Two Thumbs Up

I have never been a fan of movie critics. It seems to me that their primary function in life is to pan the movies that the masses love and rave about the movies that the average folks won't go near. They are snobs. They are like art critics. The prints that so many people buy and hang in their homes don't qualify as "art" because they are prints, not originals. Even the original from which the prints are made doesn't qualify because it was made into prints. Good grief! Is art only something so bizarre and esoteric you need an interpreter in order to understand it? I love modern art as much as the next guy. I was an art major for crying out loud. But I never quite understood why Jackson Pollock's splattering of paint on a canvas is so valuable while Stephen Lyman's work is not even considered art. I am fortunate enought to own Warmed by the View (the jpeg doesn't do it justice) and marvel at his talent. He was incredible when it comes to painting fire.

Anyway, back to critics. If a critic disses a movie, I am sure to like it. Such was the case this past weekend. My husband, son and I took in National Treasure and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great entertainment in the purest sense. Nic Cage was his usual semi-neurotic self, which was perfect for the character he was playing. His sidekick almost stole the show, in my opinion. I couldn't help but keep thinking that he reminded me a lot of my son's college roommate (I don't know why exactly, Nathan, but he really did) and it wasn't just his appearance. Something about his grin, his quirky sense of humor, I just kept seeing Nathan in that role. The movie isn't deep, or thought-provoking, it's somewhat predictable, but it's fun. And you get a dose of history as you watch it, which is fun too. It smacked of Raiders of the Lost Ark quite a bit, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it and being entertained. I don't know about you, but I go to the movies to be entertained. Now and then I want to be provoked into thought, as you are while watching Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan, but sometimes I just want good old fun. National Treasure delivers that. I give it two thumbs up.