A Guide to Critic Proof Movies

As I like to do here, I talk about the trends of movies both big and small and whether they’re good or bad but there is an important one that has surfaced in recent years that I feel deserves some attention.

And that is what’s known as Critic proofing and what is Critic proofing you ask well it is essentially when the reviews from critics like Roger Ebert and Mark Kermode to use as examples are totally disregarded by people as they want to see that movie despite the fact they may be right and here I would like to present just a few examples as there are literally heaps to draw from:

The Matrix Reloaded: Opening in 2003, ending a 4 year wait for this sequel, the sequel to the popular 1999 Sci-Fi hit arrived in cinemas across the globe to many lukewarm reviews feeling that it didn’t live up to the first and too much emphasis on the philosophy and long winded speeches rather than the high concept Science Fiction that helped make the first film so popular, but hey most people wanted none of it and the film made a principal’s ransom at the box office.

Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest: Opening in 2006, this sequel to the surprise 2003 hit reunited all the key players and despite many terrible reviews from both fans and critics with many saying that the film was too long and bloated with the endless CG effects, everyone that saw the first film pretty much went to this movie regardless, as they couldn’t wait to see the further adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen: Opening in June of 2009, this sequel to the 2007 worldwide hit from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg was greeted with some of the most venomous reviews ever given to a motion picture which is best summed up by the quote from Ebert’s review saying that it was “a horrible experience of unbearable length, briefly punctuated by three or four amusing moments” and Kermode saying to a live audience at the Edinburgh Int. Film Festival “I HATED IT” which then received a standing ovation, even fans of the first film didn’t think much of this sequel at all, but did most people care, nope, they all wanted to see it regardless and as a result, it’s made $400 million dollars at the US Box Office.

And because of that last statistic, expect this trend to increase and press showings of big movies to become few and far between as other studios will hope for a similar reaction from movie goers, it’s been said that when such a thing happens it’s normally a bad sign but Hollywood seems to have reverted to its excessive roots so one could say as someone who loves the movies that it’s a bit of a disappointment.