Friday 23 January 2009

A best and worst pairing?

Here's a pair of films that demonstrate the sfg dilemma:

Jurassic Park is underrated, I say - despite it's huge popularity and success. The special effects used to create credible dinosaurs were always the point of this film and many scenes are breathtakingly beautiful. However in the background, quietly doing their own thing are some highly original ideas, a plot, a script, and some decent acting talent.

Jurassic Park 2 is overrated - it's a perfect test film for identifying CFG sufferers like myself. I came out of this cinema suffused with enthusiasm and exhilaration. For a few seconds, until I saw the faces of my fellow cinema-goers, I actually believed that I had seen a good film.
Here's a section of the script recalled from memory with perfect accuracy.

Cast are chased by some dinosaurs.
PROFESSOR "Run!"
They run away from the dinosaurs.
PROFESSOR "Run!"
They run away from some more dinosaurs.
... anyway, you get the idea.

It's astonishing that, looking back on this film I honestly cannot find a single explanation for enjoying it. There's nothing new or exciting or beautiful about the effects (see Jurassic Park above). There are decent actors here. The above script extract shows exactly how much their talent is stretched, as well as telling you everything you need to know about the intelligence of the plot. Why am I doomed to crave this kind of entertainment?

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