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[Poor GRIMES]

We had Get Out this year.

Titanic was a juggernaut when it was released.
Ghost was the highest grossing movie the year it came out.
E.T. grossed more than the original Star Wars.

I don't see that level of success with original films today. Get Out was marvelous and profitable, but it by no means pierced through the hegemony like those three movies did. I forgot to add Jaws too .

 

[Subpar Spatula]

My point is don't walk into a sequel expecting every single minor plot point from a previous movie spoon fed to you.

Your point was broad and completely missed other aspects of the movie. It wasn't a complete point.

 

[brianjones]

watch something else.. you would think these are the only movies that exist to these people

get out of your bubble

 

[NascentGecko]

[removed]

 

[Sephzilla]

Your point was broad and completely missed other aspects of the movie. It wasn't a complete point.

Ok, replace "Captain America 3" with "Marvel Superhero Sequel #15" and it hits the exact same point. If you walk into a sequel and get lost on a few story points because you didn't watch the lead-in movies that's on you

 

[mikeGFG]

Fans have taken over pop culture in general.

 

[Afrodium]

So?

These are negatives. If the audience has to fill in parts of the movie that should otherwise be explained then it has failed to create a good story.

If they skipped the previous film then gaps are inevitable. If the gaps could be easily filled in while watching Civil War then the film clearly provided enough details on the previous films to allow uninitiated audience members to follow the plot.

 

[jon bones]

We had Get Out this year.



We do this with sequels and such though.

My point is don't walk into a sequel expecting every single minor plot point from a previous movie spoon fed to you.

If they skipped the previous film then gaps are inevitable. If the gaps could be easily filled in while watching Civil War then the film clearly provided enough details on the previous films to allow uninitiated audience members to follow the plot.

people responding to spatula about the mcu

in 2017?

 

[DrROBschiz]

ugh MCU is the first effort of its kinf and im really enjoying it

Arent there thousands of movies for everyone else?

I seriously dont get this article

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Ok, replace "Captain America 3" with "Marvel Superhero Sequel #15" and it hits the exact same point

Which still doesn't work. You know this.

people responding to spatula about the mcu

in 2017?

You're part of my fan club too? Awww. I got so many fans now. :3

 

[Palocca]

How can you get the full experience of something without experiencing the full thing?

Isn't that why the author is lamenting these cinematic universes? A standalone movie is fully self-contained, so everyone watching that movie gets the full experience.

 

[LotusHD]

But Captain America 3 has a crap load of people that weren't in Captain America 2 or 1. I'd say it's a little different.

I guess, but with the way the MCU works, it's like, okay, you invested in Captain America's character? Then you follow the movies the guy's in, and see how the character develops lol

Titanic was a juggernaut when it was released.
Ghost was the highest grossing movie the year it came out.
E.T. grossed more than the original Star Wars.

I don't see that level of success with original films today. Get Out was marvelous and profitable, but it by no means pierced through the hegemony like those three movies did. I forgot to add Jaws too .

I guess, you didn't say it had to be that profitable though lol

people responding to spatula about the mcu

in 2017?

You right

 

[Poor GRIMES]

watch something else.. you would think these are the only movies that exist to these people

get out of your bubble

To be honest, I don't think this removes the fact that casual filmgoers don't go out of their way to research the most critically-acclaimed movies of the year well in advance. They watch movies because of the marketing machines that back them, that's how Disney movies are profitable and how franchises are so popular. The familiarity and money is there.

The only way for casual audiences to eat something original up nowadays is by virtue of word of mouth. And there has to be a lot of it tbh. So I understand why casual moviegoers are perceiving creative bankruptcy when the only things they see advertised to that level are franchise films.

 

[Ahasverus]

The DCEU has been quite self contained until now actually. Surprisingly so.

 

[DrROBschiz]

Cinematic universes have the same problem that long-running television dramas have. They’re all just a never-ending series of micro-conflicts with no definitive ending or through line. I don’t mind franchises, but I’d like to know that it’s going somewhere instead of stringing me along. The MCU is far and away the worst offender in this regard. I lost interest years ago.

Infinity War is the ending

They have already stated this and the plan to change everything after

 

[Sephzilla]

Which still doesn't work. You know this.

If you go into any sequel and haven't watched the previous movie(s) then anything you miss as an audience member is purely on you, not the movie. That's how sequels generally work

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Titanic was a juggernaut when it was released.
Ghost was the highest grossing movie the year it came out.
E.T. grossed more than the original Star Wars.

I don't see that level of success with original films today.

Last year Secret Life of Pets and Zootopia both made a lot of money. Granted, they hit in the same year as a Star Wars movie and the sequel to a beloved Pixar movie, but that doesn't mean they weren't HUGE moneymakers for being original properties.

2015 you had Inside Out

2014 the #1 film of the year was American Sniper

 

[ThatStupidLion]

yeah i agree for the most part.

the universe structure in films is way too saturated and relied on.

