PREFACE:

So…action movies. Are they really cinema? Or is the genre simply a group of dumb diversions, or “amusement park rides”, as director Martin Scorsese referred to them. I will not solely be getting deep on Marvel films, but also stuff like Fast & Furious, Mission: Impossible, John Wick and even Christopher Nolan movies.

WHAT DID SCORSESE SAY ABOUT MARVEL? DO I AGREE?

Before getting deeper on all the individual films, I do want to give attention to the man who jump started this entire argument in the community. Martin freaking Scorsese, one of the most prolific directors of all-time. Let’s get into the quote.

“I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema. 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.”

Now do I agree with him? I absolutely do. I’m not some Marvel hater, in fact I enjoy several of them, but I will get deeper into that later. Overall, the MCU, DCEU and action films in general are theme parks. Granted, they are very fun, entertaining and cheer-worthy rides if done exceptionally well. Fortunately, plenty of them are made by capable people who know how to make audiences sit back and enjoy, even if they have to turn their brains off.

THE MCU AND DCEU

Right off the bat let’s get the two biggest superhero franchises out of the way. My favorite MCU films, such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok are films that I wouldn’t consider cinema, but they are the highest quality a theme park movie can get, and that’s perfectly fine with me. Some of the Avengers films, especially Endgame, are a true experience if you’re a fan. However, there are many movies in this franchise that are genuinely bad. The first two Thor films, the mediocre Captain Marvel, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Iron Man 2 & 3 and The Incredible Hulk are only some of them. Considering these, I’m also not going to pretend that every single MCU film hits the bar, but a few of them really do. However, a lot of them are simply well-made amusement park rides.

The DCEU and DC series in general isn’t much better, but similarly, I am entertained by several of them. For example, Birds of Prey, Shazam!, Aquaman and especially Wonder Woman are very good popcorn flicks in my opinion. I do, however, consider Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy (especially the last two) to be real cinema. I’ll save him for after this, though. Then again, there’s also Justice League, Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman and Man of Steel (the latter two are superior, but still eh), which just won’t cut it for me. Bad films that take over the box office make it so unfair for the better movies. Then, on another level of horrible, there’s Wonder Woman 1984, but I don’t want to talk about that piece of shit.

Overall, superhero movies (for the most part) aren’t cinema, and Scorsese was completely right. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them, however.

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

But Keaton, what about Christopher Nolan, our lord and savior? Yeah, I’d say he’s about the closest mainstream, consistent action director to cinema. From Inception, The Dark Knight movies, Dunkirk and even Tenet, this guy can invent. His action sequences are definitely an art form, and generally the cinematography, stunt-work and any visual aspects are top-notch. Of course he has his highs and lows like every director out there, but generally, he delivers. He has issues with dialogue, storytelling and pacing, but the effort put into giving viewers sufficient spectacle is too clear to deny. Nolan’s films are cinema, I won’t deny that. They aren’t simply fun, disposable movies that you’ll forget after watching. They are each puzzles to solve.

FAST & FURIOUS, ANYONE?

This is obvious, I suppose. I don’t, and will never consider Fast & Furious movies cinema. Besides, say, the John Wick films, these types of action movies generally don’t cut it. For example, literally every Liam Neeson movie ever made, The Equalizer 1 & 2 and many more that I couldn’t care less about are guilty of stupidity. Don’t get me wrong, I’m able to turn my brain off for several of these and just have a nice, good time. But holy shit they aren’t cinema. The filmmakers usually put minimal effort into them, the acting is mediocre, and even the action sequences sometimes leave something to be desired.

OTHER ACTION MOVIES THAT I CONSIDER CINEMA

Sicario
Mission: Impossible 4-6
Mad Max: Fury Road
Baby Driver
Logan (a comic-book movie??!!)
Skyfall
The Matrix
Terminator 1 & 2
Bourne (1-3)
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Planet of the Apes (2011-2017)
Looper

For me to consider an action movie cinema, like these and probably some outliers, they’ve got to have something special to distinguish themselves from the crowd. Whether it be score, cinematography, performances or even action in general, I have to find one facet of the film to be stand-out. One thing I will remember after viewing. So, in conclusion, while I do agree with Martin Scorsese, it’s to a fault. Plenty of Marvel movies are good, and a lot in the genre are too, but they’re mired in a shit ton of bad ones as well.