The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

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Ron Burgundy
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The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by Ron Burgundy »

Thankyou for all who are taking part, and its not too late to sign up either! If you feel like you have a (list) itch to scratch, you can join in whenevr you feel like it. Or if you like, we'll be doing a bigger list early next year (best actors/actresses) so dont be shy, come and take part in the fantaverse's list building extraveganza!

Without further ado, lets get stuck in :)

THE 25 MOST OVER-RATED FILMS EVER SEEN!

#25

RON B

When I started this list, I ploughed through my ratings on imdb, coming up with roughly half of my titles. Then I had to do some research, almost shocked by a few titles i'd come across- a feeling I, and you had better get used to, because we can't have 1 taste floating everyones boat!

There are a few that didn't make the cut, ones that stand out are: Toy Story 3, Jackass, Adventureland, Easy A, The Book of Eli & the entire Transformers franchise.

25. E.T: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
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imdb rating: 7.9 from 307k votes. Metascore: 91
I must admit i may be a little harsh chucking this one on this list. Its not a bad movie in my books. But it is indeed beyond me how well rated this is on imdb and more or less everywhere else.
My rating: 5/10


Six (#6)

Over-Rated? Well, that may be in the eye of the beholder but every year only a handful of films get talked about once they leave cinemas (or drop lower in that Netflix queue), and usually they’re the ones that weasel their way into the usual Best of lists. Some are arguably deserved, but there are some that just drive me nuts, that are baffling in their sub –par quality when people seem so desperate to think they are perfect. There are a variety of reasons, whether love of the film-maker or something happening within culture to make people love the idea rather than the film. And they’re the ones that send me into a Hulk-like critical fury.
 
It’s worth mentioning a few that missed my list: Juno (dated smart-assness), Toy Story 3 (doesn’t stand up on multiple viewing), Blade Runner 2049 (dull fanboy service), Lost in Translation (Coppolla is an over-rated director), Gladiator (cheesy dialogue), The Artist (superficial pastiche), Ghost in the Shell (amazing concept and atmosphere marred by a half-baked script).

25. La La Land (2016)
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A year and a bit ago this film was prancing through the film festivals with nothing but rave reviews and positive predictions about awards and success. People spent so much time lauding it that they forgot to really look at it. Sure, it’s a musical with some visual pazzazz, but not nearly as much as the trailer suggested. Some scenes are downright dull. Outside of City of Stars, the music is forgettable. The characterisation is weak – the guy’s love of jazz is pretentious (and some of my jazz-loving friends found him to be laughable) and we never get into the head of the girl. And for a musical it’s particular light on laughs and camp humour. Indeed, the sailor dance number in Hail Caesar, one of the Coens’ weaker films, has more wit and imagination in 5 minutes than this does across its 2 hours. It may be loved now, but we’ll see what happens in a few years, when it becomes another The Artist.


Boosh

Preface:
There’s going to be something that you will notice in mine: nearly all the movies are from the past two decades. However, I will explain my reasons along with what I believe to be a better film that’s not as hailed as an alternative to avoid criticisms that this is nothing but a hate list. Also, it was difficult to list a film that might have been praised in 1983 but is nearly totally forgotten now (otherwise, a film like The Dresser, which I have never been able to figure out its Best Picture nomination over Fanny & Alexander, Return of the Jedi, or Scarface, would be here).

Just missed out: About Time (2013), Blue is the Warmest Color (2013), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Coherence (2013), Frances Ha (2012), Man Bites Dog (1992), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Rush (2013), Satantango (1994), Shakespeare in Love (1998), The School of Rock (2003), Serenity (2005), The Social Network (2010)

25. Gone with the Wind (1939)
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Why?: Yes, I’m beginning my list with the most successful film of all-time. 1939 was filled with great films (they don’t call it The Golden Year for nothing) but this one gets all the attention? All this nearly four-hour film seems to do is whitewash history and claim that the South was justified in its actions during the Civil War. And as a result, nearly every Civil War film is a Confederate apologist piece and people are actually taught in schools about why the South was heroic and that the Confederate flag isn’t hate speech.

Better movies: Glory, 12 Years a Slave, Ride with the Devil (Civil War), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Women (1939)


Tranny

25. Casino Royale (2006)
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Chien
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25. Le Havre (2011)
Kaurismaki is a director I’m always torn about. Some films of him I really like, and some
leave me a bit more skeptical. Le Havre, being one of his more raved about films, is the best
example. If I can only applaud what the director has to say in his film, I have a huge problem
with the performances in it. They are just catastrophic. So catastrophic that I wanted to laugh
out loud. I can only assume Kaurismaki doesn’t speak French and has a hard time dealing
with actors speaking in French. But when you’re French, it ruins the film.
. The Turin horse (2011)
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I like films that are not easy to watch. And I can like contemplative films. But this was way too
much. Sometimes it feels that some directors make contemplative films just for the sake of
contemplation, and The Turin Horse, a critics’ darling that won many prizes, is one of them..

