Doesn't Anyone Just Enjoy A Movie Anymore?

[luvsJack]

I have been reading a few threads about Eclipse here and listened to conversations IRL about Eclipse and other big movies and am beginning to wonder if everyone just sees a movie to critique it or do they actually enjoy the movie?

I know there are going to be those who like a movie and those who don't, in no way am I saying everyone should like the same movie. I am just surprised at how fans and non-fans alike will pick a movie apart detail by detail.

Who is the better actor, what scene was left out and which ones should have been left out and what they should not have changed and what someone's wardrobe should have been, etc. etc. etc.

I am just curious because I think if I was going to be that critical of a movie based on a book I read, I would just stick with the books. I mean, lets face it the book is always better.

I absolutely love the HP series of books, could read them again and again. I also love the movies, but know that there are some things that are going to be changed and some things are going to be left out. It doesn't change the fact that they are good movies, I just don't expect them to be just like the books.

Maybe I go to a movie for the wrong reasons? I am beginning to wonder if I am the strange one? I just like a movie (or dislike a movie) based on the movie itself not how much it is like the book or, if its a remake, how much it is like the first one or how much the actor is like the book character or whatever. Anyone else?

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

lol, I think that it is the nature of readers. At least some of it. I remember being offeded during little house on the prairie! maybe it is connected to how much you love the book. I've only given the twilight a quick read and didn't care for it. If I see the movie, it wouldn't bother me if it were different.

 

[Jennasis]

Assuming a movie is good, I go just to enjoy it. If a movie is flawed, I will pick at it like a left-over Thansgiving Turkey. The rabid sycophants of the Twilight series pick apart the movies (for better or worse) because they love the source material so much. When I saw the movie last night, there was a grown woman sitting next to me who was so annoying that it became more interesting to watch her than the movie. She would complete lines of dialogue, loudly announce which new character was on the screen, and giggle like a school girl anytime something on screen happened exactly the way it happened in the book. She knew she was being obnoxious too, because everytime she said something she would look at me, eyes-wide, waiting for a reaction and then lean over to her companion and apologize TO HER.

I wonder if fans of the book had that reaction when watching The Lovely Bones or the Time Traveller's Wife? Heck, Harry Potter fans were polite during the movies, and they were kids!

Anywho....I REALLY enjoyed The A-Team. That was a fun summer flick. Iron Man 2 as well.

 

[bicker]

I don't think it is the "nature of readers" nor a matter of "how much you love the book". I'm a reader, and I often find myself mystified, as the OP is mystified by how many fellow readers take on the mantle of critic, abrogating the enjoyment of a film as offered.

I think that really gets to the core of the issue though: I think our media has, for good or ill, glorified the role of critic. There is more than one way to appreciate anything, and indeed finding fault, second-guessing, and such - as negative as those things sound - are absolutely legitimate sources of satisfaction.

It isn't my cup of tea - I prefer to enjoy films for what they are, appreciating the work of the talented people who put it all together, and looking at it as a "zero-plus" situation instead of an "x-minus" situation - but just looking at how fandom works, it is easy to appreciate how people can derive substantial satisfaction from engaging in such criticism.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

lol, you just prefer picking apart people rather than movies.

 

[plutotek]

First, let me say that I watch movies for the escape and entertainment. The running joke w/my DW is if the movie has social meaning, I'm not going to watch it. I'm also the reader in the family, so if a book is made into a movie, I'm going to probably have a leg up on the plotline.

That being said, I'm more interested in seeing how the director translates key points from a book to movie. It's more from the perspective of film student than a film critic, because I know that 99% of the time, the movie isn't going to be as good as the book, but I'll always look at the positive side of the film.

 

[rainydayplay]

As a thought...there is the RARE occassion that the movie is better. Riding in Cars With Boys and Under the Tuscan Sun are two that come to mind. (Maybe that means I read too much? ) I also think Precious was better in movie form than book. (I might even go so far as to say My Sister's Keeper...but I'm still miffed that they changed a major part of the ending. I mean....the total culmination of the story was completely 180-ed...)

