Becky and I just got back from West Town Mall, where we watched Evan Almighty at Regal Cinemas. It was okay, but not great. It had its moments, but among other things, it suffered from a problem that I think an increasing number of movies, especially comedies, are suffering from these days: overexposure in its own trailers. I felt like I knew 80% of plot, and had heard at least 50% of the good jokes, before I even walked into the theater. Memo to Hollywood marketers: when you give away a bunch of your best laugh-out-loud moments in the trailer, your movie turns into a collection of mildly amusing scenes that everybody already knows the punchlines to, thus seriously diminishing the viewing experience. Save some stuff for the actual movie!
It also suffered from a plot problem that bothers me in many works of fiction: a tendency to exaggerate the degree to which people will disbelieve supernatural, paranormal or spiritual interpretations of observed events that blatantly have no plausible earthly explanation. This is something that’s bugged me about the TV series Kyle XY as Becky and I have gotten caught up on the first season on DVD, and it bugged me about Evan Almighty, too. I’m sorry, but if a previously normal guy suddenly started being followed around by hundreds of animals — wild animals with no business in the D.C. area, no business behaving in a docile fashion, and no business traveling in pairs — my reaction when he explains that God told him to build an ark because a flood’s coming wouldn’t be, “Haha, that guy’s a coot, clearly there’s nothing unusual going on here, la-di-da.” It would be more like, “Hmm, well, that seems outlandish. On the other hand, he’s being followed around by hundreds of inexplicably docile wild animals, traveling in pairs… and his facial hair is growing at a literally impossible rate… and he’s been surrounded by a demonstrable series of extremely odd coincidences involving the numbers 614 (as in Genesis 6:14)… and his clothes just magically changed themselves, like POOF!, while the cameras were rolling and he was on live TV… so, while his explanation for these events sounds a bit batty, I actually can’t think of a better one… maybe he’s not so crazy!”
Oh, and the fact that he supposedly ran for Congress while still a news anchor bugged me a little bit — no conflict-of-interest issues there! — but that’s probably just me. :) On the bright side, Morgan Freeman is great as God, again.
In any event, the trip to the mall was worth it just to get a peek at the new, drool-worthy storefront display at the Apple Store:
Mmm… giant iPhone.
Not like I’m actually going to buy one, but still… it’s cool.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:56:22 pm
Well, if you can cover all of a movie’s best lines in a two-minute trailer, that really isn’t saying much about the movie to begin with…
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:03:23 pm
I knew someone would say that. But that really isn’t the main problem. It isn’t that the movie had no funny jokes, funny moments, funny situations, etc. that weren’t in the trailer. It’s that many of the funniest jokes/moments/situations were in the trailer. Suppose, for instance, that you could identify the movie’s 10 funniest jokes, and 7 of them were in the trailer. Obviously, I’m making those numbers up, but this is just an example. Surely you’d agree that it’s possible to cram 7 jokes into a two-minute trailer. Wouldn’t you also agree that, if you go into a comedy knowing 7 of the 10 funniest jokes, it’s not as funny as if you hadn’t known any of them (or had only known 1 or 2)? Oh, sure, there are still jokes #11-50 that are okay… but the funniest jokes have already lost their luster. That takes a lot away from a comedy.
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:08:07 pm
In other words, yes, the movie would have been better if it had simply had more laugh-out-loud funny moments.
But it would ALSO have been better — significantly better, methinks — if it had stayed exactly as it was, but with less revealing trailers.
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:19:39 pm
“Kyle KY”
*snicker*
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:23:51 pm
I second the *snicker*
Also, Cast Away had the same problem with overexposure. Before I even saw the movie, the trailer shows that he finds a way off the island. I understand it must be difficult to strike a balance between letting people know how cool a movie is going to be and not giving them enough enticing teasers, but crucial plot information should be kept secret. I guess you could argue that the point of Cast Away was “how” he got back, but still….lame.
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:48:01 pm
I’m not really sure what was funny in the trailer besides Carrell saying he would be “so pissed.” I really have no interest in seeing this movie now (my interest was only marginal before).