I can get on board with actual sequels all being linked, but not when they are supposed to be independent self contained movies.

movies that arent sequels though I just want a solid contained movie. everything wrapped up. sure its neat if theres an occasional couple subtle links, cameos, easter eggs done tastefully or for the super repeat watching fans to notice...but when everything is forced across every movie spanning a dozen plus, it starts to be too much for the average audience to be interested.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

If you go into any sequel and haven't watched the previous movie(s) then anything you miss as an audience member is purely on you. That's how sequels generally work

But Ant-Man isn't a prequel or sequel to Civil War. Neither is Age of Ultron. They're chronologically in order.

 

[Anth0ny]

Titanic was a juggernaut when it was released.
Ghost was the highest grossing movie the year it came out.
E.T. grossed more than the original Star Wars.

I don't see that level of success with original films today. Get Out was marvelous and profitable, but it by no means pierced through the hegemony like those three movies did. I forgot to add Jaws too .

i think there was this movie a couple years back with blue cat aliens that did ok


and that frozen movie seemed pretty popular


zootopia


despicable me

 

[LotusHD]

The DCEU has been quite self contained until now actually. Surprisingly so.

BvS still had the issue of reminding us, arguably (Not even arguably tbh, it had freaking dream sequences and Youtube clips lol) more than any Marvel film, that yes, this is clearly setting up Justice League.

 

[DrROBschiz]

I dont understand

The alternative would be to go back to solo film which we had done for decades before the MCU

 

[Sephzilla]

But Ant-Man isn't a prequel or sequel to Civil War. Neither is Age of Ultron. They're chronologically in order.

It's movie 12 of the MCU. Look at it that way.

Also, I've completely lost track of what your original point is anyway. Ant-Man isn't even that important to the plot of Civil War

 

[Eppy Thatcher]

How dense do you have to be to walk into Civil War or Avengers (1 2 or soon to be 3) or whatever movie and straight up not have a good time because youre "lost"?

Like to fans and such it's an awesome added treat and benefits from the shared history and the growing character arcs and the changing norms that these heroes go through. If you don't give a shit about any of that you just show up to Avengers 3 and watch the new Big Bad whoop the shit out of everyone until they clever their way out of it ...

I know a ton of people who aren't invested in every single Marvel movie but they still show up to the Avengers movies and enjoy themselves. And then you go home and watch Civil War on netflix or whatever and go "oooOoOOooOOohhh... "

Get Out was also fantastic in the theater and deserved to make all the money.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

The DCEU has been quite self contained until now actually. Surprisingly so.

emails

 

[Sephzilla]

The DCEU has been quite self contained until now actually. Surprisingly so.

You mean the DCEU where Wonder Woman and Flash show up in BvS with little to no explanation given to them?

 

[Poor GRIMES]

Last year Secret Life of Pets and Zootopia both made a lot of money. Granted, they hit in the same year as a Star Wars movie and the sequel to a beloved Pixar movie, but that doesn't mean they weren't HUGE moneymakers for being original properties.

2015 you had Inside Out

2014 the #1 film of the year was American Sniper

i think there was this movie a couple years back with blue cat aliens that did ok


and that frozen movie seemed pretty popular


zootopia


despicable me

I didn't know American Sniper was that big domestically. The Hunger Games missed it by a few million, that's pretty wild!

I don't really count Disney movies here tbqh. The Disney animation brand at this point is ubiquitous enough that casual audiences would see those films regardless, barring a few noteworthy underperformers like Princess and the Frog.

I chose not to add Avatar because Cameron is still trying to get a franchise off of the ground with that. We'll see though.

 

[DrROBschiz]

I think the creation of MCU makes perfect sense for the comic movie medium.

Self contained films in this space are still being made

 

[Boogs31]

Which still doesn't work. You know this.

It's very simple. The only movies in the MCU that you can theoretically watch without seeing previous films are the first movie for a character. Ant Man, GOTG, Dr. Strange, Black Panther, Spider-Man. There are still plenty of movies that are coming out in the MCU that a newbie could watch without being confused. If the newbie happens to like what they see, they can then go back and watch the older films.

No one should be going to see Captain America 3 as their first MCU film.

 

[MugiwaraCole]

Us geeks have inherited the Earth.

Fucking deal with it.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

It's movie 12 of the MCU. Look at it that way.

Why would I look at it that way? Harry Potter has many movies but it's one continous stream. If they veered off and did solo movies that tie into the main story then it would be a mess as well. Like, imagine having to watch a Haggrid movie to understand who Beatrix was?

 

[jwk94]

My point is don't walk into a sequel expecting every single minor plot point from a previous movie spoon fed to you.

When they're plot points from other movies then yeah it's important.You can't watch only watch Cap 1 & 2, then go into Cap 3 and feel like you know what's going on. Cap 3 is Avengers 2.5.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

though it is true that if you're looking for a good action film from the past few years, there are only a few that come to mind that aren't part of some cinematic universe.

I don't know that this is necessarily true, either.

2014, you had John Wick, Edge of Tomorrow, Lucy, and Snowpiercer.