I had that OMG-they-left-out-too-much! moment for the 3rd or 4th HP movie. Usually, I am inspired to read the book after seeing the movie, and, instead, I'd read all of those long before that movie came out. I was sorely disappointed in the movie translation because I felt that vital things were left out and it didn't really have the feel of a year of time passing. It seemed to me that all of the events could have happened over a few weeks the way it was shown, and that just wasn't the case.

After that experience, I really try to disconnect the link that there should be between movies and books. I know that I will have an idea of what's supposed to happen, and it does cross my mind that something isn't *quite* right. It's Hollywood's interpretation of a book -- good or bad, and I try to remember it's bound to be a different story with some basis in the one I read..but that's it...

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I had this experience with The Last Airbender this weekend. DW and I are HUGE fans of the TV series and we were very disappointed at all the horrible reviews (Ebert gave it a 1/2-star!). We still went to the theater to watch it though, and, while it wasn't Citizen Kane, we thought it wasn't all that bad.

We didn't expect them to fit ALL 10 hours of Season 1 into a 90-minute film. So there were a lot of quick edits, a lot of "explanation" by the characters, and other things, but it is what it is. A lot of my friends who love the series, too, were just trashing the movie all over the place. Saying things like, "they totally disrespected the source material." They are unable to separate the movie from the source. If I want the TV Series, I'll watch it. If I just want to be entertained by a similar storyline, than I'll watch the 90-minute version of it. What's so hard about that?

 

[bicker]

lol, you just prefer picking apart people rather than movies.

Nah. I challenge baseless or inadequately-supported assertions, and vacuous presumptions of entitlement. Big difference. The people are just reflections of society, and society has the problem.

 

[mkymouse1928]

I think a lot of it has to do with how much the movie goer liked the source material if the movie is made from a book or other publication. For example: I loved the Harry Potter series and was disappointed at some of the plot left out of the movies at times. I still enjoyed the movies and I probably would have loved them had I not read the books first. Another example: My husband was big into comic books (X-Men, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk) Every time we see one of these movies he makes comments about plot changes, ect. Me on the other hand? I loved the movies, but I didn't have the background knowledge that he had so I didn't experience any of the disappointment.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

I enjoy going to movies although there isn't the same nostalgia as there once was. Perhaps because there are so many options living in the big city now? In my small town growing up, we didn't have a ton of options so regardless of if the movie was great or not, I loved getting popcorn, a coke and my favorite red vines!

Some of the worst reviewed movies have become my favorites. I choose not to read the books before the movies in most instances (Harry Potter is one of the few exceptions) so that I don't feel let down. There is a bit of an attachment to books, especially when you love them so much and when you see the story destroyed on screen, it is a bit painful. I don't know if I have ever seen a movie that was better than the book, but I am sure one exists. I just remember reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in high school and then seeing the movie. It followed the book for about five minutes and then I really wanted to walk out.

I understand that it is nearly impossible to follow the book in most cases, but it still adds some disappointment. Another reason that people are so critical is due to the price! It has become so expensive to see a movie with concessions (and there are just two of us at this point - I can't imagine a family of four or more going) that you want your money's worth which the popcorn for us is never worth it yet we continue getting it. Why can't they make popcorn like at Disney?!? When you leave the movie disappointed it just makes that expense a bit more painful. JMHO.

 

[bicker]

I enjoy going to movies although there isn't the same nostalgia as there once was. Perhaps because there are so many options living in the big city now?

I think that's a big part of it.

A lot of people feel that television, once the "vast wasteland", is now on its way down from a pinnacle it reached earlier this decade, and if true, it is very likely because we went from having a few dozen channels a decade ago to having hundreds of channels now. More options means less attention, and therefore less investment, into each option, resulting in greater quantity but lower quality.

Expand the view to take on all of leisure activity, recognizing that watching movies, watching television, playing video games, surfing the Internet, social networks, Kindle, Nook, etc., all compete with each other for the attention of the leisure-seeker, and it is clear that something is going to have to give.

