I've never insulted 60% of a country before, but...

I think I'm finally going to be one of those guys that says, "People don't know how to watch movies anymore."

I watched this film without any knowledge of the reviews it was getting. All I knew was the actors and the basic plot. I absolutely loved it. No, it wasn't zany, off-the-wall comedy, but it was charming and entertaining throughout. In fact, I thought to myself, "The great thing about this movie is how harmless it is. Who wouldn't like this movie?" And then I thought, "Well, I guess when I was a little kid I might have found it boring, but I also would have found Amadeus and 12 Angry Men and Before Sunset boring, too. Okay, besides little kids and the Vin Diesel Only crowd, who wouldn't like this movie?"

Apparently 60% of critics and viewers, based on the Rotten Tomatoes. When I saw that I wondered what they could possibly have against it, and sure enough... it was too boring for them. It "wasn't laugh out loud funny." It "never reached comedic heights." There are more reviews, but those were the only ones without bird puns. It's one thing if your 15 year old brother is psyched for Wedding Crashers 2 and gets stuck with birding, but it seems even the critics have fallen into this trap. I think if the same movie had been made with three unknown actors, or in Sweden or something, it would have been received as a subtle, heartfelt triumph. But all they see is the cast, get ready to laugh their heads off, and write it off as a failure when they don't. If they just take what the movie gives them instead of pre-labeling it, they will be so much happier. I'm all too reminded of my friends in high school hating The Truman Show because of how unfunny it was. The Big Year isn't the drama The Truman show is, but it's an enjoyable film if you just sit back and enjoy it.

I know what I'm saying is a broad generalization. I know I'm accusing people of not watching this film with an open mind, and there will be some people out there who did watch it with an open mind and didn't like it anyway, for whatever reason. I've been on the other end of this, so I apologize in advance. But 40% on RT? I was fully expecting 80s or 90s. I just don't believe many of these people even made an attempt to like it. I think they spent the whole hour and a half waiting - waiting for Black and Wilson to switch identities, or get trapped in an avalanche, or switch over to spotting naked ladies - instead of just watching it. If that's how you watch a movie, constantly thinking about how it could get better while it's still going, no wonder you wind up frustrated and bored.