I love film; I think when done properly that film can convey emotions and take us into another world and perhaps even teach us something.
Usually I will avoid making public commentary on media because, despite writing many reviews over the last ten years, I feel if you cannot do better you should probably keep your own mouth shut.
However after watching the horror that was Batman vs Superman I felt compelled to address the issues I see wrapping around the film industry like a fist from which no creativity is allowed.
It seems to me that the issues can be solved through some very simple steps:
Quit remaking old films and quit trying to squeeze every bit of profit out of existing franchises- Robocop was a cult classic to me, and part of its charm was that it was ‘totally’ from the 1980’s; it was a period fantasy as much as a science fiction film.
When I saw the semi-recent remake I could only stomach about twenty minutes before I realized all the nuance and campy fun had been replaced by a totally different tone, one that lost all of its magic.
Spider-Man, Batman, Star Trek, Star Wars..not that there are not good films in someone’s head that could work in those universes, but we forgot that the first thing that made those universes popular was their originality
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Stop focusing on explosions and special effects and get back to engaging people- I’ve read tons of stuff on how to really reach a reader or a viewer when you are writing fiction. The most important thing you can do is engage the mind and hearts of those reading or watching, not just their minds.
I mentioned Star Wars above, and as much as I kind of feel The Force Awakens was a re-tread of stories and visuals seen in the original trilogy, I understand from a story stand point that this is a fresh start. (The first lines are: “This will begin to make everything right.” Very telling.).
But I know who the good guys are, who the bad guys are. I know what the bad guy wants to achieve and I was able to empathize with the heroes positions as well. I was able to become emotionally involved with the people on the screen without having to think too hard or know a million past variables.
Most of the popular fiction of any era has worked because the story involves something that touches you in there. In some cases, wonderfully rare, the art reflects you almost perfectly.
Put down your computers, we mean you no harm- Another thing I adored with the new Star Wars was the use of many practical special effects and sets rather then the now standard computer based CGI.
The Human eye can see the joins no matter how well it is done, and real life sets, costumes and props give a sense of a suspension of disbelief you just don’t get with a computer.
Within the last ten plus years I have seen one movie in the theater in 3-D and that was Man of Steel, the first of the recent Superman films.
Although the special effects of rampaged cities and laser eyes was impressive, it almost seemed too much and it took me right out of any emotional investment in whatever it was that was going on (Spoiler: Re-boot of Superman 2…what a shock).
If I had to be forced to mention Star Wars again, I’d say the same of the light saber battles in the prequels. They were acrobatic and graceful but the raw emotion and realism did not return till this new film, where it was more about the fight between good and evil, light and dark than looking good doing it.
There are some huge movies that still get it just right in my opinion, but they have sadly become few and far between in the quick cash grab that has become blockbuster movies…perhaps a few duds will teach them.