Some of the worst reviewed movies have become my favorites.

This reminds me a lot of the DIS boards Restaurant Board. It was often confusing how the same restaurant could evoke passionate glorification from some critics, while getting a "Meh" from others - how the same restaurant could even appear on the "Top 10 Restaurants" and "Worst 10 Restaurants" on the same site. It clearly came down to a matter of varying criteria, expectation (both founded and unfounded), and personal preference. The advice I often post, there, is to first find other members who you feel are "just like you". Base that on their reports of experiences that you've also had, where your appraisals of those experiences are the same as theirs. Those are the critics who's reviews you can rely on.

So essentially everything is relative. When I read movie reviews, I always read other reviews by the same critic, for movies I've already seen. If I generally agree with the critic, then their reviews are of value. If I generally disagree with the critic, then their reviews are worthless.

I choose not to read the books before the movies in most instances (Harry Potter is one of the few exceptions) so that I don't feel let down.

One of the things I think is critical, in cases where you've read the book, is to see the film not as putting the book on screen but rather as the director sharing with you their own vision of this experience you two shared (the reading of the book and appreciation of its story). Truly, the only way to reasonably expect that a film will match your vision of what it should be is to make it yourself. A film is the director's vision, as a reflection of the director's expression of art (and that of the rest of the talent applied to the making of the film) and it should be appreciated from that context.

In a way, I think it should be easier for a film of a book I've read to be good, because I don't need the film to tell me the whole story. I already know the story that the book told. I look to the film to see into someone else's imagination of something which has already played out in mine.

I don't know if I have ever seen a movie that was better than the book, but I am sure one exists.

I've seen loads of them. It's always a shock, given that I was just watching the film to see another view of what the book presented, and instead encounter something even better than I expected.

I understand that it is nearly impossible to follow the book in most cases, but it still adds some disappointment.

I'd submit that it isn't the film that adds the disappointment, but rather the expectations that were unfulfilled, and given all you've said, it should be very clear that the expectations aren't constructive (i.e., those expectations don't typically lead to a positive experience).

Another reason that people are so critical is due to the price!

I think that's just a rationalization. The price is based on what the market will bear. It's a convenient whipping boy for frustration and disappointment, but I see it as a red herring, a misdirection. YMMV.

 

[carj]

I go to a movie just for the fun of it! I don't want to be terrified or miserable. I just want to be entertained. I know that this will make me sounds incredibly stupid but I don't want to think too hard in the movies either.

I don't want to be subjected to a 2 hour lesson from Hollywood on anything either. I can form my own opinions about issues.

I just want to buy my expensive ticket, fattening popcorn and sit in the dark for 2 hours and enjoy the show.

I love to read and I always know that the movie isn't going to be exactly like the book. It doesn't really bother me for the most part.

Interesting that another poster liked the Last Airbender movie. My son and husband are fans of the show and they loved the movie. I was relieved because the reviews were so awful.

I often disagree with reviewers on what constitutes a "good" movie. The reviewers seem to give high praise to all the depressing movies while ripping apart comedies. I can watch the news for free and there are plenty of depressing stories there. Give me a movie that makes me smile!

 

[bicker]

I often disagree with reviewers on what constitutes a "good" movie. The reviewers seem to give high praise to all the depressing movies while ripping apart comedies. I can watch the news for free and there are plenty of depressing stories there. Give me a movie that makes me smile!

Amen! Call me a sentimental romantic, but I love movies with happy endings, and hate movies with sad or tragic endings. I want to leave a movie feeling better, not worse.

I think, though, that it is a far easier expression of talent to present a triumphant or happy ending. Maybe that's why critics extol the virtues of depressing movies so much.

 

[wickey's friend]

I go to a movie just for the fun of it! I don't want to be terrified or miserable. I just want to be entertained. I know that this will make me sounds incredibly stupid but I don't want to think too hard in the movies either.

I don't want to be subjected to a 2 hour lesson from Hollywood on anything either. I can form my own opinions about issues.