Walleye
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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by Chienfantome »

Ron you posted two of mine !
Hmmm, It seems there was a problem with the file I sent you the numbers didn't appear ? Anyway you took the list from the good end, but just post one at a time ;)

And I forgot to write a little intro.
My list will consist of films that I consider overrated because they have won many awards and critics praise, or because they are very popular films, here on the boards or in the general public's eyes, but I don't hold them on high esteem.
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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

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Ron... awww, poor ET. Haven't seen it since a kid but I think the way Spielberg directs children probably makes me like it enough to justify its rating. I think everything Spielberg has done in the last decade has been over-rated, except maybe War Horse which was decent.

Boosch, I pretty much agree with all of your runners up (except maybe Shakespeare in Love, which is clever, and School of Rock, because it's harmless). Haven't seen Gone with the Wind, but wouldn't be surprised if I agreed with you.

Tranny, I actually like this Bond film. Maybe because I'm not a huge Bon fan, and this breaks the mould by being more subdued.

Chien. Noooooo! It's a wonderful film. It made my top 100 of the century! I'm not sure if you can criticise the delivery the way you do. Kausmaki's actors are always flat in their delivery, in every language. That's just the nature of his world. I though this film was humane and moving! Haven't seen The Turin Horse as it looked boring. Guess I made the right choice.

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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by Chienfantome »

Well, Six, as a matter of fact, you too start with a beloved film of mine ;)

I know many consider La La Land overrated, but to me it's just fabulous. The way this film made me feel, no other film has done so this year.

E.T., I haven't seen in decades, so couldn't really say. Same goes with Gone with the Wind, a film I watched as a kid, but haven't seen in ages.
Casino Royale is a solid Bond film, and the one that has the best female character of the saga, probably, so I really like it.

And reading Boosch's list of films that almost made his list reminds me I forgot to include The Perks of Being a Wildflower in my own top, dammit !!!!! It would be in my Top 3, no doubt about it, how could I forget this wildly overrated film with such ridiciculously written twists and such poor choices of characterization ? So yes, Perks, definitely overrated.
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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by Shrykespeare »

yeah, sorry, guys, take me off the list. I don't have time to devote to this right now. Sorry. Planning a trip overseas and finishing my trilogy-capper is taking up all my time.
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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by Ron Burgundy »

Ahh, sorry Chien, wasnt sure what happened with the numbers, i take it, Le Havre is actually your No.24? Well, lets just place Perks where the other one belongs. I didnt think Perks is rated too highly to be honest.

And yep E.T overrated.

And tranny, Casino Royale?! *shakes head* i bet you like Quantum of Solace...

I havent seen LaLaLand yet, maybe that will get bumped down the pecking order now.

Also haven't seen your films Chien.

And i cant really remember Gone With the Wind. But i wonder, is it still held in high regard? Probably, the population is ageing.

And sorry to hear it Shryke, wish u all the best with your writing and your holiday!
-Hope to see you on the next list extravaganza! (Im thinking sometime next year between Feb and April-for the best actor/actresses)
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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by Buscemi2 »

It might be the favorite film of the American South, Ron. There was even a theatre in Atlanta (owned by Ted Turner) that ran the film for years.
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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by transformers2 »

Ron Burgundy wrote:And tranny, Casino Royale?! *shakes head* i bet you like Quantum of Solace...
Wasn't too big on Quantum of Solace either, but it at least had some decent action setpieces that this film sorely lacked. Skyfall is the only Bond movie from the past 20+ years that really impressed me to be honest. My qualms with Casino Royale mostly stemmed from the hype that surrounded it. I remember it being billed as the "best Bond Ever" when it came out and by the time I got around to seeing it when it hit DVD in March 2007, I ended up being thoroughly underwhelmed by everything besides the acting of Daniel Craig and Eva Green. Mads Mikkelsen was a lame villain, it dragged for about 85% of its runtime, that torture scene that a lot of people lost their shit over wasn't that shocking or memorable and as the braindead action whore that I am, the fact that climatic battle was a fucking card game really bothered me.

Intro to My Selections: The criteria for my list is incredibly simple. There are plenty of films that I didn't connect with that I can at least understand why they've become so beloved (including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Boogie Nights, Dances with Wolves, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and most recently, Logan), so this list is solely dedicated to the 25 films that I've never understood the acclaim for. That's the justification behind every single pick I made and I'm looking forward to getting berated by you guys over the next few weeks.

