MovieChat Forums > Wag the Dog (1998) Discussion > Why people find it boring

Why people find it boring

posted 9 years ago by ElTotor
5 replies | jump to latest

I really like this movie, I like the purpose, I like the acting, I like all the small intentions in every scene or dialog.
But, during the first half of the movie, there is something that makes people get bored : the lack of adversity. Before The CIA *beep* the plan, almost everything goes well for protagonists and that's not what a movie should do (I respect you Mr Levinson and everybody makes mistakes). I thing that's the main reason why some people find it boring. Heroes in films have to fight, have to struggle their way to success. If not the audience is bored. (the second half with Schuman is really better even if less intersting in terms of "controlling the medias and the mind of the people)

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] DaveBowman2001 8 years ago

I think you have to be of a certain age or mentality to appreciate this movie. I sorta liked it when I first saw it, but as I got older and more awake, I appreciate it more. It seemed plausible then, but now it's so true it's scary.

[–] taran-rod 8 years ago

"Before The CIA *beep* the plan, almost everything goes well for protagonists and that's not what a movie should do (I respect you Mr Levinson and everybody makes mistakes)."

But this IS the element that makes things go wrong. Dafuq, dude?

[–] ElTotor 8 years ago

I'm not sure to understand what you mean but what I meant was:

Each time main characters do an action to reach their goal there should be an obstacle to overcome, an issue to fix, a problem to solve.
If everything goes as planned, audience get bored. This is true for movies in general, not this one particulary.

Examples : Han Solo wants to search for Luke but the snow storm rises, he could die trying to save Luke.
Luke trains to master the force with yoda but he learns his friends could die if he doesn't try to help them now. Doing so, he may not be strong enough to win against the dark side of the force. Dilemmas and unexpected issues are what make a movie thrilling.
None of this elements can be found in the first half of Wag the Dog.

[–] stevekaczynski 8 years ago

I don't find it boring, although different people expect different things from films. In this one, we have the US President having a spot of bother before an election and needing a diversion - fast. An aide/fixer (De Niro) begins to set the diversion in motion. I found the mechanics of mass manipulation fascinating. This film was and is different. It is questionable whether you can consider the main characters "heroes" - after all, they are trying to save the President from embarrassment that is arguably well-deserved, and the means used are also questionable. They are anti-heroes, and in the context of the film a certain integrity possessed by Hoffman's character is actually a weakness. Indeed the film even seems to attack the concept of heroism - Schuman is built up as one but it is all fake.

"Chicken soup - with a *beep* straw."