Mama Mia and Thoughts on Criticism
I just saw this. I liked it, so there.
Seriously, so many films can be put into the category of, “If you like this sort of film, you will like this particular one, but if you don't like this sort of film, you won't like this particular one”. This philosophy is a subset of People who like musicals vs. People who don't like musicals.
In the case of Mama Mia, this arbitrary distinction might also be made between, “People who can look back on a life history of good and bad choices” Vs. “People who have yet to accumulate a lifetime of choices.”
Or “People who like stories about relationships” and “People who don't”.
These are all valid viewpoints. People don't decide what they find entertaining, what they find entertaining is one of the things that defines them as people.
The thing that gets my goat is those that cannot understand this distinction and automatically dismiss a film (or other creative endeavor) in the opposing category as “vapid” or some other disparaging label.
Again; I liked Mama Mia. Not enough to have paid money in the theater, but I have my own criteria for theater-going [I want spectacle). It may not be for everyone, but I cannot see anyone in honesty and good conscience calling it a “bad movie”. On any rational and dispassionate set of criteria, it's as good as most anything else out there.
I suppose this probably flies in the face of Sturgeon's Law (90% of everything is crap). Perhaps I'll put forth my own Curtis Amendment to Sturgeon's Law: “90% of everything is Not For You.”