Hello, night owls!! You know, when people put out a petition to take down Rotten Tomatoes and claim that the critics are horrible monsters, it's a good indicator that the audience isn't just a flock of sheep. Sure, there might be some people out there who will say any movie is good, but that's not the majority of movie-goers. Whether you know it or not, you can tell when a movie is great or going south. Without knowing any of the finer details of cinematography, screen-writing, story development, acting, or any other part of a film, you have an innate sense about what makes a good movie. And when something is off, you will know it.
It might seem like only recently the audiences are getting more responsive and attentive, but that isn't true. They've always been that way. Whether or not you think their views of a film are right, they're at least engaged enough to have opinions. That means they care about what's presented as entertainment to them.
So when those "high and mighty" critics put in their two cents on the latest from the box office, the audience is paying attention, too.
Now, this isn't the first time audiences have disagreed with the critics on how good or bad a film is. However, it's the first time that I've noticed a very noticeable difference in opinion between the public and the critics. Especially with Suicide Squad. The critics are tearing this one up while the general audiences are loving it. While critics hail it as a terribly edited, washed out fluke of a film, the public are calling it fun, hilarious, and action packed. And both groups feel very strongly about their views. Granted, there are plenty of people who don't like Suicide Squad, but the general consensus among viewers is positive.
With all this in mind, does that mean that the critics serve no purpose?
Well...
This isn't an easy question to answer and I'm by no means a professional critic myself. The best way I can answer this question is by explaining why I like to review movies critically.
I love movies. I absolutely love them. I re-watch old favorites, look up behind the scenes videos and interviews, learn about how they got made, and even watch other people's reviews to see what they saw in these films. I'm a movie nerd in practically every way and especially as an aspiring actor, I turn to movies for inspiration and entertainment. Because I've read into many "making of" processes and have learned a lot about what goes into a production, I can enjoy a movie for more than just it's story and characters. I can look at the designs, sets, music, and several other aspects and appreciate them. Even if I'm watching a bad movie, I can usually find at least one good thing in it.
My love of analyzing movies drives me to express my thoughts about them. I can't not talk about movies, good or bad, and when I'm watching one, I usually can't stop my brain from looking at it from every possible angle. If it's good, I want to appreciate my movie experience to the fullest, and if it's bad, I want to see what worked and what didn't.
Through my love of the medium and my ability to analyze, I form an opinion unique to myself and I share it on this blog.
Do I think I'm right?
No. I never strive to be "right" and I don't think other critics strive to be "right", either. There's no such thing as a "right" opinion about a film, because everyone is going to have a different opinion. Did the critics, the audience, and every mother's son love Frozen? Pretty much, yeah. Was it a fantastically made movie? On several levels, it is pretty revolutionary. But do I like it? No. I could point out all the things in that film that don't work and several people would agree with me, too. Is that, however, the right opinion of it? No. Right is relative in entertainment.
Am I doing this to bash movies or brainwash the audience?
No. The only reason I talk about movies is because they move me in some way. I review them to express how I feel about them. At the very most, I hope my opinions perhaps enlighten you, but I never seek to directly influence you. If I say a movie is bad, that's simply my opinion that I hold and I do not wish to enforce onto anyone. I hate Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, but I have friends who managed to enjoy it more than I did. I may throw in my two cents on the movie, but I never try convincing them to believe my opinion is right. And when I say a movie is bad, I try to lay out the specific flaws that, in my opinion, make it so: that way, I'm not just bashing it for no reason. Whether or not you choose to look at those details and say, "She's got a point" is up to you. But you certainly do not have to agree with me.
Do I think my opinion is higher than the general audience?
Absolutely not. I may know a lot about what goes into making a movie, but that knowledge doesn't make my opinion matter more than anyone else's. You don't have to be a master actor to appreciate Jodi Foster and Anthony Hopkins' performances in Silence of the Lambs. You don't have to be a director to understand the genius behind Hitchcock, Kubrick, or Nolan's filming styles. You don't have to know anything about the world of film in order to know greatness when you see it. All knowing does is make you understand the work behind the shot and to be honest, sometimes that can make it harder for you to simply enjoy a movie.
Do I hold Oscar bait in highest esteem?
I hardly even see any of the so-called "Oscar bait" movies for several reasons. One is that I usually don't see a lot of their trailers - heck, I don't even know about some of them until I'm watching the Oscars! (I'm sure plenty of you can relate) Second is because while these movies are usually done well, often they follow the same formulas (based on a true story, melodramatic piece, art-house style) and those don't hold my interest very long. If you matched up my favorite movies to the typical Oscar bait, I'd look like I had poor taste. They're generally not fun or interesting enough for me.
Do I agree with the rest of the critics?
If you've read my Thoughts post on Suicide Squad, you'll know that I definitely don't always agree with other critics. I do follow critics (Nostalgia Critic in particular), but even with the ones I like, I don't always agree with their opinions. The only reason I follow other critics is that I want to know how they felt about a certain movie. Being a movie nerd, I want to see what the rest of the movie nerds think - not to form my opinions, but merely to know theirs. For instance, one of my favorite movies is the 1985 Return to Oz. However, renowned critics Siskel and Ebert completely trashed the movie because it wasn't the sequel to The Wizard of Oz that they wanted. Hearing them bashing that movie makes me pissed every time.
So, if I'm not out to control audiences or trash-talk movies, is there even a point to me talking about all this?
In the grand scheme of themes, probably not. The time I use to talk about movies on this blog could have been used to do something else. And if everyone else is going to form their own opinion of a movie, then it might seem pointless just to throw out my own.
But you know what? There is something of a point to criticism. It helps shape the face of entertainment. If no one said they hated what George Lucas did to the Star Wars franchise with its prequels, do you think Star Wars: The Force Awakens would have been the same? Would we have gotten (generally) higher quality superhero films if we hadn't said the ones in the 80's and 90's could have been so much better? Both audiences and critics have the power of "yea or nay" that helps provide movie-goers with the movies they want to see. The very act of buying a ticket to a movie can be an endorsement of the kind of entertainment you want (I say can, because there's always the chance you'll reject a movie even if you went to see it in theatres).
By choosing to be vocal about your movie experiences - regardless of your knowledge of film-making - you have a say in entertainment. It's not the most direct influence, but it's what the industry cares about. In the end, without the voices of both audiences (the people these movies were made for) and the critics (the people who can look at the movies in-depth), movies would not have changed the way they have over the years. Considering how relatively young this art form still is, it's important to be vocal about what you liked, didn't like, and want to see in order for it to grow.
Critics do not look at a film to intentionally bash it (at least, most of the time, they don't). They're merely trying to look at it for production value (sets, design, costume, etc) as well as story and acting quality. None of them are twirling their mustaches and saying, "Let's find everything wrong with this movie or make something up!" They're looking at every possible angle they can in order to find a movie's ultimate value. In the case of Suicide Squad, they took issue with the editing, the dialogue, the humor, and the soundtrack. I can see why, because even though I like the movie, those things the critics pointed out do feel very choppy and imperfect. But while it has its imperfections, I'm with the majority of the audiences on this one. It's still fun, humorous, and has some quality acting in it. I managed to enjoy it, even if the critics didn't.
And you know what? Neither group is wrong in what they choose to think.
Just look at it this way. If you choose to listen to critics (myself included), that's fine. But listen with a grain of salt and an open mind, know that their opinions aren't the law, and that the only way to judge the movie is to see it for yourself.
Only you can determine to what extent you'll enjoy a movie.
~Maud,
Official Night Owl
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