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Johnny Depp feels that the critics wanted THE LONE RANGER to tank.
He said in a recent interview that his children loved it -- were swept away by the myth of it.
I watched the movie and loved it, wondering if the critics saw the same movie I was seeing.
When THE WOLVERINE first came out Thursday, headlines proclaimed IT SLASHES THROUGH THE COMPETITION.
Then, there were critics calling a $60 million opening a disappointment?
I am an old Wolverine comic fan, and I was disappointed by the prior Wolverine movie. I read Alex's review Monday, but I still went to see for myself.
It was the Wolverine movie I had wanted the first one to be.
There's a ton of great scenes in "The Wolverine" – Hello, ninjas! – that fight sequence on the bullet train was awesome!
To see Logan prevailing against opponents despite his failing healing factor made the tension more intense not less.
I liked his "bodyguard" Yuriko -- she added spice and zest to the stoic Logan.
I wasn't bothered by Mariko being younger than Logan. Hello -- he's immortal --
every woman he meets is younger than he is.
But perhaps the coolest part of the film takes place after the credits roll.
Two years after Wolverine/Logan
(Hugh Jackman) has taken care of said ninjas, as well as a giant
semi-robotic samurai and the foul-mouthed, green-leotarded Viper,
our hero finds himself standing in line at an airport metal detector.
He looks up to see a TV playing a commercial advertising Trask Industries (the company infamous for launching the Sentinels, who will be hunting down mutants in next summer's "X-Men: Days of Future Past").
And then, things get really interesting.
PACIFIC RIM was fun for what it was. The critics slammed it for not being Hamlet. The box office in China may give the movie the sequel fans want to see.
IRON MAN 3 was slammed, but THE AVENGERS momentum couldn't be stopped by nay-saying critics.
JOHN CARTER OF MARS was slammed by the critics. I went to see it anyway because I loved the books. I loved the movie.
47 RONIN is being slammed on the basis of its trailer alone and the fact that it is running over-budget (something every film seems to do lately.) But really? On the trailer alone?
I believe negative press colors the expectations of the audiences. They expect to see a dog and that is what they see.
Have any films you liked lately gotten savaged by the critics?
An "understated" review by a Wolverine fan:
Most of the movies I like get slammed by the critics. I actually liked Lone Ranger and I have every intention on seeing Wolverine, not caring about what anyone else is saying about it.
ReplyDeletei love films... period and the critics are just over-paid blogger-types like us that someone said... their opinions is important. i usually like to hear a little something about a film, but then judge myself to what we are going to see.
ReplyDeletemost even the great film reviewers are ass-hats. too much power and too much "tmz" has created them to destroy any film or help it.
i didn't want to see the wolverine or pacific rim or lone ranger... not because of reviews, nope... don't like westerns all that much, rim will look better on my tv and logan... it just for me didn't drag me in. i did like the first film, but for the 3.99 i paid for the dvd...
john carter i liked it, got it... didn't know it was a series of books at the time. it was a great underrated film.
did i mention that critics are like weatherman... look outside see if it's wet... it is raining.
go with your gut.
ohh... the conventions i attend, i get paid sort of for my coverage.
ReplyDeleteI don't read "paid" critics of a movie. I don read my friends, such as retro-zombie, Ninja Alex and a couple other sites; but only to read the "opinions" as I know they are not slated towards media hype. I like the reviews/critiques of my trusted blogger friends.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't mean I won't watch a long anticipated movie; just means I may watch from a different perspective, or wait till the DVD is released.
Sometimes a thing other's dislike is what makes a movie/book interesting to me. When I review a book or movie, I try to write it with a personal biases opinion and reasons why/why not so others will make up their own minds.
I've heard both ways about The Lone Ranger and Wolverine, and I know I want to see both, in the theaters if possible. Man, I love the big screen!
.........dhole
That's why I said go see The Wolverine for yourself - it just wasn't a film I enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteJohn Carter probably got the worst deal, as it was knocked down before Disney even decided on a title. Still epic. I wish I'd written Princess of Mars.
So far this summer, Star Trek Into Darkness still wins for me.
I try not to trust the critics. I usually disagree with them. I like to check things out for myself. I will have to go see Wolverine for myself too. I was worried after Alex's review, but maybe it's one I ought to check out. And my son is dying to see Lone Ranger! That's on our list too!
