Most Underrated/Overrated Films

[cactus.]

*Spoiler notice*: Since I intend to talk about specifics reasons why I like or dislike certain films, which include specific scenes, I will not use spoiler tags nor do I expect others to do so. Peruse topic at your own discretion

 

There are obviously going to be many disagreements here, so try and play nice!

 

I may not be the biggest film buff, or one at all, but I have certain problems with some films I plan to discuss and there are others that I believe are deserving of a lot more recognition than they get. I hope people can put their fanboyism aside and engage in mature discussion about both some of the finer and crappier films to grace the big screen. So here goes:

 

Underrated

 

 

Dead Poets Society (1989)

 

Ok, so it’s not regarded as a bad film by any means, but it seems to be passed off as “just a good film,” and that alone irks me. I only saw this film for the first time within the last year and I feel to have truly missed out on a valuable life lesson having not seen it earlier. It's truly a remarkably inspirational and timelessly relevant story.

 

For starters, I think the acting is superb, and that says a lot considering a majority of the film revolves around teenagers. And needless to say, Robin Williams is as fantastic as ever, bringing to life ever scene he graces and displays true acting chemistry with the ever-rigid and disciplined schoolboys. Despite many people knowing Kurtwood Smith as the amicable dad from That 70s Show, he plays the authoritarian father to near perfection and he is downright scary. Norman Loyd brings his wealth of acting experience to the table and flawlessly portrays the powerful school masterful who has no tolerance for disobedience.

 

The actors mentioned above almost flawlessly capture the essence of the time period: the late 1950s. Neil’s family couldn’t possibly be portrayed as more ‘nuclear.’ The bread-winning father runs the household and calls all the shots, the dutiful son does as he’s told without question, and the mother, while empathizing with her son, remains passive and quiet daring not to contradict the father. Neil’s family alone represent the rigid culture at the time where personal expression is only secondary to following orders. And again, Dr. Nolan’s (Norman Loyd) stern attitude and represents so much about the overall culture at the time: hierarchy, structure, and tradition. Robin Williams’s character and performance offers the perfect chord of dissonance just enough to instill inspiration among both the characters and viewers. Pair the acting with the film’s aesthetic presentation, and you have a damn fine representation of the upper-class America in the 1950s.

 

 

The message of the film, while rather simple, is undoubtedly powerful. Carpe Diem. For this part I won’t say too much, but while there are many films out there that can inspire you to do greater things, express yourself via the arts, or to just stop conforming as you had been doing all along, Dead Poets Society actually makes you believe its possible and encourages you to stop thinking and do it!

 

 

The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. But what will your verse be?

 

For me personally, Dead Poets Society belongs to the upper echelon of filmmaking along with other masterpieces such as The Godfather, Shawshank Redemption, and Schindler’s list.

 

Overrated

 

 

The Dark Knight (2008)

 

First let me say, I don’t think this is a at all a bad film. I watched it, and it was a fun flick. But some people I know, and others I don’t know, have attempted to tout this film as one of “the best films ever” and it makes me want to punch them in the face for uttering such nonsense.

 

So both this film and Batman Begins began a new era in the Batman saga by shedding the comic book stigma of silly contraptions and ludicrous situations in exchange for a very realistic, modern day Gotham City and a dark, misunderstood villain who isn’t interested in wealth or some narcissistic motive, but just chaos plain and simple. Ooohh, sounds interesting…

 

So why the f*ck does the Joker rob a bank at the beginning of the film if he’s not interested in money? The scene was well shot and great to watch, don’t get me wrong, but all the meticulously planned actions that went through perfectly were simply horsesh*t. The guy who is supposed to kill the Joker is standing in the exact spot where the school knocks him over? And if that is not enough to make me want my money back within the first 10 minutes, then the Joker drives the bus out from the bank and directly into the middle of a line comprised of other school buses that look exactly the same! Wow, how discrete! I’m sure the bus driver behind him didn’t think it was out of the ordinary for a bus, who has apparently crashed into a bank, to back up, get right back in line as if nothing had happened.

 

Take this along with the all the cheesy one-liners and cheesy moments and you’ve got 152 minutes of pure eye-rolling disbelief and disappointment.

 

This film took itself way too seriously, and that’s where my problem lies. For a film that takes itself as seriously as The Dark Knight, the least you’d expect is a little logic to be woven into the storyline, but there appears to be none whatsoever.

[T.Rez]

Underrated

 

The Room (2003) (Dir. Tommy Wiseau)

 

You are tearing me apart GTA Forums!

[Vanilla Shake]

 

So why the f*ck does the Joker rob a bank at the beginning of the film if he’s not interested in money?

