Something missing in movies of late?

Yesterday riding in the car, I passed by a cinema. Very typical thing to do, and it was a very typical cinema, but what was even more typical were the movies playing in it. . .

The big billboard flashed by the window displaying the list of movies playing that week, or that month, but either way, Man of Steel! ... Star Trek; In to the Darkness! … The Lone Ranger! Those were really the only ones I saw, or should I say recognized, as the car sped past. Seeing the names got me thinking about these movies. Mmm, Lone Ranger, heard it was going to be pretty pathetic, might end up a ‘bomb’. (Which isn’t a good thing, btw) Star Trek, *shrugs* haven’t seen the first one though I heard the second one was amazing. Maybe I’ll watch it someday. Man of Steel, ah another Superhero movie. =) Though… I did hear that it had a really good story line, and oh! It actually focused on it! I confess I really want to watch this.

Now, I try not to be obsessed with movies. My parents have warned me time and time again about my world evolving around movies and actors/actresses. I have tried hard not to talk about movies as much as I used to, not to feel irritated when my friend knew some movie fact that I didn’t. And it’s helped, I think – no I know that I have become a lot better in my amount of thoughts about movies. It’s not wrong to like watching movies, but I think there comes a point where you can like it too much. =)

But I think there’s something that a lot of people have noticed, whether they’re obsessed with movies or not. What is that something? Most (I won’t say all...) movie directors have gotten lazy. Now part of that is our problem, the population of people has gotten to a point where they are pleased with 2 hours of action and (most of the time) romance with a 5 minute story line tossed in there. So (this is speculation, but I think it’s pretty good)  the directors, noticing this, figured why go through all this effort to make an amazing story line when they’ll be just as happy with a 2-hour action flick? But whoa! Hold it. Did I not say most directors? I know that there are movies out there that do have amazing story lines that twist your mind until you have the strange feeling of trying to grasp something right beyond your reach. I also know that there’s people out there who appreciate good story lines and don’t feel satisfied at the end of an action flick. And I confess I am one of them. I like action... and yes, I sometimes (I’ve been working on not making that all the time) even like the romance, but I also like it evenly and well balanced with a good story. To have them hurriedly shove

a couple facts in your face at the beginning of a movie before they start the action sequences is not pleasant. What’s even more unpleasant is when they quickly add the end of the story before the close of the movie.

Another thing that goes along with good story line is character development. In one sense there still is a lot of character development in the action flicks. Guy’s a jerk and becomes a better person in the end. Stuff like that. But I’m talking deeper than that. I know that you can’t get deep in every movie, but maybe just a little deeper than typical stuff?

Several months ago I watched a movie that was one of my Papa’s favorite, but unfortunately seemed unpopular amongst everyone else. But I knew that if Papa liked it, so would I. So my sister and I watched it, and I have to admit I quite loved it. I thought it was pretty well made for the amount of special affects they had back then. (haha, back then. It was made in 2000) Months later I decided to watch a remake of the same movie that had been released just a couple months before I watched the original. I wasn’t expecting a lot; to me the old one was always the better one. But a friend of mine really liked (even better than the old one. Ha, traitor) so I figured I should give it a try, I’m sure the special effects would be better. =) I was right, they were. But after I finished I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Why hadn’t I liked it as much? It seemed like a wonderfully made movie! Comparing the two movies showed me something, the amount of character development between the two movies was drastically different. Though you don’t notice it at first, in the remake there’s a lot more action and less focus on the characters’ lives. In the original movie they had managed to make me attached to the characters, to feel as if I knew them, to laugh when they laughed and to cry when they couldn’t be together at the end. In the new version I found myself very distant from the characters and at the end when they couldn’t be together (similar story line) I was a little sad but mostly I felt just kind of ‘oh that’s too bad, you can’t be together’. Shrug of the shoulders, you know. And there was a lot more action! Though... I don’t remember there being any lack of action in the original? On the other hand I liked the acting; they did really well with the characters they were portraying. I just wish, really, that I knew them (the characters) better. =) So in a time of 13 years we have become amazing at CGI but worse with our story lines. Really? I find it sad that the movies with the good story lines and character development are the ones that are less popular. . . Though, my friend, I find those movies are very few.

 

I don’t want to be stingy, I don’t want to criticize every movie I watch, to try to find something wrong with each of them. I just want to enjoy the movie. I know that it’s not nice when someone has something wrong with every movie they watch, or with every actor they discuss. Or have such strong opinions about movies that they’re not open to changing to their opinions about them or even to just not caring; it’s either hate it or love it. I mean come on, it’s a movie. They’re Hollywood stars, and I can bet you that 1, you will never meet them, and 2, that if you don’t really know what you think about their acting it won’t affect your life. On the other hand, it can affect your life (a lot in fact) if you care too much about what you think about actors and their acting.

I’m sorry, am I preaching again? Forgive me. It’s just that, when I go through a struggle I feel like warning people, to save them from having to go through the same thing. =)

So, what do you think? Do you agree, have movie directors become lazy, and have we (or at least other people) become, sadly enough, pleased with just action, romance, and 5 minute story lines?   

<3 Eva

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