Action movies, superhero movies to be specific, aren’t always considered to be Oscar-worthy movies by a lot of people, but maybe that needs to change. What is true is that the millions and millions of dollars that the directors of these movies take home should be award enough sometimes considering that they’re creating a reputation as well as a blockbuster movie that is going to reach an untold number of people. The Academy Awards have been kind of an elitist joke for a while, and it would appear that any director worth their chair wouldn’t really care if they receive one of the little golden statues to place on a shelf at home, especially since the statue isn’t worth even a fraction of what they’re being paid for making their movies. But somehow, there’s still enough prestige in that small statue for many people to desire, and as a result, many action movie directors would still love to be called up to the podium for Best Picture, or Best Director, or anything that can get their movie nominated. Action movies have been nominated and have even won in the past, but usually for technical details that don’t necessarily give thanks to the director. At some point, it sounds like a lot of whining, but it does feel as though the directors of action movies should be given the same consideration for nomination as those that create dramas, comedies, and other movies. One big downfall though is that once these directors start winning the Oscars it’s possible that they could see their reputation rise, or fall depending on whether or not they can keep up with the expectations that are heaped upon Oscar-winners following their acceptance speech.
It might actually be better for action movie directors to not win the Oscars since their reputations are pretty solid most times if they create a fun and engaging movie, and the truckloads of money that they’re given should be enough to keep them warm at night. But then again, fair is fair and it should be at last considered that they’re worth giving the award to since the truth is that superhero movies have changed in such a big way that it’s just as possible to get the kind of drama, humor, and superb acting as one would find in any traditional movie. That alone should be one reason why action movie directors should be considered for the Oscar since the humanization of the average superhero movie has taken things way beyond the comics and has allowed for the creation of hero movies in which the hero is no longer the squeaky-clean good person that is beyond reproach and doesn’t have to face up to the problems they cause simply because they solve problems as well. The fact is that a lot of action movies have started taking on a lot more responsibility as the heroes and the villains have been put into a more realistic light since the villains are being given a more human look instead of always being straight evil and without redeeming qualities, while the heroes have actually been seen to go bad occasionally due to poor decisions and planning. In short, the action movies of today are becoming more realistic in terms of how the actors take on their roles, and how the movie is formed, and it needs to be recognized.
Whether this will happen or not feels kind of doubtful since so many people still look at superhero movies and other action movies as less than worthy of such distinction as some directors actually think of them as less than cinematic. The unfortunate part is that a couple of those that think this way are directors that tend to tell the kind of revisionist history and add in various elements to their own movies that speak of a lack of proper research or a desire to simply overrule what history had to say about the matters they’ve decided to film. In other words, those throwing stones from their glass porches might want to make certain of where they’re standing before lobbing each criticism since it’s easy to think that they too could be denied quite easily if the tables were turned and Hollywood decided that it was time to start recognizing other efforts and lean away from the stodgy, dusty old movies that continue to rehash old ideas that don’t go anywhere and tell stories that didn’t really happen the way they’re told. Hey, that’s Hollywood, it’s about entertainment, not the truth, but honestly when it comes time to reward those that have put forth such a great effort would be nice since otherwise, it does look entirely biased, despite anyone saying that it’s not and never has been. If you believe that, then you might believe that The Hurt Locker was a better choice than Avatar.
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