Because as he says in the movie, he's "a dog chasing cars". He just does things. He's psychotic. And the film was fantastic. It took itself seriously because it was a serious film. I didn't find anything "eye-rolling" about it.

 

And Dead Poets Society is a great film. Possibly my favorite performance by Robin Williams next to Insomnia and One Hour Photo.

Edited April 7, 2011 by Vanilla Shake

[Rockworm]

and I want to punch you in the face for not thinking DK is the best movie.

Nah its my favorite movie but I won't say its the best movie ever made. That role is reserved for some artsy boring thing.

[Scarface187]

and I want to punch you in the face for not thinking DK is the best movie.

Nah its my favorite movie but I won't say its the best movie ever made. That role is reserved for some artsy boring thing.

Lol.

 

 

Dark Knight is overrated as all hell but it's far from the most overrated movie.

 

 

Can't really think of the most overrated movie but I can think of some picks for most underrated. A bunch of Hitchcock for starters. Strangers on a Train, Rope, Lifeboat, Frenzy, Torn Curtain for starters. I'd pick Vertigo as well but I think that's been more recognized than it used to be when it was first released.

[ChossenOne]

 

OVERRATED

 

 

 

I never thought it was all that. It felt like a boring version of Braveheart.

Edited April 7, 2011 by ChossenOne

[cactus.]

 

So why the f*ck does the Joker rob a bank at the beginning of the film if he’s not interested in money?

Because as he says in the movie, he's "a dog chasing cars". He just does things. He's psychotic. And the film was fantastic. It took itself seriously because it was a serious film. I didn't find anything "eye-rolling" about it.

 

And Dead Poets Society is a great film.

 

 

Nothing eye rolling about the film?

 

Please explain to me how the Joker manages to rig an entire hospital full of explosives (and rig it correctly, mind you) with out anybody noticing? Whether you want to believe it not, a guy with a painted face and green hair doesn't exactly - or at all - blend in with the rest of Gotham's citizens, despite what Christopher Nolan dupes you into thinking.

Even if the Joker was aided by some of his henchman, let's not forget they are escapees from Arkham Asylum, and thus are thought to be "insane," but apparently it's no problem for the Joker to organize them into being an impeccable team of demolition experts in short time. Please.

 

If the laryngitis-induced hissing voice employed by Batman wasn't worthy of eye-rolling, I don't know what is.

 

Wait, I do know what is: the sh*tty one liners that sunk the film to a level on a par with a genuine Steven Segal moment:

 

Impostor Batman: what makes you so different from us?

Batman (hissing): I'm not wearing hockey pants

[while the bat tank thingy's door shuts over his cold, hard stare]

 

I agree with Scarface it may not be "the most" overrated film. The Dark Knight is an entertaining action flick, but far from the masterpiece everyone paints it to be. It order to be deemed such, the director must at least try and avoid plot holes. This film is littered with them.

 

Glad we can agree on DPS, though

[_Rob_]

Most overrated film ever has to be Twilight, gay vampires

[unopescio]

Anything Quentin Tarantino's done since Pulp Fiction I find over rated and not very good.

[69_black_69]

Anything Quentin Tarantino's done since Pulp Fiction I find over rated and not very good.

Well, inglorius basterds is pretty good, i think.

 

And agreed to bammargera!

Cant believe my whole family like it! (except me, of course)

They even like justin bieber too!

 

[Mafia Drive Gunner]

Avatar, that movie got as much hype as ever, and then I went and saw it and was like....meh.

 

I mean, I appreciate all the CGI and stuff that has gone into it, but I didn't find it to be that groundbreaking a movie like everyone seemed to think it was. Maybe if I saw it without all the hype that surrounded it I would have enjoyed it more.

[unopescio]

Anything  Quentin Tarantino's done since Pulp Fiction I find over rated and not very good.

Well, inglorius basterds is pretty good, i think.

 

It had some great individual scenes but all up I wouldnt watch it again. Definitely overrated.

[cactus.]

 

Anything  Quentin Tarantino's done since Pulp Fiction I find over rated and not very good.

I've always thought Kill Bill is his most grossly overrated film. It was entertaining to see in the theatre once, simply for the choreography, but that story was downright dumb, boring, and predictable. Black Mamba my ass..

 

I was pleasantly surprised by Inglorious Basterds. I wasn't all intrigued by the trailer, which simply promoted gore and "killin' nazis," but when a friend had dragged me along to the theatre to check it out, I was won over by the characters and dialogue. I at least give him (Tarantino) credit for having the dialogue spoken in the appropriate languages. Nothing irks me more in film when the characters are all speaking English in a place where they sure as hell wouldn't (e.g. The Reader).

