Were It So Easy...

Back in December of 2007 came the release of a film entilted: I Am Legend. It opened to a sizable gross of 77,000,000 dollars, and ended with 500,000,000 million and change. I saw it opening weekend. Not being a particular fan of Will Smith in the past, I had grown to like him of late. Pursuit of Happyness is one of the greatest adaptations of a true life story I've ever seen, and gave Smith a second oscar nomination. In the past, Will Smith had never been a household name, Ali was a dissapointment, skipped out on Men In Black, and was slightly entertained by Bad Boys, I and II.
So when I strolled into the theatre with some friends, I was expecting an entertaining movie, possibly gunning for a spot in my library. When the theatre went dark, I found myself in awe of a movie, not perfect, but did it's job. I've seen it many times since, and it's never had to compete for my attention.
Now, as mentioned earlier, this movie is not perfect. But it did it's job. The plot, wasn't all that amazing, it's ending predictable, once most of the pieces fell into place, and there were only some shades of spectacle (Will Smith's incredible performance, and wonderful visual effects), but what it's job was, it did. It entertained, gained intrest, resonated, and kept it's value long after it's first viewing.
Now, if only every movie did this, critics would be out of work...advertisments wouldn't be necessary, and ratings would hardly be looked at, you would just see it's subject matter, and judge yourself, what it would entail. Many movies, promise rich values, a shmorgisboard of visual, and viceral quality, and a ticket, you never regret spending your money on.
In my long history of watching movies, I've lost many hours by watching worthless pieces of animal waste that never should of carried itself to the screen. Pleasent surprises, do come out of that, but also are countered by weathered losses (Indiana Jones IV, Dan In Real Life). I've learned to not trust the billing of an actors name, a directors past, or a producer's vision. Tom Cruise is a self destructing individual, no pun intended, Spielberg gave us Jurassic Park II, and Jerry Bruckheimer ruined history with Pearl Harbor, and slapped us in the face with a lackluster sequel, National Treasure 2. Hollywood still offers us entertainment, escape, and helps us adore those convicts who are wrongfully accused.