We’ve all been in the situation where we were dying of boredom and could only think of one way to pass the time: rewatch a childhood movie. Now, when this idea springs to mind, fond memories flood into our heads, filling our hearts with pure joy and excitement as we scramble to find the old DVD. As we carefully place the movie into the DVD player, making sure not to get our fingerprints on it, we sprint back to our comfortable seats and await the magical experience that is reliving our childhoods. With a bowl of popcorn in one hand and the remote control in the other, we’ve finally nestled into a comfortable spot, eagerly waiting for the opening credits to end.
I remember this exact scenario unfolding as my brother and I decided to rewatch Open Season. What had began as a half hearted suggestion by my brother quickly became a flurry of excitement as we were both prepared to rewatch one of our childhood movies. Unfortunately, this built up elation didn’t last for more than 2 minutes, as we stared in horror at what seemed like the live butchering of our childhoods. These are the reasons why.
1. The plot is predictable and dull
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve attempted to watch old movies, expecting to be emerged into a world of fantasy and glamour, only to realize that I’m sitting on the couch in my home, wondering what in the world I was doing rewatching this movie. The magic was simply, gone.
2. The characters change from old friends to complete strangers
As a teenager, you have this expectation that by rewatching your favorite childhood movies, you’ll be visited by some of your dearest and most treasured friends. Instead, it’s more like a stranger approaches you, asks you for gum, and expects you to love them forever. While the characters may have stayed the same, awaiting your return, you’ve got to let them know that you’ve changed and that you want different things now.
3. The animation is disappointing
Living in a world where new technology is always emerging, it can be disappointing watching old movies from the 1990s or the early 2000s with characters and scenes that are just drawn so poorly compared to society’s newest endeavors.
4. The humor is flat
Nothing disappoints me more than having these funny memories in my head, only for them to be replaced by awkward and strange moments are scenes from the movies only serve to express unimaginative humor.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are a few exceptions to this list and some childhood movies may hold the exact opposite effect from what I’ve described above. However, for the most part, childhood movies should be just that, from your childhood and the best way to preserve these warm memories from our past is to avoid watching these dear movies in our present.
