Movies you think are overated.

[Orac Zen]

Well, I'd go along with The English Patient (a turgid, dreary bore IMO), but some of the others I enjoy a great deal. To each their own.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I don't mean to start a Lord of the Rings debate or anything, but I am surprised to see that the third movie is making peoples' lists instead of the second one. I thought that it was public knowledge that Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the King were great, but Two Towers was a complete borefest with far too many useless battle scenes. I could completely cut it out of my viewing (and often do) and I don't feel I've lost any of the important story points. Don't get me wrong, I think all three are probably overrated, but certainly the second movie was the worst.

Anyway, I always get yelled at for this one, but I think that Blade Runner is waaaay overrated. I was interested in seeing it because I'd heard good things and love Harrison Ford. After watching it, I was completely baffled as to how it became so treasured in peoples' minds. I really think that it must be a product of it's time for most who like it. For a futuristic movie, it felt SO 80s. It felt like I was watching one of those crappy 80s movies that ends up playing at 10 AM on a Sunday on cable. It was just so...hard to enjoy.

 

[ktanner3]

On-topic:

I disagree with the whole premise of this thread.

There is no such thing as an "over-rated" movie.

Different people rate different movies differently.

Each person gives each movie the rating that corresponds to the amount of entertainment and enjoyment that each movie provides.

As a consequence, each movie receives exactly the rating it deserves.

To say that a movie is "overrated" is only to say that you don't understand why some people rate a movie more highly than you do.

But that says more about you than it does about the movie in question.

It says that you lack empathy, and can't understand why other people enjoy movies that you don't.

Either that, or you just think that you're better than them. Or both.

Finally, an intelligent comment in this thread.

Regarding the Jack-bashing for Cuckoo's Nest-when it came out it was all new, not a re-hash. Older movies should be viewed with a thought about the original context/era in which they were made. Topper barely holds up today-but if you take into account when it was made and what the mores were at the time its a side-splitting, daring movie.
2001-it was done at a time when nothing but Star Trek took science fiction(visual mediums only) seriously. It is a bit slow-but it was done as a (serious) waltz, not a jitterbug. In our soundbite world its probably difficult to sit still for today-but like the above quotes says-"you don't understand ...you do."

Any movie that has sealed up "classic" status, like Citizen Kane, has probably managed to impress enough people to earn that status. It's a shame so many of you can't learn to appreciate the movies for what they are and what their creators meant them to be. Personally, I hated Reds-but I can appreciate what Beatty did with it. It just wasn't my cup of tea. That doesn't take away from a great movie-it just makes it a great movie I didn't enjoy, personally.

Both of you need to get over yourselves. It's just an internet board and if you're looking for compassion(or in the case of the english nazi, a term paper) you're in the wrong place.

I'm the guy that loves old movies so much that he rarely watches anything put out nowadays because it's usually popcorn fluff or artsy farsty crap. There are many real classics that have stood the test of time because people actually WATCH them still: Psycho,Halloween,Platoon,The Godfather,Dracula,Frankenstein, The Wolf Man,On The Waterfront,Nosferatu etc. etc. etc.It has nothing to do with respecting other people's work.It has to do with a movie being given a status that it doesn't deserve just because some group of movie geeks deems it historically significant.A great movie stands the test of time no matter what the circumstances.I don't want to hear about this garbage of "you should like it because of the circumstances involved." That's a load of crap. If you're in the business of putting out art then you better be able to take constructive criticism or you need to find another line of work.Not everybody is going to call a film great just because someone like a critic or film historian tells them to. When AFI put out the top 100 movies list back in 2000 most film buffs I knew were like "Citizen Kane? Are you kidding me? Better than the Godfather? No way!" When the general opinion about a movie is negative after time has passed then it no longer deserves status as "classic".

 

[ktanner3]

I don't mean to start a Lord of the Rings debate or anything, but I am surprised to see that the third movie is making peoples' lists instead of the second one. I thought that it was public knowledge that Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the King were great, but Two Towers was a complete borefest with far too many useless battle scenes. I could completely cut it out of my viewing (and often do) and I don't feel I've lost any of the important story points. Don't get me wrong, I think all three are probably overrated, but certainly the second movie was the worst.

I never really got into those movies, but I think that has more to do with my dislike for witches,ogres and other warcraft type atmospheres.

Anyway, I always get yelled at for this one, but I think that Blade Runner is waaaay overrated. I was interested in seeing it because I'd heard good things and love Harrison Ford. After watching it, I was completely baffled as to how it became so treasured in peoples' minds. I really think that it must be a product of it's time for most who like it. For a futuristic movie, it felt SO 80s. It felt like I was watching one of those crappy 80s movies that ends up playing at 10 AM on a Sunday on cable. It was just so...hard to enjoy.

