Have Movie Audiences Always Been So Fickle?

[Dr.Mirakle32]

Remakes have been with us since the dawn of film. Some stories are so engaging, they require an update after an advance in technology becomes mainstream (ie, sound, color, widescreen, etc.)
That said, certain films have made enough of an impact to pave the way for entire genres and have stuck around long enough to be scrutinized decades after their release.

But in this past decade of reboots, I notice a disturbing number of people here, and elsewhere, becoming very critical of the originals in a series and praising the latest thing because it's new, shiny and somehow better written than its predecessor.

When Nolan's BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT became widely acclaimed among critics and fans, I could totally understand the arguments for them being superior to the Burton films. Afterall, the Nolan films had strong screenplays, direction and a distinct vision, so it's easy to see why fans would prefer them.

The Daniel Craig Bond films, which I love, also spawned new fans. Unfortunately there are too many who dismiss the twenty films prior for being too cheesey, when they don't realize these things come in cycles. Timothy Dalton did what Craig did twenty years ago, but I know some people who won't sit through those films for being too old.

I remember when Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films were considered genre classics (just five years ago!) Now you have them treated like pieces of **** just because there's a NEW series that somehow honors the source material even more. Yet, Marc Webb's duo took what came before, became critically panned and have problems with basic things like character motivation and three-act structure. How those can turn people against Raimi's trilogy blows my mind. They aren't perfect, but from a basic storytelling standpoint, the new films are even worse. The same can be said for people praising the visually superior MAN OF STEEL to the dated effects of Richard Donner's SUPERMAN, but lumping the latter into Adam West territory because it's old and "campy".


Obviously, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I love the wide variety of interpretations for these long-standing characters; But in lots of cases, the argument is simply "out with the old, in with the new."

Is it a generational thing? Or have people always been like this?

 

[Deckard]

 

[krec9]

I dunno Imo the older bond films are better. I love the 89 Batman to death but the Spiderman Raimi films people act like they are perfect, those movies are very flawed yet no one cares but the new series people like to nitpick no reason to have a reason to put behind it film is very subjective.

 

[AIR]

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

Man of Steel was not a good movie

 

[fosing]

Man of Steel was not a good movie

tell me something new.

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

Pretty much. People often lose respect for the originals (that started the genre) when the new ones come along.

Peoples top ten superhero movie lists are always updated with the latest movie coming in near the top.

I like and appreciate both the original Spider-Man trilogy and the new series. I view the OT as an adaption of the retro comics and the ASM series as an adaption of the modern comis

 

[RIDDICK]

Too bad you don't view them as films. Same goes to the most audience.

 

[Rotfish]

I haven't heard too many of these criticisms to make that kind of generalization. Sure, you have the younger generation who worships the new material and bashes the old, but in no way are the supporters/fans of the old films a minority. From what I've personally seen, ASM has been either polarizing down the middle or held in the same regard as the original (just based on different merits). But it was certainly not widely considered superior.
Spider-Man 3, I can understand since most folks have hated it since it was released.

As for Superman: while I wouldn't put Reeve's films in with West's TV series, they were still undeniably campy. I don't think it's a matter of audiences becoming fickle so much as requiring more to please. The '70s Superman was just that -- a '70s movie. It was the best they could do at the time and it impressed the pants off audiences back then. Nowadays, putting something like that on the big screen would be laughable because newer generations have been raised in a world where filmmakers can do so much more. The capabilities of the industry have evolved and with it, the audiences as well. Of course the old films remain enjoyable, but you can't expect to deliver that same exact thing and expect it to work.

There's also the pop culture angle. In other words, we've become so desensitized and overexposed to these characters (due to their becoming engrained in our pop culture since their original movies) that if Hollywood wants to retell their story, they have to provide us with something new. Otherwise, we've seen it all before. Hell, even 50+ year-olds I know saw Man of Steel and said, "It's basically the same movie." If anything, we're more forgiving of reboots than previous audiences, as long as we get something new to make them worthwhile.

 

[KitFisto]

I dunno. I see many people who seem to think EVERYTHING sucks. They rip pretty much every aspect of every movie to shreds. They complain for 3 years what a costume looked like as if that somehow makes the story worse as well. In the comic genre you'll never make everyone happy because we all have different story lines or character aspects we like and if we get something different some people will be unhappy, but today it seems that it's the cool thing to do to rip on EVERYTHING. Just my opinion.

