Here's the deal- Marvel hit it big with its MCU and had everyone glued to its ongoing movie-line up through Endgame. And then it all fell apart. Have I watched an MCU movie since then? I guess? I saw Spider-Man and the new Dr. Strange. Maybe that's it? I skipped Guardians 3, Black Panther, Ant Man. Was Thor 4 part of it? I guess I watched that (but kind of regretted it). And at this point I'm pretty much out on the MCU. I've missed enough and I know they're going to do X-Men and Fantastic 4, and maybe I'll one-off those, but maybe I won't. But I'm pretty exhausted with the whole thing and know that I've missed out on a bunch of the inside stuff by not watching half of the movies this phase. I'm pretty indifferent to them now.
The reason I thought of this was that there's some new Star Wars series coming out, and I guess I could care less. I didn't watch past Season 2 of Mandolorian. I haven't seen Ashoka or any of the other series that are out. I watched, much to my great regret, the Boba Fett series. And honestly that's what made me quit. And so I saw a trailer for the some new series that talks about some characters that were players in some other series I didn't see and I realize: this has just passed me by. And I'm okay with that.
And I'm okay with not doing any of these big cinematic universes anymore. They feel like work to me. Want to do a trilogy? Great. That's about my tolerance level. But you know what's better than that? Stand alone movies in same universe. Although the Spider-verse is more bad than good- you don't have to watch all of them to watch a new one. I like that. Kenneth Branaugh's trilogy of Murder on the Orient Express/Death on the Nile/A Haunting in Venice is perfect. If you watched any one of these movies by themselves, you'd be satisfied (and they're genuinely good movies). The fact that they share a main character doesn't mean you have to follow his story-arc over the three movies.
Maybe I'm just a grumpy old man. But I feel like this is a phase of cinema that we're all going to think was silly twenty years from now.
Oh and another thing- movies should be 90 minutes long! You have editors for a reason! Just because you think you're a genius director doesn't mean you have to subject us to two hours and forty five minutes of your shit. 90 minutes! Unless... you're Denis Villeneuve. Denis: you can do anything you want and I'll watch it because you are brilliant. Everyone else? 90 minutes!
Cinematic Universes Suck
Re: Cinematic Universes Suck
*claps and points at his "get off my lawn" sign in a show of solidarity*
"Yay! I'm for the other team."
Re: Cinematic Universes Suck
On my property? Do you know what I pay in property taxes? When those brats start compensating me for their muddy bootprints, then I'll consider making a path!
*shakes fist angrily at the clouds*
*shakes fist angrily at the clouds*
Re: Cinematic Universes Suck
Yep.
Maybe it comes down to all the amount of stuff you're expected to know to enjoy the current thing. If that other stuff isn't that great, then it's like homework.
I stayed with Marvel through Endgame. I've seen a couple things after that. Most of it feels the same. If they did a 2nd season of Moon Knight, I'd watch that. I might watch Agatha. But those aren't as tied in to other stuff.
I'm the same with Star Wars. The more they dissect the central family and plot, the more tedious it becomes.
RPGs went through this a couple decades ago with metaplot. You had to buy ALL THE STUFF to see what what was going on. And if you didn't care for the meta, then the whole line of products was junk (looking at you Traveller: The New Era).
I might not be the most representative member of society on this as I know book series are popular but I'm not really into them. If a series already has 6+ books with plans for more, I will not board that train. I would rather read 60-80 novellas and short novels with a wide variety of ideas than slog through the Wheel of Time (which has >4 million words). I'm the same way with TV/anime.
Maybe it comes down to all the amount of stuff you're expected to know to enjoy the current thing. If that other stuff isn't that great, then it's like homework.
I stayed with Marvel through Endgame. I've seen a couple things after that. Most of it feels the same. If they did a 2nd season of Moon Knight, I'd watch that. I might watch Agatha. But those aren't as tied in to other stuff.
I'm the same with Star Wars. The more they dissect the central family and plot, the more tedious it becomes.
RPGs went through this a couple decades ago with metaplot. You had to buy ALL THE STUFF to see what what was going on. And if you didn't care for the meta, then the whole line of products was junk (looking at you Traveller: The New Era).
I might not be the most representative member of society on this as I know book series are popular but I'm not really into them. If a series already has 6+ books with plans for more, I will not board that train. I would rather read 60-80 novellas and short novels with a wide variety of ideas than slog through the Wheel of Time (which has >4 million words). I'm the same way with TV/anime.
Re: Cinematic Universes Suck
I'm slowly getting that way. I can definitely do a duology, and maybe a trilogy, but more than that feels like too much.
Heck, in the last couple years I've read several books that turned out to be #1 in a series, and most of them were really good. But I still haven't read the sequels to any of them.
Wait. Except for that Arkady Martine duology that was so damn good. Oh shit, and everything by Becky Chambers. Okay, so it's not quite as black and white as I claimed. But still, a book's got to be exemplary to lure me into the sequels.
Heck, in the last couple years I've read several books that turned out to be #1 in a series, and most of them were really good. But I still haven't read the sequels to any of them.
Wait. Except for that Arkady Martine duology that was so damn good. Oh shit, and everything by Becky Chambers. Okay, so it's not quite as black and white as I claimed. But still, a book's got to be exemplary to lure me into the sequels.
Any time the solution is "banjo rifle", I'm in 100%.
Re: Cinematic Universes Suck
I am more of an a la carte consumer.
I really like having so much I could choose to watch, but I cannot watch it all so I have to be selective.
I managed to stick with Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett and hopefully I will have time for Andor and other SW properties, but not all of them.
MCU, well I am a fan of Thor, Guardians, and Dr Strange, but I have little love for the rest right now, not even the New Deadpool.
Speaking of the TVA, I liked Loki for a season and thought it ended well, but I was satisfied with that.
I don't want to have to learn more about The Eternals or The Celestials. The pony ride is over for me.
I am not a full buy-in for any property except maybe just one, The Chosen, if it is able to make all 7 seasons.
I really like having so much I could choose to watch, but I cannot watch it all so I have to be selective.
I managed to stick with Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett and hopefully I will have time for Andor and other SW properties, but not all of them.
MCU, well I am a fan of Thor, Guardians, and Dr Strange, but I have little love for the rest right now, not even the New Deadpool.
Speaking of the TVA, I liked Loki for a season and thought it ended well, but I was satisfied with that.
I don't want to have to learn more about The Eternals or The Celestials. The pony ride is over for me.
I am not a full buy-in for any property except maybe just one, The Chosen, if it is able to make all 7 seasons.
"Yay! I'm for the other team."
Re: Cinematic Universes Suck
Somebody already spoiled the ending for me.
Any time the solution is "banjo rifle", I'm in 100%.
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No,no,no,no,no....don't do it, I beg you! Let me find out on my own!
"Yay! I'm for the other team."
Re: Cinematic Universes Suck
Is Denis Villeneuve the Dune guy? Then yes. Let him have all the minutes he needs.
Speaking of which, am I the only one who sometimes walks off-pace randomly to discourage a sandworm appearance? It's a form of fun when you're bored and headed to meetings. And in the meeting when someone acts up, you find yourself making three solemn, rhythmic taps of the pencil end on the table. Is this too obvious to other people or am I escaping detection? I want the worm ready in case we have to fight.
Speaking of which, am I the only one who sometimes walks off-pace randomly to discourage a sandworm appearance? It's a form of fun when you're bored and headed to meetings. And in the meeting when someone acts up, you find yourself making three solemn, rhythmic taps of the pencil end on the table. Is this too obvious to other people or am I escaping detection? I want the worm ready in case we have to fight.