I feel like the only reason people in their 20s and 30s start complaining about the current state of things is because they thought things were sooo different when they were kids. When really, they weren't, we just had no idea what was really going on because we weren't allowed to investigate and explore everything. The world seemed safer because the news never affected us. The movies seemed more exciting because each cliche was a brand-new experience for our new eyes. And of course, super-heroes were amazing, and in many ways still are.
So I don't have a problem with modern film. I think it's still fair to take issue with how there are too many sequels and reboots of established franchises and not enough original ideas, or at least adaptations of lesser known but equally strong works. There is a mountain of untapped literature, comic books, manga, video-games, cartoons, and anime. Plenty to choose from if you can't come up with something on your own. So why not adapt them too?
But I also think that if you disregard what the indie filmmakers and the small-time low-budget creators are doing both on the internet, on television, and with smaller production companies, then you are missing almost half (if not more) of the industry as a whole. And to discount that as a change for the better by only focusing on the downsides of the big-budget Hollywood trends is simply short-sighted and only ends up making you feel bitter for no good reason.
The superhero movies are getting a little stale, but they're not out yet. And we have plenty of new stories to look forward to with Star Wars as well. So long lasting franchises are not dying, they're only going to get bigger and more varied until this bubble bursts. And I'm pretty sure somewhere along the line, the bubble on big-budget films will burst. The prices cannot keep rising as they are if movie companies want to make any sort of reasonable profit for a reasonable price. And ticket prices cannot get higher than they are, or I myself may stop going as often as I do. And I absolutely love going to the theater, especially to IMAX ones.
The best thing that people in our position can do is journey forward, pursue the films we want to see made, and make them happen in what ever way we feasibly can. If they make an impact, or if they cause a change somewhere along the line to help improve the industry as a whole, then we've made our mark. If they don't make a change, at least we did something that made us feel happy and proud: to know that we made something that exemplifies who we are as individuals and what we care about. And if others like what we've done, all the better.
So get your head out of the gutter and look for the positives I say.