The recent obsession with super heroes and our sub-conscious

As of late, there have been so many movies based off of comic book heroes or men who are super trained (Jason Bourne, James Bond, etc.) to the point where they do super-hero stunts. Why is this? I believe it is a resurgence in the belief, or perhaps, the longing for belief in the supernatural.

During the turn of the 20th century, people, especially in America, had hope that science would deliver mankind into a "Brave New World." Yet, we have yet to see this happen. People still die from cancer, AIDS, car accidents, and wars. In fact, science has made it possible to kill many more people than ever before with the push of a button. I would never argue that science has not brought goods to this world, but if we are honest, the bads at least match up evenly with those goods. And I believe the sub-conscious in most people knows this. I believe movies have more to do with our interior desires; our subconscious. Therefore, when we find a movie that is very successful and touches some part of mankind, it is important to think about why these movies appeal to people.

For the most successful super hero movie, let's examine the most recent one titled "Dark Knight." Some would argue that the reason why the Batman character is so successful is because he has no super-hero abilities. I disagree with this. The success of the X-Men trilogy, Spiderman, etc. disprove this notion. People love Batman precisely because he is different. He may not be able to fly, but he has a super-human ability to be able to commit to fighting evil. And one could argue that his physical prowess and genius put him above the general public of Gotham which he has sworn to protect.

There are, of course, many reasons why "Dark Knight" was successful. The acting, plot and character development were superb. The genuine decay in character of "Two Face" is not only believable, but horrific and yet still pitiable. But, what I believe is at the heart of the movie is the metaphysical battle between good and evil played out physically, (for Catholics, perhaps sacramentally) in the characters of Batman and the Joker.

People want to believe in heroes, and people want to believe that the hero will beat the villain. And people don't want to just see a man defeat the villain, but an extraordinary man. They want a savior.

There are movies that do a great job of glorifying the "Everyman" and this is a noble undertaking, perhaps much in need during our time. But, if the heart of man wants to find something greater than himself, he wants to find that outside of himself. And this is ultimately what people are searching for: Someone to worship.