 

[The Ween]

I dunno. I see many people who seem to think EVERYTHING sucks. They rip pretty much every aspect of every movie to shreds. They complain for 3 years what a costume looked like as if that somehow makes the story worse as well. In the comic genre you'll never make everyone happy because we all have different story lines or character aspects we like and if we get something different some people will be unhappy, but today it seems that it's the cool thing to do to rip on EVERYTHING. Just my opinion.

I totally agree with that.

I take movies as they come. I like or dislike them as I see them. I enjoyed the original Batman movies and The Dark Knight movies as well. To me they're too different to say which is better. Same with the Superman movies.

 

[The Josh]

People love to ***** and think it's cool to do so. I go in looking to be entertained and work from there. If people agree that's great and if not that's ok as well.

 

[krec9]

People are looking for something they haven't seen before but rarely that ever happens.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I totally agree with that.

I take movies as they come. I like or dislike them as I see them. I enjoyed the original Batman movies and The Dark Knight movies as well. To me they're too different to say which is better. Same with the Superman movies.

People love to ***** and think it's cool to do so. I go in looking to be entertained and work from there. If people agree that's great and if not that's ok as well.

Agree! Frankly I'm surprised and saddened at some people on this board how belligerent they're being with their opinions lately about movies. I can't even go into the X Men DOFP thread because there is so much hate and only poor pturtle and a few others trying to defend the movie that hasn't even come out!

 

[karamazov80]

I don't think anything has changed. I just think people who spend a lot of time watching and thinking about movies are prone to be more critical of everything about them, and you get lots of folks like that congregating together here of course. As for hating on classic, originals, sometimes I think it's legitimate (for example, when innovations in technology make you see some older films in a different light), but sometimes folks just do that for the sake of trying to seem different or clever or whatever IMO. Of course, folks trying to go against the grain for the purpose of garnering attention to themselves isn't exactly new, either.

 

[moose]

Man of Steel was not a good movie

That would be your opinion


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

 

[pturtle]

I dunno. I see many people who seem to think EVERYTHING sucks. They rip pretty much every aspect of every movie to shreds. They complain for 3 years what a costume looked like as if that somehow makes the story worse as well. In the comic genre you'll never make everyone happy because we all have different story lines or character aspects we like and if we get something different some people will be unhappy, but today it seems that it's the cool thing to do to rip on EVERYTHING. Just my opinion.

^^^This!!!

I don’t know if people are just that upset these days, or if they find it to be cool, or if it’s a generational thing, but complaining and whining as soon as a movie title is announced seems to be the standard these days. As soon as a trailer releases for any movie, I’m almost sure as soon as I check discussions boards , the majority are already complaining about the most nonsensical reasons. I’m starting to think these same people believe films are being made to purposely make them/public upset, instead of actually entertained.

 

[krec9]

^^^This!!!

I don’t know if people are just that upset these days, or if they find it to be cool, or if it’s a generational thing, but complaining and whining as soon as a movie title is announced seems to be the standard these days. As soon as a trailer releases for any movie, I’m almost sure as soon as I check discussions boards , the majority are already complaining about the most nonsensical reasons. I’m starting to think these some people believe films are being made to purposely make them public upset, instead of actually entertained.

well said.

 

[rushmore223]

There are always people that will never be satisfied and will look at something at a near microscopic level to tear it apart. does it make them look cool? Not in my circles, but I'm not a comic book person, the only comic I have read is Walking Dead.

On the other hand, times change, sensibilities change, and honestly, all movies do not age well. A great Super Hero movie 20 years ago may not be great today because in some aspects, not just technology, the bar has been raised. Writing, acting, directing, and the way the characer is portrayed and the story grounded to reflect the times will make it less appealing to other generations.

I personally think BB and TDK are very good examples of that, but then agan I was never a big fan of Burton's Batman, I think I liked Batman Returns the most but I dont think it holds a candle to Nolan's.

 

[ExMem-LarjaThwei]

^^^This!!!

I don’t know if people are just that upset these days, or if they find it to be cool, or if it’s a generational thing, but complaining and whining as soon as a movie title is announced seems to be the standard these days. As soon as a trailer releases for any movie, I’m almost sure as soon as I check discussions boards , the majority are already complaining about the most nonsensical reasons. I’m starting to think these some people believe films are being made to purposely make them/public upset, instead of actually entertained.

Very true. I think it's sort of a peer pressure thing, or they think it's expected of them and "cool" to instantly act negatively toward any new announcement without any real knowledge of it. Being happy or excited is a sign of weakness or something.

One thing I find hilarious is when you call out an obvious troll for repeatedly bashing a film in it's own thread, they sometimes result to the "Well, you're being equally as bad by being optimistic about the film!" argument like that's even remotely the same thing.