Roger Corman Criticizes Marvel Movies: ‘The Stories Are Simplistic’

B-movie legend and The Fantastic Four (1994) producer Roger Corman joins in on the chorus of filmmakers criticizing Marvel movies.

While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Roger Corman was recently asked what he thought of Martin Scorsese’s recent criticism of Marvel movies. Like many filmmakers of that generation, Roger Corman sided with Martin Scorsese and explained that he thought that Marvel movies are too simplistic to really engage audiences in the craft of filmmaking. Roger Corman did, however, praise Marvel movies for their visual effects.

Roger Corman’s thoughts on Marvel Movies can be seen below:

“Well, I feel motion pictures are really the quintessential modern art form. They are the art of movement. Secondarily, they are a combination of business and art — and I think, except for the exceptional pure art film, all motion pictures are combinations of business and art. I’ve read what they said, and I think I agree with them to a certain extent. As pure cinema, as a pure art form, [Marvel films] don’t qualify. But, if you say it is a combination of an art form and a business, then they do qualify. Even if the stories may be simplistic, the productions may be standard, they’re standard on a high professional level and particularly the special effects are wonderful. So I think you have to recognize there are various aspects to this.”

Roger Corman, of course, seems to forget that he was involved with the a Marvel production — specifically, the never-officially-released adaptation of The Fantastic Four that put he together with Constantin Film. But considering that Roger Corman’s movies were known for being made on the cheap and for the thrill of making movies as opposed to elevating them to an art form, perhaps he shouldn’t throw stones in glass houses.

The official synopsis for the latest Marvel movie, Spider-Man: Far From Home, is as follows:

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.

Directed by Jon Watts from a script written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, Spider-Man: Far From Home stars Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori, Martin Starr, Numan Acar, J.B. Smoove, Oli Hill, Remy Hii, Marisa Tomei, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Cobie Smulders, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is now available on Digital HD and will be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD on October 1. A third film in the series, with Tom Holland and the creative team on the most recent film, is set for release on July 16, 2021.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter