What I Think Are Overrated Movies
by lee_mark_baker_1989 | created - 06 Oct 2012 | updated - 07 Feb 2013 | PublicPlease, someone, explain to me why any of these are considered 'great', as I have never understood their hype.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Chariots of Fire (1981)
PG | 125 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, are driven to win in the 1924 Olympics as they wrestle with issues of pride and conscience.
Director: Hugh Hudson | Stars: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell, Nigel Havers
Votes: 65,875 | Gross: $58.97M
The most excruciating movie ever made, in my opinion. Aside from Vangelis' wondrous and empowering theme, there really isn't much to stand up against. Dull and best off avoided. Just trust me on that. Unless, of course, you attend a public school - in which case you'll probably "get it" a lot more than I did.
2. Blade Runner (1982)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
Votes: 822,884 | Gross: $32.87M
Too dark, bland and rainy. Also, Philip K. Dick was - in my opinion, of course - a terribly convoluted writer. Give me Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov or Douglas Adams anyday over Dick's pretentious guff.
3. Gosford Park (2001)
R | 137 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Set in the 1930s, a group of pretentious rich and famous get together for a weekend of relaxation at a hunting resort. But when a murder occurs, each one of these interesting characters becomes a suspect.
Director: Robert Altman | Stars: Maggie Smith, Ryan Phillippe, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas
Votes: 93,999 | Gross: $41.31M
Now, I'm not into all this fancy 'Upstairs/Downstairs' guff about priveleged socialites while they discuss fox hunting, the Chancellor's Budget and scoffing at the economic reform. Conservative Julian Fellowes here wrote a self-important Agatha Christie rip-off intended for the wealthy. I'm aware that Robert Altman was a very important and capable filmmaker (I love 'M*A*S*H', 'Nashville' and 'The Player'), but this is dry, time-consuming and eventually unenjoyable. Take my advice: stick to an actual Christie adaptation, preferably ' ...And Then There Were None' ('Ten Little Indians' in some countries) and see how these sorts of muder-mysteries should be done. Avoid this garbage at all costs - unless you are a UK life peer or Baron, you may enjoy it then.
4. The Sixth Sense (1999)
PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
Votes: 1,051,039 | Gross: $293.51M
By the time you get to the end of this pointless film (if you're still awake, that is) you don't really care if Bruce Willis is alive or dead.
5. Donnie Darko (2001)
R | 113 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
Director: Richard Kelly | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne
Votes: 849,869 | Gross: $1.48M
Tosh. Bin it.
6. Minority Report (2002)
PG-13 | 145 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
John works with the PreCrime police which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three 'PreCogs' who can foresee crimes. Events ensue when John finds himself framed for a future murder.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow
Votes: 584,213 | Gross: $132.07M
Again, Philip K. Dick and his awful, niche writing.
7. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.
Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
Votes: 27,973
Impossible to understand "documentary" chronicling a typical day in the Soviet Union. There is an insteresting sequence, however, which showcases a very early form of stop-motion animation. This scene is fascinating and well put-together; the rest is bloated and rather pointless.
8. Spirited Away (2001)
PG | 125 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino, Rumi Hiiragi
Votes: 849,000 | Gross: $10.06M
How does Studio Ghibli's stuff compare to Disney/Pixar? How?
9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
R | 108 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Gerry Robert Byrne
Votes: 1,077,709 | Gross: $34.40M
Good cast/director/writer. There's a lot of love for this movie out there. I painfully sat through it twice for Media Studies in college and disliked it. Immensely.
10. Inception (2010)
PG-13 | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe
Votes: 2,550,041 | Gross: $292.58M
I enjoyed it to a point, but the headline-making ending didn't really grab me. I was like, "so what?" as I exited the theatre. A disappointment, because I really liked the cast and I like Nolan's work.
11. The Sting (1973)
PG | 129 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Two grifters team up to pull off the ultimate con.
Director: George Roy Hill | Stars: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning
Votes: 279,824 | Gross: $159.60M
Too long. I loved 'Butch Cassidy... ' and I was after more of the same. Robert Shaw is outstanding, but it just didn't push the right buttons for me.
