Movie ratings

When the movie Cat in the Hat, was released, I was quite sure the children would enjoy it. Then the review of the movie came out in the newspapers. It was a bad review.
So hubby didn't want to go waste his time watching a 'bad' movie.

But I begged to differ. I went ahead to watch the movie with the kids. And we enjoyed the movie. In fact, lepas tu, kita beli DVD dia and watched the movie quite a few times. The movie was cute, witty, hilarious - for the kids (and kid-at-heart like me).

So, how come the review in the newspaper was so bad? I'll tell you how come..

Yang tulis review tu adalah seorang adult yang boring, yang ingin mempertegakkan keaslian Dr Seuss agaknya, yang memang tak faham tengok cartoon agaknya, yang lebih suka tengok comedy bangsa 'The spy who shagged me' agaknya.. agaknya.. agaknya...

Kalau nak buat review for a movie meant for kids, they should get the opinion of a kid, the target audience. How can a boring adult person be writing a review on a movie that was meant for kids kan? Sure he'll give a bad review, because he has no sense of humour - or his is the adult sense of humour.

Not everyone likes Star Wars and all the sequels and prequels (I do).. not everyone likes Matrix and it's sequels (I don't), not everyone likes Pirates of the Carribean (I thought I don't, then I was forced to watch it and I did). See?

So don't be so influenced by a review in the newspapers. You don't even know if the writer's taste is as yours. You judge it yourself.

In fact don't amik bulat2, any opinion you read or hear from the media or the news. It's a story, an opinion, presented from ONE person's point of view. So how can that view be generalised?

This reminds me of a story, told within the Islamic circles:

A man and his son were riding the donkey to the town market. A group of people passed. The man heard them whisper:
"What times are these ? Look at those two, have no mercy on the poor animal!"
On hearing this, the man tells his son to get off and continue the journey on foot.

Another group of people passing by and seeing this, comment: "What times are these ? Look at this man.
His poor son with his frail body has to walk while he at his best age is riding the donkey!"

Hearing this, the man tells his son to ride the donkey and he himself gets off to walk the rest of the way. A third group of people seeing this, remark:
"What times are these ? This young man is riding the donkey while his sickly old father has to walk! "

Hearing this, the man tells his son to get off the animal and they both walk with the donkey trailing behind. Another group passing by point to them, laughing:
"Look at these idiots. They have a donkey and they are walking all the way to the market!"