sightupdate

Movies

The Battle of Cinema vs. Amusement Park: Martin Scorsese's Controversial Take

2024-11-23

In 2019, the renowned movie director Martin Scorsese created a stir across social media when he engaged in an interview with Catherine Shoard from The Guardian. As he was asked about Marvel movies, he responded with a thought-provoking statement. "I tried, you know?" he said. "But that’s not cinema." He further elaborated, "Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being."

This sparked a heated debate among various talking heads both on and off the internet. It became a popular topic for discussion for several months at least. Initially, I found his assessment rather elitist, but after watching Deadpool and Wolverine, I had to reconsider. Spoilers ahead for multiple Marvel movies.

Once upon a time, movies seemed to be closer to the essence of cinema. However, that era might have ended with the release of "Endgame." Since then, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies and TV shows have focused more on special effects, quippiness, and setting up future projects rather than telling coherent and interesting cinematic stories. Deadpool and Wolverine stands out as the ultimate example of this trend.

I am not a huge Deadpool fan. I appreciate a bit of silliness in moderation, but I am not fond of crude humor or gore, especially not comedic gore. These elements are integral to the character for many, along with the silliness and fourth-wall breaking. Nevertheless, I was excited about this film based on its own merits, even though it incorporates things I generally don't like. I still prefer the first two Deadpool movies to this one.

One significant difference I noticed is that while this film still had its share of gore and numerous references to cocaine, it lacked the extreme crassness of the first two movies. Despite not finding that kind of humor funny, I believe the absence of such elements makes this film feel like a cheap imitation that doesn't truly understand the character. I will never forget the scene in the second film where Deadpool, recovering from his injury, resembled Winnie the Pooh (using a more vulgar term that I can't mention on this family website). The epic but vulgar chanting during the film's climax remains the funniest moment and a prime example of the creative team's commitment to the character. These elements were missing from the Disney-fied version.

The first two Deadpool movies had well-developed story and character arcs for Deadpool and even some secondary characters. This is the foundation of great cinema. On the contrary, Deadpool and Wolverine lacks any character arcs for its main protagonists. The Deadpool and Wolverine at the end of the film are no different from those at the beginning, except for the journey they took. Neither character has a clear goal or motivation, and the villains' motives also make little sense. The story seems to unfold in a haphazard manner.

However, if you are a specific type of person and are looking for an amusement park ride experience, this movie can deliver. I consider myself an ideal audience member for this movie. I have watched a wide range of Marvel-related movies, including the 2003 "Daredevil" movie, the "Elektra" spin-off, all three "Blade" movies, all the Fox X-Men movies (except the second and third Wolverine movies and the second "X-Men" reboot), the "Fantastic Four" movies with Chris Evans as the Human Torch, and I was even aware of the casting rumors about Channing Tatum and Gambit. I enjoyed the references and cameos, which brought back memories of my younger days. But even cameos are not enough for a truly excellent amusement park ride. You need thrills and action, which this movie lacks. This has been a problem in Marvel for a while now. Action enthusiasts have long complained about it, and Deadpool takes it to a new level by hyping up the fights and then disappointing the audience.

They spent several minutes building up a fight between Wolverine and his brother Sabertooth from the first Fox movie. The fight ended quickly. They also hyped a fight between Deadpool and Wolverine, as well as a team-up fight against a group of Deadpool variants. Both fights were shot and edited in a way that made them visually confusing and filled with CGI blood.

In conclusion, Martin Scorsese was right. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is misnamed. There is nothing wrong with making a movie that leans more towards an amusement park ride than a cinematic experience. After all, amusement park rides have their own place. It is important to be honest about the expectations.