12 Movies that the critics were wrong about (1 Viewer)

[TheIronSheik]

Link

Fairly sure this guy just picked 12 great movies and figured he could raise hell by saying they weren't good. Although, the comments at the bottom tell me otherwise.

Here are his 12 movies:

1. Unforgiven

2. Saving Private Ryan

3. The Sixth Sense

4. Gone With the Wind

5. Star Wars

6. Titanic

7. Amadeus

8. Schindler's List

9. All the President's Men

10. Metropolis

11. The Thin Red Line

12. Boogie Nights

I do agree with Boogie Nights. Other than that, kind of a crazy list.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Clicks. He wants them.

 

[TheIronSheik]

Clicks. He wants them.

Like I said, that was my first thought, too.

But a lot of the comments tend to agree with him.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Shtick taken

 

[jon_mx]

I don't recall Rocky being a big hit with critics.

 

[jon_mx]

The Wizzard of Oz was not a big hot with the critics either.

 

[The_Man]

I'm not the biggest Unforgiven fan in the world. I admit I might not be getting it, but doesn't the movie's ending completely undermine its entire point? The whole movie is a revisionist Western, showing us the human cost and dirty underside of our favorite gunslinger flicks, and that such violence was not heroic. Then in the final scene Clint blows away an entire room full of bad guys and rides off (not into a sunset, but a rain storm) having given us the kind of heroic finale that the movie claimed it wasn't about.

 

[msommer]

Link

Fairly sure this guy just picked 12 great movies and figured he could raise hell by saying they weren't good. Although, the comments at the bottom tell me otherwise.

Here are his 12 movies:

1. Unforgiven

2. Saving Private Ryan

3. The Sixth Sense

4. Gone With the Wind

5. Star Wars

6. Titanic

7. Amadeus

8. Schindler's List

9. All the President's Men

10. Metropolis

11. The Thin Red Line

12. Boogie Nights

I do agree with Boogie Nights. Other than that, kind of a crazy list.

Wait, you liked Titanic?

 

[dickey moe]

I'm not the biggest Unforgiven fan in the world. I admit I might not be getting it, but doesn't the movie's ending completely undermine its entire point? The whole movie is a revisionist Western, showing us the human cost and dirty underside of our favorite gunslinger flicks, and that such violence was not heroic. Then in the final scene Clint blows away an entire room full of bad guys and rides off (not into a sunset, but a rain storm) having given us the kind of heroic finale that the movie claimed it wasn't about.

Maybe it was also trying to make a point that you can't deny your nature.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I agree with a number of the author's list.

I think Unforgiven is a perfectly acceptable western. I think it blazes absolutely zero new ground and doesn't even belong in the discussion with The Searchers or The Wild Bunch when we talk about the best westerns of all time.

I think Gone With the Wind and Episode IV are legitimately beloved bad movies. I think Saving Private Ryan had a great opening followed by a formulaic war movie wrapped up by an awful and unnecessary coda (whereas the unnecessary coda is my only complaint about Schindler's List). I don't know how to rate the Sixth Sense. The second I heard there was a "twist" I knew exactly what that twist must be. So the movie didn't really connect with me other than through an appreciation of Osment's performance.

 

[TobiasFunke]

Link

Fairly sure this guy just picked 12 great movies and figured he could raise hell by saying they weren't good. Although, the comments at the bottom tell me otherwise.

Here are his 12 movies:

1. Unforgiven

2. Saving Private Ryan

3. The Sixth Sense

4. Gone With the Wind

5. Star Wars

6. Titanic

7. Amadeus

8. Schindler's List

9. All the President's Men

10. Metropolis

11. The Thin Red Line

12. Boogie Nights

I do agree with Boogie Nights. Other than that, kind of a crazy list.

Wait, you liked Titanic?

The reception for Titanic was weird. IIRC it was billed as a big-budget special effects disaster movie, maybe when it turned to be a character story with a dramatic backdrop the critics were so surprised that the ignored the fact that it was a total piece of ####. It's not even the kind of sweet-but-hokey thing where you can kinda understand how people fell for it, like Forrest Gump or something. It's pure drivel. Really weird that the critics and the Oscars voters liked it so much.

 

[Jobber]

I think it would be cool to provide the actual reviews at the time. For movies like Star Wars, Oz, and others.

 

[Freelove]

I liked Star Wars, but I can't say I ever thought it was a great film. Most of the rest I didn't care for. Didn't see a couple.

So I think I'm okay with the list.

 

[shader]

Link

Fairly sure this guy just picked 12 great movies and figured he could raise hell by saying they weren't good. Although, the comments at the bottom tell me otherwise.

