Top 5 Over-rated movies

I'm sorry but Shawshank is amazing and can be watched more than once, If I start watching it myself (even if not from the beginning), I must watch it to the end.
 
Scarface - everyone says it's a great "gangster movie" and so I was really looking forward to watching it - I love gangster movies.:p Anyways, there was no obvious plot (or if there is, I completely missed it) and it dragged on for far too long. I'm not even alone here - everyone I watched it with groaned when they realised there was yet another hour left!

Citizen Kane - it was a good movie, but I don't think it's deserving of all the praise it gets.

The Wizard of Oz - I just don't like this film, so personally I find it over-rated. Not much else I can say about it..

I can't think of any others right now...:cool:
 
Kill Bill Vol 1 - It's only virtue: instantly forgettable. Like chewing on a very unpleasant piece of chewing gum for 2 hours until you finally get the opportunity of spitting it out. Not even a shred of joy to be had in it's obvious smug indulgence at its own naffness. Utterly ridiculous.

Kill Bill Vol 2 - Even worse than Vol 1, if you can believe it. Provides some insight into the Bride's rage with an earnest sensibility that is woefully misplaced. Further proof, if any more were needed after the travesty of Jackie Brown, that Quentin Tarantino will be remembered for 2 films.

Scarface (DePalma's, not the glorious original). Evidence that screaming and unrestrained, empty bravado are not exclusive to Pacino's middle-age performances. Ridiculously overblown and an unqualified mess.

King Kong (Jackson's). 3 f**cking hours of this excrement. 3 F**CKING HOURS! Where to begin? The ludicrous casting of Jack Black and Adrien Brody? Appalling special effects on Skull Island? The ice dance in Central Park? The usual dramatic gravitas that Naomi Watts brings to all her roles seeming even more misjudged than usual? It cannot compete with the charm, humour and atmosphere of the original - the initial approach to skull island remains one of the most haunting scenes in 30s cinema.

2001: A Space Odyssey. Hal is the embodiment of Kubrick himself - cold, emotionless and absolutely no sense of self awareness. In fact, how much of anything by Kubrick is watchable? Spartacus? Yes, but how much influence did he have there? Apart from that only the first half of Full Metal Jacket elevates Kubrick's canon out of mediocrity.
 
But this is the point of this thread.

Thanks to the internet we can actually now have a more critical counterbalance to the media/Hollywood over-hype. An opportunity to argue that a film doesn't necessarily deserve merit purely because it has a mammoth budget.
 
I have fallen in love with you. This is the worst film I have ever seen ever, ever, ever.

I hate it so much. I want to learn an alien language that might come even close to encapsulating the sheer amount of pure hatred I have for that truly nauseating film. Scorcese should have been shot.
 
A very good post, and a very interesting argument. I especially agree with you on Blade Runner and Blair Witch. I would add Apocalypse Now to the list of movies where nothing happens.
 
A very interesting post.

I think Kill Bill looks like it was made by God when you consider the incredibly tedious pile of Tarantino toss that is Deathproof.

I thought Scarface was okay. I prefer many other gangster films, like Guy Ritchie's or Martin Scorcese's (not including Gangs of New York which introduced new levels of boredom to me). I'd say my only big issue with Scarface is the terrible eighties music. Other than that, it was alright.

As for King Kong, I watched it because my brother bought it when we bought some pizzas. We had a sesh, and included this Peter Jackson offering in it. It re-affirmed my belief that, along with Tom Cruise, Jack Black is a devil-child. I hate him, hate him, hate him. He makes me sick. It was a boring film, and taught me that Jackson was an average director, dealing with terrific material when he made Lord of the Rings.

I used to hate 2001. It took me three attempts to watch it all the way through without getting bored and falling asleep. Nowadays, I marvel at how technologically advanced it still looks, even today. HAL is a scary, scary character. You're right about Metal Gear Jacket, though. The first half of it is brilliant, but once they go to Vietnam, it becomes boring, like many Kubrick films.
 
1. Crash. Hollywood tripe, full of stereotypes. Angry white guy, wussy black guy .. you get the picture. I detest this movie with passion.

2. Titanic. Complete and utter dross.

3. Casino Royale. Decent enough movie but no-where near the perfect film that many critics made it out to be.

4. The Dark Knight. Similar to #3.

5. Schindler's List. A left-field choice in my top five. I adore this movie but I wouldn't say it was great. The Pianist is by far superior.
 