12. The Great Escape (1963)
Approved | 172 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.
Director: John Sturges | Stars: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson
Votes: 258,842 | Gross: $12.10M
Sure, it's a good movie and the 'very English' parts are endearing; but take out McQueen and his motorcycle and all you've got is an over-long postcard from the POW camps.
13. Scarface (1983)
R | 170 min | Crime, Drama
In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Votes: 916,189 | Gross: $45.60M
Ahhh, a favourite of all proud men walking the Earth. Not bad stuff, here. Just not as good as that rating will tell you. Honestly, were it not for the macho bravado, this film would be rated around a 6/10.
14. Shrek the Third (2007)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Reluctantly designated as the heir to the land of Far, Far Away, Shrek hatches a plan to install the rebellious Artie as the new king while Princess Fiona tries to fend off a coup d'état by the jilted Prince Charming.
Directors: Chris Miller, Raman Hui | Stars: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas
Votes: 332,366 | Gross: $320.71M
Big fan of the first two films; I thought they were inspired and very, very funny. This one, however, is tired, dull, bland and immediately jokeless. Why Hollywood have to spin everything out that makes money is beyond me (FYI: that was obviously sarcasm)
15. The Raid: Redemption (2011)
R | 101 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A S.W.A.T. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.
Director: Gareth Evans | Stars: Iko Uwais, Ananda George, Ray Sahetapy, Donny Alamsyah
Votes: 217,018 | Gross: $4.11M
Over-hyped movie with non-stop fighting (that gets boring after a while) that will appeal to men on the hunt for adrenaline... and nobody else. There is a story of sorts hidden in here somewhere, but I have this ill feeling that that's not why it is so revered. There have been plenty of martial arts movies of varying quality in the past and, I'll admit, the action is impressive in this one. The main problem streaking its way through 'The Raid' is that - action aside - it remains to be very little else and, ultimately, very forgettable. All style and zero substance.
16. The Leopard (1963)
PG | 186 min | Drama, History
The Prince of Salina, a noble aristocrat of impeccable integrity, tries to preserve his family and class amid the tumultuous social upheavals of 1860s Sicily.
Director: Luchino Visconti | Stars: Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, Claudia Cardinale, Paolo Stoppa
Votes: 28,806
Too long and boring. I've never been a fan of Visconti's work. 'Death in Venice' was about as close as he came to making a great movie. This film is, yet again, another with a lot of respect thrust in it's direction; I just don't feel it's earned it. There are far better movies that have come from Italy, such as: 'La Vita é Bella' ('Life is Beautiful'), 'L'Avventura', 'La Dolce Vita', 'La Strada', 'Cinema Paradiso', 'Nights of Cabiria' and '8 1/2'. And of course the Spaghetti Westerns - let's not forget those.
17. The Bourne Identity (2002)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and attempting to regain his memory.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Franka Potente, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen
Votes: 576,153 | Gross: $121.66M
Matt Damon is not a great action hero. He does the job amicably here but he possesses nothing special in order to rank these movies with as high a merit as the trilogy carries. Sometimes shaky camerawork is a plus; however, in the 'Bourne' series (particularly the 'Ultimatum' effort) it is distracting and the story is nothing that wowed me. Not bad for passing a couple of extra hours, but that is it.
18. A Serious Man (2009)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama
Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Though seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen | Stars: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Fred Melamed
Votes: 149,878 | Gross: $9.19M
Dear Coen Brothers,
Seriously? I mean, I'm a big fan of yours and have loved many of your movies and ranked them alongside my personal favourites, but this? Oh, man; I struggled to sit through it. I thought it was an absolute disaster. Sorry, but, ya know...
19. The Simpsons Movie (2007)
PG-13 | 87 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
After Homer pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpsons are declared fugitives.
