It's not an excuse and besides as far as the audience is concerned, if some kid wants to have a laugh at an Ice Age movie, what's the big deal. Or should I get down on one knee and explain that the quality of children's entertainment has been utterly tarnished by puerile characterisation, that money has stipulated what kids may watch, that children's entertainment has become too childish.
When I said it's just for kids, what I mean to say is the film or the book or whatever should be evaluated with this firmly in mind. Critiqued on its own terms. Mind you, it's not helped when a film appeals to both demographics; pre-adolescents and adults. Harry Potter and so forth. Either children are getting more sophisticated or adults are regressing, I'm not sure which.
In any case, when people say "come on now, it's a kids movie" I figure it's a plea to not take the material too seriously. The same kind of thing happens with Will Ferrell comedies actually. An odd schism between fans and people who smugly state that it's not comedy. Not properly, that is. Dead silent comedians, now that's authentic comedy. So you have Ice Age 4 or 5 or 6, whatever. Well hang on, that's not a proper kids movie, that would be Coraline or Up. I get annoyed with this superiority people exercise. Observers who conduct a couple of genre studies on 40's Noir and, license in hand, tear the piss out of every category for not being 'true' or authentic. Some have the decency to frame this as a question of quality. As problematic as this is, it's a lot easier to swallow than outright derision such as you'll no doubt find on the boards for this movie.
I usually don't write anything concerning kids stuff, I don't watch Ice Age movies, so feel free to have a cry about my lack of a foundational experience. I will say this though.
The 'kids movie' argument (though it's more of an evasion) is mostly ineffective for obvious reasons that other posters will wax on about. Where it is usefully deployed, in my opinion, is at those films which a) kids get a kick out of and b) don't deserve much in the way of serious thought or criticism*
- Ice Age sequels
- Any of those Chipmunk movies
- A thousand other films which are regularly denounced on IMDB and held up as an example of the 'death of cinema' (cinema isn't dead, it just smells funny, to paraphrase Zappa).
Children don't really seem to care a whole lot about subtextual elements, they seem to want some kind of caricatured villain or hero with a funny voice who dances at the end of every film to the latest chart topper. Because most kids are kind of dim. Lo and behold, that's what gets made.
So relax, it may not be able to dislodge your cherished The Last Starfighter or Batman: The Animated series as titans of children's entertainment. But you know, it's just a kids movie.
* with the exception of those studying animation or similar, audience demographics, anyone who uses such materials for scholarship. "serious thought and criticism" considers the general IMDB/film audience
"The perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility."
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goranxii
12 years ago
In any case, when people say "come on now, it's a kids movie" I figure it's a plea to not take the material too seriously.
Which is basically a way of saying "er, please don't notice that we couldn't come up with a plot that the parents don't find intellectually insulting".
Lion King for example is a
family movie, because while the plot is simplistic and clichéd, it's also mature enough that adult will enjoy it as well, the same with the first Ice Age movie, Shrek, and a whole host of others.
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trioxinforlunch
12 years ago
Not at all, I'm not speaking on behalf of the producers of the film in question. Which you seem to be able to do.
I'm not talking about any movie in particular except for the fourth Ice Age movie, an installment which appears to be a representative example of the worst type of franchise entry with regards to this particular genre (kids movie, not family movie).
"The perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility."
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goranxii
12 years ago
Lets see, Ice Age was IMO a good family movie, reasonably mature plot (for a family movie), but with plenty of room for comedy, and good, solid characters. The Meltdown was okay, although the whole 'one big happy family' thing at the start was a bit odd I felt, I mean, is a carnivore someone you'd want near your children. Dawn of the Dinosaurs? I mean, seriously, What. The. Hell? Now it's pirates. And after this is it going to be time travel?
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ebertfan92
12 years ago
Which is basically a way of saying "er, please don't notice that we couldn't come up with a plot that the parents don't find intellectually insulting".
Lion King for example is a family movie, because while the plot is simplistic and clichéd, it's also mature enough that adult will enjoy it as well, the same with the first Ice Age movie, Shrek, and a whole host of others.
Exactly.
Three of the best "family" movies I've ever seen were released in 2009: Coraline, Where the Wild Things Are, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Coraline was the most "traditional" family film, in a sense, since the director made The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. He gave us a maturely written-movie, but one that was primarily intended for children. Having said that, adults could definitely enjoy it as well. The latter two are special considering they were made by filmmakers whose resumes consisted of mostly R-rated material. Not sure if I'm explaining it in a weird way...I just think that all the latter two come across as movies that are written with more of an adult state of mind, but because of what they were based on, also become accessible to children. Coraline was more of a kids-first film, while Wild Things and Fantastic seemed adult-first. But all three share a common factor: They don't treat their audience like friggin' morons. And that is why they succeed. Am I saying every single kid (and adult) will like the movies? Of course not. But I am saying they set a precedent for "family" filmmaking, one that should rightfully determine the way people write for their audience.
2 ma hataz!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eB-1k0kYhY
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