Here are his 12 movies:

1. Unforgiven

2. Saving Private Ryan

3. The Sixth Sense

4. Gone With the Wind

5. Star Wars

6. Titanic

7. Amadeus

8. Schindler's List

9. All the President's Men

10. Metropolis

11. The Thin Red Line

12. Boogie Nights

I do agree with Boogie Nights. Other than that, kind of a crazy list.

Wait, you liked Titanic?

The reception for Titanic was weird. IIRC it was billed as a big-budget special effects disaster movie, maybe when it turned to be a character story with a dramatic backdrop the critics were so surprised that the ignored the fact that it was a total piece of ####. It's not even the kind of sweet-but-hokey thing where you can kinda understand how people fell for it, like Forrest Gump or something. It's pure drivel. Really weird that the critics and the Oscars voters liked it so much.

I'm a huge fan of Titanic.

 

[TheIronSheik]

I don't recall Rocky being a big hit with critics.

I think the author was saying movies that critics loved that weren't actually good.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

I don't recall Rocky being a big hit with critics.

Best Picture and Best Director Oscars.

Best Picture Golden Globe

ETC

 

[TheIronSheik]

Link

Fairly sure this guy just picked 12 great movies and figured he could raise hell by saying they weren't good. Although, the comments at the bottom tell me otherwise.

Here are his 12 movies:

1. Unforgiven

2. Saving Private Ryan

3. The Sixth Sense

4. Gone With the Wind

5. Star Wars

6. Titanic

7. Amadeus

8. Schindler's List

9. All the President's Men

10. Metropolis

11. The Thin Red Line

12. Boogie Nights

I do agree with Boogie Nights. Other than that, kind of a crazy list.

Wait, you liked Titanic?

I liked it. I thought it was a really good movie. Not sure why that's odd?

 

[TheIronSheik]

I'm not the biggest Unforgiven fan in the world. I admit I might not be getting it, but doesn't the movie's ending completely undermine its entire point? The whole movie is a revisionist Western, showing us the human cost and dirty underside of our favorite gunslinger flicks, and that such violence was not heroic. Then in the final scene Clint blows away an entire room full of bad guys and rides off (not into a sunset, but a rain storm) having given us the kind of heroic finale that the movie claimed it wasn't about.

Maybe it was also trying to make a point that you can't deny your nature.

Exactly.

 

[TobiasFunke]

Link

Fairly sure this guy just picked 12 great movies and figured he could raise hell by saying they weren't good. Although, the comments at the bottom tell me otherwise.

Here are his 12 movies:

1. Unforgiven

2. Saving Private Ryan

3. The Sixth Sense

4. Gone With the Wind

5. Star Wars

6. Titanic

7. Amadeus

8. Schindler's List

9. All the President's Men

10. Metropolis

11. The Thin Red Line

12. Boogie Nights

I do agree with Boogie Nights. Other than that, kind of a crazy list.

Wait, you liked Titanic?

The reception for Titanic was weird. IIRC it was billed as a big-budget special effects disaster movie, maybe when it turned to be a character story with a dramatic backdrop the critics were so surprised that the ignored the fact that it was a total piece of ####. It's not even the kind of sweet-but-hokey thing where you can kinda understand how people fell for it, like Forrest Gump or something. It's pure drivel. Really weird that the critics and the Oscars voters liked it so much.

I'm a huge fan of Titanic.

Different strokes I guess. I thought it was awful. Like "hokey teen romance starring Zach Efron" awful.

 

[TheIronSheik]

Shtick taken

I didn't realize this was shtick.

 

[The_Man]

13. Starship Troopers.

Ruthlessly funny satire and critique of militaristic nationalism that proved eerily prescient of 9/11, was panned as vapid special effects splatterfest.

 

[Buckfast 1]

I agree with The Sixth Sense, as I thought the big "twist" was evident throughout the movie and any surprise factor was lost on me.

 

[TheIronSheik]

I agree with a number of the author's list.

I think Unforgiven is a perfectly acceptable western. I think it blazes absolutely zero new ground and doesn't even belong in the discussion with The Searchers or The Wild Bunch when we talk about the best westerns of all time.

I think Gone With the Wind and Episode IV are legitimately beloved bad movies. I think Saving Private Ryan had a great opening followed by a formulaic war movie wrapped up by an awful and unnecessary coda (whereas the unnecessary coda is my only complaint about Schindler's List). I don't know how to rate the Sixth Sense. The second I heard there was a "twist" I knew exactly what that twist must be. So the movie didn't really connect with me other than through an appreciation of Osment's performance.

I was lucky enough to see it before the buzz came out about the twist. And I really loved that movie. Can still watch it. But I totally understand what you're saying here. Not sure how good of a movie it would have been to me if I new to expect some kind of major twist at the end.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Never felt compelled to return to Unforgiven after the first viewing.

Other than the opening & closing scenes, SPR is kind of dull. And it has Ted Danson.

Thin Red Line was atrocious.

