Are gamers too sharp for movies?

[Henry]

One thing I remember about Sixth Sense: Everyone I met had a tremendous respect for it. It was SO respected by everyone I know, that NO one would tell me the ending until I watched it for myself.

NO ONE. Even online, for a while. When a movie comes along with a good twist, and an excellent ability to tell a story, people seem to respect it, and to treat it with a certain amount of awe.

As for "Gamers too sharp for movies," While I like to think I'm a little special, I rather think that most movie studios don't give their audience enough credit. Films like LOTR and STAR WARS prove that a good story combined with good acting and strong special effects are more important than simple special effects or "ZAP-BANG" plots. One could see a certain amount of "ZAP-BANG" in both of these, but the focus on the journey of the people involved, both spiritual and actual, was a powerful story.

 

[Mallus]

Interesting question...

...so I'll give you a couple of answers.

Starting from where I agree: I think gamers tend to be better problem-solvers than the rank-and-file movie audience members --at least they have experience, from gaming, in solving the kind of problems that arise in most kinds of genre film. They're very good at identying Problem X, Resources Y and Z and putting them together into a solution. This comes into play less in film than in genre TV. though.

Gamers also tend to be alert; always looking for clues --this is more relevant to the kind of puzzle-films you mention. But then, this is true for many others, like mystery fans.

Now to the disagreements/questions: What kind of films are you talking about? I'm guessing you mean action and sci-fi, mysteries, and twist-ending films like Usual Suspects and Mememto. There are a lot of others kinds of film out there. For me, plot twists are the least surprising surprise you find in film/literature.

Also, the tendency to problem-solve can also hurt gamers when it comes to critiquing films. From my own experiences, I find gamers have trouble accepting the basic human weaknesses, prejudices and other irrationalities that drive characters to make bad choices and have trouble accepting films where charcters don't always act in their best interests, even if the motivation for such action is clearly presented. Being such good detached problem-solvers get in the way of seeing the events of the story from the characters perspective.

Largely because films are entertaining when they explore the consequences of terrible choices, RPG's are not...

 

[Silver Moon]

I often figure things out well ahead of time. My wife and I both figured out Sixth Sense about half way through it. The last film that I saw which had twists I never saw coming was Wild Things.

On the other hand, with "24" I don't even try to think ahead, I just sit back and enjoy the ride. I won't even watch the previews for the next episode.

 

[kkoie]

Some films with interesting twists at the end that I've seen...

Fight Club (ok you are probably familiar with this one... and the twist wasn't huge, but its still a good movie)

The Crying Game (unfortunately a lot of people know what the twist is in this one by now)

Angel Heart (great movie!)

Murder on the Orient Express (great agatha christy book turned movie)

Dark City, Chinatown, Memento,

Some films that don't reletively have twist endings, but do require a bit of thinking or are presented a bit cryptically. Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, and 12 Monkeys.

anyway those are just some I could come up with.

As for gamers, I don't think its so much gamers, its more like those people who've seen a lot of films.

Another good one I thought of... Donnie Darko! great flick.

 

[Viking Bastard]

There was a twist in Dark City?

Great movie, but if there was any kind of a twist, it's lost on me.

 

[Jemal]

If I may generalize a bit (Which seems to be what this thread's about, anyways)...

We (Gamers) don't figure things out more easily B/C we're gamers. No, it's the other way around.. Many of us are gamers BECAUSE we can figure things out more easily than Joe Blow, and the problems are one of the things that draws us to gaming. I myself LOVE working things out.. think of it, making the best character, figuring out tactics, solving riddles, combat, etc.. Gaming's made for Problem Solvers (of course that's just my opinion). I suppose that means I basically agree with Mallus.

I also think one of the problems is that they show half the f***ing movie in the previews and reveal some of the good parts/twists before the movie even comes out.
EXample: Star Wars 2 - the Yoda/lightsaber scene would've had a whole lot of "whoa!"s, "cool!"s and shouts of "Yoda's got a lightsaber?" going around the theatre if 98% of the audience didn't allready know it was coming. Most of the oohs and aahs happened in peoples living rooms while watching a commercial!!

Anyways, must get away from the ranting... where was I?
Oh yeah, That's why I love Buffy and Angel, b/c I can only seewhat's gonna happen about half the time.. Joss can actually surprise me once in a while, and that's fun b/c, like Mark has found, it usually doesn't happen a lot.

Speaking of which, I gotta get outta here and head over to the Angel thread.. seeya.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I often figure things out well ahead of time. My wife and I both figured out Sixth Sense about half way through it. The last film that I saw which had twists I never saw coming was Wild Things.

Sixth Sense was kind of boring. I didn't really pay much attention to it, and the ending pulled everything togethor into a great movie well worth the watching.

(There was another movie, no twists, but "Go" [iirc] really pulled it togethor in the end.)

Wild Things just irritated me. "Lets cram plot twist after plot twist into it!" I was nearly climbing over people to get the heck out of the theater when the credits were rolling.

Usual Suspects was blah for me, taking the least likely Suspect really isn't a great twist. I think the hype hurt it for me too.

 

[tleilaxu]

no

 

[frankthedm]

I also think one of the problems is that they show half the f***ing movie in the previews and reveal some of the good parts/twists before the movie even comes out.
EXample: Star Wars 2 - the Yoda/lightsaber scene would've had a whole lot of "whoa!"s, "cool!"s and shouts of "Yoda's got a lightsaber?" going around the theatre if 98% of the audience didn't allready know it was coming. Most of the oohs and aahs happened in peoples living rooms while watching a commercial!!

I could not help laughing my fat a** off when i saw that in the theater.

Did the commercials for T2 spoil the fact ah-nold was on the Conners side?

 

[kkoie]

There was a twist in Dark City?

Great movie, but if there was any kind of a twist, it's lost on me.

Well, it may have not been a major "twist" but it was a sort of twist anyway, at least near (maybe not exactly at) the end of the movie: the twist was the fact that the city was floating in outerspace.

(highlight to read, incase someone out there hasn't seen it and doesn't want a spoiler).