Sometimes, a movie's notoriety can transcend its actual content and make it a culturally significant milestone all by its lonesome. No movie this year (or maybe even this decade) has been as notorious as Seth Rogen's The Interview, which was pulled from US movie theaters in response to threats of terrorist attacks if it were ever released. An outspoken backlash against the decision has risen up in the United States and elsewhere, which today sees itself expressed through the fan scores of movie-rating websites IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes: 22,607 IMDb users collectively rate The Interview a perfect 10, after it'd been sitting at 9.9 for the past few days, while 96 percent of 28,662 people on RT have rated it with three stars (out of five) or higher. The Rotten Tomatoes definition describes the phenomenon well, calling it the "want to see" rating.
PROFESSIONAL CRITICS HAVE BEEN LESS FORGIVING
Reviews from the professional critics who've actually seen the movie have been diametrically opposed to this grassroots expression of support. The Wall Street Journal, in particular, presents a withering critique of Hollywood's broader "dumbing-down of the audience that began decades ago." It's just the latest "buddy comedy with a slob aesthetic" that, were it not for the reaction it provoked in the real world, would be most notable for its adolescent and unfunny humor than anything else. Instead, much to the chagrin of those who've sought to suppress it, The Interview now ranks as one of the web's favorite movies of all time.
