"The imitator is relying on the setup from the other movie to do the emotional heavy lifting; they want the punchline without the setup."

Damn! That was long article and worth every word. I took notes because this is the kind of information you have to pay attention to and save for further reflection.

There's too much here to respond to, but the example of Kal El confronting Shazam; only to have his assumptions shifted, is an example of a harmonious marriage of words and pictures to elicit feeling.

Cheers.