Neill Blomkamp Calls Out Denis Villeneuve For Marvel Movie Criticism
Neill Blomkamp calls out fellow director Denis Villeneuve for his Marvel Cinematic Universe movie criticism. Villeneuve is currently doing press for his high-profile adaptation of Dune, which premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival. Blomkamp remains best known for his 2009 feature directorial debut, District 9, though his latest film, Demonic, released in August of this year.
The MCU currently dominates the blockbuster scene, and its success continues to shape trends in the film industry. Noticing these shifts, many filmmakers have felt compelled to share their opinions on the phenomenon, particularly since Martin Scorsese said Marvel's movies weren't cinema while promoting The Irishman in 2019. Some have come out in favor, others against, but because of the unending media storm brought about by Scorsese's comments, every director now gets asked what they think.
Most recently, Villeneuve joined the fray by saying that too many Marvel movies are a cut-and-paste of others, and Blomkamp didn't take those words too kindly. The South African-Canadian director tweeted a colorful response to Villeneuve's comments that pretty clearly shows what he thinks of them. Take a look at his reaction below:
Blomkamp's involvement is interesting, given that most of the people coming out in favor of MCU films have made at least one themselves, but his position is not surprising. Filmmakers who make statements like the Dune director's are putting themselves in the complicated position of attempting to address Hollywood trends by criticizing the work of their peers, and while Marvel movies may feel to some like products of their studio, there is still a director with a vision behind each of them. Blomkamp's response points to how Villeneuve's statement in particular belittles the artists behind superhero movies by accusing them of lacking that vision, and thus gets more personal with his criticism than someone like Scorsese did.
As strong as Blomkamp's feelings may be about it, viewers will have to consider for themselves whether they find merit in the Dune director's claim. On the one hand, Marvel Studios has a very strong formula that many of their films follow, and their tendency to adopt a uniform visual style has been criticized in the past. On the other, it's not uncommon for studios to develop this kind of signature, particularly with films of the same genre, and to dismiss them all as copies is to completely overlook the contribution of the individual operating within that formula. However fans feel about Villeneuve's opinion, though, it's impossible to deny the outsized role of superhero movies in today's popular culture. As long as the MCU remains a box office juggernaut that encourages other studios to desperately try and turn everything into a cinematic universe, expect this sort of public criticism to continue.
Source: Neill Blomkamp