Ha, do we really have to have this conversation every single time I post reactions?
Once again, for the cheap seats… A) I always caveat reactions/provide context, and B) no matter how hyperbolical, useful info can always be gleaned…
All of that said, way more of the reactions I post speak their mind and are more honest than you guys give them credit for. That, and again, I post plenty of negative reactions when negative reactions are available. Take Joker: Folie a Deux, for instance. If bots were being used, critics were being payed off, or it was all just "click bait," wouldn't we have seen some evidence of that over the past few weeks? Instead, I could hardly find positive reactions to post, and most everyone was brutally honest. Or, say, something like Alien: Romulus. There were tons of ridiculous, over-the-top reactions, and a number of negatives as well - I posted them all - and yet damn near everyone here still ended up liking the movie.
Long story short, reading the tea leaves... Gladiator II is almost assuredly a good if not great movie. Granted, like I said earlier, starting tomorrow night, reactions from more traditional critics will likely be less effusive, but probably not by much. We shall see...
Once again, for the cheap seats… A) I always caveat reactions/provide context, and B) no matter how hyperbolical, useful info can always be gleaned…
- If from a premiere or studio-conducted event screening (which these reactions are), there usually aren't as many critics in attendance, while fans/influencers often get caught up in the hoopla, etc. so more hyperbole is to be expected.
- If from a standard critic screening, the language, though still flowery (these are writers, after all) and sometimes cliched, will often sound less hyperbolical and more genuine.
- If most reactions are only talking about certain aspects of the film (a lone performance, specific scenes, etc), the movie either sucks, is divisive, or average/decent at best, and the people posting the reactions are either trying to be nice or are trying to make sure they're invited to the next premiere/event.
- Even if overly hyperbolical (like these tweets are), if the overwhelming majority are positive, and are talking about the movie as a whole (like these are), the movie is almost assuredly good. It's very rare that we see this level of consistent praise and the movie ends up sucking. Someone mentioned Napoleon earlier, and yes, while there were certainly positive reactions, some over-the-top, there were plenty of negative ones as well, many of which I also posted.
All of that said, way more of the reactions I post speak their mind and are more honest than you guys give them credit for. That, and again, I post plenty of negative reactions when negative reactions are available. Take Joker: Folie a Deux, for instance. If bots were being used, critics were being payed off, or it was all just "click bait," wouldn't we have seen some evidence of that over the past few weeks? Instead, I could hardly find positive reactions to post, and most everyone was brutally honest. Or, say, something like Alien: Romulus. There were tons of ridiculous, over-the-top reactions, and a number of negatives as well - I posted them all - and yet damn near everyone here still ended up liking the movie.
Long story short, reading the tea leaves... Gladiator II is almost assuredly a good if not great movie. Granted, like I said earlier, starting tomorrow night, reactions from more traditional critics will likely be less effusive, but probably not by much. We shall see...
