The Action Movie and How it Spoiled American Moviegoers

     I personally think the 2011 film Hugo is interesting, emotionally moving, and extremely well-made, but several of my friends think it's boring. That’s because Hugo is one of the few movies of recent years that isn’t driven by action. People don’t care how much depth or insight a film has. If there’s no action, they lose interest in five minutes. One time when I was working at a movie theater, I had a co-worker who loved The Dark Knight more than any other movie. We had some other good movies playing there too, but he thought most of them were stupid because they weren’t as action-packed. Why can't people realize that it takes more than explosions and chases to tell a good story?

     There was a time when movies didn’t need constant action to be enjoyed by the public. They had attention-grabbing themes, witty dialogue, and touching moments that drew the audience into the world of the story. If an action sequence came up once in a while, that was just a bonus. For example, you never knew when a big event might occur in a Hitchcock film. The excitement of waiting for something to happen was what made it so suspenseful. In modern blockbusters, you always know that a big action sequence is just a few minutes away, so there’s rarely a sense of tension beforehand. Fighting and destruction sequences are so common that it’s hard to distinguish one action film from another.

     When Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark first came out, they were novelties. They were exciting because people weren’t used to seeing that much action. Unfortunately, those movies set the bar too high for other filmmakers. The Mission: Impossible movies resort to action so over-the-top that the characters would die a dozen times in real life. The Matrix emphasizes action to the point where the plot itself is hard to follow, and the thought-provoking subject matter isn't as powerful as it could be. Man of Steel is so action-packed that it doesn’t have enough time for character development. Now that most movies in the theater are big action movies, the genre isn’t unique any more.
     I beg all of you to be more open-minded and expand your tastes in movies. America's attention span is short enough as it is thanks to TV. Don’t make it worse by watching nothing but action blockbusters. I’m not saying you should stop watching action movies altogether. (I'm always interested in Marvel's next big-budget spectacle about yet another superhero no one’s ever heard of.) Just make sure you also take the time to see some inspiring biopics or heart-warming family films. If the average moviegoer learned to embrace a more diverse variety of films, we could resurrect some of the good old forgotten genres of cinema like the screwball comedy, the courtroom drama, and the  musical.