I too liked most of Titanic (except for the part where they slosh around below decks in hypothermia inducing water for 30 minutes)

Never bothered seeing Gone With the Wind or All The President's Men.

Been meaning to see Boogie Nights.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

13. Starship Troopers.

Ruthlessly funny satire and critique of militaristic nationalism that proved eerily prescient of 9/11, was panned as vapid special effects splatterfest.

I agree with this too. My friend in academia has written no less than 3 published articles on Starship Troopers.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

13. Starship Troopers.

Ruthlessly funny satire and critique of militaristic nationalism that proved eerily prescient of 9/11, was panned as vapid special effects splatterfest.

I agree with this too. My friend in academia has written no less than 3 published articles on Starship Troopers.

That movie is awesome. It has Dina Meyer.

 

[TheIronSheik]

Never felt compelled to return to Unforgiven after the first viewing.

Other than the opening & closing scenes, SPR is kind of dull. And it has Ted Danson.

Thin Red Line was atrocious.

I too liked most of Titanic (except for the part where they slosh around below decks in hypothermia inducing water for 30 minutes)

Never bothered seeing Gone With the Wind or All The President's Men.

Been meaning to see Boogie Nights.

Don't bother.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Oh and "Star Wars" isn't Sci Fi. It's Fantasy.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Never felt compelled to return to Unforgiven after the first viewing.

Other than the opening & closing scenes, SPR is kind of dull. And it has Ted Danson.

Thin Red Line was atrocious.

I too liked most of Titanic (except for the part where they slosh around below decks in hypothermia inducing water for 30 minutes)

Never bothered seeing Gone With the Wind or All The President's Men.

Been meaning to see Boogie Nights.

Don't bother.

top 5 movie for me, but don't think andy will like it.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Oh yeah, It's a PT Anderson movie. No wonder I haven't bothered.

 

[Insein]

Oh and "Star Wars" isn't Sci Fi. It's Fantasy.

I can agree that it has fantasy elements. But it certainly has sci fi also.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Oh yeah, It's a PT Anderson movie. No wonder I haven't bothered.

sheesh

 

[Cyclones]

I can agree with alot of this. I walked out of Unforgiven about an hour into it. Titanic was rubbish. SPR was great for 30 minutes then turned into a snoozer. Star Wars is beloved by nerds but it's terrible.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Oh yeah, It's a PT Anderson movie. No wonder I haven't bothered.

sheesh

I can't decide which is the worse Anderson, him or Wes.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Oh yeah, It's a PT Anderson movie. No wonder I haven't bothered.

sheesh

I can't decide which is the worse Anderson, him or Wes.

Wes Anderson is horrible. Just horrible.

 

[TheIronSheik]

Unforgiven is one of my favorite movies of all time. I will watch it anytime I come across it playing on AMC of late.

 

[Sarnoff]

Desson Howe, film critic for The Washington Post: "For a time, the movie's pretty good too. "Groundhog Day" will never be designated a national film treasure by the Library of Congress. But, in terms of vehicle selection, this is one of the better ones Murray has hitched himself to."

The National Film Preservation Board selected it to be preserved by the Library of Congress in 2006.

 

[jwb]

I can agree with a lot of these.

In the case of Star Wars, it's somewhat like the Beatles - if you weren't there, and in the target age group, you see it differently. I was 11 in 1977 - Star Wars just blew us away. Seeing it 5 / 6 times was almost required. It was bigger than anything I remember from that time, and was probably the biggest thing in my life until naked female breasts entered the picture a few years later.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Oh yeah, It's a PT Anderson movie. No wonder I haven't bothered.

sheesh

I can't decide which is the worse Anderson, him or Wes.

I think pta might have the most talent of any director working today.

do I dare ask why the hate?

 

[Copeman]

Maybe you guys saw another version of SPR than me. A snoozer? We had the opening scene, which was arguably one of the most action packed openings ever, we had the action scene in the little town where Vin Diesel was killed, the rush on the MG nest at the radar tower, the action scene where they met Ryan, and finally the last scene. Thought it was an awesome movie.

"Snoozefest"....give me a break...

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Maybe you guys saw another version of SPR than me. A snoozer?

Yeah, don't get this. Maybe some people expected some goofy Michael Bay type action.

 

[NCCommish]

I agree with a number of the author's list.

I think Unforgiven is a perfectly acceptable western. I think it blazes absolutely zero new ground and doesn't even belong in the discussion with The Searchers or The Wild Bunch when we talk about the best westerns of all time.

I think Gone With the Wind and Episode IV are legitimately beloved bad movies. I think Saving Private Ryan had a great opening followed by a formulaic war movie wrapped up by an awful and unnecessary coda (whereas the unnecessary coda is my only complaint about Schindler's List). I don't know how to rate the Sixth Sense. The second I heard there was a "twist" I knew exactly what that twist must be. So the movie didn't really connect with me other than through an appreciation of Osment's performance.

