Unpopular Opinions

[Wiendish Fitch]

Thanks, BizBuzz! 

Edited May 22, 2014 by Wiendish Fitch

[frenchtoast]

I enjoyed Frozen, but I also thought Tangled was a better movie--editing, character, story, music and lyrics--just a better movie. Let it Go just makes me grind my teeth with the flurries and the fractals. Because, I GET IT. You're so effing clever. Ugh. And DIsney gets knocked for bad parents, but Rapunzel's parents (her real ones) are good. And so are Tiana's, and Mulan's, and Merida's and Belle's. They're not perfect, but they care about their kids. The parents in Frozen are terrible. Locking away a daugher? WTF? Having said that, I don't think most young girls understand how evil Mother Gothel is. That is one fascinating villain. My daughter knows she's bad, but she doesn't see how she messes with Rapunzel's psyche. She's seen as bad and the parents in Frozen aren't. Whaaaa?

[ribboninthesky1]

I much preferred Tangled to Frozen.  Rapunzel was naive and innocent, had much of her childhood taken away, like Anna, yet found her way to independence without exhibiting the kind of callous disregard that Anna did.  

 

I thought Anna came off rather entitled and self-absorbed until her act of love. She met Hans and is immediately set to marry him, yet bristles like a brat when her sister actually uses some common sense and advises her not to.  And then actually turns on Elsa because she won't give her blessing.  I loved, LOVED when Anna was complaining, like "I can't live like this anymore," and Elsa was direct to her: leave.  Because, really? It's not like Anna was the only person in the palace to suffer. Don't like it? Get to steppin' then.  Go off and marry Hans, the man you met five minutes ago, in HIS kingdom, if it's true love and such.  Matter of fact, I might have liked the movie better if she had done just that, and didn't return until the third act (if at all). 

 

And I don't recall the specifics, but I think she commanded Kristoff to assist her with finding Elsa.  And I thought, "Um, you're the idiot who decided to go after Elsa in snow and ice without proper equipment."  And that's NOT counting that she left the kingdom in the hands of the man she met five minutes ago. I know I was supposed to think of her as brave, but um...no. 

 

I mean, I get that these movies are fairy tales, so suspension of disbelief and all that, but the story in this one was seriously lacking.  I connected with Elsa more, despite her being cold and withdrawn. 

[Crs97]

I cannot stand the ending in "A League of Their Own."  The little sister is such a spoiled little brat that I am royally pissed each time Geena Davis drops the ball.  I can't even watch it anymore because I know it's coming.  And that makes me sad because I am so interested in every other character.  Lori Petty ruined that movie.

[Bastet]

We are of the exact same mind on that one.  I love that movie ... right up until the shot of the ball coming out of Dotty's hand.  Kit was a fucking baby.  She had a meltdown every time she made a mistake - or had to face the reality that her sister happened to be a better player than her - which is something to be corrected, not coddled.  I'm supposed to have my heart warmed by her supposed triumph?  The only thing heated up is my blood.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Bastet

[Shannon L.]

I actually liked Titanic, but this:

 

I think I was forever labeled a curmudgeon among my friends because I found nothing romantic about her dumping the necklace in the ocean.

Seriously?  That was supposed to be considered romantic?  I thought it was down right stupid.  And even if I didn't think it was stupid--if I understood why she did it--romantic is the last word I'd use to describe it. 

[jellysalmon]

I really don't care for Shawshank Redemption. When people talk about how it got robbed at the Oscar's I cringe. I think Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump and even Quiz Show are much better films (I've never seen Four Weddings and a Funeral.) I don't understand why it's #1 on imdb.

[cmahorror]

On the flip side, I thought About Time was wonderful and was surprised at the "meh" reviews it got.

I know! I was really surprised by how much I loved the movie. Definitely one I am trying to get more people to see.

 

I cannot stand Forrest Gump. Hated it when I was forced to see it in the theater when it first came out, thought True Lies (another film my friends and I saw the same week) was a better film. And Best Picture against Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption and Quiz Show? No, just no. The attempts to manipulate my emotions with Forrest just happening to be a part of these major moments in history just pissed me off more and more as the picture continued. So much hate for this movie.

