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

[timschochet]

Unforgiven Fun western, Gene Hackman's great, not a great movie

Saving Private Ryan Fine movie but unpleasant for me to watch. I've seen it once, that's enough.

The Sixth Sense Has a great twist, but otherwise just OK. The mother poisoning her own daughter is chilling though.

Gone With the Wind Classic great old fashioned Hollywood movie. Doesn't date well, but who cares? Love it.

Star Wars Not as good as it's sequel, but still awesome.

Titanic I love this movie. I think people love to hate it. I thought it was terrific, incredibly exciting and romantic.

Amadeus Some great acting by the two leads but this film meanders at times. Very good, not great.

Schindler's List One of my favorite films ever. Up there with The Godfather for me as one of the best movies I have ever seen.

All the President's Men Fine suspenseful 70s flick. Not as good as French Connection or Marathon Man, but still up there.

Metropolis The version I saw had this cheesy 80s soundtrack added. It's hard for me to judge silent films because the acting is so dated. I can appreciate how stunning Lang's vision was, though.

The Thin Red Line Never saw it.

Boogie Nights After Schindler's List, probably the best movie of the 90s for me (just above Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and The Silence of the Lambs). Just incredible storytelling, characters, dialogue. The whole package.

 

[msommer]

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.

I think I have seen the opening scene 100 times (many just to show off the home theater )

But the rest, maybe twice.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

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.

Right. None of us were "there" either, but the old man serves as our proxy as we have a good idea of what they went through to save him/us.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Metropolis The version I saw had this cheesy 80s soundtrack added. It's hard for me to judge silent films because the acting is so dated. I can appreciate how stunning Lang's vision was, though.

That's the Moroder cut and it's terrible. The most recent BluRay has a far more complete version (likely the most complete we'll ever see) and is much, much better.

I think it's particularly interesting considering the political forces that were at work in the world at that time and the movie's interpretation of them.

 

[msommer]

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.

Right. None of us were "there" either, but the old man serves as our proxy as we have a good idea of what they went through to save him/us.

Anyway, the bits he did see may have been enough to feel gratitude. But I am with you on the openig and closing scenes. I really could have lived without them and I think the movie would have been just as effective without them.

 

[msommer]

Metropolis The version I saw had this cheesy 80s soundtrack added. It's hard for me to judge silent films because the acting is so dated. I can appreciate how stunning Lang's vision was, though.

That's the Moroder cut and it's terrible. The most recent BluRay has a far more complete version (likely the most complete we'll ever see) and is much, much better.

I think it's particularly interesting considering the political forces that were at work in the world at that time and the movie's interpretation of them.

I saw that and I appreciate the vision, and the skill. But it is hard to judge movies that were made almost 100 years ago.

I'll never go so far to call it a bad movie. If you compare with most of the stuff coming out in the 20'ies it is lightyears ahead

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

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.

Pretty good list. I liked Unforgiven a lot. I liked Star Wars, but mainly because I was seven.

The Sixth Sense was terrible. Titanic was terrible. Boogie Nights was boring. Schindler's List was okay, but pretty slow. I've seen at least bits and pieces of the others, but none of them made an impression on me.

 

[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.

Right. None of us were "there" either, but the old man serves as our proxy as we have a good idea of what they went through to save him/us.

Anyway, the bits he did see may have been enough to feel gratitude. But I am with you on the openig and closing scenes. I really could have lived without them and I think the movie would have been just as effective without them.

I think the ending was important, especially after Miller told Ryan that he needs to "earn this" at the end. I am sure over his life that stuck with him, and he wanted someone to tell him that he did indeed "earn" it.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

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.

Right. None of us were "there" either, but the old man serves as our proxy as we have a good idea of what they went through to save him/us.

Anyway, the bits he did see may have been enough to feel gratitude. But I am with you on the openig and closing scenes. I really could have lived without them and I think the movie would have been just as effective without them.

I think the ending was important, especially after Miller told Ryan that he needs to "earn this" at the end. I am sure over his life that stuck with him, and he wanted someone to tell him that he did indeed "earn" it.

That's the exact problem. It takes (not particularly subtle) subtext and makes it 72-Point font text.

Anyone watching that movie knows that we're supposed to take what Hanks says and wonder two things: 1) whether any one man could ever live a life that justified that type of sacrifice; and 2) whether we, as a country, have "earned" the sacrifice of the Greatest Generation in the subsequent decades.

We don't need a tacked on epilogue to beat us over the head with the point.

 

[msommer]

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.

Right. None of us were "there" either, but the old man serves as our proxy as we have a good idea of what they went through to save him/us.

Anyway, the bits he did see may have been enough to feel gratitude. But I am with you on the openig and closing scenes. I really could have lived without them and I think the movie would have been just as effective without them.

I think the ending was important, especially after Miller told Ryan that he needs to "earn this" at the end. I am sure over his life that stuck with him, and he wanted someone to tell him that he did indeed "earn" it.

Oh, I know what they wanted to do, to put a nice bow on it, but I generally like movies better when I am not spoonfed the point

 

[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.

