Maybe I just haven't had the really negative theater experiences as others might have. Maybe it's because I am not the typical wealthy FFAer and my set up is pretty meh. I still think there is a magic to going to a movie in the theater. It is something that I still love doing when I can. I still have fun seeing trailers and getting excited about something else that might be coming out and even eating ****ty popcorn from time to time. I also believe it is a reason why my kids (especially the youngest) likes movies and can sit through a whole one no problem.
For me none of that is replicated at my house, besides having popcorn that isn't stale and better snacks. Can't replicate the picture, sound, and it's much harder to eliminate distractions.
All that said, I fully get and agree with what MoP is saying today and GM was saying last night - way too often I look and there is not something in the theater for ME. I will watch just about anything my kids want to go see in the theater and that is usually what I am seeing, so I am 100% part of the reason why the stuff we grumble about are in the theaters. Most of what I have paid to see in the theaters in the last decade has been Marvel, Star Wars, and animated movies. Part of what makes me grumble much less is that I stopped thinking about it in terms of "this is dumb, I can watch X movie in a month or buy it next week for X amount". For me it is a day out with the family doing something we love. Even if we over do it a little with the snacks and drop $50-60, we would easily pay that or more to do something else - be it a museum, game, admission to a park, whatever. More likely we go early for cheaper tix, take it easy on the snacks, and supplement the day off with a free hike or trip to the free zoo in town and have a fun day for $30 or so. Well worth the money, even if I am watching something I don't like. We have gotten lucky and have seen a ton of stuff that we all loved anyway like Inside Out 2, Minecraft moive, or The Wild Robot. I do draw the line at the live action Disney remakes, I have yet to watch another after seeing about 20 mins of The Jungle Book.
I might be singing a different tune in a bit since my daughter said she wants to see Karate Kid: Legends, and that I am scared to see. But we will also watch another Pixar movie this year, and I will 100% be in the theater for the new Ari Aster and PTA movies this year as well. I figure nothing else, KK will give me a reason to show her a few different Jackie Chan movies as well, so that still might be worth it.