 

Another Best Picture winner I cannot stand - Titanic. Rose would have dumped Jack after a couple of weeks if he had lived. He was a fling - not the love of her life. As someone said earlier in this thread, real people died. I saw it once because my daughters wanted to see it and I did cry but I can still remember the reason why. It was 2 specific scenes while the boat was sinking: the mother in 3rd class comforting and tucking her children in and the older couple who laid in bed so they could die together.

 

I do not like Citizen Kane. I found it a visually innovative film and I understand the techniques used were new for the time but the story left me cold and there was not one person I cared about.

 

Have attempted on many occassions to watch 2001: A Space Odyessy and fall asleep every time. Also, I find The Shining a cold film that misses the point of the book completely. Kubrick is on record as saying he did not believe in ghosts or an afterlife and the film is lacking for it. Plus, Jack Nicholson comes off crazy from the beginning, there is no character development. Again, just my opinion.

 

Agree with my fellow posters about Bridesmaid, I just don't get it.

Edited May 29, 2014 by cmahorror

[Bastet]

It was 2 specific scenes while the boat was sinking: the mother in 3rd class comforting and tucking her children in and the older couple who laid in bed so they could die together.

 

I've already expressed my objection to Titanic, so I'll just chime in to say those are my favorite scenes of the film as well.  Those two brief moments move me far more than the eleventy hours we spend with Rose and Jack.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I hate Grease, always have. Sandy didn't have to change. At all. It pisses me off she became a spandex-clad bar wench just to nab some guy she'll probably break up with by August.  I wish the film instead had ended with her telling Danny, Rizzo and Kenickie where to get off.

 

I respect Citizen Kane… but I love (and vastly prefer) Touch of Evil. Touch of Evil is twisty, suspenseful, and fun as hell.

 

The Birds is easily Hitchcock's most overrated film. So interminably, unforgivably dull. It takes a good half hour for anything of interest to happen, and by the time it does, you just don't care anymore. I am extremely forgiving about shaky special effects in old movies, but when I watch The Birds, all I can think is, "blue screen, blue screen, birds aren't really there, blue screen". And how can anyone find dull-as-sand Tippi Hedren appealing when Suzanne Pleshette is right there? Oh, right, Hedren's a blonde, and Pleshette's a yucky ol' brunette, silly me.

 

I love Miyazaki, but I hate Spirited Away. Ever watch a movie that you felt was personally antagonizing you? That's how Spirited Away felt to me. Likewise, I love the somewhat maligned Ponyo. Princess Mononoke is good, but I think it suffers from a somewhat clumsily written villain.

 

Lost in Translation was boring, shallow, frustrating and I wanted nothing more than to give Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson's characters a slap. If I were married to either of these dullards, you can bet I'd be unfaithful, too.

 

Speaking of characters I want nothing more than to kick in the pants, The Breakfast Club. I hated each and every one of those snot-nosed, navel-gazing little punks, and I really don't get its "masterpiece" status. I like Sixteen Candles better, because at least it doesn't take itself so seriously.

 

I love Charlton Heston. I couldn't care less about his politics, and while he could occasionally veer into hamminess, the man had presence. I completely believe he earned his Oscar for Ben-Hur, I thought he was magnificent in in (and, okay, I'm shallow, he looked pretty as all get out, too).

[Ohwell]

And how can anyone find dull-as-sand Tippi Hedren appealing when Suzanne Pleshette is right there? Oh, right, Hedren's a blonde, and Pleshette's a yucky ol' brunette, silly me.

While I liked The Birds, that was the one aspect of the movie that annoyed me because I thought Suanne Pleshette was far more appealing than cold fish Tippi Hedren.  Rod Taylor was an idiot.

[FormerMod-a1]

I think I was forever labeled a curmudgeon among my friends because I found nothing romantic about her dumping the necklace in the ocean. For goodness sakes, sell the thing and start a foundation in your boyfriend's name. A real story about the Titanic can bring me to tears. This movie? Not so much.

