# What's so great about current Hollywood movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380 "2020-02-02T14:03:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/21 "2020-02-02T17:37:40Z")
The OP’s TV preferences suggest to me that he may just not have the same appreciation for fiction he might have once had. I know a lot of people like that. Also no era of movie making will ever be as good as it was when you were 15. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/22 "2020-02-02T17:39:50Z")
Telperion, Acsenray, I’m having trouble believing that even you two are interested in the conversation you’re having. Maybe take some wisdom from one of the great Hollywood heroines of our time, HRH Elsa? For myself, I don’t get a chance to see a lot of movies in the theater, and when I do, it’s generally with my kids, so I’m seeing a lot of Disney stuff. It doesn’t really move me, but it does pass the time. But we recently saw **Knives Out** , which was a thoroughly delightful, thoroughly Hollywood movie. It seems to me that, as always, Hollywood is motivated by the same profit motive that is behind Silicon Valley and Detroit and every other industry. The diamonds will always be hidden among the rough. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/23 "2020-02-02T17:51:59Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > It’s hard to take seriously the OP’s claim of not liking current movies when he states this: > > A better topic probably would have been “am I missing something by not watching modern Hollywood movies?” Yes! That’s actually what I had in mind, but fell out of my mind while composing my post. Of the films listed as Oscar nominated, I find _Jojo Rabbit_, _The Irishman_ and _1917_ interesting and possibly being put on my watch list. The others definitely don’t pique my interest. Ironically, _Parasite_ is a Korean movie that I will definitely watch since it falls into my interest wheelhouse, even if for nothing else than being a Korean movie. :rolleyes: As I stated, the scope of my exposure to Hollywood (I purposely didn’t state American or Western movies, which is much larger) movies is extremely limited to what I see as trailers on TV. I suspect it’s a combination of age (seen that) and interest in Asian movies that has limited what strikes me as “Wow, I really want to see that!”. I’m glad to hear Hollywood, as a very open, generic term is still capable of producing/introducing quality movies that I may consider watching. I definitely won’t see them in the theater (I was told that even a matinee is $12 now!), but may search them out on streaming sites. I was seriously under the impression (because of my limited exposure), that it was all super heroes, sci-fi and sequels to sequels now. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/24 "2020-02-02T17:55:35Z")
I don’t like certain characteristics of flims made in the last 20 years and I often complain, to myself mostly, about how things are changing, nothing’s any good any more, etc. But I usually come to my senses and remember that during those 20 years a few great films were released each year. In fact, some of the great films from the past haven’t aged all that well, insofar as pacing, development of the story, credibility of the dialogue, skill of actors, etc. So, although I think filmmaking has actually gotten better, I still generally prefer older flims. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/25 "2020-02-02T18:20:30Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > No, if you pay attention to his posting history, it says more “okay bigot.” I knew before opening the post that he would be making the point that the only good media is Asian media, because he is _always_ posting about that. (He was more subtle about it in this OP than I expected.) > I watch a lot of Japanese/Chinese/SK media, too, and as a whole it is not deeper, more sophisticated, more subtle, or more scientificly accurate than Hollywood movies/TV shows. The endings are as predictably happy. The science is as predictably bad. The stories tend towards sappy, heavy-handed melodrama. Asian media falls as heavily under Sturgeon’s law as that from America or any other country. The claim otherwise is a form of "I don’t even own a TV"ism. Ha! I mentioned Asian cinema in my last post! 😛 I take offense to the term “okay bigot”, but am definitely biased against general Hollywood fair because of the general lack of quality I’ve been exposed to in my limited sphere of exposure and am genuinely curious as to what I may be missing. As for “…the only good media is Asian media”, it’s something that’s held my interest for the past few decades and I continue to find something different in them that I don’t “think” I’ll find in mainstream Hollywood productions. Yes, there’s dross, but IMHO, far less than what I “believe” is be produced by Hollywood. My tastes and have changed over the years and I’m curious if I will find something to change my taste and opinion again of Hollywood productions. As Elmer J. Fudd stated, I probably am jaded because at a fast approaching 60, I feel I’ve seen and experienced much of what I see presented in the short snippets of current movies shown on TV. Particularly when I see \*Terminator \* whatever when the franchise and actors,IMHO, hit the peak at _Terminator 2_. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/26 "2020-02-02T18:50:24Z")
So what is your position on 2019’s [_The Wandering Earth_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wandering_Earth)? On the one hand, it is Asian and a massive hit, but on the other it is Science Fiction with really, really, really bad science. See it, or not? (I personally skip most SF movies these days–including _TWE_–because of the really, really, really bad science, but I did like [this](https://youtube.com/watch?v=RgAMIz1n3O4) 2019 Chinese SF movie with really, really, really bad science.) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/27 "2020-02-02T18:53:49Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > I take offense to the term “okay bigot”, but am definitely biased against general Hollywood fair because of the general lack of quality I’ve been exposed to in my limited sphere of exposure and am genuinely curious as to what I may be missing. > > As for “…the only good media is Asian media”, it’s something that’s held my interest for the past few decades and I continue to find something different in them that I don’t “think” I’ll find in mainstream Hollywood productions. Yes, there’s dross, but IMHO, far less than what I “believe” is be produced by Hollywood. So you’re prejudging Hollywood films without having seen any recent ones? Doesn’t that strike you as silly as an American dismissing all Asian films as just martial arts action films and Bollywood musicals? And yet, despite being this huge fan of Asian film, you still haven’t seen Parasite? It’s made over $33 million at the US box office and it’s now available on DVD and streaming. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/28 "2020-02-02T18:58:33Z")
