Comments on: Never Let a Critic Tell You Not To See a Film

By: Screen Rant

Screen Rant — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:29:22 +0000

I'm with you on Body of Lies. I gave it a great review and don't understand all the lukewarm reviews its gotten.

Vic

By: matthew715

matthew715 — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:47:44 +0000

As with many things, it's all about the benjamins. If I am considering driving 90 minutes into NYC, plus paying for parking and tolls, to see a Swedish vampire film (since that's the nearest place showing the film), I damn sure want to know as much about the film as possible. While I probably wouldn't rely on just one critic, I do need some reassurance that it's not a total waste of time & money. The gasoline alone will cost more than the movie ticket – even NYC prices.

It's different when I'm just going to the nearest multiplex; then if Body of Lies isn't great, well at least I get to stop by Walmart/Target/Shop-Rite on the way home. Going to the movies that way just breaks up the monotony of weekend shopping chores. (OK I'll admit I'm odd in that I almost always go alone to the movies, usually to the bargain matinee, & rarely eat overpriced movie food. But I did drive over an hour to see Dark Knight in IMAX.)

Sure movies are still a bargain compared to concert tickets ($95 for AC/DC) or sporting events. But for limited release films like Let the Right One In, I almost wish you'd just wait for the DVD release so I don't forget about it when it finally arrives.

By: Greenleaf1

Greenleaf1 — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:37:56 +0000

Sometimes I let the IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes numbers dictate whether or not I'll see a film that I'm on the edge about spending money on (such as Max Payne, which I will not be seeing, but I did see Body of Lies and really liked it despite the mixed reviews).

A classic example for me is Pirates 2 and 3, those movies were critically panned, and hell, even most people I know don't like them all that much. Those are two of my favorite movies I'd have to say, I love what they did with the franchise after 1, and I'd say it's one of my favorite film trilogies ever.

I don't usually read specific reviews until after I've seen the movie (especially Ebert, he usually spoils the whole movie), but I think it's wise to at least look at the overall critical reaction to a film.

By: RaTTleR_NL

RaTTleR_NL — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:19:34 +0000

Same here, I do however base my interest on the information I can get from sites like this one, not on the opinions.
That's why I still want to see Max Payne.

It is interesting to find out why a critic liked/disliked certain aspects of the film.
It can help you notice things you've might have missed.

I usually don't read reviews until I've seen the film, unless I wasn't going to see it anyway.

By: khristopher

khristopher — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:34:26 +0000

Not only do I not let a critic tell me not to see a film, but I also don't let a critic (or anyone for that matter), tell me to SEE a film.
I go by what *I* think looks good, and then see that.