That was not a 3/5, it was the worst movie I’ve seen in years specifically because of how self-important it presented itself as. I hated it. It expected you to be wowed, and moved, even though the characters make nonsensical decisions, the scenes are random, its plot makes no sense, and its depiction of aliens have precisely zero scientific or speculative grounding. It should have been up my alley: I love weird sci fi, I am not picky about movies, I think about alien civilization might look like too much. Yet I was actively offended.
I could smell the script writers’ ego in the theatre.
I was agitated after, like I had been tricked into watching Ancient Aliens.
And on the other hand, The End of Oak Street.
It’s 80s suburbia. With dinosaurs.
It is not complicated.
It does not take itself too seriously. It provides a quick setup, and lampshades constantly. And it’s just fun! It’s emotional scenes even landed surprisingly hard.
Not once, not during the whole movie, did I ever think “well, that’s scientifically implausible” or “that’s not a realistic decision” because it is 80s dinosaurs and that is clearly not the point. Hence, the movie was a delight.
So yeah. IMO, that determines which side of the panel I land on.
How serious a movie takes itself is everything.
Take Disclosure Day.
That was not a 3/5, it was the worst movie I’ve seen in years specifically because of how self-important it presented itself as. I hated it. It expected you to be wowed, and moved, even though the characters make nonsensical decisions, the scenes are random, its plot makes no sense, and its depiction of aliens have precisely zero scientific or speculative grounding. It should have been up my alley: I love weird sci fi, I am not picky about movies, I think about alien civilization might look like too much. Yet I was actively offended.
I could smell the script writers’ ego in the theatre.
I was agitated after, like I had been tricked into watching Ancient Aliens.
And on the other hand, The End of Oak Street.
It’s 80s suburbia. With dinosaurs.
It is not complicated.
It does not take itself too seriously. It provides a quick setup, and lampshades constantly. And it’s just fun! It’s emotional scenes even landed surprisingly hard.
Not once, not during the whole movie, did I ever think “well, that’s scientifically implausible” or “that’s not a realistic decision” because it is 80s dinosaurs and that is clearly not the point. Hence, the movie was a delight.
So yeah. IMO, that determines which side of the panel I land on.