Are movies becoming worse with storyline?

Question

All movies used to be well thought out with a good storyline. Now with CGI are they focusing on graphics more than story line? I know it's easy to do, but they should be reminded to have a story behind the graphics what do you recon?

Answer 1

Absolutely. Actually, you can trace the problem back to 1977, when _Star Wars_ came out. Hear me out on this.

Once upon a time movie studios were run by movie makers. It was a flawed system. You had studio heads who operated as big fat cats. However, to their credit the studio heads focused on making movies. They had big ideas and sometimes they came out well and sometimes they came badly. Their successes and failures and antics in general are the stuff of legend and anybody who wants to read about the history of Hollywood can find out more.

The big change, however, came with _Star Wars_. George Lucas changed the movie industry with _Star Wars_ less because it was a historic blockbuster hit and more because the business model he developed to finance the series changed the industry. Until that time the whole movie industry--movie stars, directors and producers, movie theater chains--all danced to the tune of the movie studios (Paramount, Universal, etc.). By retaining control of the series and hanging onto merchandising rights, the success of _Star Wars_ created a lot of money for 20th Century Fox, but that return was dwarfed by the juggernaut of manufacturers who churned out _Star Wars_ toys, souvenirs, and other merchandise. It made George Lucas one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, and it started to eclipse the dominant role of movie studios on the industry.

It's important for me to emphasize that I don't blame George Lucas for what happened next. Lucas did what he did to make _Star Wars_, and I don't think anyone could have imagined all the consequences.

Nonetheless, several things happened. Movies became much more expensive, and the important role of licensing products and other movie tie-ins eventually changed the dynamics of the movie industry. In the days of old studio fortunes rose and fell depending upon how each release did, but such vagaries only affected the studio itself. As money and merchandising became more important, movies eventually became more than entertainment. They became investments not only for producers and stockholders but also the army of manufacturers who sought to ride the success of a large blockbuster movie.

At the end of the day, story began to take a back seat to consistency of product. The problem is that a creative story is a wonderful thing but a fickle and risky thing. It either works or it doesn't. In time studios, marketers and others found ways to goose folks into going to the movies without having to rely on creativity: put the right stars in it, find tried-and-true plots with broad appeal, and throw in lots of gimmicks to carry the audience from moment to moment. To their credit, it seemed to work well for a while. I suppose it still works for a lot of people.

For better or worse, that leaves us with the present. Fortunately, there's a lot of turns in the story which I missed and offer hope. Independent studios have a lot to offer even if it's hard for them to get into theaters, and movies are finding other outlets like video and cable. We'll just have to see what happens.

Answer 2

Many stories could be told within an hour but they are often stretched out to boredom level. I dislike computer generated crowd scenes. Also remakes of old films and sequels. The worst remake I have seen in recent years was The Time Machine although I like Guy Pierce, the computer generated background took up too much of the film.

Answer 3

I agree with you 100%. Movies used to be great, but now they have made them a lot worse and i don't like them as much. They should really start focusing more on the storyline!

Answer 4

i completely agree. even Clint Eastwood touched on this subject. He mentioned that movies today are straying from a plot with a universal truth or moral. Eastwood and Ron Howard movies seem to have great plots even though they are the directors. But, the majority of movies today are filled with sex, violence, computer graphics and a lack of substance. movie ratings have declined because of this.

Answer 5

This weekend we rented 'The Departed' and 'Hollywoodland' - now there are a couple of stories! But you're right - a lot of directors seem to think that if they throw in enough explosions and special effects, you won't notice that the acting is lousy and the story is non-existant.

Answer 6

with you all the way blue frost, films maybe better with the picture scene but def lack a decent concept i think its a battle amongst the producers to see who can out do the other without thinking of the punters who watch the movies. you only have to look at reality tv that gives your answer bah humbug

Answer 7

Universal Solider The Regeneration

Answer 8

I have to agree with you. They rely too much on special effects but lose substance. That is why I enjoy older movies like "It's a Wonderful Life."

Answer 9

yes, they focus more on the stars and less on the story. Many of todays films are solid cheese

Answer 10

yeah like snakes on a plane was that the only thing they could think of if so it explains a lot lol