A good movie should be about entertainment
These days, movie reviewers judge films not by what the audience wants but rather by what they want. Oftentimes, those judgments are driven by issues that pander to social minorities and left-wing liberal preferences. Why can’t we judge films based solely on their entertainment value, rather than on issues that have nothing to do with entertainment but are more about personal political preferences like race, sexual orientation and politics?
By Ray Hanania
All last week, I listened as every movie reviewer trashed the new movie starring Dwayne Johnson (“The Rock”) called “Rampage.” It’s the story of giant monsters that destroy Chicago.
How can you not love that?
The movie reviewers railed claiming it was “boring.” It was “predictable.” It lacked “social redeeming qualities.” It had no “plot.”
Instead, they were pushing me to watch other movies like “Love Simon,” the story about a teenage boy who is Gay and tries to meet other Gay boys in high school.
Boring!
I have nothing against Gays. I’m just not interested in it. Are you going to call me names because I could care less if someone is Gay and even less about a movie about being Gay?
They were also pushing another movie called “Black Panther.” It sounded like a good movie until the reviewers kept telling me it was special because it put the spotlight on a Black actor as a Super Hero. Black Panther is a Marvel Comic character who is phenomenal, not because he is “Black,” but because he represents part of the broad diversity of fictionalized super heroes.
Yet somehow, all anyone cared about was that the film symbolized the “equality” of Americans and blah, blah, blah!
Don’t accuse me of being anti-Gay. I am not. And don’t claim I am racist. I’m not. I think EVERYONE has a right to be treated equally, fairly and not discriminated against. But when you single out certain lifestyles, or races, isn’t that just another form of acceptable racism? (By the way, Dwayne Johnson, “The Rock,” is part Samoan and part Black!)
I don’t go to the movies to deal with heavy social issues. When I go to a movie, I look for a good script and talent. I don’t like it when people blow smoke up the wazoo to make something better than it is. I don’t like movies that push me to embrace certain views and lifestyles.
Good talent is good talent, regardless of the color of your skin and regardless of your sexual lifestyle.
God Bless those who care about those issues. I’m glad “Black Panther” did well. The media pushed it hard enough. It did far better at the box office than “Love, Simon” did.
There used to be a time when entertainment was supposed to be about entertainment. Social activists have turned something that was a fun experience — getting away from society’s problems for two hours with a box of over buttered popcorn — into a campaign to shove their social preferences and lifestyles down my throat. That’s wrong.
When I take time to “get away” from all that social crap, I want to really “get away.” I want to enjoy a movie without having to worry about all that.
I am tired of going to the movies and having my issues shoved aside or having my issues ignored or being told that I have to focus on something else.
So, despite the across-the-board criticism of “Rampage,” I went to see it anyway. And I am glad I did. I wasn’t disappointed.
I sat thrilled on the edge of my seat as a giant gorilla, a giant alligator and a giant wolf tore the City of Chicago to pieces, destroying the Willis Tower and every major building around it as fictional – remember that word fictional because that’s important – fictional evil-doers tried to rip off the good people of the world.
“Rampage” wasn’t hokey at all. What it was represented the kind of movie the social redeemers who want to force their lifestyle and social attitudes on everyone else hate.
Sometimes, plain and simple entertainment is all I want, people. I don’t want to be burdened by the problems of others all the time. I don’t want to have to feel guilty because of my own success in life. Give me a break! I don’t want to have to apologize for that, either.
I stopped listening to the movie reviewers a long time ago. Take your family to see “Rampage.” It’s the perfect kind of movie for the big screen with that booming Dolby stereo surround sound. It was exciting. It was thrilling. And when I left, I wanted to see it again.
The one nice thing about monsters is you can criticize them without being judge by others!
Stand up for yourself, people. Don’t let people with an agenda control your lives.
(Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author and former Chicago City Hall reporter. Reach him at his website at www.Hanania.com or email him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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