Director: David Silverman | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 349,770 | Gross: $183.14M
I loved 'The Simpsons'. I mean I seriously loved it; but for me this was the beginning of one of the most monumental quality declines in the history of television. Almost levelling that of 'Family Guy'. I cannot remember a time when I was more disappointed in a cinema. I walked out thinking it was some sort of joke. There were some immature bad-taste scenes - not part of 'The Simpsons' traditional repartée - and even those felt false and missed the mark. With the incredible talent involved, it should have been way, way better than it was. A film I'll never sit through again.
20. Phone Booth (2002)
R | 81 min | Crime, Thriller
Publicist Stuart Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist's sniper rifle. Unable to leave or receive outside help, Stuart's negotiation with the caller leads to a jaw-dropping climax.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell
Votes: 285,724 | Gross: $46.57M
Boring, one-dimentional tale of a man trapped in a phone booth which happens to be pinned down by terrorists. Director Joel Schumacher ('Batman & Robin', 'St. Elmo's Fire') directs this stolid feature, written by the exhibitionist author of 'Maniac Cop', Larry Cohen, with zero aplomb. It's not "gut-wrenchingly" bad. In fact, this movie wouldn't provoke enough emotion out of a viewer for it to be classified in any superlative term. It's just bad.
21. 300 (2006)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama
In the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. They face insurmountable odds when they are betrayed by a Spartan reject.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
Votes: 864,044 | Gross: $210.61M
Not a terrible movie, but this is how I break down the meaning behind the title: 1 person yelling in short sentences and 299 cardboard cutouts with abdominals grunting behind. And what's with all the slow-mo? If it were played at the normal frame rate, the film would last around 12 minutes. Nauseating.
22. Cries & Whispers (1972)
R | 91 min | Drama
When a woman dying of cancer in early twentieth-century Sweden is visited by her two sisters, long-repressed feelings between the siblings rise to the surface.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Harriet Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Kari Sylwan, Ingrid Thulin
Votes: 36,976 | Gross: $1.74M
I am by no means a 'Bergman-hater'. I vastly enjoyed 'Wild Strawberries', 'The Seventh Seal', 'Smiles of a Summer Night', 'Summer With Monika' and in particular 'Sawdust and Tinsel'. 'Cries and Whispers' is just a very slow and - ultimately - rather uninteresting tale that takes it's time getting to a conclusion that amounts to very little. Maybe it's just me, but I expected more from the ending, having waited so long.
23. About Schmidt (2002)
R | 125 min | Drama
A recently retired man embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding, only to discover more about himself and life than he ever expected.
Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Bates
Votes: 133,561 | Gross: $65.02M
Nicholson is a great actor. One of the best there has ever been; and Alexander Payne has made fantastic movies in the past and present, but this one could have been more promising considering the talent. It feels a little too understated for my liking; as if the passive-aggressive Schmidt should have been more fleshed out by the lukewarm script. That's just my opinion, however, and I know I can definitely be wrong.
24. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
R | 100 min | Animation, Comedy, Crime
An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., Rory Cochrane
Votes: 117,112 | Gross: $5.50M
Overrated Philip K. Dick hodgepodge which, were it not for the cel-animated visuals, would have no special bearing whatsoever. A really slack storyline that needlessly confuses for the sake of sci-fi. In short: there are much, much better sci-fi films out there. Don't settle for this.
25. The Expendables (2010)
R | 103 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A CIA operative hires a team of mercenaries to eliminate a Latin dictator and a renegade CIA agent.
Director: Sylvester Stallone | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren
Votes: 364,639 | Gross: $103.07M
Quite humerous action bonanza starring "past it" actors looking to squeeze a paycheck from there retirement. One can't help thinking that they (Stallone primarily) put this movie together in order to prove that they still "have it". It's all very flash and will impress the easily impressed; but as with so many action movies, it exists on flair alone.
26. The Expendables 2 (2012)
R | 103 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.
Director: Simon West | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth, Randy Couture, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Votes: 322,254 | Gross: $85.02M
Funnier than the previous effort, this cash-in extravaganza will appease the hardcore fans of the first - as it basically gives the exact same thing as its predecessor. Stallone seems to be a re-hash extraordinaire of late and he has proven that his mumbling still works with audiences. However, it will not become a classic like other movies in this genre ('Die Hard', 'Lethal Weapon', 'Robocop'), but you can't help but think that these actors/producers don't care. It makes them a ton of cash, why would they?