 

 

Avatar, that movie got as much hype as ever, and then I went and saw it and was like....meh.

 

I mean, I appreciate all the CGI and stuff that has gone into it, but I didn't find it to be that groundbreaking a movie like everyone seemed to think it was. Maybe if I saw it without all the hype that surrounded it I would have enjoyed it more.

 

Yeah, Avatar sucked.

 

It's a such a shame when great filmmakers like George Lucas and James Cameron lower themselves to the point where they believe More Graphics/Visuals/CGI = Better Film. And what's even worse is when people are duped into believing this as well. My wife and I were debating whether or not Avatar is actually a good film (she saw it with her fam in 3D and totally thought it was worth the time/money). When I try to explain to her that visuals alone do not constitute a good film, she replies "you're missing the point!" To which, I can only reply "no, you're missing the point!"

 

f*ck you, James Cameron!

Edited April 7, 2011 by TheCacti

[makeshyft]

 

Anything  Quentin Tarantino's done since Pulp Fiction I find over rated and not very good.

Well, inglorius basterds is pretty good, i think.

 

It had some great individual scenes but all up I wouldnt watch it again. Definitely overrated.

Jackie Brown is his best film.

 

Er... The King's Speech was a basic buddy film that has been done to death. Not Oscar-worthy.

[Robinski]

I'm not sure they're actually over rated, but I just don't get the Coen Brothers' schtick. I've been assured a number of times that Burn After Reading (the most recent Coen Bros film I've seen) wasn't completely sh*te, could've fooled me.

 

I think this might be a problem with me and not the films though.

[Andyzoot]

I'm not sure they're actually over rated, but I just don't get the Coen Brothers' schtick. I've been assured a number of times that Burn After Reading (the most recent Coen Bros film I've seen) wasn't completely sh*te, could've fooled me.

 

I think this might be a problem with me and not the films though.

I'll admit, I had trouble getting into The Big Lebowski the first time I watched it. I guess I didn't understand their 'schtick'. But I gave it another watch and appreciated it so much more and now it's one of my favourite films (possibly my favourite comedy ever). If you felt a bit 'meh' about Burn After Reading then I urge you to give it another go. I think you'll find it a lot more enjoyable upon second viewing

[The Don Son]

The Social Network seemed over hyped to me. It was more boring than anything else.

[Otter]

You lost me here:

 

 

And needless to say, Robin Williams is as fantastic as ever,

 

 

I can agree with The Dark Knight being overrated. I could agree to that for most of Nolan's films, were it not for The Prestige which I absolutely loved (despite seeing through the "twist" shock at the end from miles away) and still feel is rather underrated. I mean, really, Dark Knight is about a millionaire playboy vigilante who dresses up like a "bat" - there's only so much "reality" you can expect to take away from a film like that. So I'm not quite sure it's cringe worthy - if you walked into a super hero film expecting the f*cking English Patient, you've got larger problems.

 

An easy film to dismiss, another underrated flick for me was Darfur by Uwe Boll. Part documentary, part western, it's actually a pretty good film that not many people will give the time of day. The cinematography's a bit sh*t, but we're talking about Uwe Boll here. If I can say with a straight face that the worst part of one of his films is that the camera shakes around way too much while we get an extreme closeup of Billy Zane's penciled on eyebrows, then you know there's got to be something to it.

 

Here's a good overrated film for you: The Incredibles. Everything I read, everyone I knew, all the reviews I saw on TV were absolutely gushing about this f*cking movie. It was, to me, just one cliche piled on top of another without a hint of satire or reflection on it. Nothing about it was new or even, really, that interesting. And on top of that, the art was just f*cking blah. While we're on a PIXAR trend, I also thought WALL-E would have made a far better short film. f*ck did that one draw it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jordan]

Underrated: Let Me In, Kick-Ass

 

Overrated: Iron Man, The Social Network

 

Anyone notice that Chloe Moretz played two of the best characters an actor/actress could play in 2010, but she got so little credit? And she had rescue scenes in both films, two of the most incredible scenes I've ever witnessed.

[makeshyft]

Underrated: Kick-Ass

Really? I don't know what to say.

[junkie2115]

Underrated: Kick-Ass

Really? I don't know what to say.

I had the same response as well.

 

Underrated: Stranger Than Fiction.

It's a very good flim. But not very many people (That I know) have never seen it or heard of it.

 

Overrated: Twlight.

 

Dear God... I can get this tho. Girls usually have that dream of their knight in shining armor coming for them.. But why in the holy mother of Count Chocula do you need to include horror icons? My friend Ali loved the movies.. After about a year she figured out that thay suck..

