*Disclaimer: I am about to be extremely disparaging to the vast majority of cinema. I do not have anything against live-action adaptations or the people that enjoy them, I am just really bad at expressing myself clearly in non-offensive ways. Please don't be upset...
With the announcement of an attempted live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast by Disney, I just want to ask a question that has been bothering me of late: What is the big deal with people and live-action adaptations of things, specifically superhero movies. I want to be perfectly blunt, I am hugely biased. I find animation a superior medium in terms of flexibility, and I feel that this constant deferral to live-action prevents the exploration of the better portion of dramatic topics in mainstream animation. But I digress.
On topic, I'd be perfectly happy with a lusciously animated Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman etc, especially since they are so hugely dependent on CGI as to be not-quite-cartoons already, but I think I'm in a minority. Maybe I'm imagining things, but people seem to react much more strongly (and positively) to the announcement of a live-action version of their favorite thing.
Partly I want to examine it because I can't shake the feeling that at best it's a follow-the-leader thing: All the classic movies were live-action, therefore if our movies are to become classic they must also be live-action. And at worst it's a attempt at validation by way of showing people that the director's beloved thing can be just as financially/artistically viable as those of more established filmmakers. Put as offensively bluntly as possible "Look at me, look at me, I'm an adult, and here is my adult-style film. Isn't it perfectly adultlike, with all its real people, and real things that are really happening? Not at all like those childish cartoons we used to enjoy!" But as I said, I am biased (and extremely cynical), so I'd like other peoples' input on the matter.
Thanks in advance, I hope we all come out of this a little wiser for the trouble. To those that didn't read the disclaimer, I am sorry because I'm not trying to be offensive, I just don't know how to clarify my point inoffensively.
With the announcement of an attempted live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast by Disney, I just want to ask a question that has been bothering me of late: What is the big deal with people and live-action adaptations of things, specifically superhero movies. I want to be perfectly blunt, I am hugely biased. I find animation a superior medium in terms of flexibility, and I feel that this constant deferral to live-action prevents the exploration of the better portion of dramatic topics in mainstream animation. But I digress.
On topic, I'd be perfectly happy with a lusciously animated Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman etc, especially since they are so hugely dependent on CGI as to be not-quite-cartoons already, but I think I'm in a minority. Maybe I'm imagining things, but people seem to react much more strongly (and positively) to the announcement of a live-action version of their favorite thing.
Partly I want to examine it because I can't shake the feeling that at best it's a follow-the-leader thing: All the classic movies were live-action, therefore if our movies are to become classic they must also be live-action. And at worst it's a attempt at validation by way of showing people that the director's beloved thing can be just as financially/artistically viable as those of more established filmmakers. Put as offensively bluntly as possible "Look at me, look at me, I'm an adult, and here is my adult-style film. Isn't it perfectly adultlike, with all its real people, and real things that are really happening? Not at all like those childish cartoons we used to enjoy!" But as I said, I am biased (and extremely cynical), so I'd like other peoples' input on the matter.
Thanks in advance, I hope we all come out of this a little wiser for the trouble. To those that didn't read the disclaimer, I am sorry because I'm not trying to be offensive, I just don't know how to clarify my point inoffensively.
