Jodie Foster recently made a statement which slightly bashed both superhero and big-budget films and now James Gunn has taken up the task of responding to her. Gunn’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy‘ films not only firmly fall into the categories she mentioned is intimately involved with the future of the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so if anyone has a thoughtful response it should be Gunn, and he does.
His direct comment though is on spectacle films being “soulless” and while he claims there is some truth to this, it is something that is changing and he hopes will continue to change.
While both of Gunn’s films have been fun-filled action-packed movies, they also have seen character growth, development, and heart.
Gunn responded to Foster’s comments on Twitter:
“I think Foster looks at film in an old-fashioned way where spectacle film can’t be thought-provoking. It’s often true but not always. Her belief system is pretty common and isn’t totally without basis. I say not without basis because most studio franchise films are quite soulless – and that is a real danger to the future of movies. But there are also quite a few exceptions.
For cinema to survive I believe spectacle films NEED to have a vision and heart they traditionally haven’t. And some of us are doing our best to move in that direction. Creating spectacle films that are innovative, humane, and thoughtful is what excites me about this job.
But, to be fair, at least from Foster’s quotes, she seems to see filmmaking as something that’s primarily about her own personal growth. For me, that may be part of why I do this, but spending many millions of dollars on a film has to be about more than that – it’s communication – so my experience is merely one spoke on that wheel. But I respect Foster and what she’s done for films and I appreciate her different way of looking at Hollywood’s landscape.”
Do you agree with Jodie Foster’s blanket statement on superhero movies or do you think that James Gunn has made a valid point (and a couple of valid movies) that contradict her point of view? Are all spectacle movies just mindless entertainment or do you see more of them telling a solid and moving story at the same time? Share your thoughts below!