This annoyed me to now end too.  Donate it to a museum, donate it to charity auction.  Throwing it away to the bottom of the ocean?  Stupid, IMO.

 

My unpopular opinion is that The Dark Knight Rises is a shitty movie. Well made? Sure. But that's about it.

 

It's about forty five minutes too long, the plot has more holes than Bruce Wayne's knees, Bane is absurdly comical rather than threatening, and Bale's Batman voice has entered full-on parody mode. Meanwhile, Bale himself continues to be incredibly unsympathetic and cold, as he is in most movies.

Is this the one where he's wandering around the mountains for an interminable amount of time?   Or was that Batman Begins?  Whichever one it is, I just thought it dragged and dragged and really don't remember much else about it.  And I haven't watched a Batman movie since.  Most people thought I was insane for not liking it, whichever one it was.

[Danny Franks]

 

 

Is this the one where he's wandering around the mountains for an interminable amount of time?   Or was that Batman Begins?  Whichever one it is, I just thought it dragged and dragged and really don't remember much else about it.  And I haven't watched a Batman movie since.  Most people thought I was insane for not liking it, whichever one it was.

 

That's Batman Begins. Which is about an hour shorter than The Dark Knight Rises, believe it or not. In the one I'm talking about, he spends an interminable amount of time trying to climb out of a deadly, deadly pit, while noble hearted prisoners cheer him on. Honestly, I feel like that sequence lasted about fifteen hours.

[Crs97]

Oh my goodness, Grease and The Breakfast Club are the worst for exactly the reasons you mention!! When I first saw Grease I was young and thought it romantic. My parents then saw it and forbade us from watching it again, explaining how not romantic it was. Years later I stumbled across it and tried to watch. Really awful film! I saw Breakfast Club in high school and spent my time yelling at the screen. What a bunch of whiny brats!

Lost in Translation is the film that taught my husband and me that if the majority of reviews describe it as "quirky," the movie is not for us.

[Mrs. P.]

I hate Grease, always have. Sandy didn't have to change. At all. It pisses me off she became a spandex-clad bar wench just to nab some guy she'll probably break up with by August. I wish the film instead had ended with her telling Danny, Rizzo and Kenickie where to get off.

I respect Citizen Kane… but I love (and vastly prefer) Touch of Evil. Touch of Evil is twisty, suspenseful, and fun as hell.

The Birds is easily Hitchcock's most overrated film. So interminably, unforgivably dull. It takes a good half hour for anything of interest to happen, and by the time it does, you just don't care anymore. I am extremely forgiving about shaky special effects in old movies, but when I watch The Birds, all I can think is, "blue screen, blue screen, birds aren't really there, blue screen". And how can anyone find dull-as-sand Tippi Hedren appealing when Suzanne Pleshette is right there? Oh, right, Hedren's a blonde, and Pleshette's a yucky ol' brunette, silly me.

I love Miyazaki, but I hate Spirited Away. Ever watch a movie that you felt was personally antagonizing you? That's how Spirited Away felt to me. Likewise, I love the somewhat maligned Ponyo. Princess Mononoke is good, but I think it suffers from a somewhat clumsily written villain.

Lost in Translation was boring, shallow, frustrating and I wanted nothing more than to give Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson's characters a slap. If I were married to either of these dullards, you can bet I'd be unfaithful, too.

Speaking of characters I want nothing more than to kick in the pants, The Breakfast Club. I hated each and every one of those snot-nosed, navel-gazing little punks, and I really don't get its "masterpiece" status. I like Sixteen Candles better, because at least it doesn't take itself so seriously.

I love Charlton Heston. I couldn't care less about his politics, and while he could occasionally veer into hamminess, the man had presence. I completely believe he earned his Oscar for Ben-Hur, I thought he was magnificent in in (and, okay, I'm shallow, he looked pretty as all get out, too).

I absolutely agree with your thoughts about Charlton Heston. He could be a little wooden in several of his movies, but I thought he was terrific in Ben-Hur.

