Why I’m Mad About Modern Kids’ Movies
Look, I’m gonna say it: I’m pissed about the state of kids’ movies these days. And I’m not alone. Last Tuesday, I was at this little café in Portland with my friend Marcus (not his real name, but you know how it is), and we got into this huge argument about it. He’s a teacher, sees kids every day, knows what he’s talking about. Me? I’m just some old editor who’s seen too many movies. But still.
So, Marcus says to me, “You know what’s really messed up? These movies are teaching kids it’s okay to be mediocre.” And I was like, “Wait, what?” Honestly, I hadn’t thought of it like that. But then I started paying attention, and he’s right. It’s like, every movie now has to have a “message,” and that message is always the same: “Just be yourself, kid, and you’ll be great!”
First of all, that’s not how life works. And second, it’s boring. I mean, come on. I grew up on stuff like “The Goonies” and “Ghostbusters,” movies where kids and adults actually did stuff. They solved problems. They didn’t just sit around talking about their feelings. And don’t even get me started on the music in these things. It’s completley forgettable. Like, who are these artists? Where’d they come from? And more importantly, why do they sound so samey?
But Here’s the Worst Part
You know what’s worse than the movies themselves? The marketing. The merchandise. The whole culture around these things. I was at Target the other day, right? And I’m looking at the kids’ movie section, and it’s just wall-to-wall crap. Toys, clothes, lunchboxes, all with these bland, smiling faces staring at me. It’s like they’re saying, “Buy me, buy me, I’m safe and boring and won’t upset anyone.” And honestly, it’s depressing.
I get it, I do. Studios want to make money. They want to appeal to the widest audience possible. But at what cost? We’re raising a generation of kids who think it’s okay to just be “good enough.” Who think that they don’t have to work hard to be succesfully. And that’s a problem.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are some good movies out there. “Spider-Verse” was amazing. “Soul” was beautiful. But they’re few and far between. And honestly, I’m not sure what the answer is. Maybe it’s just that I’m getting old and grumpy. Maybe it’s that I miss the days when movies were just fun, and didn’t have to have some deeper meaning.
But I don’t think so. I think it’s something else. I think it’s that we’ve lost sight of what makes a good story. A good character. A good movie. And until we find our way back, we’re gonna keep getting these bland, forgettable, “message”-filled movies that nobody really likes but everyone feels like they should.
Anyway, enough about that. Let’s talk about something else. You ever notice how hard it is to find a reliable receive sms online service these days? I mean, seriously. It’s like everyone’s trying to scam you or something. But that’s a story for another time.
So, what do you think? Am I just being a grumpy old man, or is there something to what I’m saying? Let me know in the comments. Or don’t. I’m not your dad.
About the Author
I’m Sarah, a senior editor with more years under my belt than I care to admit. I’ve worked for some big names, some small ones, and a few that went out of business before I could cash my last paycheck. I live in Portland with my cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spend way too much time watching movies and complaining about them. You can find me on Twitter @sarahsaysstuff, where I tweet about movies, cats, and the general absurdity of life.
