Movies you think are incredibly overrated.

[IsaacMahomie]

A topic like this is inevitable.

Here we go.... The Godfather. I watched it, and while YES it is very well filmed, acted, etc. I didn't find it particularly spectacular or engaging.

[van]

Perhaps it's one of those films that needs to be viewed in the context of its era.

[LincM]

With a few dropped jaws, I'm going to also admit, for some reason, I keep missing out on seeing The Godfather, although I absolutely love Godfather II, but in isaac's defence, a film shouldn't be given a set of guidelines in which you should try to enjoy it, should it?

I (honestly) think I'll try to watch this on the weekend.

[Samuel]

I recently watched The Blade Runner again. I haven't seen it since I was in high school. While some of the shots were amazing to me, so much so that they'd stuck in my mind since I was a kid...I realized why the story line always slipped out of memory, it just wasn't very enjoyable. It was work to make it to the end of the movie. I liked the themes, the look, etc...but the story was lame.

[LincM]

Actually, the story is much better than the film does it credit. Just read the book. Likewise, read the books for Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly.

[IsaacMahomie]

but in isaac's defence, a film shouldn't be given a set of guidelines in which you should try to enjoy it, should it?

A qualifying statement: there's a difference between enjoying and thinking its phenomenal. I enjoyed it on a minimal level. I've heard numerous explanations about the historical relevance of the book/film, which is interesting. But YES, a truly great film should be timeless.

I've gotta see Blade Runner. Thank you for reminding me, its been on my list for years.

[LincM]

To add to the mix, I've mentioned before that I hated Nightwatch and think it's one of the most overrated movies of the last decade.

[The Bodyguard]

The Godfather
The Godfather Part 2
2001
Pulp Fiction
Goodfellas
Fight Club (First half is great)
Lord of the Rings Two Towers and Return of the King
Apocalypse Now
Taxi Driver
Requiem for a Dream
Lets just say EVERY Tarentino movie
Most of Pixar's library


That is all i got for now

[LincM]

Taxi Driver and Apocalypse live off parodies more than theuir own true value.

[Mongbert]

Are we arguing these are just 'overrated' like the Beatles, or that they're bad when people keep saying they're good?

If its the first one I can see where a lot of these are coming from, for all its good points Blade Runner is not the best film ever its fans make it out to be. (Although thats the nature of fanboyism).

And can Nightwatch be overated? Is it really rated? Surely a Russian film is lucky if it even gets cult status in the west. Can't say I've ever heard much about it.

And the fact these films are aggressively referenced, its a bit of a chicken-egger, do people watch them because they're so well known, and you almost literally need to see them, or are they referenced because they're so good/so many people have seen them?

[Styles Bitchly]

Usually when people say overrated I think overrated like the Beatles. There are cases where I just think a movie is plain terrible and get sticks and rocks hurled at me, like Pulp Fiction. Terrible movie in my opition.

Now Cassablanca I can watch once a day(and often do since it's on my iphone) and not get tired of.

Godfather? Twice a year and I'm good.

[IsaacMahomie]

Oh no. I've gotta disagree with Lord of the Rings. Best books (fiction) I've ever read, best trilogy I've ever seen. Watching those movies in the theater was the experience of a lifetime.
Other than Pixar (which does have its bad apples) and Fight Club (I've never been in a crowd that obsessed over it) I agree with your list. Way to be bold, man.

EDIT: By "incredibly overrated" I'm implying a film that's not only overrated, but you didn't find it amazing to begin with.

[logosmonkey]

I suppose it's what you're into and what you value from a movie experience. Personally, I disagree nearly entirely with Bodyguard's list. I think those films are so highly thought of because they were not only enjoyable narratives but compellingly crafted works of art.

I think it is necessary to take into consideration the historical context of a film when considering how much it deserves it's 'rating'. I think Godards Breathless is a good example, many don't particularly like the film (though I love it) but it's hard to deny it's overwhelming affect on film in general and just how groundbreaking it was at the time of it's release. Even if you don't like the films narrative it should be respected for it's impact alone.

Mongbert brings up a good point, in general the idea that they're overrated is just opinion so it comes down to what we enjoy on a personal level and not really a critical level. But many films on that list have been exhaustively studied and criticized and come out the other end shiny. For whatever that's worth.

But, that being said, the film I think is most overrated is Boondock Saints. I don't believe it's a terrible film but I consider it mediocre at best with Dafoe's performance being the only real standout. But, I'm not sure it's really overrated in a general sense, I think most of it's acclaim comes from the cult side and not so much the critical side.

[The Bodyguard]

Oh no. I've gotta disagree with Lord of the Rings. Best books (fiction) I've ever read, best trilogy I've ever seen. Watching those movies in the theater was the experience of a lifetime.
Other than Pixar (which does have its bad apples) and Fight Club (I've never been in a crowd that obsessed over it) I agree with your list. Way to be bold, man.

EDIT: By "incredibly overrated" I'm implying a film that's not only overrated, but you didn't find it amazing to begin with.

With Lord of the Rings, it was mostly a process of sitting through it and TRYING so hard to stay awake. Now, the whole series isn't bad, Fellowship is one of my favorite films of all time, it never had a pacing nor a narrative problem to me. However, the next two were something of a chore to get through. I have only seen Return once because I do not want to experience it again. Two Towers is just........painful for me. Its not done badly, it just doesn't work for ME.

I've never read the books nor do I plan to. I read spy and crime books. Never got into fantasy much.


As far as Pixar, Wall-E is one of the greatest movies ever. I haven't seen Up yet or Toy Story 3, but I am just not a fan of most of their movies. Incredibles, Toy Story 1 & 2 are OK, but for my own reasons, those movies just don't sit well anymore. The rest of the catalog is not welcomed in my DVD collection at all.

[Reginald Cornishstone]

The first one that pops into my head is Avatar.
I'm sure I'll be back later to add to this post.