and see how they do it. (I'm looking at you X-Men movies) They have some of the highest potential of all kinds of superhero fliers to look really grounded in reality (birds fight midair all the time, its super well documented and can be pretty fucking epic) since we know how birds are supposed to look and feel flying. None of that hovering with tacked on wings that beat in midair with absolutely no resistance and no consequence on the actor. [end of rant, sorry]

[@risharddaniels1762]

Nein I don’t think it really baffles me that much. It actually makes sense that a person with flying in their skillset would have a lot of endurance for flying. I would imagine that a person who can fly, and has flown for years, it’d become as second nature as walking, and especially if you’re in a position where you’re exercising that skill frequently (being a superhero)

[@jackcoleman1784]

@@Yohannai All due respect but you might want to pay a little more attention to the source material. Literally every scene mentioned in this video with the exception of one (Chronicle) had superheroes with superhuman endurance, dexterity, and strength. Superman and General Zod aren't worried about their ankles. Even in the case of Chronicle you're talking about beings that have literally developed the ability to sightlessly and seemingly without need of thrust defy gravity. This means that at the very least they can use telekinesis to compensate for things like inertia or at the best they can literally control gravity itself in close proximity to some extent. Unless you have the short on how a being that can control gravity is just as subject to the forces of physics you described you don't really have an argument. And that's only if we ignore the superhuman endurance.

[@jackcoleman1784]

Honestly I personally think a good example of this kind of deliberate choreography is the Metropolis fight scene from Superman II. The movie has issues to be sure not the least of which is the writing but the choreography is pretty close to what you're describing in my opinion. It's the first super powered fight scene and Zod quickly realizes Supermans care for innocents around him is a weakness. Something that only happens right before the end in Man Of Steel after they've thrown each other through every building that's two stories or more and some that aren't.

[@spamuel98]

I'd love to see a superhero fight, just once, where one guy just gets tossed around in circles because he keeps trying to throw punches while flying. "You only have super strength when you have something to kick off of, smart one."

[@RoninDreamer]

I think about this stuff in terms of "means" if you are using gravitational, geomagnetic, repulsion, or "willpower". There are different physical mechanics to those properties and someone definitely be at a major disadvantage in terms of performance in strength or speed but also with rules. Imagine constantly moving around in the air and the toll that takes on your body and awareness, compared to someone who is using magic which might keep their body sensation normal, regardless of position or condition. The learning curve on handling an iron Man suit would be ridiculous.

[@ebewelepraise531]

Why did Thor n Tony keep the fight on the ground? Nerdstalgic: To increase stakes Marvel: And make Cap feel left out?! Are you looking to start a Civil War?!!!

[@woozihae]

was thinking the same 😂

[@BardicLasher]

FOr real though, neither Tony nor Thor are very maneuverable in the air. They both go forward fast and have trouble turning. If either is airborne and the other isn't, the airborne one is at the disadvantage, a clear target for blasts with lessened ability to dodge.

[@ebewelepraise531]

@@BardicLasher Especially Thor! Far as I'm concerned, aerial fights done right are purely for spectacle. Don't care what anyone says Man of Steel's final fight was one of my favorites in superhero history.

[@ebewelepraise531]

Even ground fights in superhero movies suffer from the lack of definable stakes cos we have no idea how strong they actually are. See Thanos for instance, barely flinching against the Avengers, even the Hulk but Drax, freaking Drax, marched his knee right to the ground n Nebula could use a stick to whip his face sideways

[@jakezimmer7256]

@@ebewelepraise531 that's why I love winter soldier so much because they aren't God levels of power and they bleed. You can see how much strength they have and Cap is in serious danger throughout most of the movie

[@koodahkeys6737]

Chronicle was a bad example, they humanized their characters to the point where i was flinching everytime they got hit, even in the air.

[@Newt2799]

I remember doing that too because the dude just broke out of a hospital with his bones still all broken and covered in blood

[@lukeklo]

yep havent even seen the movie and i still agree just from the clips he showed

[@Jeffry_Ab]

That fight was more emotional than physical, and if you focus on the damaged caused by the characters, you notice how Andrew didn't care anymore about the collateral while the other one whose name I can't remember right now was being more careful

[@azrielthecrazed3371]

Even the scene they used in the video where he hits the street light made me flinch as I watched this

[@nickyputtera4784]

For me the best way to make the flying more grounded is to show the impact, physics of the fight. If you got punch you feel it, not just in the impact but in the hero/villain

[@sorrow7169]

Lol I just watched the full ad out of respect, because you've put it in the end

[@transformersrevenge9]

I think Invincible did a great job, at making a fight scene that is 60% flying around, seem intense and epic.

