Movie Review
Clichés in cinema have been a mainstay since the early days of cinema, and it’s only getting worse. Modern cinema is now so silly and carefully crafted that many people have moved on to explore the wider horizons of the big and small screen.
There’s a reason why Squid Game, Parasite and La Casa De Papel have been so successful in recent years. Of course, there will always be exceptions, but when was the last time you walked out of a movie theater and really resisted a movie?
Now, Mark Kermode highlights these tropes and clichés in the informative and well-written Secrets of Cinema, long before Brooker’s cynical take on the matter.
The Onslaught of Hollywood Cliques is actually as wide as an ocean and as deep as a pond. Is this a cliche line? You betcha, but brace yourself, because this special dives into surface-level fluff without the foresight, wit, or comedy to actually dive deeper. And even worse, all the big clichés aren’t actually discussed or mentioned.
How about the first black man to die in horror movies?
Where are the empty coffee cups that our hero dropped without blowing first? What about sweat marks on the chest but not under the arms or on the back? There are many more that are missing, and all of them are so common that it’s a wonder why they don’t appear here.
The former is particularly surprising because this special devotes a good portion of its time to the mismanagement of black people over the years through the tropes of “magical negro” and “white savior.”
From the usual plot beats to the grand dramatic finale, there is a whole range of different clichés cultivated in every genre of film. The only problem is that an hour is nowhere near enough time to really dive into these, discuss their origins, and add some really funny jokes.
Narration Duties
Rob Lowe handles the narration duties well and has a few good lines, but other than that the special doesn’t really do enough to stand out.
But the main question here is who. Who is this really special for? The onslaught of Hollywood clichés is too brazen to be overtly comedic, and too simple for anyone who’s seen a handful of movies.
In fact, if you’ve read this far, do yourself a favor and go and check out TV Tropes. This is a great site full of all the different tropes that have appeared on the big and small screen – and no doubt a few you never realized existed!
As for Onslaught of Hollywood Clicks, you should find enough to like if you know it won’t test you or bring up anything you don’t know.