So here’s where I go into detail about the problem with the general movie-going public and/or the film industry in general.
Right now, Rotten Tomatoes’ rating for the Expendables is 43%. Right now, Rotten Tomatoes’ rating for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is 80%. Say what you will about RT’s flawed algorithms for creating that percentage, but it’s obvious which is the better movie of the two. One got a smelly, green splat, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World got a big, red, fresh tomato.
On one hand, you have a film review that says, “With ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.’ [Edgar Wright] has made a film that is a true gamechanger (sic) in every way, something so visually spellbinding and inventive that it really proves there is room out there for flat-out originality in mainstream cinema.” On the other hand, you get, “Stallone’s direction is just too dreary, and despite some surprisingly decent performances (mostly from a heartbreaking Rourke and scene-chewing Roberts) it just isn’t as fun as it seems like it should be.”
While I haven’t seen the Expendables, I can’t guarantee that I will like it with as much hyperbole as I did Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Expendables just looks like a standard action film. But, with its huge all-star cast, it is gearing up to beat Scott Pilgrim (who, no offense, stars Michael Cera) by leaps and bounds. I mean, geez, opening day gave the former about three-times the gross of the latter.
OK, so maybe I’m not going into a lot of detail, here, but the point is, a superior movie is going to make much less than an inferior movie, and because of that, film execs will call the one that makes more a success and make more of that type of movie. The superior film, very original in its direction and visual style (not to mention a great little story) will inspire a lot of kids to take up filmmaking and create a great generation of filmmakers end up failing at life because Hollywood wants to make mindless blow-up movies.
And the inferior movie will continue to be made. And the general movie-going public will continue to eat it up, because there’s nothing else out there.
We saw The Expendables on Friday. As a fan of 80s action flicks, it was great. High octane, explosive action that was what summer movies once used to be (before superheroes invaded every summer). Its what The A-Team wanted to be (and I liked the A-Team), and while critics may have enjoyed Scott Pilgrim more the based urge to watch macho dudes blow up bad guys never gets old.
While I haven’t seen Scott Pilgrim yet, I can almost assure you that based on my dislike of Michael Cera, I won’t love it. I’m hoping to get out and see it soon but we’ll see. I don’t really feel the need to see this film.
While it sounds like you didn’t love the movie, it appears that you at least enjoyed the film, and I’m glad about that. I have to agree that the Expendables was definitely a high octane film that you go just so you can watch things blow up. And I wanted to see it, too, but after seeing SPvTW I was left in such a daze I didn’t know what to do with my life.
That kind of an experience is very difficult to replicate. After Scott Pilgrim rocked my life and turned it upside down, I don’t think I could see the Expendables, because nothing will ever match my reaction.