[makeshyft]

I don't really count things like the Twilight 'saga', because they fall within the realm of cultural phenomena. For something to be overrated, it has to be viewed favourably across the board, but this isn't the case with the Twilight books and films. The only people that like them are people caught up in that world, in the momentum of it, while everyone outside of it looks down upon it with derision.

Edited April 8, 2011 by makeshyft

[Otter]

Whoa. Long time no see, Jordan.

 

Kickass kida got the reception it deserved, I reckon. It was a cute film but nothing incredible.

[Tycek]

Overrated: Transformers (especially second part), The Hurt Locker

Underrated: Interstate 60, Starship Troopers (especially second and third part)

[cactus.]

I mean, really, Dark Knight is about a millionaire playboy vigilante who dresses up like a "bat" - there's only so much "reality" you can expect to take away from a film like that. So I'm not quite sure it's cringe worthy - if you walked into a super hero film expecting the f*cking English Patient, you've got larger problems.

 

 

Point taken, but to be clear, I'm not contesting the legitimacy of the characters. I accept them for what they are. But the film's vibe was striving to strike chords harmonious with reality, and for a story that begs to be taken rather "seriously," the least I expect are some reasonable explanations as to how the characters manage to do this or that (i.e. less plot holes). In my humble opinion, Tim Burton's Batman is superior to Nolan's.

 

I don't really consider the Twilight films to count either, because of 1) who the hell is rating them highly in the first place? and 2) what makeshyft said.

 

Agreed with those saying The Social Network is overrated. Good film? sure. But for me personally, almost any product's credibility (especially a film's) is hurt when it involves a former member of NSYNC. I just did not buy his character at all. Some smooth talking, wise-cracking, pretty boy hanging out with Zuckerberg? I think not.

 

I've actually been wanting to see Kick-Ass lately, mainly just see if it had any influence on the 3-part South Park episode of "Coon & Friends."

[Finn 7 five 11]

 

Avatar, that movie got as much hype as ever, and then I went and saw it and was like....meh.

 

I mean, I appreciate all the CGI and stuff that has gone into it, but I didn't find it to be that groundbreaking a movie like everyone seemed to think it was. Maybe if I saw it without all the hype that surrounded it I would have enjoyed it more.

Yeah Avatar was a great movie, but i expected it to be better than the hype suggested, i saw it in 3D Pandora was amazing, the main characters voice acting was great too, the plot was predictable, and the whole love story could have been made better.

 

I think Titanic was leaps and bounds better, god that is a good film.

Meet Joe Black and P.s I love you, two great movies the first really puts a different perspective on life, the latter is just a great love story, they don't receive that much recognition.

Well Meet Joe Black does receive good attention, but not much of it, i would have thought it much more popular a movie.

Edited April 8, 2011 by finn4life

[Germturtle]

 

Anything  Quentin Tarantino's done since Pulp Fiction I find over rated and not very good.

Thats not true, Jackie Brown and Inglorious Bastards are both good movies.

 

I do think it's funny that you like Natural Born Killers, a movie that Tarantino has disowned, with good reason too.

Edited April 8, 2011 by Germturtle

[El Zilcho]

Is it just me or did you find Avatar's story completely unengaging? Regardless of the fact the humans are clichéd military douches, but I couldn't sympathise with inhuman characters. Perhaps that's just an issue with my film viewing mind here but I found myself consistently rooting for the army guys in Avatar. That is why I would class that film as also overrated - it's got that generic, eco-save-the-planet sh*t you see in all of these generic films around. Some excellent special effects doesn't make up for a poor premise.

 

I also agree with some of the points on Tarantino. Kill Bill was terribly poor for his standards, but I did quite enjoy Inglorious Basterds.

[cactus.]

I think Titanic was leaps and bounds better, god that is a good film.

 

Titanic, as a whole, is painfully average. The shipwreck scene was amazing, but that's all the film has going for it.

[Germturtle]

Is it just me or did you find Avatar's story completely unengaging? Regardless of the fact the humans are clichéd military douches, but I couldn't sympathise with inhuman characters. Perhaps that's just an issue with my film viewing mind here but I found myself consistently rooting for the army guys in Avatar. That is why I would class that film as also overrated - it's got that generic, eco-save-the-planet sh*t you see in all of these generic films around. Some excellent special effects doesn't make up for a poor premise.

 

I also agree with some of the points on Tarantino. Kill Bill was terribly poor for his standards, but I did quite enjoy Inglorious Basterds.

Yeah if it was more about the Marines killing big blue c*nts ( I'm Australian, we don't find the c word nearly as offensive as other countries) then at least it could have been a good action movie, but it was more like Green-peace trying to sucker us in with guns and 3D, only to cock punch us by giving it a message.