Interstellar - Part 7

[craigdbfan]

It does strike me as odd that reactions were so overwhelmingly positive and in mass only to have the official reviews be so lukewarm. I mean this wouldn't be the first time early reactions have been massively different from the final result but it seemed different this time due to all the directors coming out and saying how great it was.

 

[BatLobster]

Knowing my tastes, if it's a divisive film then there's a good chance I'm going to love it. A lot of the things that he's gotten hammered for over the years (too much exposition, reach exceeding his grasp, etc.) are all part of the Nolan package that I've come to know and love. To be honest I don't want him to change. He may have his flaws, but he's easily one of the bravest filmmakers working today IMO.

 

[Kansiov]

I wasn't expecting this to be honest. I'm still excited as hell even more so just because it's so divisive it seems.

Didn't The Prestige start with something like low 30s on RT before rebounding dramatically? Honestly I could still see this in the high 70s-low 80s.

 

[Steyin]

Considering this film will be dealing with issues of global warming/human resource waste-destruction and such, I'm not going to be surprised to see it ripped on by critics, or the GA.

The question will be if the space/sci-fi elements and family story overpower those issues enough.

 

[Deserana]

Wow this is so odd. But sorta completely expected.

However whilst I'm completely fine with negative reviews a couple I've seen seem to hate the fact it's trying to be ambitious. Since when did people become so cynical that that became a bad thing?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

It does strike me as odd that reactions were so overwhelmingly positive and in mass only to have the official reviews be so lukewarm. I mean this wouldn't be the first time early reactions have been massively different from the final result but it seemed different this time due to all the directors coming out and saying how great it was.

You just described TDKR in terms of reaction. Every director/actor who was talking about it before its release was loving it up. The first group of reviews were then all over the place.

More vocal critics who aren't fans of Nolan love to rush to print with their reviews.

 

[Faora]

I... i confused...

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Wow this is so odd. But sorta completely expected.

However whilst I'm completely fine with negative reviews a couple I've seen seem to hate the fact it's trying to be ambitious. Since when did people become so cynical that that became a bad thing?

Nothing wrong with being ambitious, but you have to do something with that ambitious. No point in crediting simple ambitious.

 

[ThreadPool]

I take it you're one of these "If I don't understand it, it means it's a masterpiece" kind of guys.

I swear, I have never seen a movie in my life with less than 94.1% on RT, and I'm glad I didn't. I don't have time to lose with lesser entertainment.

Saw that the "spoiler" was a joke so I'm back.

Glad I came back because this is comedy gold.

 

[Deserana]

Nothing wrong with being ambitious, but you have to do something with that ambitious. No point in crediting simple ambitious.

Sorry I was just editing it but may as well just say it here. I meant in just the way that it seems SOME critics (need to express that otherwise people think I mean every critic) just go straight to if its ambitious it's automatically pretentious. I know people like it personally. One of my friends saw the trailer and saw some of the big space shots and was like "that looks too arty". It just seems like now some people have "oh it's trying to be epic? **** that thing!" as opposed to trying it out.

Like I said I just mean some critics, to put it simply, seem to be just seeing 3 hour space movie = arty w**k. Some will however look past it and still not like it and hey thats fine. I'm just talking about that 2% of critics that dont.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Sorry I was just editing it but may as well just say it here. I meant in just the way that it seems SOME critics (need to express that otherwise people think I mean every critic) just go straight to if its ambitious it's automatically pretentious. I know people like it personally. One of my friends saw the trailer and saw some of the big space shots and was like "that looks too arty". It just seems like now some people have "oh it's trying to be epic? **** that thing!" as opposed to trying it out.

Like I said I just mean some critics, to put it simply, seem to be just seeing 3 hour space movie = arty w**k. Some will however look past it and still not like it and hey thats fine. I'm just talking about that 2% of critics that dont.

There is no prerequisite for how someone receives material. If that is how they feel, that is how they feel. It is no different then those that but a ticket because they seem the names Marvel or Nolan.

 

[BatLobster]

I find it kind of odd that Faraci is bashing it pretty hard on Twitter now...his review IS a fresh after all.

Sometimes I wish film discussion/criticism would be less binary (was it a good movie or a bad movie?) and a more fluid, free-flowing discussion (what did we just see?). It's like a race to see who can be the most clever, who can find the holes the quickest, who can spit out a fully formed intellectual statement the fastest.

My feelings about films change all the time. Some movies deserve room to breathe.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I find it kind of odd that Faraci is bashing it pretty hard on Twitter now...his review IS a fresh after all.

What do you mean by "bashing"?

 

[kvz5]

I've now read two reviews that singled out female characters in their criticisms. If the criticisms are in fact sound, it's disappointing to see Nolan regress again to bad female characters.