Right. None of us were "there" either, but the old man serves as our proxy as we have a good idea of what they went through to save him/us.

Anyway, the bits he did see may have been enough to feel gratitude. But I am with you on the openig and closing scenes. I really could have lived without them and I think the movie would have been just as effective without them.

I think the ending was important, especially after Miller told Ryan that he needs to "earn this" at the end. I am sure over his life that stuck with him, and he wanted someone to tell him that he did indeed "earn" it.

Oh, I know what they wanted to do, to put a nice bow on it, but I generally like movies better when I am not spoonfed the point

Understood. I guess they were just trying to appeal to the masses. I'm sure a lot of younger people (among others) wouldn't understand the sacrifice, so maybe it was good for them to spoon feed it to them.

 

[kentric]

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.

This guy must be fun to hang with.

 

[culdeus]

Not even sure I've ever heard of metropolis.

 

[culdeus]

Where is Citizen Kane on this list? It seems like the low hanging fruit if he's going for clicks.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

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 PTA is the worst because after Boogie Nights all of his movies are about the same - overlong and depressing with unlikable characters, and often with a poor soundtrack. Even Spielberg tries something different once in a while. PTA's only redeeming quality is getting good performances out of his actors.

 

[Chaz McNulty]

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.

You should rewatch. I'll admit I was a little dissapointed the first time I saw it. I stop and watch it everytime it is on now. It's an incredible movie. I still can't figure out why I was dissapointed the first time. This is one of the best westerns of all time in my books. Up there with the likes of The Outlaw Josey Wales.

 

[Insein]

The Sixth Sense Has a great twist, but otherwise just OK. The mother poisoning her own daughter is chilling though.

Im pretty sure the care taker/babysitter poisoned the child. Maybe I misremember. I dont think it was her mom.

 

[The General]

The article is definitely trolling for hits. Didn't bother reading after seeing Unforgiven listed at 1.

 

[Andrew74]

I love war movies but I thought SPR was kind of a snoozer. After the opening beach scene, it was a lot of clichéd stuff.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

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?

Women liked it and women are stupid. Now you're stupid too.

 

[The General]

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.

Dude.

 

[Josie Maran]

The Sixth Sense Has a great twist, but otherwise just OK. The mother poisoning her own daughter is chilling though.

Im pretty sure the care taker/babysitter poisoned the child. Maybe I misremember. I dont think it was her mom.

It was the mom. There was no babysitter.

 

[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?

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

ah, so you don't "get" the movies.

I understand. I think there are a ton of directors that rub people the wrong way, and they usually are more on the art as opposed to the entertainment spectrum of movies. guys like pta, kubrick, aronofsky, malick, lynch and others would fall into this category.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I don't think Wes Anderson is self-important. I think he's self-indulgent, but that's something different. The guy makes the movies that appeal to him. They're kind of the furthest thing from "important" or "serious." They're whimsical and silly. I generally like them (he's had movies too twee even for me, but they're the exception).

Spielberg is about 1000 times more self-important than Wes Anderson. Wes Anderson would never make Munich or Amistad, for better of for worse.

 

[Insein]

The Sixth Sense Has a great twist, but otherwise just OK. The mother poisoning her own daughter is chilling though.

Im pretty sure the care taker/babysitter poisoned the child. Maybe I misremember. I dont think it was her mom.

It was the mom. There was no babysitter.

Hmm I only watched it once in the theatre. Just thought she was the babysitter the way everyone disregarded her during the wake and her general disinterest in the girls death. Even the way the father addresses her was detached. Never picked up she was the mom.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

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

Many were angry that the producers did not use color film for the entire movie. And some did not like the breed of dog they went with.

 

[Insein]

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

Many were angry that the producers did not use color film for the entire movie. And some did not like the breed of dog they went with.

Plus that scandalous get up Judy Garland wore was quite risque.

 

[Ilov80s]

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.

That couldn't be more wrong. The Beatles and Star Wars are two of the most enduring pieces of American pop culture. Young kids today still fall in love with both.

 

[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.

That couldn't be more wrong. The Beatles and Star Wars are two of the most enduring pieces of American pop culture. Young kids today still fall in love with both.

Oh, I agree with you - I didn't really mean it that you only had to be there. I just think judging Star Wars just as a "movie" (and nothing more) doesn't quite work - it was this entire phenomenon that's almost unexplainable.

 

[Thunderlips]

I always thought that Unforgiven was supposed to be a kind of antithesis of or a revisionist western; to the point that it kind of destroys the traditional Western that permeated the 50s, 60s and 70s. For sure there were others,......but I thought Unforgiven kind of makes such a point it kind of makes any future going back to the traditional Western motifs and imageries kind of silly. It killed the traditional Western.

 

[SofaKings]

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.

Commando?

 

[KarmaPolice]

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.

Commando?

not enough fighting robots

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I don't think Wes Anderson is self-important. I think he's self-indulgent, but that's something different. The guy makes the movies that appeal to him. They're kind of the furthest thing from "important" or "serious." They're whimsical and silly. I generally like them (he's had movies too twee even for me, but they're the exception).

