Summary and Analysis

“Ah summaries, may you never cease to bore me to death.”  --Me, just now-

Now I certainly understand summaries have a place and use. If I’m trying to decide on a movie after doing absolutely zero research, I am forced to wing it based on the brief rundown provided by the movie studios. Are they going to make it sound like a lot more than it is? Yes, they probably are. Are they going to at least make a rundown promising me “…thrills, chills, romance, and explosions…?” They most certainly will.  Every time I read this type of summary trying to sell me any type of media, I’ve learned to instinctively roll my eyes, and insist they take my money for the afore mentioned promises of entertainment. The action of rolling my eyes however, states my disbelief in what I’m being promised.   Why would I not just jump in head first clapping and giddy? Well it really boils down to my –at times annoying- need to analyze media.

Taken by and used with permission of my brother Jon Baker

You see, when I go to the movies modernly I try really hard to just tell my brain to shut up and watch the pretty moving lights; the problem is it simply refuses to listen. Through the course of the movie I’m usually keeping a mental inventory of each scene that really “stands out.” The reason I make an inventory of these scenes, be they good or laughably bad, is to afterward be able to step back and look at the movie as a whole. After recently being exposed –unwillingly mind you- to the new tween gem “TheHunger Games” I can assure you my inventory was flooded with mental notes by the time the credits started rolling.

If I were to sit here and retell you the plot line you would –fall asleep- probably think the premise sounded interesting, and possibly make the mistake of watching it. If instead I told you that the movie combined adolescent story telling stolen from a Japanese movie franchise, acting that I can only liken to nails on a chalkboard, and an overall premise that crosses the line separating creative and absolute silliness; perhaps you would be a little less inclined. The problem therein is that I still haven’t really provided any reasons why I feel that way. Take for instance my first line about “…adolescent story telling stolen from a Japanese movie…” this statement alone may invoke some curiosity, but it really doesn't do anything to sell you on my point of view.  Instead I should expand the thought, telling you that it’s literally a movie about a world without enough food, so the only logical outcome is society sets up brutal games in which people kill each other over rations. I should also mention that the premise for the movie is stolen primarily from a movie franchise called “BattleRoyale” from twelve plus years ago. Those are some observations that I can use to support my opinion, and while my opinions can be contested, so can my facts. Someone could easily –please don’t by the way, these are only a few examples of what I based my opinion on-  object, saying that Battle Royale was a totally different movie that just so happened to feature teenagers killing each other on an island. Someone could say that the story is the only way mankind could ever get by; I won’t offer anymore examples I just hope you see where I’m going with this.

The point is my “feelings” about the movie are based on my analysis of its components, and my feelings may not be right for everyone. So while I agree that a good analysis should be arguable, I think it’s important to also point out that most analysis is based on your feelings. Rather you think something is amazing, or totally beneath you in some way, I think a lot of it comes down to how you feel about the individual component. If you and a date go to watch Twilight 8 –or whatever one they are on now- you might watch a scene and think to yourself “did that really just happen? Dear God how long was this movie again?” Your date on the other hand may be thinking “He’s dreamy, how did I get suckered into a date with this guy again?” All jokes aside, it’s all in your reactions, the trick for me has always been simply asking myself why I reacted that way. If I think something is completely silly, the next thought to follow is usually a myriad of things that explain why I thought such a thing.

          Anyway, I realize long post is long, so I’ll leave it at that, and if anyone reading is a Hunger Games fan, it’s okay, I like Starship Troopers; and that is a guilty pleasure.