TheWrap:

Weighing against that, without getting into spoilers, is a third act of staggering wrongheadedness, along with female characters whose intellect takes a back seat to their exploding emotionalism and rage.

THR:

What goes on among the astronauts is not especially interesting and Amelia, in particular, remains an annoyingly vague and unpersuasive character in contrast to McConaughey's exuberant, if regret-laden, mission leader, a role the actor invests with vigor and palpable feeling.

 

[redfirebird2008]

Kris Tapley has seen it twice and is recommending that the other critics need to watch it again. The Prestige received a fairly mixed reception from critics but it is a "grower" movie that gets better and better with repeat viewings. I wonder how many of the critics who bashed it after one viewing in 2006 would have a different view today.

There is another critic who is comparing Interstellar to Tarkovsky's Stalker. That is a very bold comparison and if there is any truth to it, the film will probably have a tough time with mainstream audiences but could turn out to be a cult movie.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

If I have to read one more time how "cold" Nolan is, I might flip.

 

[BatLobster]

What do you mean by "bashing"?

Basically saying that all the emotional stuff fell flat for him. I didn't mean bashing in an unfair way, just saying some pretty negative things considering he did give it a positive review.

Anyway, I do hope this film has good word of mouth if the critical response ends up being mixed. Even if I came away not loving the film, I would still want this to be a success because of everything it represents. The original large-scale blockbuster is in more danger now than its ever been.

Kris Tapley has seen it twice and is recommending that the other critics need to watch it again. The Prestige received a fairly mixed reception from critics but it is a "grower" movie that gets better and better with repeat viewings. I wonder how many of the critics who bashed it after one viewing in 2006 would have a different view today.

There is another critic who is comparing Interstellar to Tarkovsky's Stalker. That is a very bold comparison and if there is any truth to it, the film will probably have a tough time with mainstream audiences but could turn out to be a cult movie.

Yeah, I've been thinking this could potentially have another "Prestige"-like effect, albeit on a much larger scale because Nolan is a much bigger name playing on a much bigger scale with much bigger expectations now.

 

[marcvader]

As cold as space itself.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Wow this is so odd. But sorta completely expected.

However whilst I'm completely fine with negative reviews a couple I've seen seem to hate the fact it's trying to be ambitious. Since when did people become so cynical that that became a bad thing?

Because everything sucks. If a movie is ambitious, it's too ambitious. If it lacks ambition and simply tries to tell a story, it's a waste of time. Nothing is worth watching.

Except Marvel movies and Pixar cartoons. Those are infallible and should never be criticized.

 

[Steyin]

it's disappointing to see Nolan regress again to bad female characters.

Hard to regress when he never progressed with female characters in the first place. They are always his weakest point.

 

[Jumpman]

Kris Tapley has seen it twice and is recommending that the other critics need to watch it again. The Prestige received a fairly mixed reception from critics but it is a "grower" movie that gets better and better with repeat viewings. I wonder how many of the critics who bashed it after one viewing in 2006 would have a different view today.

There is another critic who is comparing Interstellar to Tarkovsky's Stalker. That is a very bold comparison and if there is any truth to it, the film will probably have a tough time with mainstream audiences but could turn out to be a cult movie.

Interesting....because when Kris first saw INTERSTELLAR, he was noncommittal on it but said he needed to see it again.

And I agree with you about the reception on THE PRESTIGE.

 

[marcvader]

Because everything sucks. If a movie is ambitious, it's too ambitious. If it lacks ambition and simply tries to tell a story, it's a waste of time. Nothing is worth watching.

Except Marvel movies and Pixar cartoons. Those are infallible and should never be criticized.

Really?

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

Good thing I don't walk into movies expecting perfect masterpieces just because Nolan is in the director's chair. I only ever hope that a film is solid or good if you will.

Well I liked The Prestige more than Nolan films with higher ratings so these reviews don't bother me. The only thing that bothers me is that none of the trailers have hooked me into the premise of the film.

Anyway it's still early and we don't have all of the reviews so no need for the geek community to panic.

 

[Agent Orange]

Batman Begins started out in the negative as well before fighting its way back. The cream of the crop is still perilously close to rotten.

Yeah, I've been thinking this could potentially have another "Prestige"-like effect, albeit on a much larger scale because Nolan is a much bigger name playing on a much bigger scale with much bigger expectations now.

A lot of people who generally dislike Nolan's filmography list The Prestige as his best film.

 

[The Chris]

Interesting....because when Kris first saw INTERSTELLAR, he was noncommittal on it but said he needed to see it again.

And I agree with you about the reception on THE PRESTIGE.

I still scratch my head at that. I remember walking out the theater wondering what movie the critics saw.