Spielberg is about 1000 times more self-important than Wes Anderson. Wes Anderson would never make Munich or Amistad, for better of for worse.

Self-indulgent. Yes, that's the term I was looking for.

 

[Sand]

7. Amadeus

This might be my favorite movie.

 

[17seconds]

The Sixth Sense and The Thin Red Line were both terrible

The rest of the list is silly

 

[Josie Maran]

The Sixth Sense and The Thin Red Line were both terrible

The rest of the list is silly

Agreed on TRL, totally disagree on Sixth Sense. One of my favorite flicks.

 

[17seconds]

And as far as Star Wars, if the guy is under 40 I don't care what he thinks. If you think it's overrated and didn't see it in the theater before 1980 then you don't understand why it is rated that way.

 

[17seconds]

The Sixth Sense and The Thin Red Line were both terrible

The rest of the list is silly

Agreed on TRL, totally disagree on Sixth Sense. One of my favorite flicks.

I thought he was a ghost the entire movie because to me it really seemed like he died in the death scene. So I didn't feel the twist, which is kind of the whole thing.

Then M Knight made some other crappy movies. Then in interviews he revealed he's a pompous ###. Then he made more crappy movies. So I actually hate this movie now.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Agreed on TRL, totally disagree on Sixth Sense. One of my favorite flicks.

I'm sure there are some reruns of the Jerry Springer Show that you could watch.

 

[Josie Maran]

The Sixth Sense and The Thin Red Line were both terrible

The rest of the list is silly

Agreed on TRL, totally disagree on Sixth Sense. One of my favorite flicks.

I thought he was a ghost the entire movie because to me it really seemed like he died in the death scene. So I didn't feel the twist, which is kind of the whole thing.

Then M Knight made some other crappy movies. Then in interviews he revealed he's a pompous ###. Then he made more crappy movies. So I actually hate this movie now.

Yeah, I suppose if you assumed that throughout the movie, it loses a lot of its punch.

Unbreakable is another favorite of mine, but you're right on his other movies and general jerkassiness.

 

[Josie Maran]

Agreed on TRL, totally disagree on Sixth Sense. One of my favorite flicks.

I'm sure there are some reruns of the Jerry Springer Show that you could watch.

:finger:

You're a Malick fan?

 

[KarmaPolice]

I don't think Wes Anderson is self-important. I think he's self-indulgent, but that's something different. The guy makes the movies that appeal to him. They're kind of the furthest thing from "important" or "serious." They're whimsical and silly. I generally like them (he's had movies too twee even for me, but they're the exception).

Spielberg is about 1000 times more self-important than Wes Anderson. Wes Anderson would never make Munich or Amistad, for better of for worse.

Self-indulgent. Yes, that's the term I was looking for.

couldn't a lot of top directors be described like that though?

 

[Jayrod]

I hate these threads. The most pretentious posters come out in full force.

 

[drummer]

This reads like a high school project.

 

[NCCommish]

I always thought that Unforgiven was supposed to be a kind of antithesis of or a revisionist western; to the point that it kind of destroys the traditional Western that permeated the 50s, 60s and 70s. For sure there were others,......but I thought Unforgiven kind of makes such a point it kind of makes any future going back to the traditional Western motifs and imageries kind of silly. It killed the traditional Western.

Pretty much

 

[joffer]

All The Presidents Men is a great movie

 

[NCCommish]

All The Presidents Men is a great movie

Yes it was. Of course I don't know that people who didn't live through it would get the same experience from it today.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I don't think Wes Anderson is self-important. I think he's self-indulgent, but that's something different. The guy makes the movies that appeal to him. They're kind of the furthest thing from "important" or "serious." They're whimsical and silly. I generally like them (he's had movies too twee even for me, but they're the exception).

Spielberg is about 1000 times more self-important than Wes Anderson. Wes Anderson would never make Munich or Amistad, for better of for worse.

Self-indulgent. Yes, that's the term I was looking for.

couldn't a lot of top directors be described like that though?

Yes, and it's likely that when you started listing them that I'd say I don't like most of their work.

Like Scorsese, for instance.

 

[NCCommish]

I don't think Wes Anderson is self-important. I think he's self-indulgent, but that's something different. The guy makes the movies that appeal to him. They're kind of the furthest thing from "important" or "serious." They're whimsical and silly. I generally like them (he's had movies too twee even for me, but they're the exception).

Spielberg is about 1000 times more self-important than Wes Anderson. Wes Anderson would never make Munich or Amistad, for better of for worse.

Self-indulgent. Yes, that's the term I was looking for.

couldn't a lot of top directors be described like that though?

Yes, and it's likely that when you started listing them that I'd say I don't like most of their work.

Like Scorsese, for instance.

This is starting to get pretty hipsterish now.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Like Scorsese, for instance.

This is starting to get pretty hipsterish now.

His subject matter doesn't speak to me and I can't root for his anti-heroes.