To be fair you can make the same criticism of James Bond films or anything similar, with people gunned down wantonly for entertainment. More recently, Deadpool. Personally I'm usually unmoved about gratuitous violence.
Gratuitous violence, to me, seems more entertaining when the victims “deserve” it. For example in Django Unchained. Or when it serves to introduce the villains who will get what’s coming to them. Unfortunately, common horror movies inflict it on kids having sex, or being rude. It is a bit of a turn off.
I guess I am missing the point, because I don't see the difference between those and "bad" aliens. Which don't exist. It's impossible to relate to your sense of disgust except by contriving that aliens necessarily represent people with different skin color.
I feel this already spelled out in my previous post, and I feel strongly that you're not arguing in good faith here by calling my position impossible, but I'm content to try once more if only for readers. I can't stop you from replying but I won't be responding further to you.
James Bond movies typically treat all his enemies more or less the same. The only scene I can think of where someone actually explodes frames it as a pretty horrific affair. Characters in the movie and viewers alike are expected to have an uncomfortable reaction when the violence is extreme.
MIB doesn't do that. When a non-human is killed, whether or not they're even a hostile enemy (and they aren't always), there is no level of violence and gore that's off-limits. And it's a goddamn childrens' comedy. Do you think the movie would be the same if the aliens were replaced with humans? Or human-looking "elves"?