I made a point of watching most of the nominees for Best Picture Oscar in 2015, and repeated this again in 2016. Of all of these, I didn’t notice a single film I’d give B+ to, let alone might consider for my personal Top 100. There were some films I liked in 2006 (_The Departed_, _The Prestige_, _Casino Royale_). Not quite in the same league, but perhaps the best movie since 2006 is _No Country for Old Men_ (2007). I’m looking forward to watching _Joker_, but usually do not like the superhero/action genre so dominant today. Yes, I’m a Boomer. Get off my lawn! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/29 "2020-02-02T19:03:14Z")
FWIW, [here](https://m.imdb.com/list/ls050359479/) [are](https://m.imdb.com/list/ls050968966/) [some](https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/best-movies-of-2010s-decade/into-the-spiderverse-2/) [lists](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g30199550/best-movies-of-2010s/) [of](https://www.cnet.com/news/the-30-best-films-of-the-decade-ranked/) movies since 2010. I dare you to lump them all together into sameness. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/30 "2020-02-02T19:04:56Z")
**Wendell Wagner @#5:** Your list of favorite movies runs between 1931 and 2015? God dammit, with **Eve** gone for so long I figured I had silent movies in common with YOU, at least. I’m just finishing a pretty good 1993 biography of Lon Chaney, and plan to break out my DVD of **The Penalty** (1920) tonight. Lon’s an anarchist San Francisco crime boss with no legs. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/31 "2020-02-02T19:09:27Z")
@Darren Garrison and Dewey Finn I have thousands of Asian movies and working my way through them, stockpiling most of them for my retirement. I tend to watch in binges by the actress or director who piques my interest at the moment, not what’s newest. I haven’t been in the mood to sit through a full movie in a while, mostly watching only variety shows and single episode specials. At other times, I’ll go through 3-4 movies in a day for multiple days or weeks when I’m on vacation. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/32 "2020-02-02T19:09:51Z")
I’m sorry, but _1917_ didn’t live up to the hype for me. Yes, realistic visuals and the whole arty filmed in one shot stuff, but it had a video game plot and no character development at all. Like most “serious” Hollywood movies today. There were two by the book “emotional” scenes, and the rest were an increasingly implausible journey of one on one fights with single enemy soldiers and one woman and baby thrown in for, I dunno, pathos or something. Movies for me ended with the Twentieth Century, Fox and all. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/33 "2020-02-02T19:11:39Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > I was seriously under the impression (because of my limited exposure), that it was all super heroes, sci-fi and sequels to sequels now. > [@lingyi](#): > > As for “…the only good media is Asian media”, it’s something that’s held my interest for the past few decades and I continue to find something different in them that I don’t “think” I’ll find in mainstream Hollywood productions. I know it’s an easy thing to say “Hollywood is all superheroes and reboots” but I can’t imagine actually, truly, _believing_ it unless you make a conscious effort to stay uninformed. There’s regular threads about new movies, talk among the population, articles, social media, etc. That said, if you’re comfortable watching Asian movies and gardening shows, have at it. If you want to see what’s buzzing as good from Hollywood, it’s not as though you have to work hard to found a source (for either news or for the movies themselves). I’m still not really sure where to go with “A coworker saw a movie he didn’t really like and I haven’t seen a new movie since 2000 so I guess Hollywood sucks now”. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/34 "2020-02-02T19:23:25Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I’m looking forward to watching _Joker_, but usually do not like the superhero/action genre so dominant today. Well since **Joker** is not either a superhero or action movie, you have nothing to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/35 "2020-02-02T19:39:12Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > FWIW, [here](https://m.imdb.com/list/ls050359479/) [are](https://m.imdb.com/list/ls050968966/) [some](https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/best-movies-of-2010s-decade/into-the-spiderverse-2/) [lists](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g30199550/best-movies-of-2010s/) [of](https://www.cnet.com/news/the-30-best-films-of-the-decade-ranked/) movies since 2010. I dare you to lump them all together into sameness. If the top 100 movies you linked to, I’ve heard, seen trailers for less than half of them. Of that half, I watched and enjoyed, _Big Hero 6_ and _Wreck-It Ralph_. I tried watching because it was on TV or streaming, _Inside Out, Black Swan, Coco, Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4, How to Train Your Dragon, The Lego Movie, Frozen, Looper_ and couldn’t get through more than 15 minutes. Remakes or sequels that I have no interest in, \*Django Unchained _(plus I can’t stand Jamie Foxx), Mad Max: Fury Road, True Grit, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Rouge One: A Star Wars Story, Star Trek Into Darkness, Mission Impossible - Fallout (watched 15 minutes of the original and gave up), \* War for the Planet of the Apes, Incredibles 2_ (saw the original and meh), _John Wick 2_, _Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens_ (never seen any of the movies), _True Grit._ BTW, I refuse to watch the Korean version of _A Better Tomorrow_ because the original Chinese version was perfect and no one in the world will ever replace Chow Yun Fat! Super heroes - _Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, XMen: Days of Future Past, The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, Logan, Captain America: Civil War Spider Man: In the the Spider-Verse, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Endgame_ ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/36 "2020-02-02T19:43:09Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > FWIW, [here](https://m.imdb.com/list/ls050359479/) [are](https://m.imdb.com/list/ls050968966/) [some](https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/best-movies-of-2010s-decade/into-the-spiderverse-2/) [lists](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g30199550/best-movies-of-2010s/) [of](https://www.cnet.com/news/the-30-best-films-of-the-decade-ranked/) movies since 2010. I dare you to lump them all together into sameness. If the top 100 movies you linked to, I’ve heard, seen trailers for less than half of them. Of that half, I watched and enjoyed, _Big Hero 6_ and _Wreck-It Ralph_. I tried watching because it was on TV or streaming, _Inside Out, Black Swan, Coco, Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4, How to Train Your Dragon, The Lego Movie, Frozen, Looper_ and couldn’t get through more than 15 minutes. Remakes or sequels that I have no interest in, _Django Unchained (plus I can’t stand Jamie Foxx), Mad Max: Fury Road, True Grit, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Rouge One: A Star Wars Story, Star Trek Into Darkness, Mission Impossible - Falloutt (watched 15 minutes of the original and gave up), War for the Planet of the Apes, Incredibles 2_(saw the original and meh), _John Wick 2_, _Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens_ (never seen any of the movies), _True Grit._ I refuse to watch the Korean version of _A Better Tomorrow_ because the original [edit: Hong Kong] version was perfect and no one in the world will ever replace Chow Yun Fat! Super heroes - _Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, XMen: Days of Future Past, The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, Logan, Captain America: Civil War, Spider Man: In the the Spider-Verse, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Endgame_ ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/37 "2020-02-02T19:46:14Z")
The explanation I’ve read is that Hollywood directors and studios, by and large, tend to be conservative (not as in politically conservative, but as in risk-averse.) They don’t want to pitch a radical new idea and lose $200 million making it if it’s a flop. They’d rather continually reboot and sequel even if that staleness and trite-ness itself risks audience backlash. There’s always more safety in the boardroom by erring on the side of boring caution than being an exciting risk-taker. The only thing that will shake this up is either a movie director who achieves tremendous, repeated success by continuously going outside the box, or some creativity-starved billionaire to step in and fund movies saying, “We need something other than same old same old and I’m willing to eat any $$$ loss to make it happen.” ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/38 "2020-02-02T19:47:49Z")
The explanation I’ve read is that Hollywood directors and studios, by and large, tend to be conservative (not as in politically conservative, but as in risk-averse.) They don’t want to pitch a radical new idea and lose $200 million making it if it’s a flop. They’d rather continually reboot and sequel even if that staleness and trite-ness itself risks audience backlash. There’s always more safety in the boardroom by erring on the side of boring caution than being an exciting risk-taker. The only thing that will shake this up is either a movie director who achieves tremendous, repeated success by continuously going outside the box, or some creativity-starved billionaire to step in and fund movies saying, “We need something other than same old same old and I’m willing to eat any $$$ loss to make it happen.” ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/39 "2020-02-02T20:31:39Z")
Ukulele Ike, I just looked at my list of my favorite 100 films again and noticed that in fact there is one film from 1930 (_All Quiet on the Western Front_) and one film from 1931 (_M_). There are seven other films from the 1930’s. So none of my 100 favorite films are silent ones, but there are some silent films that are just outside of my top 100. I’ve seen a lot of films (probably more than 3500), so it’s not really surprising that nothing before 1930 happens by chance to not be among the top 100. lingyi, give us a list of some older films you liked. You give us a long list of fairly recent films you don’t like. I’d like to know what you do like. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380/40 "2020-02-02T21:20:59Z")
Non-Asian films that I have in my collection that I would take the time to set up and watch, in no particular order: _The Endless Summer Rollerball Walkabout Repulsion Knife in the Water Jesus Christ Superstar Big Trouble in Little China Blow-Up Easy Rider Two Lane Blacktop Wizards Vanishing Point Picnic at Hanging Rock Christopher Robin_ (at least once when I get around to watching it) Films that I’ll drop what I’m doing and sit down and watch if it’s on TV or switch to streaming if there are commercials in the TV version: \*Escape from New York The Andromeda Strain Naked Prey The Great Escape The Green Berets Caveman \*Films that I’ll half watch when they show on TV: \*Despicable Me Despicable Me 2 Up! Big Hero 6 (but not the series) Wreck-It Ralph Wreck-It Ralph 2 \*(Oh, forgot about this, have to find it and watch it!) There’s more that I can’t think of off the top of my head, but not a whole lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-great-about-current-hollywood-movies/847380.md?page=3)