ReplyDeleteI never ever listen to critic, we tend to disagree. I wasn't a big fan of Wolverine, although that bullet train scene was amazing!
ReplyDeleteCheree:
ReplyDeleteGood for you. Hugh Jackman sends a wink your way! :-)
Wasn't THE LONE RANGER entertaining?
Jeremy:
Go with your instincts -- that's a good policy for movies - and a lot of other things in life. I wish someone would pay me to go to conventions. DRAGON CON is having Lucy Lawless (most do not know her anymore - but she will forever be XENA to me).
A lot of people like movies like HOSTEL and SAW. I avoid them like the plague! Tastes are individual. :-)
Donna:
I love the big screen movie experience, too -- especially since I see movies the first showing where the disruptions are the lowest! :-)
Alex:
Like you, I think that JOHN CARTER would have done better at the theaters with the title, A PRINCESS OF MARS.
As for the latest STAR TREK, the ending was too much of a copy of my beloved THE WRATH OF KHAN for me to enjoy it. Different people will just see the same movie differently. :-)
Leigh:
THE WOLVERINE is true to the comic lore of the character and lined up events for the next X-MEN film: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (one of the classic storylines in the comics)
THE LONE RANGER is fun. It is a tale told by an aged Tonto to a young boy dressed as the Lone Ranger at a carnival ("Never take off the mask").
And as a tall tale told by an aged Tonto (whose stories when he was young were dubious), you go with the fantasy aspects of it: a horse racing along the top of a train, rabbits whose eating habits are more like wolves, etc.
ilima:
Wasn't that bullet train sequence awesome? :-)
I guess I get to enjoy much of the who loves/hates what for a while because I've officially fallen behind on seeing movies. I knew it when I I finally watched The Hunger Games the other day. I hope to catch all these other movies soon...just won't be soon enough for me lol!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the films :-)
that is one mother of a show... lots of really great people.
ReplyDeleteAngela:
ReplyDeleteI don't watch a lot of movies myself, but summer seems to have the ones I usually like! I'm waiting for CATCHING FIRE (the sequel to THE HUNGER GAMES!)
Jeremy:
Are you talking about THE CRAZY ONES? I certainly am excited about this one and SLEEPY HOLLOW -- the first time I've been excited about TV shows in awhile! :-)
If it's something I'm interested in, I'll see it. I don't care what critics say. They tend to be pompous sometimes, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteI stopped listening to critics when the one for my local newspaper criticized Return of the King for having bad special effects.
ReplyDeleteIf it's not a drama, it's automatically given a demerit. Comic book movies are penalized even more. Basically, critics are snobs. I'm more inclined to trust your review.
Words Crafter:
ReplyDeleteSadly, you're right: I've found many critics to be pompous. Like you, I will go see a movie that sounds intriguing. But nothing with the sounds of power tools and screaming victims! :-)
J E:
If you want a dark humor laugh, read some reviews of classic movies the year that they were released!
You're right: many critics only acknowledge films as worthy is they are dramas. Woe unto a comic book movie (no matter the quality) that finds itself in the hands of snobbish critics!! :-)
Critics should be killed.
ReplyDeleteWalter:
ReplyDeleteGood seeing you again! Isn't that what Shakespeare said about lawyers? LOL.
No Saw movies for me! I'm not into slash 'em and grind 'em. I just don't get that....
ReplyDeleteWords Crafter:
ReplyDeleteTo me the Hostel and Saw movies and the like are merely torture porn. Sigh.
I waited patiently for the release of the Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp and was not disappointed by the movie or Mr Depp's performance. As usual, he put his heart, soul and magnificent imagination into the role of Tonto.
ReplyDeleteAbout Wolverine and Hugh Jackman, attending any movie with Hugh Jackman will never be time wasted or "Flushed Away".
Hubert:
ReplyDeleteYou have done an excellent job with the narration of BLOOD WILL TELL. Like you, I waited patiently for THE LONE RANGER and was truly entertained by the movie, wondering if the critics had viewed the same film I was seeing.
Love the "flushed away" pun. :-)
Hubert:
ReplyDeleteYou have done an excellent job with the narration of BLOOD WILL TELL. Like you, I waited patiently for THE LONE RANGER and was truly entertained by the movie, wondering if the critics had viewed the same film I was seeing.
Love the "flushed away" pun. :-)