The Backlash to He-Man and Mandalorian This Summer Says More About Us Than the Movies

Movie fans spend a lot of time talking about what Hollywood is doing wrong. Studios rely too heavily on franchises. Everything is “too cynical.” Blockbusters “take themselves too seriously.” Audiences want adventure and escapism again, and they want the kind of crowd-pleasing summer movies that once made going to the theater feel like an event. Then movies like The Mandalorian and Grogu and Masters of the Universe arrive, and something strange happens.