[@Tredhd]

Invincible had the benefit of being animated. Its much easier to believebly mess with physics and raise the stakes in an animated air fight than a live action/cgi one.

[@transformersrevenge9]

@@Tredhd well yeah, but it is still the same "two incredibly durable beings fly through stuff while fighting". And I think what sets invincible apart is not the animation or coreography of the fight. Those are good too, but what makes it so memorable, intense and awesome, is the story. It's not two strong guys beating the crap out of eachother until they land and the hero wins. It's an ideological battle between two people who care about eachother deeply, but who have come to blows over what they believe. And we as the audience are so caught up in their story, and the unfairly one sided fight, that we barely notice that it's another man of steel style sky battle. No, the audience is wondering about the outcome, and both Omni man's words and Marks heroic defience, hit harder than the punches being thrown. And that is what I think would fix the type of battles that the video complained about - writing so engaging and intense, that we the audience are sitting on the edge of our seats, without our mouths wide open, just wondering how will it end.

[@everkade]

@@transformersrevenge9 The key with Invincible is that no one is impervious to damage... that is what truly makes the fighting top notch. Even Omniman was visibly hurt by the end of season 1. You cant tell me that those scenes would have hit as hard if neither Mark or his father had a scratch on them. Fact is non-verbal story telling can never be entirely carried by verbal story telling.

[@kevintran1745]

Yeah i think its like the other dude said. It was 2d animation which had the benefit of making things alot more impactful but it still happened the same way how he described. The fight happens in air then becomes grounded for the end and the real threat was just people trying to survive the fight if yknow what i mean.

[@YourDadsHouseAbdYourMums]

Animated so

[@DarkScarlettVixen]

Okay, but that moment when Billy couldn't hear the super villain speech made me laugh, tho

[@crescendo5594]

I completely agree, but what I thought the video was going to be about, and is a constant problem in my mind, is pauses in action during fights that should have a constantly fast pace, like two highly skilled fighters, or two super beings. It’s one thing to slow it down a bit to demonstrate their strength, like holding a punch back. But stopping the fight entirely for quips, or monologues is the worst. If I were to write a super hero battle, it would be non-stop action for minutes straight to demonstrate their incredible stamina, and give a sense of urgency. Nobody stops for a little bit in a fight to the death to feed the plot. It’s ridiculous.

[@logansheen738]

I thought for sure by the title, it would be to tell super hero film makers to stop making the primary motivation of all super heroes “to protect” people through lying or hiding past deeds, alternate identities, etc. That trope and the “it’s all my fault” refrain have been done to death.

[@sonicsucks20]

Tell Superhero film makers to stop making the primary motivation of all heroes "to protect" people through lying or hiding past deeds, alternate identities, etc. That tropes and "its all my fault" refrain have been done to death.

[@protercool8474]

I love the idea of two Heroes trying to fight in the air and getting mad because they can't get enough power in their punch to actually hurt.

[@arvagdeptra6471]

Superman and zod be like "haha weak"

[@meowmixmeowmix]

I'd like to correct a mistake in this video. Thor cannot fly. His hammer "pulls him off"

[@saumibinu3418]

He rides the hammer

[@t.7124]

@Anarchy Studio Productions 👀

[@user-pt5cl2ro6f]

@@saumibinu3418 LMAO this reminds me of that rock guy in ragnarok

[@user-pt5cl2ro6f]

*"Oh the hammer rides you?"*

[@saumibinu3418]

@@user-pt5cl2ro6f yes it was a reference to that

[@wylde9746]

Could you pls give more information about The outro Song?? can you find "GC" on KZbin or was ist some fiver Thing also what is The Song called??

[@AsasinoManik]

3:36 Once go have a look at the climax of Krishh 3. The hero is actually shown being very concerned about the people getting hurt in the situation. The movie has an Air fighting scene and there is really something in it that made me feel the impact and terror of the situation. Just go once and watch the end scene.

[@berkertaskiran]

One thing though: Superman vs Zod was half in air, but the fight was IMO of the most ruthless fights because they used their speed on the ground to attack each other. They hit a lot of things with that speed. The physics of that was fun to watch. It was more than moving at light speed at slo-mo. It was like a tank bullet hitting things. The end result also added to the realism.

