[QUOTE="Film-Guy"]
Avatar looks interesting, but what critics think means nothing. There have been many times when most critics hate a film that I love, like Tideland for example. Most critics hated that film but I loved it. People should make up their own mind about a film rather than follow critics. Their opinion means nothing. I will wait though before I judge Avatar. I am not easily fooled by visuals though, if it looks amazing I couldn't care less if everything else sucks. For example that film Lovely bones has great visuals, but everything else sucks.
MrGeezer
I wouldn't say that critics' opinions mean nothing. I mean, if they are any good, then they're NOT just giving an opinion. They're giving a well-reasoned explanation for WHY they think that the movie is good or bad.
Now, you can agree or disagree with a critic, and think that that critic is just plain wrong.
But what they're basically doing is intelligently discussing art. And being open to other peoples' interpretations of art is a necessary component of art appreciation. Movie critics don't ONLY exist in order to tell you what movie you're going to like, any more than food critics exist to tell people what food they're going to like. People's tastes differ. But when speaking with someone who has different tastes, I think that more people ought to at least LISTEN instead of dismissing them as blowhards who don't know anything. No one says you have to AGREE with critics. But listen to them, think about what they're saying, and sometimes you might end up expanding your horizons.
I dont ignore critics, I just think some people pay too much attention to them. They give good reasons for liking or disliking aspects of a film and most of them are not trying to convince you of anything. I think it is good to read them to get an idea of a film, but I know some people who say they have seen a film and said it is great or terrible but then when I ask why they say they havent seen it but a certain magazine likes it. I can understand that though, walking into a theater without having some idea of a film isn't always a great idea. I read what the critics say, but I dont base my expectations off of them. I try and not have any expectations, and sometimes when critics hype something it can set people's expectations too high so it is very hard for a film to approach how good they hope it will be. I think Avatar looks interesting and I am sure the visuals will be impressive. I just hope the other parts of it are at least watchable. For a bigger film like Avatar I read the reviews to get an idea of what i might be like. For smaller films though I sometimes like to go to small theater near my house and watch something i have never heard of. It pays off a lot of the time, however it can also backfire when the film sucks.
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