On Eating Crow

I believe I owe someone an apology, who I am not sure, but I have previously reviewed various cinematic works on this blog and now I've had a change of heart of sorts.  I believe I previously stated the last Star Wars movie (Last Jedi?) was rather good and that the Hobbit movies were not.  I believe I am quite wrong on the former and was too harsh on the latter.  But how much of one's opinion of any creative work (music, story, book, movie, video game, art...) depends on your own mood at the time, other stressors or distractions, your surroundings, what everyone else thinks, etc.?  I loved Star Wars when I was a kid, I read all the books, and couldn't wait for the new stories to come out, but instead they tossed out all the old stories and the new ones are rather bad, but I was so desperate to be pleased that I went and watched and told myself it must be good, or rather it took me until the second on came out to admit that the first installment wasn't all that great and the second was only good by comparison.  I was so excited it wasn't dreadful that I thought it was great.

Then there's the Hobbit.  This time I took it in chunks.  Taken as a whole, each movie is way too much sensory overload and distracts from what actually works in the movies; taken in 6 smaller doses, I appreciated it much more.  You've got a great cast, good music, fantastic scenery, a decent story, and if you can minimize the dazing quality of the endless chase scenes/orc brawls enough to actually notice the rest of the movie, it is actually pretty good, that and a message about the value of friendship and home versus the dangers of greed and 'success,' makes it all the more endearing.  The new Star Wars I just feel like they chopped up the old stories, flung in some random new stuff, and made a crazy quilt of a plot that really doesn't work.  I think I'll just cherish my favorites of the old books and movies and the memories they inspire rather than try and convince myself that I love the new ones.

So how much of your attitude towards a particular creative piece has to do with the quality of the piece itself or are other circumstances influencing your like or dislike of a certain work?  Do all your friends like a certain video game and you tell yourself you love it too?  Did 9th grade English turn you off to Shakespeare?  Did you watch something when you had the flu and can't stand to even think about it now?  Did that kid that bullied you all through high school like a certain book that you have never read but know you despise?  Did you have a migraine when your friends insisted you sit through that concert?  What are you avoiding or deriding because of negative connotations rather than for the quality of the work itself?  Perhaps there's a gem just waiting to be discovered under the dross of your former prejudice?  Finding a new favorite is well worth eating any amount of crow, you don't even need ketchup!