The ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Star’ Trek star thinks comic book and superhero movies distract adults from real world issues.
He may be a self confessed geek and the co-writer of the next Star Trek movie, but Simon Pegg has said he feels cinema is being ‘dumbed down’ by sci-fi and comic book movies. Speaking to the Radio Times, the actor said society had now become “infantilised” and therefore more challenging movies were no longer able to find sucess at the box office.
Pegg stars as Scotty in the recent Star Trek films.
“Before Star Wars, the films that were box-office hits were The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Bonnie and Clyde and The French Connection – gritty, amoral art movies,” he told the mag.“Then suddenly the onus switched over to spectacle and everything changed … I don’t know if that is a good thing.”
More: Simon Pegg Loved His 'Massive Rifle' In Hitman Comedy 'Kill Me Three Times’
“I’m very much a self-confessed fan of science-fiction and genre cinema. But part of me looks at society as it is now and thinks we’ve been infantilised by our own taste. Now we’re essentially all consuming very childish things – comic books, superheroes. Adults are watching this stuff, and taking it seriously.”
“It is a kind of dumbing down, in a way, because it’s taking our focus away from real-world issues. Films used to be about challenging, emotional journeys or moral questions that might make you walk away and re-evaluate how you felt about … whatever,” he continued. “Now we’re walking out of the cinema really not thinking about anything, other than the fact that the Hulk just had a fight with a robot.”
The actor, who co-wrote and starred in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End) also said he was ready to move on in his carrer and take on more dramatic roles.“Sometimes (I) feel like I miss grown-up things. And I honestly thought the other day that I’m gonna retire from geekdom,” he said.
More: Simon Pegg Needs To Man Up In His Latest Film
“I’ve become the poster child for that generation, and it’s not necessarily something I particularly want to be. I’d quite like to go off and do some serious acting.” In his next film, Man Up, due out later this month, Pegg plays a 40-year-old divorcee who mistakes a single, 34-year-old woman for his much younger blind date. He will then star opposite Tom Cruise in summer blockbuster, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation which hits on July 31st.
It’s the year 2045 and the only way to survive on Earth is to escape...
After the release of The Force Awakens at the end of 2015, Disney and Lucas...
This is where the Star Trek franchise officially shifts from thoughtful drama into thunderous action....
When the Starship Enterprise finds itself under forceful attack, the crew on board fight to...
With its fifth feature-length adventure, this franchise continues its preposterous journey at full tilt. As...
Star Trek Beyond is the thirteenth film to be released from the Star Trek franchise...
Trekkies around the world rejoice! Star Trek Beyond will be upon us next year. The...
Most people are familiar with the big bang theory but not many people know just...
Appealing both to a new generation of viewers and fans of the series since the...
After the victory of the Rebel Alliance over the Galactic Empire and subsequent demolition of...
It's been thirty years since the Rebel Alliance; led by the noble Luke Skywalker, the...
Simon Pegg continues his rollercoaster career, alternating between superior blockbuster franchises (Mission: Impossible and Star...
If you read our story on Tom Cruise working with Simon Pegg on 'Mission: Impossible...
Writer-director Christopher McQuarrie brings a dark and gritty tone to this larger-than-life franchise. Along with...