I just want to buy my expensive ticket, fattening popcorn and sit in the dark for 2 hours and enjoy the show.

I love to read and I always know that the movie isn't going to be exactly like the book. It doesn't really bother me for the most part.

Interesting that another poster liked the Last Airbender movie. My son and husband are fans of the show and they loved the movie. I was relieved because the reviews were so awful.

I often disagree with reviewers on what constitutes a "good" movie. The reviewers seem to give high praise to all the depressing movies while ripping apart comedies. I can watch the news for free and there are plenty of depressing stories there. Give me a movie that makes me smile!

Yeah!! What carj said. (Except for the Airbender part -- haven't read it or seen the movie!) I love going to the movies.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I love going to the movies. I have been a fan since a very young age. I love all forms of entertainment.

However, I had always looked up to Siskel and Ebert and ejoyed watching their shows. That being said I hardly ever agreed with them on films. I usually did not read the book before the movie came out because I felt that it kind of ruined the experience. You already know what is going to happen so why bother going and my vision in my head will always be better than the movie version.

However, I like going alone to the movies so I can enjoy it.

Now I am not a huge Harry Potter fan, didn't read any of the books, have only seen the movies and the Potter fans are just as hard if not harder on the movies than the Twi Hards. I saw Ecilpse this weekend and I have read those books. I loved Eclipse and right now out of the 3 films its my favorite and I felt very close to the book.

What worries me now is that when Breaking Dawn is done its not going to be what we all want it to be. I hope to be surprised but I don't think so.

 

[bettymae1121]

I'm a book snob, and I love nothing more than a film that stays true to the book (or the original source material). That said, I know that to be 100% faithful to most books you'd have to make a 5 hour long movie so things need to be cut, or that what makes sense on the writen page has to be re-worked to flow on screen. As long as the movie overall stays as close to the book as possible given the contraints of putting the writen word on screen, I'm a happy camper.

 

[C.Ann]

I am just curious because I think if I was going to be that critical of a movie based on a book I read, I would just stick with the books. I mean, lets face it the book is always better.

This is one of the many reasons I don't go to the movies.. The books are always soooooo much better.. It's annoying when they take a perfectly good book and destroy it in the movie-making process by changing characters, circumstances, endings, etc..

However, if I did choose to go to a movie, it wouldn't be so I could pick it apart after words.. Actually I would try very hard to see a movie that was not based on a book..

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I love movies! And I love discussing movies, which is sort of the same as being a critic I guess.

Sometimes I want a comedy, other days I'd rather watch a drama. Courtesy of high school English class, I'm not much of a reader. I prefer seeing a movie and then reading the written adaptation of it. Because of that, I have quite the collection of Star Wars novels.

I never listen to critics. I'll read their reviews, but it will never ever sway my decision to see a movie. I see at least one movie per week, so I don't need someone else's opinion... if I didn't go that often, I might put more stock in reviews/recommendations.

The thing that drives me crazy is movies with ambiguous endings... and I don't mean the ones that are purposely left open for a sequel. I'm talking about every single movie the Coen brothers have ever directed/written/produced... UGH. And they all win awards. Why?! They couldn't figure out how their own story was supposed to end

I'm kidding. Sort of. But it drives me absolutely insane. I want to know what happened to these characters that I just spend 100 minutes getting to know!

[Quick little movie plug] I saw a fabulous indie this weekend called 'City Island' with Andy Garcia and Juliana Marguiles. See it. It was really good.[/movie plug]

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

One of the things I think is critical, in cases where you've read the book, is to see the film not as putting the book on screen but rather as the director sharing with you their own vision of this experience you two shared (the reading of the book and appreciation of its story). Truly, the only way to reasonably expect that a film will match your vision of what it should be is to make it yourself. A film is the director's vision, as a reflection of the director's expression of art (and that of the rest of the talent applied to the making of the film) and it should be appreciated from that context.

This is why, when so many other people hate them, I LOVE remakes and sequels/prequels/etc. I love seeing how other people imagine the characters that I've enjoyed... and the ones I've hated.