Neither "King Kong" or "Citizen Kane" won the Best picture Oscars..so they were not over rated in their time.
Again, Dr Strangelove didnt win in 1964..the Oscar went to "My Fair Lady". So..you could say that it was under-rated ?
How about "Rocky" winning in 1976..same year as "Taxi Driver". "Kramer vs Kramer" beating "Apocalypse Now" in 1979, "Ordinary People" beating "Raging Bull" in 1980,
and "Goodfellas" was beaten by the boring "Dances with Wolves" in 1990. Probably the worst injustice was "Forrest Gump" winning in 1994..same year as "Pulp Fiction" and "The Shawshank Redemption" !
I think the public decide in the end. If we are still watching a movie in 40/50 years time then it must be a bit special.
 
Run fat boy run (got bored after 30 minutes)
Mr & Mrs Smith (fell asleep 3 times)
Saw films (what is it all about??)
Ghost Rider (nicolas cage ruined this film for me)
War of the worlRAB re-make (just rubbish full stop)


alot more but my mind is else where at the moment
 
1) Harry Potter (any of them)
2) Lord Of The Rings (any of them)
3) The Dark Knight
4) Lost In Translation
5) Blade Runner

All films massively hyped up before watching, and all I could think of when watching them was... "Meh... there's a waste of 2 odd hours..."

For The Dark Knight though, it's not a bad film, only let down by the annoying presence of Michael Caine and the general annoyingness of Christian Bale, his voice and that I was already sick of seeing him everywhere else. Heath Ledger was quite good as the Joker, but it certainly wasn't a stunning performance, award worthy, possibly, but his portrayal, or the film in general are not as unbelievably good as many were making it out to be. Just goes to show the power of the fanboys, eh?

Lost In Translation seems OK at the start, but it just never seemed to start. Murray or Johansson looking glum and depressed against many different backgrounRAB in one of the most busiest and bustling places on Earth. Blah...

Blade Runner... I got an hour in before turning it off and deleting it from my Sky+HD planner. Such a boring pile of donkey balls... Never again.

Just don't get me started about why I hate Harry Potter or Lord Of The Rings...

Paddy :D
 
Doesn't change the fact that he can't set worRAB to a memorable tune.

Everyone can hum the Oompa Loompa theme from Wilder's Wonka, but no-one can hum any of the tunes from Corpse Bride, Charlie or Nightmare B4 christmas.

Doesn't take anything away from his outstanding film score writing and The Simpsons theme is genius.
 
Um...since when was winning the Best Picture Oscar the only measure of rating?

Citizen Kane for example was #1 on the American Film Institute's Top 100 films of All Time; it's the most lauded film by critics whereas Casablanca consistently tops the public polls.
 
Here's some more I've thought of:

Royal Tenenbaums - It could be simply a huge misunderstanding on my part.....but what was funny about this movie? Or clever? Or interesting?

Punch-Drunk Love - Adam Sandler isn't acting serious. He's just playing another idiot, except this time, it's without the accompanying slapstick. And don't get me started on the piano on the road or the random patches of colours on the screen. Incomprehensible.

Chicago - I like musicals and this one was fun and well made.....But that's it! If this got Best Picture then why not Hairspray? Why isn't Nikki Blonsky up for an oscar like Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta?

Spartacus - One of the most wooden leading performances I've ever seen. Some impressive long-distance roman army manouvres but the actual battles were ridiculous. 'I am Spartacus'. I'm asleep.

The Thin Red Line - They kept on walking. And walking. And walking. And walking. Lots of stars, lots of meaningful silence. Lots of credits. Did I miss anything?
 
I don't think any of those were actually ever "over-rated" though?

Ghost Rider in particular was pretty much critically panned IIRC.
 
True, I dont dispute that. My only point was that films that are lauded by the critics are soon forgotten unless we continue to enjoy them. Agreed, I could be wrong with Citizen Kane..perhaps there is an element of "The Kings New Clothes" about that particular film. Generally speaking though, we tend to ignore the critics and if films are still being shown it is because they have captured the public imagination for some season or other.
 
You're kind of missing the point of the thread here. It isn't about general films you don't like, it's about films considered classics that you believe don't deserve the accolade. None of the films you listed are considered classics by any means. Ghost Rider? :D
 
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