Sticking Up For The Arts We Love

Sticking Up For The Arts We Love

 

In response to the bashing of  Superhero or comic book movies adaptations in general, director James Gunn had some choice words sticking up for films like the one he helmed, the mega hit Guardians of The Galaxy. Being the voice for us fans who take offense when people take shots repeatedly at comic book movies, my favorite part of what he said is that he’s directed in all genres and has always put the same effort in all of them, just because it’s a big budget film doesn’t mean you can’t put the same amount of love in it. This is coming from a director who managed to bring a title and group of characters that most that haven’t heard of outside of those who read comics and show what makes the comic book so great by bringing it to the screen.  Gunn has won a slew of awards for the film since, even the soundtrack which he helped produce went platinum. Everything about it worked and that was because Gunn appreciates art as a whole.

       Which those in Hollywood could do a little appreciating of their own, not to mention that Guardians was one of the highest grossing films in 2014, comic book movies in general tend to bail Hollywood out when it’s not doing so hot at the box office or when it hits a slump. Take a look at some of the highest grossing films of all time and you’ll see what I mean. Those who are reading for the anime are wondering what’s this have to do with my stuff, well it does really, a majority of anime is based off of Japanese comics aka manga. Many of those titles could see themselves in Hollywood under the same scrutiny and the question might be then what it is now, why?  Why when it like so many art has so much to give. It isn’t like actors have shied away from the roles everyone from Robert Redford to Michael Douglas have been in some of the recent comic book films, Marvel itself boast an impressive amount of Actors and Actresses. Even Al Pacino has shown interest. Whatever the reason it’s good to see that people stick up for it, really it’s just another part of art, it reminds me of some of the hate I’ve seen Anime get both here and in Japan despite it being such an important part of Japanese culture which is saying a lot since there are so many rich aspects to their culture that one can immerse themselves in and appreciate.

       Walk into a 7 Eleven there and you’ll see anime plastered all over the place, in fact you can buy manga there, which I did when I visited. Not unlike here, where you’re favorite comic book movies get to be on Slurpee cups and well plastered everywhere too, sure there might not be manga in them and while I’m sure they have something comic book related to read, in magazines if nothing else you can bet on all the other magazines you have the actors on the cover. Stories about who’s filming what adaption, it’s a big part of our culture the same way anime is a big part of the culture in Japan, so it shouldn’t be surprising than to see these adaptions in film as often as we do. It’s been going on for years and no matter which stance Hollywood decides to take on it, whether everyone jumps on the bandwagon for or jumps on it against, the fact remains that it’s a part of film now.  To criticize it isn’t too surprising but the focus should be what it seems like it has been of late, extra care and heart placed into the films no matter what they are, there is plenty of crap not based on anything that comes out in theaters, while Hollywood might have forgotten that, we sure as hell haven’t. In short such things of interest to fans will have to be something they defend in a elegant way as James Gunn did, there may be a time that anime has an even greater effect on the mainstream culture here. Yes it has already but I mean even more so and it might be time to defend as people do with things here or just focus instead on proving why the abundance of it doesn’t necessarily have to mean it’s downfall.

     Japan has an interesting perspective on anime, in the sense of maybe not always understanding that an Otaku isn’t the typical assumption, childish, perverted etc. Some might feel  since they hadn’t read or watch most manga and anime that it is indeed childish and have a frozen image of people that enjoy it beyond the age believed that you should. However there are many that in the coming years might help morph that particular image over there and if it ever became a subject of debate in Hollywood the way comic/superhero movies are, people here in the states will just have to do the same thing. Stick up for the arts we love and maybe some of the harshest critics will see why they clamored to make so many films on genre in the first place.