Serious vs. Silly

If you recall in my Defense of the MCU, I addressed how Marvel uses humor to keep their films upbeat and fun, so that the dramatic moments stand out more in between the jokes. However, there’s this stigma that any movie that’s meant to be taken seriously shouldn’t have jokes in them, not just MCU films. Justice League was criticized for having humor, Star Wars Episode VIII was criticize for humor (among other things), the recent Star Trek films (2009-present) were criticized, you get the point. I get that not every big budget franchise has to have jokes, but does that mean they all have to be devoid of any humor? I have always believe movies should be an escape from reality, not a reminder. And I’m not alone on this as adding humor into big budget movies is nothing new (dating back to the dawn of filmmaking). At the same time, it’s also a staple to know when to place a joke in the film depending on the story. If a scene requires the audience to feel emotional, now is not the time to make a joke. If there’s an opportunity to tell a joke, it’d be wise to seize that opportunity before the scene is over. For example, in the final moments of The Iron Giant, it wouldn’t be appropriate to include a couple extra saying “Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!” as the Giant flies into the atmosphere to sacrifice himself to destroy the nuke. In the film Captain Underpants, it would be jarring if Principle Krupp was physically abusive towards George and Harold and was overall more evil than they actual villain. Movies are meant to appeal to a wide audience and different audiences have different tastes. Some like goofy comedies, others prefer challenging character dramas; and some, like myself, like a little of both for an overall entertaining experience. The most necessary requirement for a film to be is entertaining on some level; and nobody understands this philosophy more than the filmmakers themselves. Whether you like their movies or not, every filmmaker’s intention is to entertain the audience with their film, even if it’s just one person. Whether it be a character drama, a comedy, an action flick, or horror, at the end of the day, it’s all about how the audience feels about the film. So, in conclusion, a movie that’s mostly serious shouldn’t be criticized for having some moments of humor and vice versa. It’s like telling a depressed person to stay depressed every time they smile or a comedian to get back to telling jokes when they’re trying to be serious. Judge movies for what they are, not what they should be.