Critical Acclaim Vs. Commercial Success: What Makes a Movie Great?

The ever sliding scale of popularity versus critical acclaim will always leave movie fans divided. Is a movie deemed great by the critic's review or the public's dollars? Does success or failure at the box office decide what is great? Do positive reviews or good word of mouth breed long-lasting franchises? Many questions, many conflicting answers.

Action movies are most often hit during the crossfire of this debate. Films in the action genre are casualties to both extremes. Often they are either a poorly reviewed commercial success or an excellently received dud at the box office. Why is the genre plagued by this stigma?

A strong argument can be made for both sides. A positive reception from critics should theoretically indicate a deserving film. Movie critics judge to a higher standard and meeting their requirements is praiseworthy to say the least. After all, the movie industry isn't a popularity contest, right? It should be better to be highly rated than popular.

Realistically, it isn't. A film that gets stellar reviews but fails horribly at the box office won't be getting a sequel. The public votes with dollars and cents for what are the best films. Why trust 14 snobbish reviewers when millions gave their $10 approval? After all, quality is subjective and the movie industry is in the end a popularity contest. It should be better to be popular than highly rated.

"Alien" is a prime example of this phenomenon within the action genre. Critics were downright cruel to the film, tearing every aspect of it apart. From the acting to the effects, critics like Leonard Maltin were not kind. Despite the disdainful reception, the film was a smash hit that defined the action and sci-fi genres like no film before it. "Alien" spawned sequels and pretenders alike with what was critically considered to be of remedial quality. You can't really trust the critics, can you?

We all know not every success in the action genre is as deserving as "Alien." More often than not you get a situation like the one with "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." This over-bloated, over-hyped blockbuster was critically panned and ridiculed by longtime fans. No matter how poor the quality of the film was regarded, it still managed to be one of the 10 highest grossing films of all time. Does it deserve it? The majority opinion seems to say no, but that didn't stop viewers from buying tickets.

On the exact opposite end of the spectrum you'll find movies like "Titan A.E.." Despite attaining a high level of praise and positive word of mouth, this animated action film failed miserably at the box office. The film retains a strong cult following for its fascinating plot, impressive animation quality, and thrilling action sequences. All of this couldn't save "Titan" from a lack of advertising and confusion from consumers. Was it a mature thriller for an adult crowd or a zany animated flick for kids?

What makes a movie a success? Profit or praise? Is it better to be highly acclaimed or a commercial success? You decide.

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