Yell back. It's your opinion and you're entitled to it. I never caught Blade Runner the first time around because it bombed so badly at the box office and I was real young. I might give the Blu-ray a try.

 

[Kegek]

I'll agree that Blade Runner's pretty overrated. Not because it's archetypally 1980s (I like that about the film, actually - and no, I didn't see it in the 1980s), it's just not particularly deep. Looks fantastic; entertaining to watch, but not one of the top ten best sci-fi films ever.

When AFI put out the top 100 movies list back in 2000 most film buffs I knew were like "Citizen Kane? Are you kidding me? Better than the Godfather? No way!"

Hell, lots of movies are better than The Godfather.

Including Citizen Kane.

 

[Aragorn]

I love Pulp Fiction, but don't think it's worth all the acclaim it's been showered with.

 

[ktanner3]

I'll agree that Blade Runner's pretty overrated. Not because it's archetypally 1980s (I like that about the film, actually - and no, I didn't see it in the 1980s), it's just not particularly deep. Looks fantastic; entertaining to watch, but not one of the top ten best sci-fi films ever.

When AFI put out the top 100 movies list back in 2000 most film buffs I knew were like "Citizen Kane? Are you kidding me? Better than the Godfather? No way!"

Hell, lots of movies are better than The Godfather.

Including Citizen Kane.

I think we'd make a good critic review team. You'd be raving about some artsy flick and how great the directing was and my answer would be "It Sucked". Then I'd rave about some movie with blood,guts and gore and you're response would be "Hated It!"

 

[sttngfan1701d]

I haven't seen Citizen Kane as yet, but right now The Godfather is my choice as best American movie ever made.

 

[Daedalus12]

On-topic:

I disagree with the whole premise of this thread.

There is no such thing as an "over-rated" movie.

Different people rate different movies differently.

Each person gives each movie the rating that corresponds to the amount of entertainment and enjoyment that each movie provides.

As a consequence, each movie receives exactly the rating it deserves.

To say that a movie is "overrated" is only to say that you don't understand why some people rate a movie more highly than you do.

But that says more about you than it does about the movie in question.

It says that you lack empathy, and can't understand why other people enjoy movies that you don't.

Either that, or you just think that you're better than them. Or both.

People aren't just talking about how entertained they were or how much fun they had. If they were, wouldn't porn always be the highest rated movies?

If movies or TV or SF or whatever really is stupid stuff that is just a matter of personal taste, the question is, why post? To point out how stupid we are for taking it so seriously? This kind of fake populism (belligerently declaring in effect, my taste is as good as yours!) ignores the possibility that some tastes and some ideas are approved but others are not for reasons separate from supposed entertainment value and/or artistic merit. The classic status of Gone With The Wind is not separate from its racist version of history. Nor is its entertainment value separate from racist prejudices and ignorance of viewers.

The refusal to analyze one's experience implies that at some level one is ashamed to examine the self at all. Or the rejection of reason. Or both.

Perhaps a "metric" need to be defined here as a way to measure overratedness. There are many possibilities for such metric. For example we can use imdb ratings for this exercise. Your personal rating of a movie is subtracted from the imdb value to produce the metric value. If your own personal rating is higher than the imdb value then zero is returned. The only problem left is defining what should be the lower bound of the metric value in which anything greater than it means the movie is overrated for you. Let the lower bound be 1 for example which means the following movies are overrated for me.

movie title - (personal rating, imdb rating)

Children of Men (7, 8.2)
Cloverfield (5, 7.7)
Glory (7, 8.1)
Gone with the Wind (7, 8.1)
The Invasion (5, 6.1)
Two Towers (7, 8.6)
Saving Private Ryan (7, 8.4)
Star Trek Insurrection (4, 6.3)
Star Trek Nemesis (3, 6.4)
Star Wars (7, 8.8)
Return of the Jedi (6, 8.3)
Superbad (5, 7.9)
Transformers (4, 7.5)

 

[Super Grover]

Juno, particularly when she was the hippest person in the room on the subject on punk bands and slasher flicks, was too clever by half. But again, good films. Just not that good.

That's what turned me off. It was just too hipster for me.

I can't make myself watch those Wes Anderson films, and I don't understand the love for Bukaroo Banzai.

 

[jkladis]

U-571 (actually I don't know if people think this is a good movie. It's a horrible movie!)

I must be the only poor bastard in the world that actually liked that film.

 

[Mitty]

The English Patient. I hate that film with a vengeance. Whoever thought it was actually good needs to take a long hard look at themselves. What a waste of my f**king time.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Overrated: No Country for Old Men

 

[Cicero]

. . .

A pox on your house and on your list! Is there any movie you do like? -- RR

I love movies, so the list of those I like would be too long to record.

(At last count, I'd seen about 2,000 films, most of which I'd give 3-5 stars.)

