One of the critically common aspects of the current entertainment landscape is the prevalence of superhero films. This has led to an immense amount of critique and discussion on various elements of the genre. Comic book movies, with their commercial dominance, have all their details minutely analyzed and discussed. This exhaustive discourse on the genre is the premise of a new comedy series, "The Franchise".
Created by Jon Brown of "Succession" and "Veep" fame, with Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes as producers, the series serves as a humorous commentary on comic book movies and their production processes. Despite the overt references to rival studios and blockbuster movies, "The Franchise" is an HBO-produced series, reflecting a nuanced understanding of the industry from the inside perspective.
The show attracts an array of talent, from both in-front and behind the camera, resulting in hilarious, well-crafted satires of the world of superhero filmmaking. However, the narrative becomes less focused and seemingly more banal as the series progresses.
The protagonist, first assistant director Daniel Kumar, played by Himesh Patel, navigates through the egos, insecurities, and conflicts on the set of 'Tecto: Eye of the Storm', a comic-based blockbuster movie. Amidst shaken superhero trend and failed diversity attempts, the situation gets more complicated when the project’s producer is replaced by Daniel’s ex-girlfriend, Anita (Aya Cash).
As the series unfolds, it humorously critiques the rivalry between Marvel and DC, the overemphasis on commercial versus artistic integrity in the genre, and various industry mannerisms and politics. Although at times, the satire tends to be more focused on ribbing one particular studio over the other, it's done with the aim of entertaining rather than causing offense.
“The Franchise” succeeds in presenting an amusing perspective on the tropes of the superhero film industry, even though the jokes might seem familiar to those attuned to pop cultural discourse. When the comedy narrows down to a specific critique, it shines the most. However, the relational dynamics between the characters are not as well-defined, which might reduce the overall appeal of the series.
Despite these nuances, “The Franchise” skillfully comments on the many facets of the superhero film industry, with sufficient humor and a fair bit of punchlines that are sometimes funny, and serves as an engaging mock depiction of the world of blockbuster superhero filmmaking.