[@chaosfox2852]

Superman vs Zod is probably one of the one examples that could feel it all. The only real downside was honestly just the 'invulnerability' concept because it felt like all that amounted to well. nothing. It wasn't like earlier where he'd actually break their helmets.

[@ghosted101_2]

superman can break his neck, but can't hurt zod with the punch and also when zod get hit by the building and the ground hes still okay I don't man I don't think physics works like that

[@Noak5678]

@@chaosfox2852 then your just looking at things in a single point of view althought superman was barely physically hurt all the emotional damage from the millions of dead civilians is the weight you should be feeling

[@sonlen796]

I actually love the use of snap zooms in the fight to show how fast Superman and Zod are actually moving.

[@sonlen796]

@@Noak5678 I'm confused. Are you saying Superman didn't feel the emotional weight from the dead civilians in Metropolis?

[@Light-Rock97]

When Peter was thrown trough walls and glass windows in Spider-Man 3, that always felt like it hurt.

[@figboi]

Yeah, Tobey Maguire is really good.

[@dantecoates9513]

And the part where he was being helplessly hammered down by sandman in that final fight scene

[@Light-Rock97]

@@dantecoates9513 The key to that scene? Crowd reaction shots.

[@UsulBard]

I think you're right about how hard it is to film fights in the air, but I don't agree with most of your point regarding not having a reference for the physics in the air and the value of the damage taken by the combatants. You say that on the ground we will have a better sense of this, but I don't see why that would be the case. If they were on the ground, superman could still be thrown through a building. He can have a car thrown at him, he can be hit with a lamp post and have it wrap around his body. None of this is any more accessible than if it were in the air. The problem with fights in the air is likely a lot simpler, which is that there are less options for your heroes when it comes to movement and actions. You point about flying vs ground fights is very valid, because that disparity allows both heroes to have interesting options to press their advantage or mitigate their disadvantage. For 2 flyers, you could have them in mid air, dodging, ducking, weaving, counterattacking, just like they would on the ground, but then what's the point of having them fly? Surely fights would be different in the air? And yes, it would be a lot of throwing each other around and making long strafing passes and punches where they zoom at each other from a distance. But that just looks boring. I think its just a simple as the fact that unique actions in the air are limited and just don't look as cool. Your point about the danger being to humans is also very good and is probably a good solution to this very problem. Maybe if the filmmakers showed the fight from a human's perspective, lots of far shots, not many close ups of the actions, but lots of closeups of the impacts as they relate to humans in the area. So we don't see a close shot of Superman being spun in circles and thrown into a building, but we see it from a distance, as a spectator in the building, watching Superman hurtle towards the camera. I'm sure it can be done well, I'm it has been, but its just more difficult and you need to concern yourself with most of the points made in this video.

[@Cvjkncfxcccfdd]

“You have to hit the ground”, my man forgot about space and orbit

[@Cvjkncfxcccfdd]

Great video by the way

[@nathanielzarny1176]

I feel like a lot of your problems are with the "invincible hero" rather than flight. A lot of the same critiques apply to ground scenes, such as the fight in the small town in man of steel.

[@user-xc7uo6md3n]

My thoughts exactly

[@turdfurgason8476]

IHOP.

[@HasanR99]

Ye the fight scene in man of steel between Zod and superman is one of the best superhero fight scenes of this decade imo

[@D3REZINATOR]

@@HasanR99 I agree it's watching two gods fight and the people are the true victims of the destruction.

[@acrsclspdrcls1365]

True with that.

[@gb-dg5gi]

Thor cant fly, he throws his hammer and he's dragged with it! Lol

[@theNewBee]

It pulls him off...

[@mitchellbailey6258]

The hammer pulls you off?

[@Bowiiihowdy]

@@mitchellbailey6258 ooh my god

[@alucard4490]

Yes he can. He can manipulate the wind to give flight.

[@sayme6666]

@@theNewBee hey.. i regularly sees your video, keep it up :)

[@TheRealFroyo]

Does it always end on the ground though? some fights are resolved in the air, whether one of the opponents kills the other or throws them out of the atmosphere...

[@edwardcrow6385]

Invincible had one of the best air based fights I’ve ever seen between two heros capable of flight. Much like super man Omni Man and Invincible were immune to most blunt force trauma. Ie being tossed through buildings, but what made it impactful was the futility of invincible scrambling to try and save people from his own body being used like a missile.