Some of my favorite movies:

Amistad
Anastasia (animated)
An Ideal Husband
The Big Sleep
Bend it Like Beckham
Casablanca
Crimson Tide
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
To Have and Have Not
Hero (Chinese)
His Girl Friday
Holiday Inn
The Hunt For Red October
Father Goose
Kal Ho Naa Ho
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lucky Number Sleven
Meet Joe Black
Minority Report
Morning Glory
My Fair Lady
My Man Godfrey
Mulan
The Princess Bride
The Shawshank Redemption
Spider-Man 2
Three Smart Girls
V For Vendetta
You've Got Mail

U-571 (actually I don't know if people think this is a good movie. It's a horrible movie!)

I must be the only poor bastard in the world that actually liked that film.

I enjoyed it, despite some problems. Most persons I know in and around the Navy were fans of it, too.

 

[Kio]

I'll agree that Blade Runner's pretty overrated. Not because it's archetypally 1980s (I like that about the film, actually - and no, I didn't see it in the 1980s), it's just not particularly deep. Looks fantastic; entertaining to watch, but not one of the top ten best sci-fi films ever.

Blade Runner is probably my favorite sci-fi movie. The sound track, the gorgeous sets and cinematography, the plot - I loved everything about it. About it not being particularly deep, well, it's as deep or shallow as any other sci-fi movie that asks, "How do we define consciousness?" But I can't fault you for having an unpopular opinion because of what I'm about to say.

Star Wars was unwatchable. I saw the first half of the original (first in the trilogy) a couple years ago. Midway through, I realized I just didn't care enough to slog through the rest.

The Lord of the Rings had the feel of an extraordinarily expensive tv movie. It's as though they deliberately created break points for commercials - you get a cliff hanger and it fades to black at pretty regular intervals.

Charlie Chaplin movies just aren't funny to me. I like silents and I like some slapstick, but he doesn't do it for me, historical significance be damned.

 

[Orac Zen]

Oh, Star Wars. I forgot about those movies, which pretty much sums up my opinion of them. Try as I might I can't find anything interesting about any of them. And I'm also in the "Blade Runner is overrated" camp.

 

[blablover5]

MSN had a recent article about movies that are considered great classics that some of today's audience think are overated.

"Overrated," with two r's: "over-rated".

Wow, picky much?

Hange one lit mee jist trie two speeel write.

 

[siskokid888]

Man, you guys are tough! There are some great films being panned here. Anyway, for me -

Silence of the Lambs - Dullsville. "Manhunter", made earlier and based on his earlier novel "Red Dragon", was far superior. And Brian Cox's Lecter was scarier then Hopkins' take on it.

Transformers - a lot of hype, but man did I hate it. Just a mess

Red River - Great John Wayne performance and good most of the way, but with one of the biggest hollywood cop out endings of all time.

Every TOS movie except TMP - Meyer and Bennett turn Trek into a cartoon and Trek characters into caricatures.

I know there are more, but thats all I can think of for now.

 

[TheArsenal]

On-topic:

I disagree with the whole premise of this thread.

There is no such thing as an "over-rated" movie.

Different people rate different movies differently.

Each person gives each movie the rating that corresponds to the amount of entertainment and enjoyment that each movie provides.

As a consequence, each movie receives exactly the rating it deserves.

To say that a movie is "overrated" is only to say that you don't understand why some people rate a movie more highly than you do.

But that says more about you than it does about the movie in question.

It says that you lack empathy, and can't understand why other people enjoy movies that you don't.

Either that, or you just think that you're better than them. Or both.

"There is no such thing as an "over-rated" movie. Different people rate different movies differently". True. But this statement willfully ignores there is such a thing as popular and critical consensus on certain films. The Godfather I & II, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind, for example, are movies that are near universally praised. And for movies like these there are thousand of pages of opinion and analysis that attempt to justify this praise. And much of this analysis does not just hinge only on the entertainment derived from the film, but the technical aspects of film making as well.

No, subjective as it is, movies are most certainly rated. And accordingly, one can feel they are "overrated".

This thread, the one you're attempting to suck the fun out of, actually asks the right question for a change by using the words "you think." It has nothing to do with empathy or lack of understanding or any thing else of the sort. It asks the light hearted question, "where does your opinion differ from the critical/popular majority when it comes to certain movies?"

And it does say more about the poster than the movie. That's the whole point on a board that exists for the sole purpose tossing about opinion on entertainment. That's what makes it an interesting and fun thread; trading opinions as a means of conversation, not pontificating on the absolute nature of entertainment.

Back on topic: anyone who has seen the Kill Bills and still doesn't rate Tarantino is completly mad.

 

[Smiley]

I would define overrated in this context as "movies that I enjoy less than the apparent majority." I agree that 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner are overrated. I am also not enamored with either Pirates of the Caribbean sequel.