[tinaw]

Danny Franks. I too thought Dark Knight Rises stunk. Banes character ruined it for me with the fact I couldnt understand a thing he said. I saw Batman as broken and rebuilding. Cat woman bugged too but I think it was because of Hathaway.

[NoWillToResist]

 

I too thought Dark Knight Rises stunk. Banes character ruined it for me with the fact I couldnt understand a thing he said.

 

Bane was the best unintentionally hilarious thing in any movie, ever, IMO.

 

You've got this hulking beast of a dude who should be intimidating as fuck but then they go and give him that marble-mouth? Hee! I really wanted every person who interacted with him to be all "I'm sorry, what? I can't understand you. Are you threatening me or asking for directions? Can you try to speak more clearly, please?"

 

My husband still quotes the "do you you FEEL in control?" line all the time and I laugh EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

[OakGoblinFly]

Danny Franks. I too thought Dark Knight Rises stunk. Banes character ruined it for me with the fact I couldnt understand a thing he said. I saw Batman as broken and rebuilding. Cat woman bugged too but I think it was because of Hathaway.

 

The issue I had with Bane was that Tom Hardy used the same voice for Bane that he did for aged Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights.

[Danny Franks]

Bane's voice just made me laugh out loud, uncontrollably, the first time I heard it. It was that silly. And really, is that the reaction you want your audience to have to your big, scary villain?

 

I would have loved a scene where Batman is yelling at Bane, and Bane is smarming back at him, and there's a whole mess of cops and criminals just shrugging at each other, because they can't understand a word, and have no idea what's going on.

[ribboninthesky1]

I feel like Nolan's Batman trilogy is either loved or despised.  I'm ambivalent because I thought Bale made a mediocre Batman, yet a great Bruce Wayne (who is more interesting anyway).  I also appreciated that the Bruce Wayne in the trilogy wasn't interested in being Batman forever - he seemed to have a healthier view that it was the symbol that mattered. But the story, particularly in the last one, was so boring and dumb that I didn't give a damn what happened. And I will need to watch Hardy's Wuthering Heights so that I can chuckle at the voice again. Good times.

 

Cat woman bugged too but I think it was because of Hathaway.

 
I like Anne Hathaway, but wasn't a fan of her Selina Kyle. I also thought she and Bale had absolutely no chemistry. Marion Cotillard would have been more convincing as Selina.  But then, I'm not a fan of the Selina Kyle character in general (at least as written in the animated series and movies).  I'm still scratching my head how those two became soulmates in the film when she led him to his almost-death.  Hollywood presents the most entirely fucked-up views of love and commitment.

Of course, I think Nolan can't write women for shit. I'm rather convinced he doesn't actually like women, since every movie I've seen, save Insomnia, the women are either simpering or seem explicitly/implicitly malicious. 

[Jeebus Cripes]

I don't think Casablanca is anything to write home about.

 

I'm glad someone else feels this way. That film is so boring, and Bogart does absolutely nothing for me. Dylan McKay and Kelly Taylor (90210) lead me astray here.

 

As far as I'm concerned, Christopher Nolan stripped the Batman universe of nearly everything that was interesting and unique about it, to make his supposedly 'gritty and realistic' movies, and removing all the Gotham darkness just rendered Batman and his various gadgets silly and unbelievable in his own world.

 

This! Nolan's entire vision for Batman/Gotham is such a dull, lifeless affair. Life is tedious enough that when I watch a film about freaking Batman, I want at least a touch of whimsy to remind me that this is entertainment. And word to Bane's ridiculous voice. I'm baffled that Nolan thought rendering the character unintelligible was a good idea.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Jeebus Cripes

[Crs97]

I am tired of books and movies that tell you the story from the villains' perspective so that you can learn they really are the true heroes and have just been misunderstood all this time. Wicked was clever, but the rest now just feel like rip-offs of it.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I dunno, Bane's voice tickled me (though I'm sure neither Christopher Nolan or Tom Hardy were aiming for that); to me, he sounded like WC Fields trapped in a well. I kept waiting for him to say "Godfrey Daniel!"

