Why we need Popcorn Movies

What is a Popcorn Movie? Well in it's basic terms, it's a movie that doesn't have much substance but packs one heck of a wallop! Many critics deadpan these types of movies, but I have a much easier approach... I love em!

When Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen, came out it received horrible reviews. Even Harry Knowles (the creator of Aintitcoolnews.com) urged people to stay away.



So what did the people think?? How bout a 200 million haul in the first weekend. I went to see it, and I enjoyed it. Why? Because I knew what I was seeing. I wasn't expecting "Citizen Kane", I was expecting a Popcorn Movie. I wanted to see explosions, and robots fighting, and Miss Megan Fox looking attractive. And I wasn't let down. Was there errors in the plot? Sure. Was some of the script campy? Absolutely. But then again it was a movie about robot aliens that can transform into cars, and planes. So for me believability went out the window during the opening credits. Some critics really hounded this film and announced it as one of the worst films of the year. Do I think it should be nominated for an academy award? No, but I do think that some of these critics should take a step back for minute. It's like a food critic saying that McDonald's serves bad food, and then they wonder why so many people still eat there. Because believe it or not, some people enjoy the food, and some people even crave it.

These critics were trying to rip down a movie about talking robots that's based on a children's cartoon. It's supposed to be a little out there, and it's supposed to be fun. Now am I saying that you can't have both? That you can't have a Popcorn Movie and have it be critically enjoyed. No, in fact there are several films that do just that (The Dark Knight). But I still don't see what's so wrong with a film doing one or the other.

Sometimes when we see Popcorn Movies we want to be taken to that off based reality of talking robots, superheros with claws, and monsters. Why? Because we all know that we'll probably never ever see these things in real life. Probably, you never know if a radioactive spider could bite a young teenage science whiz.

I remember when I was young watching these movies and having fun. I think sometimes as a whole we have forgotten that. We've forgotten the enjoyment that comes from watching movies. We listen to critics say this and that and we don't even bother to form our own opinions. We like to break down each and every detail of a movie so much that we loose sight of the fact that we're not even enjoying watching the movie anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love to talk about what the director was trying to show here, and what the writer was stating there. I also know that when I stop trying to find the flaws in everything, I can then really start to enjoy the beauty of it all.

Now here's another reason renting these movies makes sense. It's only .99 to rent a movie for the night. So you take a chance on a movie that maybe you wouldn't have given a shot before. What are you really out? A buck? Sometimes that's when we find those films that get us excited. Excited for explosions, excited for car chases, excited for talking robots, and even excited for Miss Megan Fox.

In life, as well as Popcorn movies I think we all need to step back and take a moment to enjoy what's in front of us and smell the roses. Does this philosophy get bad Popcorn movies off the hook? No, I still want to see quality movies. 120 minutes of all explosions and no substance is not what I am looking for. But I do know that the substance that so many of these critics want is better suited for other films. The public will always enjoy these movies, just like we will always enjoy the Big Mac... It's just the American way.

So keep watching....


Moose Letourneau