So, for today's Top Six, I decided to share some of the most ridiculous reasons I personally have heard, as to why people do not like specific films. Due to the level of the ridiculousness, these are not necessarily in any particular order. Although the number one reason really does deserve it's placing!!
A quick disclaimer: Of course this is my opinion, and some may not agree with the ridiculousness :)
Six. The Robots transformed too quickly
Film: TransformersThe Argument: Apparently when Blackout transformed at the beginning of the film, the sequence was too fast meaning that he couldn't see what was happening.
Rational Thinking: Why do you need to see exactly what is happening? Blackout is a relatively minor character, and seeing every movement of the transformation would take a great deal away from what is essentially a high-action scene that needs to be fast-paced in order to work.
For anyone who really wants to see how it all works, just wait for Optimus Prime to do it. Being a main character, his arrival is greeted with a full-on display of his transformation that is relevant to the overall storyline, and shows us how everything works at the same time as Sam learns about it. Learning things at the same time as a main character is a common writing device. When we meet Blackout we aren't necessarily supposed to understand how he works.
Five. The Bat Cave wasn't in it
Film: The Dark KnightThe Argument: Being a Batman traditionalist, the thinking is that because it's Batman then he must have the Bat Cave. End of story!
Rational Thinking: Anyone who has seen Batman Begins will know that both Bruce Wayne's house and his Bat Cave were destroyed by Ra's Al Ghul.
The Dark Knight takes place roughly nine months after the events of Batman Begins, so anyone with an ounce of rational thinking can see that you can not possibly rebuild an entire house of that stature, as well as a cavernous Bat Cave in the space of a mere nine months. It's just not feasible, even if Wayne does have a heck of a lot of money to chuck about.
Four. Batman didn't kill Bane, Catwoman did
Film: The Dark Knight RisesThe Argument: Basically because Batman is the hero of the films, then he must be the one to kill all the major bad guys.
Rational Thinking: Realistically, Batman didn't kill the actual bad guy (who I won't mention for those who haven't seen the film yet!) either. Yes, Batman is the hero of the film, but even a hero (who is human, after all) cannot possibly do everything. He has weaknesses just like any other, plus he'd just been stabbed in the back (literally and metaphorically) so he had an even greater weakness than normal, so it's only realistic that he won't take down every villain out there.
For me, the human element is what makes Batman, in these films, such a great character.
Three. It had subtitles
Film: Pan's LabyrinthThe Argument: They don't like the fact that they have to sit there and read. Apparently, if they wanted to read, they'd go read a book! Another argument is that having to read subtitles draws attention away fromt he action.
Rational Thinking: I'm not going to lie. I think such negativity towards foreign films is bizarre and a little ignorant. Despite often common thinking, I personally don't find that subtitles do draw you away from the action. I admit it seems weird, because you'd think it would, but not once did I feel like I'd missed anything whilst watching Pan's Labyrinth.
For me, personally, Pan's Labyrinth is by far one of the best films that I've seen over the past ten years. It has a great storyline, excellent acting and characters that you either love, hate or are really creeped out by. I know all of that, even though I sat there reading the subtitles. I even closed my eyes during a few rather gruesome scenes, so if all of my attention had been on the subtitles, how would I have known to do that?
It is a film that thrives on a great deal of imagery, as well as being in a foreign language. Okay, so the film isn't to everyone's tastes, and I can completely understand why, but it shouldn't be written off purely because it is not in English.
Two. There were no rolling credits at the beginning
Film: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Film)The Argument: Yet again a traditionalist, the argument is that Star Wars should always start with the rolling credits, because that is what makes Star Wars, Star Wars.
Rational Thinking: Yes it's a Star Wars-related film, but it is not one of the main Star Wars films. It is also animated, therefore it is going to be different. If you can't even get passed the opening sequence (and this person apparently walked out after discovering there was no rolling credits), then I really do have to feel a little bit of sympathy towards George Lucas' aggravated attitude towards obsessive fans. To nitpick over something so tiny and so pointless, without getting to the story or the overall film is just completely bizarre.
Personally, I don't like the overall look of the animation, as it's not to my tastes, but I'm not going to write the film off based on that fact alone.
One. It's animated
Film: UpThe Argument: Apparently being animated means that the film is for children....!
Rational Thinking: Obviously this person has never seen Princess Mononoke which features limbs being chopped off and blood oozing everywhere, or any Manga films that often feature full-on nudity and huge amounts of violence. Both of these, I would suggest, are probably not fully suitable for children (if at all). Nevertheless, they are animated.
The point isn't even about whether animation is aimed at children or not. The point is that just because a film is perhaps aimed at children, that does not mean that it cannot be enjoyed by adults. I, for one, am a lover of the Shrek films. Yes, they're for kids, but they are also geared towards adults who will get the double entendre-based jokes that most children will completely miss.
Humour doesn't stop just because you "grow up", as an adult we can still find silly jokes funny and quite often, especially with Pixar animations like Up, we are drawn to the beautiful story that is being told, as well as the amazing graphics and scenery.
For the record, I am not saying that people can't dislike films, I'm just saying that sometimes people write films off for the strangest of reasons. I have respect for anyone who has the confidence to stand up and say that they don't like a film, especially if they can give a reason but films are about story telling and are essentially entertaining, they're not about the small things that don't even matter. Judge the film as a whole, not on one tiny factor that has no real relevance.