 

More UOs (gosh, this is fun!):

 

I don't hate Anne Hathaway. I couldn't care less if she's snooty, phony, annoying, whatever. She's not my neighbor, my friend, or my co-worker, her personality is immaterial to me. She's a good actress, and that's all that matters. Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" in Les Miserables had me spellbound, and I would have been royally miffed if she hadn't won. Same goes for Gwyneth Paltrow. I don't care how snobby, hateful, and out of touch with reality she is: I will love Emma and Sliding Doors 'til my last dying breath.

 

I love, love, love the 1999 film version of Mansfield Park. So Fanny Price in the movie is nothing like the one in the book? Good! I found Book!Fanny horribly dull, and Frances O'Connor (who looks and acts every bit the Austen heroine) brought her to spirited new life.

 

I didn't think Tracy in The Philadelphia Story was in the wrong at all. She was right to kick her alcoholic wastrel of a husband to the curb (I don't care if he is played by Cary Grant), and to be pissed at her father for dumping her mother for some little bimbo. Tracy is not the one who needs to learn a valuable life lesson. So yeah, The Philadelphia Story is not a favorite of mine.

[Snowprince]

I don't hate Anne Hathaway. I couldn't care less if she's snooty, phony, annoying, whatever. She's not my neighbor, my friend, or my co-worker, her personality is immaterial to me. She's a good actress, and that's all that matters.

 

Mind if I get in the boat? I'm sure there's plenty of room.

[Helena Dax]

 

I didn't think Tracy in The Philadelphia Story was in the wrong at all.

I like this movie, but everytime I get to the moment when the old fart has the audacity to say that he's cheating on his wife because Tracy's cold daughter I want to kick him in his balls. 

 

My unpopular opinion is that Brad Pitt is an awful actor. He seems to be a nice guy, I don't dislike him, but his acting sucks.  Watching him  in Meet Joe Black was painful. And WWZ? Everyone was better actor than him, even that zombie in the lab at the end. 12 Monkeys didn't impress me either. I think playing a crazy guy like that one is way easier than playing other kind of roles. 

[Crim]

I think Batman Begins was an awful movie. Nolan cannot do action scenes and it really, really showed there. Dark Knight Rises was hilarious and a disappointment. I liked Anne Hathaway's Catwoman; she was the only intentionally fun thing in a movie where a guy with a broken spine got better by trying to climb out of a pit.. and was motivated to do so by watching TV...which was provided for him in a hellhole prison so that he... suffered more, I guess? 

[Bastet]

I didn't think Tracy in The Philadelphia Story was in the wrong at all. She was right to kick her alcoholic wastrel of a husband to the curb (I don't care if he is played by Cary Grant), and to be pissed at her father for dumping her mother for some little bimbo. Tracy is not the one who needs to learn a valuable life lesson. So yeah, The Philadelphia Story is not a favorite of mine.

 

I still enjoy it because of the performances and so much wonderful dialogue (and it resurrected Katharine Hepburn's career, so I'll forever love it just for that), but I agree about the dumping on Tracy.  Especially by her father.  There is truth in some of what Dex says, but everything out of her father's mouth is bullshit.  And, of course, no one notices as they pile on Tracy about her inability to abide the human failings of others that in so doing they're just as guilty of refusing to accept hers. 

[Ohwell]

I don't care what anyone says about Brad Pitt and his acting skills, or lack thereof.  All I can say is that I couldn't take my eyes off of him in Troy.  Acting, be damned! 

[Julia]

I didn't think Tracy in The Philadelphia Story was in the wrong at all. She was right to kick her alcoholic wastrel of a husband to the curb (I don't care if he is played by Cary Grant), and to be pissed at her father for dumping her mother for some little bimbo. Tracy is not the one who needs to learn a valuable life lesson. So yeah, The Philadelphia Story is not a favorite of mine.

We're on different pages about Emma and Mansfield Park, but boy, I couldn't agree with you more about this. My daughter has loved both that movie and The Women since she was a little girl, and she's totally resigned to the fact that she's going to have to deal with a running commentary on What's wrong with what [character] just said from me.

