"What do you mean you didn't like [insert movie title here]? That movie was incredible!"
"Are you kidding me? That movie sucked!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Ya-huh!!"
And so it goes.
Films can be as divisive as politics, especially when the stakes for a film are really high. I, for one, will ashamedly admit that I have engaged in more than one argument similar to the one outlined above: a fruitless, never-ending volley of "I'm right, you're wrong." It's the type of argument that usually diffuses into a tired comment: "Everyone's a critic!" One may argue that it has an irrevocable place in commonplace, pedestrian conversation. But what happens when it seeps into the professional, albeit academic world of film criticism?
Film criticism has been around since the dawn of movies. Its purpose is simple: to hold a film to the light and to challenge its worthiness. Film criticism is a way of recognizing that film is an art form, and there are ways to do it correctly, and also ways to really screw it u. Perhaps by natural consequence, the film critic's gaze seems especially attuned to a film's faults. Which is not necessarily a bad characteristic; after all, almost no movie comes without its flaws. A problem occurs, however, when the critics shine a spotlight on a film's faults, and willfully oversee any of a film's successes. And even worse, when movie goers decide not to go see a film simply because it has poor reviews.
Take for instance the latest Hollywood blockbuster, "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," or known colloquially as "BvS." Since the early talks of the movie's inception nearly three years ago, "BvS" made its way on fan's and film critic's radar alike. A film that pitted two of the most iconic superheroes of all time was sure to do this, not to mention the fact that visionary director, Zack Snyder, was set to helm it. Even the most casual film-goer probably had high expectations of the film. Immediately upon release, "BvS" was critically panned. At the moment, it holds a 29% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes Movie Review, an aggregator site where film critics from all over the web can weigh in on films. To my dismay, many comic book fans that I know who have anticipated the release of this film for years have refused to see the film because of its poor critical acclaim, believing that seeing the film may taint they're perceptions of the titular superheroes.
That's just silly. When it comes down to it, film criticism is opinion-based. There are no standards to which film critics evaluate films. It is completely arbitrary. If a film peaks your interest, why should you care what others have to say about it? A movie is an experience, and to deprive yourself of that experience simply because of film criticism is hogwash! You may be missing out on something incredible.
