Anthony Hopkins about today's movies:
The Hollywood star's latest film, The World's Fastest Indian, is a true story about a New Zealander motorcyclist who broke the land speed record.
Sir Anthony said of the movie: "No sex or violence, and that's refreshing.
"I'm also tired of the camera moving all over the place, with car chases so cut and edited you don't know what's happening.
"It's condescending. Audiences aren't so mindless as movie-makers think."
I like everything he says, but I'm not convinced about the last point. Many people in my age bracket (25-45) like a movie if the special effects are good. I remember debating the merits of Van Helsing, one of the worst gosh-awful pieces of crap ever crafted. My interlocutor thought it was a good movie. When I pointed to a half-dozen parts of the film that had no purpose and a non-sensical plot, he said (rough quote), "You may have a point, but it was exciting and the special effects were great."
And he's right, of course, but those are the characteristics of a well-filmed hockey brawl or a train wreck.
Hollywood might want to place less emphasis on special effects and concentrate on things like plot, good lines, and beautiful film shots. The special effect is like salt. It helps, but too much of it, and the result is Van Helsing.