 

I really don't understand how the Nolan family gets so much work.

[Danny Franks]

Mind if I get in the boat? I'm sure there's plenty of room.

 

I'll be paddling alongside you guys, because I actively like Anne Hathaway. I like a woman in Hollywood who isn't scared of letting people know that she's smart, and doesn't try to dumb herself down to appear non-threatening and 'fun'. Playing up stupidity will forever be more annoying to me than playing up intelligence. And I think she's a great actress.

 

And her Catwoman is the only saving grace of that last Batman movie, for me (JGL was just wasted, in a role that didn't make sense). She was slinky, sexy, a little bit crazy, and completely self-centred. Just like Catwoman should be.

[ribboninthesky1]

I don't care what anyone says about Brad Pitt and his acting skills, or lack thereof.  All I can say is that I couldn't take my eyes off of him in Troy.  Acting, be damned! 

 

Whereas I was all about Eric Bana in that movie.  I mourned right along with Saffron Burrows over his death. 

[GreekGeek]

I absolutely agree with your thoughts about Charlton Heston. He could be a little wooden in several of his movies, but I thought he was terrific in Ben-Hur.

 

I always loved the story that he spent days in his costume epic clothes off screen, since he had to look as though he had always worn them. That's the sort of "method acting" you don't associate him with, but it totally makes sense.

 

Regarding the negative thoughts about Casablanca--I think the problem with that film is that it's been quoted and referenced and excerpted too often, especially the final scene. It might have packed more of a punch when people actually didn't know from the beginning whether Ilsa would "stick with Rick or leave with Lazslo." I feel the same ennui hearing Henry Fonda's farewell to Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath.

 

I loved Forrest Gump when I first saw it and I still would re-watch it for Gary Sinise as Lt. Dan. It's unfortunate that it became used as a representative of wholesome values (if you overlook what Mama Gump had to do to get Forrest in school) in contrast to dirty decadent Pulp Fiction, and it became uncool to like it.

[spaceytraci1208]

I still love Forrest Gump. I definitely can see why a lot of people don't, though. My love for it is completely based on the performances in the movie. Love Gary Sinise as Lt. Dan, and Tom Hanks completely disappears into the character of Forrest. The scene when he finds out he has a child and asks Jenny if he's smart or like him breaks my heart every time.

[Jeebus Cripes]

I still like Forest Gump, too.

 

My unpopular opinion is that Brad Pitt is an awful actor. He seems to be a nice guy, I don't dislike him, but his acting sucks.  Watching him  in Meet Joe Black was painful. And WWZ? Everyone was better actor than him, even that zombie in the lab at the end. 12 Monkeys didn't impress me either. I think playing a crazy guy like that one is way easier than playing other kind of roles. 

 

I don't think he's outright awful, but I do think he's better suited for character roles. He's bored me to tears in just about every leading role I've seen him in.

[Lazlo]

Going back to the Disney princesses a while back I think Ariel was a much more interesting character than the highly overrated Belle and despite being half fish felt much more realistic than the blandly flawless bookworm (and I say this as a bookworm myself.)  The plot of The Little Mermaid is entirely driven by Ariel's actions too and while she made a lot of mistakes that felt more emotionally honest, especially for a teen.  Also she rescued her love interest.

 

I don't find Andrew Garfield remotely convincing as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man films.  He comes across as an irritating hipster and can't really play 'smart' convincingly which is important if you are playing a genius.  His Spider-Man on the other hand is good but whenever he is outside the costume he doesn't work. In contrast I think Tobey Maguire played only a pretty good Spider-Man but a great Peter Parker.

[Ohwell]

Whereas I was all about Eric Bana in that movie.  I mourned right along with Saffron Burrows over his death.

Oh yes, Hector was fine, too.  I especially loved his hair.  I still thought Achilles had the best legs though, lol.

[GaT]

My unpopular opinion is that I don't understand why Tom Cruise is considered a good actor. I think he's terrible, he never becomes the character, he's always Tom Cruise acting.

