Some criticisms I take exception to

[seriousfic]

Apparently some people don't like the Chronicles of Riddick because it's "just Conan in space"? First off, no, it isn't. Second, that's a criticism? Conan is awesome. Space is awesome. What's the problem there? You don't see people saying "this is just like having sex with Angelina Jolie, only on the moon." It was an imaginative sci-fi film that wasn't a reboot, a remake, or based on a toyline. Plus, no one ever mentions that Firefly is just Buffy in space with cowboy hats.

Hey, remember when The Golden Compass came out and there was that big controversy?

(I imagine that no one actually read the book before they greenlit it, they just went "New York Times bestseller? Slight resemblance to Harry Potter? Throw a few hundred million dollars at it and kick back!"

Studio Exec 1: Okay, before we get started, is there anything objectionable in this? After all, we are making a family movie.

Studio Exec 2: Well, there's some stuff about Christianity, but most of America is Buddhist, right? So they won't mind.

Studio Exec 1: Buddhist? I thought they were Sikh Muslims.

Studio Exec 2: We'll have to Google that later. For now, let's start filming.)

Then there was that counter-controversy of people going "Oh, an evil organization dedicated to stomping out free thought and you think it's a church? Lol Christianity!" Which was really facetious when Phillip Pullman said out loud "Yup, represents the Catholic Church." And then people went "Well, you don't have a problem with the Chronicles of Narnia and that's an allegory! Hypocrites!"

And then I was like "Wait. Do you think Christians have a problem with the concept of allegories?" I thought it was just that they like allegories they agree with and don't like allegories they disagree with. Like everyone in the entire universe, ever? You don't see people going "Oh, you liked that allegory about how people should give to charity? You're a hypocrite, because you didn't like that allegory about how Keanu Reeves is a good actor!"

Then the movie came out and it kinda blew anyway? That was weird.

Comments

[mcity.livejournal.com]

>making a family movie.
>based on a Philip Pullman novel

[colonel-green.livejournal.com]

Well, the "His Dark Materials" books actually were written for a young audience - but yeah, they should've known that the content was going to put off a huge section of the family market, even after the extent to which it was neutered.

[mcity.livejournal.com]

These are the same books that involve kids having portions of their souls removed, and one of the heroes getting two fingers cut off, right?

Then again, Narnia's "The Horse and His Boy" had a pretty nasty forced-marriage subplot.