That's fair. I hope it's clear that I'm genuinely trying to understand. I appreciate your response. It's never my intention to frustrate or annoy people. I'm just very passionate about stories and being a writer I can't help but dissect a narrative. That's just how I'm wired. Thank you both for your replies. I've got a better understanding now.
I think much has to do with your baselines and what you're looking for from a film (really, any film) when you go in.
For me, I haven't seen any reason to watch additional Indy films since Last Crusade. I thought it was dumb to do KotCS back when it came out, I think it's dumb to do DoD now. So, at a baseline, I'm just...opposed to the movie. I start from a position of feeling negative about it. But that's just me.
Other people, I think, are more open in this case to seeing the film. What the hell? It's another adventure with Indy, at least in some form or other. So, they start out at a neutral baseline at least, maybe even positive. "Yeah! I'd love to see another Indy film!" Maybe they aren't as picky as I am (and that's neither a bad thing, nor a good thing, just a difference between us). Maybe they're just looking for a popcorn ride. Maybe they really want to see a film where Indy grapples with aging and his mortality and the mistakes he made in his life, so they like the tone of the film. I dunno.
So they go, they see it, and they say "Hey, that was pretty good!" It's also possible their attitudes will shift, or...maybe not.
I was lukewarm on the idea of Rise of Skywalker when it came out. JJ coming back, Palpatine coming back (sOmEhOw...), Carrie dying either when they'd started filming or just before, it just left me feeling very "meh" about it. When I came out of the theater, I said to my wife "That was great! I hated it!" (jokingly). But it was actually pretty accurate. I think I posted about it here. It was a solid roller-coaster ride and it hit a lot of emotional buttons, but when you look at it even a little bit, the whole thing falls apart and is built around nostalgia and self-reference, and a lot of unearned moments that happen because "that's what happens in a Star Wars movie." It's a great rollercoaster ride. Truly terrific. It's not at all what I wanted, though.
By contrast, I went in lukewarm to Solo: a Star Wars Story, thinking "Nobody asked for this movie, including me." I came out thinking "That was pretty fun!" And now, thinking back on it, I think "Man, that was a really great adventure film in the Star Wars universe, and I
really liked it!" My regard for the film has grown over time. I could explain why (if you care, although I'd do that over PM so as not to derail), but I think a big part of it was that (1) the film exceeded my expectations, and (2) the film gave me something I wanted and enjoyed.
