#Anyway yes- mega blockbusters made on an assembly line are bad and they produce bad movies.

[welcometogrouchland]

"aaaand he's right behind me, isn't he?" Is an overplayed joke but I think ppl are focusing too much on the joke out of context like. It's not the line itself that's the problem, I've seen this joke done well, the problem with this kind of overplayed quip is when assembly line blockbusters use it as a substitute for actual characterization and thought out jokes with set up and pay off.

Like I saw an article that described the Russo bros dialogue in their latest film as feeling like placeholders for funnier jokes meant to be added later, and that's very much what "and he's right behind me" is being used to represent in the recent wave of memes parodying it and movies that feature it- it's dialogue that could be funny in the right context but reads as annoying, insincere and overplayed because writers and directors employ it just as a way to

a) self parody in a way that creates distance between the film and the audience- which is distance from criticism, yes, but also distance that halts all investment and identification between the story and audience

and b) make their job easier at the cost of quality. Because "he's right behind me, isn't he?" Is a tried and true joke that doesn't tell us anything about the character saying it other than "they're meant to be funny and sarcastic and likeable" in the most generic sense of all those words

because a blandly likeable protagonist is easy to write, and they want things that are easy to write so they can put them on the assembly line. Which is frustrating but I do understand it's mostly a product of corporate monopoly and strangling studios. I'm sure most of these writers would like to make something better but just. Cannot be bothered to when the film is guaranteed money based on brand name clout alone AND they have to deal with execs who micromanage projects that fall under their 'brand'. Why write jokes that feel specific to the characters you've created, or engineer characters with comedy in mind? Thats too personal and gimmicky and high effort- slap a one-liner on them and now you've got the human equivalent of a palette cleanser when you flit between summer mega movies. Except every meal is a palette cleanser, and in the end, it tastes like nothing at all.

#ramblings of a lunatic #sorry i just. saw something that annoyed me #where they judged the quality of a thing (admittedly a thing i like so I'm very biased here!) by the fact that they personally felt #that it was the kind of show that would include a ''hes right behind me isn't he?'' joke #and it's like. i get what you're going for and other parts of your post are more coherent in your grievances #(you think it's generic) #but like. idk i just feel like turning specific lines that are overplayed but ultimately neutral on their own- #-into shorthand for ''generic and bad'' is like. gonna be unhelpful in the long run #idk feel free to add on to this with expansions or anything you think i got factually wrong if i did say something completely untrue #just like be civil yknow. like i have good faith for the ppl who follow me don't get me wrong I'm just. not in the mood rn for tomfoolery #this is highly unedited and i might wake up tomorrow and find it incomprehensible or just. poorly articulated #but for now you're getting my moaning and groaning as is. o natural babey #Anyway yes- mega blockbusters made on an assembly line are bad and they produce bad movies. #But it's less to do with a couple individual words that appear often and more abt the conditions surrounding their production. #it's why i keep calling them assembly line blockbusters #to the person who once compared the mcu to cinematic fast food...hows it feel to be so deeply correct #(fast food good sometimes and I have nostalgic favourites but by god it cannot be all i eat or I will get very sick)