Is Anything A Greater Cinematic Achievement Than The MCU?

I dunno, I think I’ll have to disagree with this too, lenlenlen1 . I’m on record as a critic of the very concept of the shared universe, but—my feelings to one side—I’ll give it to Marvel that they successfully made it work, at least for the box office (and many critics). That’s an accomplishment, yes. Also, their strategy for going about it (phases, dear God!) is a clever battle-plan.

But one of the greatest cinematic accomplishments? In a world with classic Hollywood cinema? Of foreign-language classics? Of Hitchcock, Welles, Hawks, Lubitsch, Ford, Kurosawa, Chaplin, Keaton, Murnau, ad infinitum? Nah, not seeing it. These are fun, goofy movies about people who run around in tights and save the day. Yes, I enjoy them, but one of the greatest cinematic accomplishments? That’s like my saying that the Universal monsters represent one of cinema’s greatest accomplishments. Are there some great movies there? Oh, definitely; I love ‘em. But they’re fun and silly—light entertainment. Making grandiose claims for them wouldn’t do them justice. Perhaps one or two of them stand up as impressive films by any standard (say, Iron Man and Captain America for Marvel, or Bride of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man for Universal Monsters)—OK, fine, I’m willing to say that. But that’s quite a jump you are making, and an even greater jump that Arch is making. I think it’s great that you fellas enjoy them, and I do too, but “one of the greatest cinematic achievements”? Nope. Sorry.