Escapist Entertainment -- Relevance to films?

[Pokn]

I have been seeing far too much of this lately, especially with the release of Matrix2....

"Hey, don't bash Escapist Entertainment. It has it's place in film! Some people just want to sit down and enjoy a film for the "entertainment value."

To this I say..... I totally agree. Escapist Entertainment most certainly has a place in modern American Film. But I would just like to make this point...

IT NEEDS TO BE A ~~~GOOD~~~ ESCAPIST ENTERTAINMENT FILM!!!!

I am very sick of people making Escapist Entertainment synonymous with BAD films. Neither are mutally exclusive.

Examples:

Matrix 2: HORRIBLE Escapist Entertainment

Aramagedon: very well done Escapist Entertainment

I hope you see the difference.

[Searyx]

Actually, I would reverse those two. Armageddon was HORRIBLE in every way shape and form.

[phatboy]

It would be a good idea to expand on your reasoning behind why you believe the Matrix to be a bad escapist film in comparison to Armageddon.

[Pokn]

Armageddon was shot well, had a decent script (wasn't great, but got laughs where laughs were supposed to go, tears where tears were supposed to go), and for the most part decent acting.

Matrix2 had HORRIBLE acting, in particularly by Lawrence Fishburne. The script was beyond utter drivel. The "jokes" fell off into silence and were awkwardly delivered. There were many, many scenes that simply needed to be reshot because of bad blocking, bad acting, and simply poor decisions in the script (This ALONE points out a sub-par movie). The climax of Trinity dying was so unbelievable and unfounded in the Matrix universe that it was stupid (Here's where you hardcore Matrix fans [which I actually was prior to this movie] say that is the whole point. Welp, there is a little thing called foreshadowing that most "professional filmmakers use, but the lack of any type of real script probably didn't help that any. Heck even Phantom Menace had foreshadowing).

The only relief in the movie was the fight scenes and the more I think about it I have to agree with Millie's synopsis on the "bloodless, unfulfilling fights." In hindsight, the main reason I enjoyed them was that they were a break from the lack of story.

Matrix 2 is a big budget B-movie. Much akin to "Soldier," although I rather enjoyed Soldier because of how cheesy it was. Matrix does not even have that appeal.

On top of that Matrix2 had a hell of a lot more to live up to than Armageddon did. In fact the main problem with Matrix 2 was that the Warchoski (I can't spell) Bros. were so adamant on making it a "trilogy."

My point is...

Armageddon accomplished what it set out to do as a movie. A fun little global disaster movie. Matrix 2 tried to be more than simply an "Escapist Entertainment" but failed miserably and did not even accomplish that level of film.

[Searyx]

I think you're just using bad comparisons. A good escapist movie is a bad movie that doesn't hold up to scrutiny after repeated viewings, but is good the first time around. Examples would be Independence Day, The Rock, Con Air to name a few.

However, Armageddon was pure ass the first time through. Terrible acting, horrendous storyline, logical flaws that were blatantly obvious the first time through, and an ending designed to surgically extract tears from the audience.

I can go on and on about the different scenes in Armageddon that rang so false as to bring me out of the mood and back into my seat.

New analogy please.

[Shorrty]

I definitely agree with Searyx here. To label Matrix2 as bad escapism, and Armageddon as good.....insanity! but to each his own i suppose.

[Cybsled]

I classify a good escapist film as a film where you watch it once, then upon a second viewing you just want to skip to the "good parts" or are just watching it because there's nothing else on.

The "its ok" film.

[Bledynn]

I agree with Searyx. Armageddon was terrible, in my opinion, but I enjoyed Matrix Two. When it comes to just enjoying a movie for the escapism value, it really comes down to just personal opinion and taste. Both movies were ridiculous.

I really have never understood why anyone would get worked up over someone else's enjoyment of movies or music that they don't like. So what if people like what you don't and don't like what you do?

[phatboy]

Speaking of Logical flaws the entire premise of the Matrix is flawed from the beginning. Humans blocked out the sun? Not sure what the smart guy who thought up that strategy was on, but humans need the sun just as much as machines running off solar power.

Why block out the sun before attempting the use of nuclear weapons, the possibility of a nuclear winter is better then obliterating the sun. And nuclear weapons have the added bonus of generating massive EMP charge when detonated, which apparently effects the seemingly unshielded robots of the matrix world.

And how the fuck did someone allow a machine to actually build an army of robots? Did no one notice a massing mechanical army? Did all of a sudden every Ford plant stop producing F150's and Focus wagons and start making killer robots?

I'm all for far fetched plots, and the idea behind the matrix itself is somewhat believed, but come on. You just don't create an AI and then let it run rampant to raise an army to kill you.

[Worfless]

my question: why did bruce willis do it?

the fucking russian volunteered. everyone but him knew and loved eachother. they were all willing to die, when suddenly some fucking retard russian who has lived in space for a while signs up, AND THERE IS STILL CONFLICT AS TO WHO WILL DO IT???

it's like getting a hobo to drive your car off a cliff to dodge taxes, no one loves the hobo, and you love you too much to do it.

get it?

[Rexfelis]

"Escapist" is relative.

Some folks find playing the cello for an evening "escapist", while for others, it's shooting a gun.

But I tend to agree that Armageddon is more "escapist" in a way than the Matrix movies - if you're looking for a movie that doesn't incite a lot of neural activity.

My personal fav for escapism - the 5th Element...and I'm not knocking that movie.

It's the kind of movie you can watch over and over, you can watch it intently, you can have it on in the background, it has chuckles, it has ooohs, it has aaaah, it has Mila...

[Cybsled]

The humans did try nukes first. They did jack shit to the machines. Watch the AniMatrix for the info ;p The 2 episodes concerning the rise of the machines/the war are free downloads from their site.