Anthony Stokes on recognition over quality, mediocrity and Last Vegas…
I can be pretty hard on certain movies and TV shows, which often leads to people saying “I don’t think it’s that bad” (see Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Amazing Spider-Man, Gangster Squad, The Expendables and Pacific Rim to name a few). These movies and TV shows irritate me more than say Jack and Jill or Battleship for one reason… Potential. I hate mediocrity. I prefer a train-wreck over mediocrity any day. While I hate Man of Steel and even considered walking out (it’s not a bad movie per se, just not for me), I can say that I appreciated Zack Snyder and David S. Goyer reaching as high as they could and trying to make the best movie possible, instead of just sleepwalking through it. Whether or not they pulled it off is debatable, but they get respect from me for taking their movie seriously and treating it like Shakespeare.
I’ve noticed a trend in pop culture recently, specifically amongst movie-goers, where people generally go one of two ways: Either they go into a movie with unfairly high expectations resulting in it being a “disappointment” or the “worst piece of sh*t ever”, or they’re so excited for a movie they go into it loving it and no matter the actual quality of the finished product, they say “I don’t know what you’re talking about, this movie was awesome” (which may likely show up in the comments section of this very article after that first paragraph). Most of the time to me it seems like people are more excited that a project is being made, as opposed to the actual quality of the project itself. This is the last time I’m going to harp on about Man of Steel, but the main appeal seemed to be a new Superman movie to make up for Superman Returns. Pacific Rim is a blockbuster about robots vs aliens; now I love a good premise as much as the next person, but I think execution is better than just having a great concept.
Another thing I’ve noticed happening more and more – and what irritates the most out of any other Hollywood trope or tactic to put butts in seats – is when studios get ensemble casts or Oscar-caliber actors for movies that don’t deserve them. That’s mainly where my hatred for The Expendables, Gangster Squad, and The Amazing Spider-Man come from. I know people might say that it’s better to put great actors in roles then unknowns because they’ll do a better job, but that makes me expect more than what is often delivered. It’s all about putting names on a poster instead of creating an actual ensemble or giving actors something worthwhile to do as opposed to just getting as many big names in a movie as can fit.
With that in mind, I saw something that quite literally made me yell out in anger. It’s a trailer for a movie called Last Vegas starring Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, and Robert De Niro. It is by far the worst trailer I’ve seen this year and I’m anticipating tearing this movie apart. It’s got everything I hate in a comedy – cheap visual gags, great actors doing broad comedy, ripping off a popular movie… it’s The Hangover with old people, and those old people not being funny. Now granted this is just a trailer, but this looks like boring, sterile entertainment in the vein of RED – another movie I dislike for the very same reasons.
What hurt the most watching the Last Vegas trailer is the talent involved. Michael Douglas is one of my favorite actors, and his return to the big screen after playing Liberace in Steven Soderbergh’s Behind the Candelabra is this garbage. Morgan Freeman has officially scratched himself off my favorite actors list with this, and while I’ve never been a fan of Kevin Kline, he deserves better too. But what really breaks my heart is that I gave De Niro a pass on The Fockers Trilogy, New Year’s Eve, and every other movie he’s been in lately that’s not Silver Linings Playbook, but here’s where I draw the line. De Niro is an icon of cinema, and I don’t know if he needs the money, but he deserves better and should have more self respect than to show up in such horrible tripe. If this is where he’s at, then I’m sad to say that the sooner he retires from acting the better, and I already hate this movie for taking me to this place with a trailer.
I don’t like getting worked up and people often ask me why I’m so hard on certain movies that “aren’t that bad”. It’s because I’m a fan of the art and not of the culture right now. To me filmmaking is a gift and should be a privilege, not just a way to make money. If you want to have fun go to a water park; this is a craft that should be taken seriously. There are literally thousands of screenwriters, directors, and actors who given the chance could make top quality movies, but they’ll never make it past a piece of paper or audition tape. Out of respect for those lining up for an opportunity, filmmakers should do their best and try to make something special regardless of the genre or demographic.
Anthony Stokes is a blogger and independent filmmaker.
Originally published October 18, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