27. The Terminal (2004)
PG-13 | 128 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An Eastern European tourist unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 495,145 | Gross: $77.87M
Ham-fisted in its self-importance, Spielberg's least memorable movie recounts the fictitious life of eastern European Viktor Navorski, based on the real-life pursuits of Iranian Merhan Nasseri, who was similarly stranded in Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris for a number of years. This movie, despite being well cast, is ultimately very derivative, the script lacks many interesting points of the real story and the director's trademark flair is missing from this effort.
28. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
G | 85 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.
Directors: Steve Box, Nick Park | Stars: Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Peter Kay
Votes: 146,078 | Gross: $56.11M
Again, I loved the shorts they made; this big-screen debut, though, leaves a lot to be desired. To me, it runs at an inordinately slow pace and never really gets anywhere. The simple and endearing nature of the short films has been lost here and I found it to be tremendously disappointing.
29. Cabaret (1972)
PG | 124 min | Drama, Music, Musical
A female girlie club entertainer in Weimar Republic era Berlin romances two men while the Nazi Party rises to power around them.
Director: Bob Fosse | Stars: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Joel Grey
Votes: 59,378 | Gross: $42.77M
This WWII-set musical is a bizarre one; yet it won 8 Oscars at the 1973 ceremony against 'The Godfather''s 3. How, I dunno. It's not a bad film, it's just not a patch on a good 80% of musicals out there and yet it continues to be very highly rated. I must be missing something. Joel Grey as the Emcee does give us some great scenes though. I would personally recommend 'New York, New York', ya know, if you absolutely 'must' see Liza Minnelli.
30. The Rules of the Game (1939)
Not Rated | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
A bourgeois life in France at the onset of World War II, as the rich and their poor servants meet up at a French chateau.
Director: Jean Renoir | Stars: Marcel Dalio, Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost, Mila Parély
Votes: 31,313
Overwrought French tale that undoubtedly has enjoyable moments, but they are far too sparse to make it worthy of the praise it has attained over the years. To be honest, the theme has been done many times similarly since, and I feel that 'La Regle du Jeu' doesn't stand up as well anymore. Shame, that. It ain't bad. I'd still recommend it; but it is often mentioned alongside the best foreign-language movies of all-time and I just think there are plenty of other, better examples.
31. Old School (2003)
R | 88 min | Comedy
Three friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity near their alma mater.
Director: Todd Phillips | Stars: Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Jeremy Piven
Votes: 243,304 | Gross: $75.59M
Why this is deemed funny, I'll never know. There is some genuine talent involved (Will Ferrell and Todd Phillips especially) but none of it seems to go anywhere and the movie winds up being nothing more than an immature farce - which I know is the intention, but this one seems to believe that it appeals to more than just the 'American Pie'/'Porky's' viewers out there, which it unfortunately does not.
32. Dogma (1999)
R | 130 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loop-hole and reenter Heaven.
Director: Kevin Smith | Stars: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Bud Cort
Votes: 228,608 | Gross: $30.65M
Kevin Smith made a great movie in 'Clerks'; an ambitious portrait of convenience store life - a life in which he of course knew well. This, however, lacks in many departments. Alan Rickman is about the only salvaging component of this disaster. Obviously, I'll point out now, this is only my opinion, as I am aware that many people love it, I just don't understand why. The dialogue that was so real in 'Clerks' is missing. The reason I believe that the aforementioned film was so successful is that Kevin Smith COULD do a story like that well, seeing as he lived and breathed it - whereas this is just a mish-mash of all the fantasy stories flung around any geek's basement. Also, Affleck should just stick behind the camera: he fares much, much better there.
33. The Thing (1982)
R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur
Votes: 466,456 | Gross: $13.78M
John Carpenter was more faithful to the original novella here than the previous film 'The Thing From Another World' and suffers for it in my opinion. The special effects are impressive... but that's all. None of the acting stands out; not much of the story is interesting and the atmosphere put across by the film was boring, instead of the intended 'uncomfortable' aura. Pretty bad considering the same guy made the great 'Halloween' and 'Assault On Precinct 13'. A letdown.
34. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Unrated | 83 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Arriving in Chicago, Henry moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer.
Director: John McNaughton | Stars: Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles, Mary Demas
Votes: 40,423 | Gross: $0.61M
Horrible movie. Michael Rooker capably earns his paycheck in it, but it is a sick movie that's solely for "torture porn" aficionados. If you aren't, stay well clear. If you are, go for 'A Clockwork Orange' instead; don't settle for this crap.
35. Persona (1966)
Not Rated | 83 min | Drama, Thriller
A nurse is put in charge of a mute actress and finds that their personae are melding together.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Margaretha Krook, Gunnar Björnstrand
Votes: 130,874
Depressing story about a mental health nurse and an actress put in her care. Ingmar Bergman is a very good filmmaker, but he can do mediocre movies. I've scanned through IMDb and 95% of his films have 8.0/10 plus. I don't understand this. Sure, he's been influential, but - as I've said before - there are plenty of other writer/directors worldwide that have made movies that pack more clout.
36. Drag Me to Hell (2009)
PG-13 | 99 min | Horror
A loan officer who evicts an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Ruth Livier, Lorna Raver
Votes: 217,445 | Gross: $42.10M
Dumb horror. I expected more from Sam Raimi. This film simply did not cut the disgusting mustard one has come to appreciate about this director; it is what's made him different from many other influential genre trailblazers of late and I left the cinema tremendously disappointed. One to watch only once - at a push. It will no doubt please the ones looking specifically for brainless gore, otherwise - if you are seeking a 'good' horror flick - search elsewhere.
37. American Graffiti (1973)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of teenagers in California's central valley spend one final night after their 1962 high school graduation cruising the strip with their buddies before they pursue their varying goals.
Director: George Lucas | Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith
Votes: 98,126 | Gross: $115.00M
I expected that I would love this: what, with it's 50's fashions, music and various other retro-isms - but I was starkly disappointed. A pre-stardom Harrison Ford as the jocky Bob Falfa is interesting to watch, but it seems clear to me that he still had much of his craft to learn at that point. Though, this movie did team him with George Lucas, who would of course catapult Ford's career with the 'Stars Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' franchises; so, I guess we have to be thankful for this movie in terms of nostalgia. Word of advice, however: don't be expecting 'Happy Days'.
38. The Deer Hunter (1978)
R | 183 min | Drama, War
An in-depth examination of the ways in which the Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of several friends in a small steel mill town in Pennsylvania.
Director: Michael Cimino | Stars: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage
Votes: 362,106 | Gross: $48.98M
A good movie, yes. A great movie, no. It's far too extended to keep any one person entertained. That is one person's opinion, however. Obviously, like many other movies I've listed here, many people love it. I would love for people to defend this movie and give me reasons. I thought the Russian Roulette scene at the end was brutal and inspired - a cinematic gem; but many other scenes were like pulling teeth at times for me.
39. The Matrix (1999)
R | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi
When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 2,052,444 | Gross: $171.48M
Not a bad movie, either. As a trilogy: the next one sucked and the last one was 'ok'. Over-inflated and a bit tiresome. Coulda been put into just the one movie, I thought, and then I saw the profits it made and remembered that it was a Hollywood product.
40. Match Point (2005)
R | 124 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for an actress who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode
Votes: 228,031 | Gross: $23.09M
Now, I'm a big Woody Allen fan: I just found this movie to be slow, boring, derivative and devoid of any of the writer/director's trademark witticisms.
41. Heat (1995)
R | 170 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A group of high-end professional thieves start to feel the heat from the LAPD when they unknowingly leave a verbal clue at their latest heist.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight
Votes: 719,136 | Gross: $67.44M
I hate to say it, because two of the greatest actors of all-time appear in it, but this was slow and unaffecting. Had Michael Mann shaved half an hour off the runtime and minimised Kilmer's input, this would have been a great movie. Oddly, Mann remade his own 'L.A. Takedown' here and I'm beginning to wonder if his earlier version was any better. Sure, the tense scenes between Pacino and De Niro are blazing and Mann has made some brilliant films ('Collateral', 'The Insider') but this was a tepid affair for me. Much more lukewarm than it should have been.
