I’m sure that something like this has happened to everyone, even if it isn’t film related. At one point in your life, you saw a movie or TV show, listened to a song or something that you really hated, but everybody else seems to love. Or maybe it went the other way around; no one else seems to like something that you really enjoy. Being someone who is extremely critical of film, and most forms of media, I seem to encounter the issue of the former far more then the latter, but both have occurred to me in multiple situations. This has been especially happening to me recently, as I keep seeing films that I think are terrible, and then come to find out that others love them. Thus, here are a few films that the general populous can’t get enough of, but I can’t get far enough away from.
Kick Ass 2– There’s not much more I can say with this one that I didn’t already say in the review I wrote toward this film. The only other thing that I think I want to address here is the movies reception. For the rest of these films on this list, I can understand why everyone else likes them, but I just flat out don’t understand this one. I wish I could see the appeal, but I can’t find a single aspect of this film to complement, besides Jim Carrey. And does his performance alone really justify this films reception?
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
My Score: 3/10
Man of Steel- Here’s another recent one that gotten some serious praise from audiences everywhere, that I found almost unbearably terrible. The acting and writing were incredibly dry and lifeless, making the characters feel un-relatable and un-enjoyable. In my opinion, the only way that you can make the character of Superman work is by making him a fun and charismatic character, who is both relatable and supernatural. Unfortunately, Henry Cavill (who played Superman) had no charisma in the role, and writer David Goyer seems to have lost his touch since The Dark Knight. Director Zach Snyder (of 300 and Watchmen fame) has never appealed to me, as his characters and story always take a backseat to action and special effects; Man of Steel is unfortunately no exception. I think the reason why people really love this movie is its action and special effects, which I have to admit were very good. Never before has there been a Superman movie with action like this, and I think the excitement fans had over that action caused them to over look the poor acting, script, story, and characters.
IMDb Score: 7.6/10
My Score: 3/10
Cars- After the release of Cars 2 (what most consider the first bad Pixar film), a lot of people have been concerned that the quality of Pixar films are decreasing to the level of other kids films, which tell uninteresting and generic stories. Well, while the original Cars received pretty good reception, I think it was the first bad Pixar film, even though those who followed it were excellent. Cars is a generic children’s film, with a generic boring story, boring (and sometimes annoying when it comes to Tow Mater) characters, and a very basic message that we come to expect from other kids films, but not Pixar. I think the reason that this film got a pass back in 2006 was simply because it was Pixar, and they had done no wrong up until that point. But, for specifically that reason, I really dislike Cars, as we have come to know Pixar for much more interesting films than Cars.
IMDb Score: 7.2/10
My Score: 5/10
300- Another film by Zach Synder, I feel like this one suffers in the same way as Man of Steel, with it boring and poorly developed characters and uninteresting plot. And, in the same fashion as Man of Steel, all of the praise this movie receives is for its action and cinematography, which I again have to admit is very good. But, I really don’t believe that action and special effects can carry a movie. If I have no characters to relate to or who are developed well enough to keep me intrigued, or any kind of plot that holds weight, I feel that there is nothing to keep the film interesting. The sub-plot which follows Queen Gorgo in her attempts to create diplomatic amends in Sparta feels like an attempt at character development and plot, but the plot is poorly written and the acting so bland that the plot-line falls flat. And to me, that describes the whole movie, flat.
IMDb Score: 7.7/10
My Score 4.5/10
Avatar- The highest grossing movie of all time, this film is renounced by audiences and critics alike as being a great film of its genre, a sci-fi epic that can’t be missed. Even my inspiration, Roger Ebert, gave the movie a perfect score, calling it an “extraordinary film”. This, to me, is all very odd, as I find Avatar to be a tired rehash of stories we have already heard, being told by uninteresting characters. The story of Avatar (which is the same as the of Pocahontas, The Last Samurai, Dances with Wolves, Ferngully, etc.) is an over told story about respecting nature and other people, which has not been changed at all in the retelling Avatar presents. And, while other movies with this plot having interesting and motivating characters, Avatar’s characters are boring copies of the characters in the preceding movies. The only thing even remotely original about Avatar are some of its alien creators. The only reason people like this movie, like with Man of Steel, is its action. But, to me, that can’t save a film from impending boredom.
IMDb Score: 7.9/10
Five critics who are featured on Metacritic gave this film a 10/10.
My Score: 4.5/10
2001: A Space Odyssey- Quick explanation: I thought it was boring and pretentious. And that’s why the critics love it. I respect it for its artistic style, but I can’t watch it without falling asleep.
IMDb Score: 8.3/10, #94 on IMDb’s Top 250
Nine critics who are featured on Metacritic gave this film a 10/10.
My Score: I don’t know. I really don’t know what to say.
Fight Club- I don’t understand this movie. At all. And I really tried to understand what was going on, to get invested in the characters and understand the meaning behind the insanity that was going on in the movie, but I just couldn’t. The plot doesn’t make any sense, the acting is sub-par (especially bad from Edward Norton, whose acting I can’t stand) and the characters are just maniacal and un-relatable psychopaths who spend the entire movie talking about their angst. There’s nothing in the movie that keeps me invested, nothing to keep me wanting to watch anymore, and nothing motivating about its dark tone and unnecessarily vague ideas. I don’t think it makes any sense, but I guess I’m the only one.
IMDb Score: 8.9/10, #10 on IMDb’s Top 250
Three critics who are featured on Metacritic gave this film a 10/10.
My Score: 2.5/10