And lastly, here are the final 5 films I cut from my list (in alphabetical order):
Back to the Future
Napoleon Dynamite
Rogue One
War for the Planet of the Apes
Wreck-It Ralph
BRING BRENDAN FRASER BACK TO THE BIG SCREEN DAMN IT
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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by numbersix »

transformers2 wrote:[
Back to the Future
That confirms it: Tranny has no soul

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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

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numbersix wrote:
transformers2 wrote:[
Back to the Future
That confirms it: Tranny has no soul
It took you until now to realize that ;)
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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by JohnErle »

Before picking films for this list I looked at the IMDB top 250, The Sight & Sound polls, the AFI Top 100, and any other reputable lists of the greatest films of all time I could think of. I didn't focus too much on Oscar winners from the past unless they're still held in high regard today. Chariots Of Fire may have been overrated in the early 80s, but when was the last time you heard anyone mention it as a great film? And I paid very little attention to box office success since the term "over-rated" implies critical esteem more than mainstream popularity. And I tried to limit myself to one film per director, but more on that later.

#25 - Spotlight

This recent Oscar winner makes the cut on the basis of being over-rated at this moment in time. Much like Chariots Of Fire, I doubt anyone will be talking about it in 20 years, except as a teaching tool. “See kids, before the internet there used to be these things called newspapers, and the people who worked there were called journalists, and before they published a story they took the time to check all their facts and they made sure everything was true. No, really!”

More of an information dump than a proper movie, I think my pithy line from my review was that it was like a dramatization of a Wikipedia article. These journalists broke an important story, but that doesn't make it an important movie, or a good one.

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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by undeadmonkey »

ron- ET - It's been so long since i've seen it. i'm afraid to see it again for the fear of it being cheesy.

six- LaLa - As a love letter to Los Angeles and the director showing all the things he loved and finds magical about hollywood, it worked extremely well. As all those things you said, yup. The guy was annoying and unlikable, you never got to know emma stone's character, baffled about her oscar win.

boosh -Gone with the Wind - I enjoyed the movie. wouldnt watch it again though. not sure why you think it's overrated.

tranny - Casino Royale - It's so fun, what's not to like and it brought Bond back.

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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by Walleye413 »

Ooh, this is going to be fun. I didn't do an intro for my list either, and I could only come up with 21 of them. Well, I could come up with more but I was trying to stick to the worst offenders. Overrated, by it's nature, means personal so you got to go with what you feel. I think everything on my list is loved/praised by some segment of the film community. Most are on IMDB's top 250/1000. But for me, as much as I enjoyed several of the films on my list they just don't warrant the praise that I hear. Some of them I think are downright horrible - but when I say that I mean horrible in terms of message and value to film. You can make a "well-done film" with horrible people or horrible outcomes but to quote Jurassic Park - just because you can doesn't mean you should. And we certainly don't need to lavish praise on it.

As to the early picks

I love ET. Love it. I watch it almost every Easter (ET is totally Jesus.) I might have to take a moment before I move on.

I also love La La Land. I understand some of the criticism, but for me I never felt the same way. It just drew me in and I think told a different story that I was expecting.

And I love Casino Royale. My favorite Bond movie of all time. Although another Bond makes my list, so I'll be curious as to the reaction on that.

The rest I don't feel nearly as strongly on - so good picks I guess :)

So fun seeing the lists of other. Can't wait til you all start disagreeing with mine!

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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by numbersix »

John, Spotlight was on my list but I pushed it off because it's already, after only 2 years, faded into obscurity. But yeah, 100% agree - it's a dull, TV movie-stlye filmed article.

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Re: The Fantaverse 25 Most Over-rated films list

Post by Ron Burgundy »

#24

Ron B

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Juno (2007)
imdb rating: 7.5 Metascore:81
I wouldn't call this a bad film, its simply highly over rated. The cast is perhaps the worst part though i think the witty script is what gets this film on the list- nobody speaks like Juno does, in real life.
My rating: 4/10


Six (#6)

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Natural Born Killers (1994)
Tarantino doesn’t really do social commentary. These days he has turned his back on the world, making sub-genre films that may have passing references to social issues, but really are all about the shocks and surprises that genre films do so well. This is QT’s attempt at addressing media salaciousness, but that has been done since the 30s. What’s different about this film, and what makes it a weak film, is Oliver Stone’s visual style, a sort of wannabe Tony Scott franticness that tries to be ironic but is actually heavy-handed, arrogant, and downright annoying.


Boosh

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Juno (2007)
Why?: Sure, the hype and acclaim has died down considerably since its 2007 release but the fact remains that the script won an Oscar (over Ratatouille, no less) and that Diablo Cody is still working despite her near-incomprehensible script and inability to branch out into writing words and phrases people would actually say. In addition, the characters are one-note, the motifs and themes don’t work, and the whole thing ends up being one long anti-choice tract.

Better movies: Knocked Up, Waitress (2007 pregnancy movies), Thank You for Smoking (Jason Reitman)


Tranny

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Dazed and Confused (1993)


Chien

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)


Johnerle

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Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Eastwood has done much, much better.


Walleye
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Papa Burgundy
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