I don't really count Disney movies here tbqh.

Probably should though.

 

[Ahasverus]

BvS still had the issue of reminding us, arguably (Not even arguably tbh, it had freaking dream sequences and Youtube clips lol) more than any Marvel film, that yes, this is clearly setting up Justice League.

Well, yes, but it's easier to understand future teases (which were, frankly, pretty disconnect from the real narrative, to detriment of the film) than a heavy backstory.

 

[jon bones]

The DCEU has been quite self contained until now actually. Surprisingly so.

aquaman better not have shit to do with justice league

Infinity War is the ending

They have already stated this and the plan to change everything after

yep we are coming up to the end of a lot of character arcs

 

[John Kowalski]

watch something else.. you would think these are the only movies that exist to these people

get out of your bubble

Thing is though, i have where to watch them, but does anyone else in other places? If you don't live in a big city with theaters that will show less known movies that don't need to make a lot of money, all they will have access to is these big budget movies

And the internet i guess, but where online do you find shit like Ama-San or stuff like that

 

[Rktk]

How dense do you have to be to walk into Civil War or Avengers (1 2 or soon to be 3) or whatever movie and straight up not have a good time because youre "lost"?

There's probably an argument that the Avengers CGI ride is made for dense people. Granted you would have to be dense to expect something else.

 

[caliph95]

Us geeks have inherited the Earth.

Fucking deal with it.

Apparently when geeks are lucky if a comic sells 6 digits sometimes 5 we are able to get movies to a billion dollars without everybody else

 

[Htown]

I watched Return of the King without seeing the other Lord of the Rings movies, why is this franchise so inaccessible?

Damn fantasy nerds running the asylum and ruining movies for the rest of us.

 

[Ahasverus]

You mean the DCEU where Wonder Woman and Flash show up in BvS with little to no explanation given to them?

Well there's no explanation to DCEU fans either (in Flash's case, WW was pretty straightforward). It's not a case of missing backstory.

 

[Sephzilla]

Civil War made a billion dollars and got fantastic reviews from critics and fans, so I guess I have a hard time believing that the storyline entry level for that movie ended up hurting it in any kind of way.

 

[Poor GRIMES]

Probably should though.

I can, but it's not fair to use Disney considering they're largely the exception to the rule for everything.

Disney itself is its own franchise. Disney films by proxy get a lot of coverage because of this.

I don't see anyone going to a movie just because Warner Bros. is pushing it.

 

[Chococat]

With a statement like that you are kind of proving the author's point.

Not really. There are enough film out in a year to cater to all taste. If you don't like serialize stuff, don't watch it.

The solution is add more diverse ways to tell stories in movies, not demand a certain type stop being made.

 

[Jay Sosa]

eh, I've never read any marvel comics or have watched all of the marvel movies and still have enjoyed the ones I've seen so far. you will miss some references and inside jokes I presume but that's about it.

 

[itwasTuesday]

Article seems all over the place. To boil down this idea, I think what she is trying to say is that a blockbuster that cost 100+ million to make has to fit the mold, and Inkoo Kang doesn't think it should have to.
No one is stopping lower budget movies from getting made because Super heroes take all of the space.

Twenty years ago, you might have missed Basic Instinct or There's Something About Mary during its temporary perch over the culture, but you weren't stuck hearing about it — with newer installments — for years after.

We were stuck hearing about. In everything. Those were smaller movies, which are still very much in the cycle of movies coming out today.

Also, no one saw Basic Instinct 2, so I can't confirm.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

Civil War made a billion dollars and got fantastic reviews from critics and fans, so I guess I have a hard time believing that the storyline entry level for that movie ended up hurting it in any kind of way.

I never mentioned money. I said it's a negative story wise.

 

[Sephzilla]

I never mentioned money. I said it's a negative story wise.

If it was a negative story wise then why does the movie have fantastic reviews all across the board?

 

[MugiwaraCole]

I guess I understand this sucks if you don't wanna watch a ton of movies to keep up.

I just personally don't get why you wouldn't want to if the movies are actually good. 9/10 if you don't wanna watch the movies that build up to the Avengers (and you really don't have to), the movies probably aren't your thing like that anyways.

If I discovered a new franchise with 8 movies I had to watch to catch up on, I'd be ecstatic if I actually liked the first one. 7 more just like that? I'm sold.

Idk. Just seems like complaining about too much content is a weird thing. Hell, there are a ton of video games releasing that I wanna play but just don't have the money for at the moment. But I know I'll get to em one day, and that's an exciting prospect.

 

[Team Filler]

I mean, if her argument was that lots of big blockbuster movies are following an almost identical story-writing structure/formula that is making things boring, I could get behind that. However, the write-up kind of gives me a whiff of actually being, "big releases didn't used to be so much of this nerd and geek shit that I feel intimidated by because of my lack of interest in it." I could be totally misreading that, though.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

If it was a negative story wise then why does the movie have fantastic reviews all across the board?

Fantastic reviews, eh?

Good luck with that claim cause that's super hyperbolic.