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:52:26 pm
Well, the critics hate it.
Maybe I was too kind in saying it was “okay” and blaming its issues largely on trailer overexposure. I dunno. I thought it was reasonably entertaining, but it’s certainly not something I would urge everyone to rush out and see.
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:12:42 pm
it doesn’t seem like most people care all that much about what critics say anyway (Fantastic Four, Norbit, and Ghost Rider, I’m looking at you). I’m pretty sure that Evan Almighty will be #1 in the box office this weekend (although I believe that there’s got to be a better way to spend $10…) I didn’t run out to see Bruce Almighty and I’ll probably just stay at home with my Netflix this weekend, unless someone wants to come see Hostel Part II with me. :)
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:41:28 pm
Nice display… even better super sized dummy phone :)
Glad to see you’re resisting “la revolucion” (iPhone) too!
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:46:26 pm
Re Brendan: “Mmm… giant iPhone”
Yes, but, imagine the phone case you would need for that . . . or the pocket . . . or the jacket!
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:52:49 pm
“Kyle KY”… dammit. Just fixed the typo. Harumph.
June 22nd, 2007 at 5:07:21 pm
Does “Kyle” like jelly?
June 22nd, 2007 at 5:18:40 pm
Haven’t seen the movie, but running in a national election would probably put your network in hot water if they continued to broadcast your image. Something about “equal time” rules.
I have heard that if Fred Thompson runs for Pres, Law & Order will be pulled for the duration of the election.
June 22nd, 2007 at 5:43:03 pm
If you want to see immediate acceptance of the supernatural, watch Flatliners. Kevin Bacon’s atheist character is the first to realize what must be happening and the man who finds the solution thereby.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:41:58 pm
Well, the critics hate it.
And by and large the critics are pretentious hacks who refuse to review a movie based on what it is, but what they think all movies should be, aka avante garde monumental epics with deep angsty commentary on the human condition, instead of, you know entertainment.
Note: I do not mean to say that being an avante garde monumental epic with a deep angsty commentary on the human condition is per se a bad thing, just that no all movies deserve to be compared to that particular style
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:01:31 pm
Yeah, that or the critics recognized a bad film. Do you really think Evan Almighty will go down as a classic? Will you be laughing at it in two years? Ten? By all accounts, it certainly isn’t a “must-see” even for the moment.
I don’t think most critics are pretentious hacks. Plenty of them review movies with an eye toward entertainment, but they also try to place films in context. I’ve read plenty of reviews that call a movie entertaining and enjoyable, but nothing special that will stand the test of time.
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:43:02 pm
A film doesn’t have to go down as a classic to be a good film. There are plenty of films i have thoroughly enjoyed for one reason or another yet have no doubt will fade with the passing of time. Maybe they are only appropriate for the moment, maybe they are just light hearted fluff. But if a film only aspires to be light hearted fluff and suceeds at being light hearted fluff, why should it be panned for not going down as a classic? If i cook up a burger and its tasty and everyone enjoys it, should it be called bad food because its not served in a five star restaurant with all sorts of bizzare toppings? Hardly. Truffles and escargo may be good to some people but i’d prefer a nice juicy steak and garlic mashed potatoes any day of the week.
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:47:01 pm
I hear Tony Blair likes potatoes, too. Damn papists.
:)
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:53:58 pm
I don’t think a film has to be a classic to be considered good, I just don’t think critics are, by and large, pretentious hacks (although I am jealous that they get paid to have an opinion). David, I think we agree on more than you think; but you seem to have a way of phrasing things that antagonizes me :)
June 24th, 2007 at 3:11:55 am
FYI Brendan, I noticed the Mac store here in Cali, Colombia a couple of days ago when we were driving by in a taxi. Let’s just say you would not be quite as impressed.
June 24th, 2007 at 11:10:04 am
Andrew, I don’t think there are any official Apple Stores in Columbia (http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/), so that might be an unofficial one or something…