If you stop and think about it, something special could come out of the marriage of filmmaker Terry Gilliam and the superhero genre. His visually dynamic, often off-beat, filmmaking style would lend itself to a truly unique take on what is becoming an oversaturated and homogenized genre. But when you hear Gilliam talk about superhero films, it’s clear the man has zero interest in tackling those types of films himself. However, despite his overall dislike of superhero films (which is well documented), the filmmaker isn’t above admitting when one does strike a chord with him.
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Speaking at a recent event at the Filmoteca de Catalunya in Spain, Gilliam was asked a variety of questions about the art form. However, he was also asked about what he thinks about superhero films, and if he finds them as boring as many other film fans do.
“I agree with you, they’re boring. I mean, they’re repetitive,” said Gilliam. “They’re technically brilliant. The work is amazing. There’s some very good actors working. There’s some wonderful moments. But to me, it’s the same film. I keep watching the same film.”
He added, “It bothers me that people are so desperate to believe in superheroes rather than real people doing extraordinary things. So, they don’t interest me. I really don’t watch most of them, but when I do, I kinda feel envious because some of the people working on those films are really good, much better than I could ever be.”
This echoes what he’s said previously about how he’s bored with superhero films that always end with the heroes winning, thus eliminating all the stakes of the film. That being said, while recently watching some Oscar screeners, Gilliam admits that one film stood above the rest, as far as recent superhero films go – and no, it’s not “Black Panther.”
“I must admit. The ‘Avengers,’ the last one, with Josh Brolin as the bad guy, I quite liked that movie [Laughs],” revealed the filmmaker. “I was watching a lot of Oscar screeners and getting bored. And suddenly something came along and made me smile.”
Does this mean that Gilliam is sitting at his laptop, furiously re-watching the latest trailer for “Avengers: Endgame?” Odds are, he doesn’t even know ‘Endgame’ is even a thing, right now. However, it is telling that the only recent superhero film that caught his eye is the one where the heroes lose and half the universe gets turned to dust. Odds are, considering it’s highly likely that the Avengers will save the day and defeat Josh Brolin’s Thanos in the upcoming film, ‘Endgame’ won’t be Gilliam’s cup of tea. But hey, at least he enjoyed one superhero film, right?