The older I’ve gotten, the more movie reviews have meant to me. When I was younger I thought critics were just a bunch of angry people who didn’t know how to simply enjoy a movie. While I’m still plenty capable of simply being entertained, I have found myself more influenced by critics than I ever have been before.
This reality may impact my plans for this weekend. I had thought about making my way to the theaters to see Suicide Squad. The movie looks like it’s a lot of fun and brimming with interesting characters. According to Rotten Tomatoes, though, Suicide Squad is certified rotten with an aggregate score of 37%.
The score has led to some on the Internet starting a petition to have Rotten Tomatoes shut down. They believe that Rotten Tomatoes is conspiring against films in the DC Extended Universe. If that petition really wanted to impact the DCEU’s scores, it should ask DC and Warner Bros. to simply start from square one.
I tend to like most of the movies that I see. I don’t think that’s because I have discerning tastes; I just tend to stay within my wheelhouse. Marvel, Pixar, Disney and Wes Anderson have never done me wrong (except for Cars). I know what I’m getting with those studios and filmmakers and they have rarely disappointed me.
The DCEU is still an unknown commodity. I mostly enjoyed Man of Steel and I still haven’t seen Batman v Superman. Perhaps I’d be an outlier and enjoy BvS and perhaps I’ll enjoy Suicide Squad if I see it this weekend. At this point in my life, though, if I’m going to sacrifice time with my daughter and ask my wife if I can go see a movie, I want to make sure it’s a winner. I also really wanted to see Jason Bourne, but even that’s getting lackluster reviews.
I don’t think we should allow critics to dictate whether or not we enjoy a movie or not. A Knight’s Tale received a 58% on Rotten Tomatoes and I watch that movie regularly. I don’t let critics keep me from enjoying a movie, but at this point I might let them keep me from wasting two hours of my time.
How do critics influence your decision to see a movie?
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