I have seen all 3. Enjoyed them all but Unforgiven beats the other two. Wild Bunch took gratuitous violence to the nth degree and that is it's claim to fame. The Searchers wasn't bad but really better than Unforgiven? IMO it wasn't even Wayne's best film.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Oh yeah, It's a PT Anderson movie. No wonder I haven't bothered.

sheesh

I can't decide which is the worse Anderson, him or Wes.

I think pta might have the most talent of any director working today.

do I dare ask why the hate?

I think both of their works are quintessentially self-important.

 

[The_Man]

I love the Normandy beach segment of Private Ryan, but the rest is just standard WW II stuff. And the end with the old man Ryan at the cemetery is one of those things that makes me feel embarrassed to watch - except for the granddaughter in the pink sweater, who is excellent.

Here's what doesn't work from a storytelling point of view about the opening and closing sequences with old man Ryan. He wasn't on the beach - he was a paratrooper. So going from him as an old man to the beach landing doesn't make a lot of sense, because he wasn't there. And then all the stuff that we live through with Tom Hanks - Ryan wasn't a part of all that either.

So at the end, when he's looking back on all Ryan and the others did to save him, he wouldn't actually know about any of that stuff, other than what happened in the final battle.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Maybe you guys saw another version of SPR than me. A snoozer?

Yeah, don't get this. Maybe some people expected some goofy Michael Bay type action.

Maybe I've just seen so many live-action reels of WWII footage that it makes things like the "sniper in the bell tower" and "rushing the radar dish" seem melodramatic.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Maybe you guys saw another version of SPR than me. A snoozer?

Yeah, don't get this. Maybe some people expected some goofy Michael Bay type action.

Maybe I've just seen so many live-action reels of WWII footage that it makes things like the "sniper in the bell tower" and "rushing the radar dish" seem melodramatic.

Yeah, the movie does have its faults including some melodramatic scenes but it isn't a snoozer.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Maybe you guys saw another version of SPR than me. A snoozer? We had the opening scene, which was arguably one of the most action packed openings ever, we had the action scene in the little down where Vin Diesel was killed, the rush on the MG nest at the radar tower, the action scene where they met Ryan, and finally the last scene. Thought it was an awesome movie.

"Snoozefest"....give me a break...

to be fair, wasn't the attack of the machine gun nest offscreen?

anyway, I agree. it does have a tad too much of Spielberg schmaltz, but still a damn good movie. I think its one if the better war movies made.

 

[Gr00vus]

I think Unforgiven is a perfectly acceptable western. I think it blazes absolutely zero new ground and doesn't even belong in the discussion with The Searchers or The Wild Bunch when we talk about the best westerns of all time.

I've always looked at it as sort of the final chapter of the Man With No Name movies, so it gets a little extra appreciation from me. He made a similar counterpoint movie in High Plains Drifter, but in Unforgiven he took it to a less ambiguous/fanciful place. It had some really good performances from Eastwood, Freeman and Harris. I think Hackman went a little to over the top. In the end I think it effectively painted a picture of what things would really be like for a person like Muny and the others he interacted with in that period of history, something you didn't get in most other westerns.

I think it's a really, really good movie, deserving of the critical acclaim it's received.

 

[msommer]

Link

Fairly sure this guy just picked 12 great movies and figured he could raise hell by saying they weren't good. Although, the comments at the bottom tell me otherwise.

Here are his 12 movies:

1. Unforgiven

2. Saving Private Ryan

3. The Sixth Sense

4. Gone With the Wind

5. Star Wars

6. Titanic

7. Amadeus

8. Schindler's List

9. All the President's Men

10. Metropolis

11. The Thin Red Line

12. Boogie Nights

I do agree with Boogie Nights. Other than that, kind of a crazy list.

Wait, you liked Titanic?

I liked it. I thought it was a really good movie. Not sure why that's odd?

To each their own, I personally thought it was a horrible, horrible movie, for many of the same reasons listed by Tobias Funke.

I'm with you on Unforgiven though, we could probably hang after all

 

[Copeman]

Here's what doesn't work from a storytelling point of view about the opening and closing sequences with old man Ryan. He wasn't on the beach - he was a paratrooper. So going from him as an old man to the beach landing doesn't make a lot of sense, because he wasn't there. And then all the stuff that we live through with Tom Hanks - Ryan wasn't a part of all that either.

So at the end, when he's looking back on all Ryan and the others did to save him, he wouldn't actually know about any of that stuff, other than what happened in the final battle.

I think you're looking at it all wrong. It wasn't about Ryan, it was about the men who saved him. Just because the camera pans into his eyes in the beginning doesn't mean he "was there", or that it was "through his eyes". Also he knew what saving him cost the group, they told him on the bridge at the end.