Animation and Imagination

[AKemel]

There has been a lot of discussion about lack of imagination by making direct to video movies/ TV series from feature films and about complete lack of creativity by making movies based on animatronics shows.
How much imagination does it take to make a movie based on a cartoon, a book, a video game or a comic book strip? And do not forget the sequels… (Scooby-Doo, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Tomb Raider, Spiderman, MIB2, Attack of Clones, Rush Hour 2, Mummy Returns, Jurassic Park 3)

While some original movies have done well (Titanic, Lilo and Stitch, Ice Age, Cast Away, Shrek, Monsters Inc) there seems to be fewer blockbusters and quite a few of them are animated.
Maybe an average viewer (who does not watch cartoons) does not want creativity?

 

[Another Voice]

The issue isn’t “originality” – it’s effort.

A good movie is a good movie whether it’s based on an original idea or an adaptation. And a bad movie is still a bad movie even if it’s based on Hamlet.

The audience knows that too. ‘Spider-man’ is a good movie and the box office reflects that. ‘Scooby Doo’ and all the summer sequels are bad movies and the box office reflects that too – they’ve all fallen well short of box office expectations. Even the new ‘Star Wars’ is falling well short of the last movie.

The audience knows. They audience can sense when they are being ripped off. Bad movies will drive any franchise down. When was the last time you saw a ‘Batman’ movie?

I hear the “the audience doesn’t want creativity” lie about every day. It’s simply an excuse for people who don’t want to put in the work to make good films. Pure and simple. And it’s Disney’s excuse too. ‘107 Dalmatians’ is easy and cheaper to put out than something good. Since the goal right now is to bleed the company dry before everyone bails, it’s not surprising they’ve choose the easy road.

The average viewer wants quality above all else.