When I watch those animated xmen shows, I’m pretty embarrassed now too. I think that old stuff looks campy – partially because we’ve gotten older and more discerning, and partially because technology and techniques have improved. I don’t think trend is limited to superhero movies. Even good movies are subject to this. Have you rewatched any of the LOTR movies? They’re OK, but not nearly as impressive as when they were released. They swept the academies early in the decade, but they didn’t make very many critics “best of the decade” lists. A few classics hold their value, but by and in large, we can just do better stuff now, and as I get older and I understand more about people & the world, I’m more skeptical.

There is this postmodern composer of classical music, I forget his name, but I believe he was Polish. Anyhow, I was reading about him several years ago, and I ran across a criticism of his work. The critic hated this composer because his work was technically so much better than all the big classical composers: bach, beethoven, mozart. Had those composers had the training and education and theory of current composers, undoubtedly they’d have been much better than they actually were. But now they only stand out amongst their peers, not against all others. Computers today can create new works that sound distinctly like these composers. Through the computers, we have access to unlimited hayden and strauss and salieri. Eventually we may get to the same place with movies and CGI.

So I’d say it isn’t typically the writers/directors/actors fault that the old movies look so ridiculous now. We’re just technologically spoiled and far more discerning.