Both things can be good. Plus, we need to discuss what we mean by “adult,” because sex and violence don’t make anything “adult,” and the idea that maturity is always wrapped up in those things is frustrating.
Even just looking at the most recent Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the film talks about child slavery, military-industrial complexes, the endless fatigue of war, loss of faith, and a whole lot of murder in the name of a cause that is, at best, an abstract notion that hasn’t existed in generations. That’s not kids’ stuff. Yes, there are porgs, cute animals, and a lot of just big budget special effects and universal themes that make it applicable to children, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good or doesn’t have an emotional maturity that resonates with adults.
Both stories can exist without one having to be more “mature” or “adult” than the other, because if you made Dune into a Star Wars movie it would be … bad, and vice versa. You need both, but they can be enjoyed equally and for different reasons.
Even just looking at the most recent Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the film talks about child slavery, military-industrial complexes, the endless fatigue of war, loss of faith, and a whole lot of murder in the name of a cause that is, at best, an abstract notion that hasn’t existed in generations. That’s not kids’ stuff. Yes, there are porgs, cute animals, and a lot of just big budget special effects and universal themes that make it applicable to children, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good or doesn’t have an emotional maturity that resonates with adults.
Both stories can exist without one having to be more “mature” or “adult” than the other, because if you made Dune into a Star Wars movie it would be … bad, and vice versa. You need both, but they can be enjoyed equally and for different reasons.