42. The Abyss (1989)
PG-13 | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery
A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester
Votes: 193,184 | Gross: $54.46M
Dark and oblivious underwater drama from movie mogul James Cameron. Like so many of his films, this one has attained a respectable level of cult status. I, however, found it to be a drab and dreary 'Alien' clone with a story not strong enough to uphold the gloomy atmosphere.
43. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
R | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Over the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor must consider the notion that he may have discovered love.
Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, James Fleet, Simon Callow
Votes: 166,078 | Gross: $52.70M
'Love Actually', I think, is rather significantly better than this other Richard Curtis effort. The cast are all fine, but it seems to me to be missing something and for it to be classed as a comedy I can only think of one good joke in it: the one that begins "She isn't my girlfriend anymore... ", but other than that it concentrates more on being 'too English'. However; that said, the scene where John Hannah is reading the W.H. Auden poem at the funeral is very well-acted and very emotionally handled. A great scene indeed.
44. Gladiator (2000)
R | 155 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Votes: 1,619,582 | Gross: $187.71M
Don't get me wrong; it's not bad either, but it just wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped.
45. Brazil (1985)
R | 132 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond
Votes: 211,191 | Gross: $9.93M
I didn't hate this movie. Not at all. I did think the dystopian visuals would have looked much better and much more appealing in colour, as opposed to the artistic chrome colour scheme. Having said that, it does look different and that's fair game, but I think the complex layers of the story could have been better ironed out and reinforced. Good cast, however, and they all do themselves proud.
46. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
R | 107 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Eddy persuades his three pals to pool money for a vital poker game against a powerful local mobster, Hatchet Harry. Eddy loses, after which Harry gives him a week to pay back 500,000 pounds.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Jason Statham
Votes: 616,175 | Gross: $3.90M
Now, I loved 'Snatch': I thought it was visionary, hilarious, very well put-together and superbly acted. 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' is not a bad movie - not by any means, but the ending leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. It is another one of those movies where people are generally gripped by the ending, but I just didn't get it. I thought it was an anti-climax, if anything, and ruined the otherwise quick pace and clever writing of the previous hour and a half. Vinnie Jones was perfectly cast though, and here he steals the movie.
47. The Wicker Man (1973)
R | 88 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A puritan police sergeant arrives in a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl, who the pagan locals claim never existed.
Director: Robin Hardy | Stars: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland
Votes: 92,240 | Gross: $0.06M
Not necissarily a bad movie - and still a thousand times better than the God awful "remake". Sir Christopher Lee is spellbinding as Lord Summerisle - commanding all his brainwashed hippies into a pagan frenzy - and "fart-in-the-bath-sounding" Edward Woodward is capable as the stiff upper-lipped Bobby with the unfortunate happenstance of meeting him. Personally, it wasn't as riveting as I'd previously read, so this movie disappointed me.
48. The Wolf Man (1941)
Passed | 70 min | Horror, Mystery, Romance
Larry Talbot returns to his father's castle in Wales and meets a beautiful woman. One fateful night, Talbot escorts her to a local carnival where they meet a mysterious gypsy fortune teller.
Director: George Waggner | Stars: Claude Rains, Warren William, Lon Chaney Jr., Ralph Bellamy
Votes: 30,694
Despite a fantastic horror cast, I personally don't think this film holds up as well as some of the other Universal classics, most notably 'Frankenstein', 'The Bride of Frankenstein', 'The Mummy' and 'Dracula'. The infamous "transformation sequence" looks sadly lacking recently, due to the superb 'American Werewolf in London''s scene and now this movie doesn't seem to pack the clout it probably once did. Not a bad movie, just not close to being as good as the other "monster" movies, for me.
Tell Your Friends