[ramble]

My unpopular opinion is that I don't understand why Tom Cruise is considered a good actor. I think he's terrible, he never becomes the character, he's always Tom Cruise acting.

I wouldn't call that an UO. I'd call it a brilliant observation! You are completely right IMO. He's Tom Cruise playing a spy or Tom Cruise pretending to be a soldier or Tom Cruise acting like he's human. Ok, so I don't like the guy. His acting never takes me out of myself enough to not be aware it's Tom! Cruise! And don't even get me started on his attempt to be Jack Reacher. Gak!

[FormerMod-a1]

I think Tom Cruise used to be a good actor, but he's been riding on his own cache for 20-ish years now.

 

And late to the party on Ann Hathaway, but this is why I like her.

 

[Wiendish Fitch]

Thanks for that, aquarian1! See? Jennifer Lawrence isn't the only one with a sense of humor!

[ribboninthesky1]

Oh yes, Hector was fine, too.  I especially loved his hair.  I still thought Achilles had the best legs though, lol.

 

Hee! Well, I can't argue with that.  Pitt's thighs were indeed wondrous.

[Bastet]

Despite trying more than once, I can't get into Juno.  I love the cast, and I'm generally good with films where everyone is much wittier and sharper than people actually are in real life, but I just can't get past how completely unbelievable I find it that she'd change her mind about the abortion. 

[Jeebus Cripes]

My unpopular opinion is that I don't understand why Tom Cruise is considered a good actor. I think he's terrible, he never becomes the character, he's always Tom Cruise acting.

 

I thought he was a good Lestat in Interview with the Vampire. Aside from that role, ITA with your post.

[Lazlo]

I don't understand why everyone sympathises with Magneto in the X-Men films (note I mean films not the original comics.)  Even if you sympahise with his views he's still a genocidal prick.

 

In the first film he kidnapped a teenage girl and was trying to use her in a process that would almost certainly kill her. In X2 he literally tried to kill every human in the world. In X-Men: Last Stand he callously abandoned a powerless Mystique after she took a bullet for him - no matter she was the most loyal of his followers, since she was no longer a mutant she was completely disposable.

 

Not to mention he doesn't even treat individual mutants well (as against 'mutants' as a species). Remember his "that's why the pawns go first" line (while calmly watching waves of his followers being shot down as cannon fodder.)

 

And in X-Men Day of Future Present:

Magneto tries to outright murder Mystique when he learns she is (unintetionally) to blame for the dystopian future. Note everyone else tries to talk to her instead.

 

Yes Ian McKellan and Michael Fassbander give him a lot of depth but still, he's not a nice guy.

[frenchtoast]

I don't thnk Erik/Magneto is a nice or good guy. What I find fascinating is how he operates out of fear and rage, even if he would never admit that. Allowing fear dictate choices usually ends badly. So I understand why Charles tries so hard to bring Erik to a place where he isn't fearful and angry, but the scars run too deep. That's what I enjoy. It's not just hamfisted, mustache twirling villainy. I know what he's doing is wrong, but I can understand and relate to why he's making those choices. I think Days of Future Past made it quite clear when elder Charles was talking to younger Charles: "We need you to hope again." Erik has no hope and I find that tragic. He's still a bad guy, but I can see how the tragedy of him losing all hope has led to his villainy and I find that better to watch than, say, Malekeith.

Edited June 2, 2014 by frenchtoast

[Lazlo]

I don't thnk Erik/Magneto is a nice or good guy. What I find fascinating is how he operates out of fear and rage, even if he would never admit that. Allowing fear dictate choices usually ends badly. So I understand why Charles tries so hard to bring Erik to a place where he isn't fearful and angry, but the scars run too deep. That's what I enjoy. It's not just hamfisted, mustache twirling villainy. I know what he's doing is wrong, but I can understand and relate to why he's making those choices. I think Days of Future Past made it quite clear when elder Charles was talking to younger Charles: "We need you to hope again." Erik has no hope and I find that tragic. He's still a bad guy, but I can see how the tragedy of him losing all hope has led to his villainy and I find that better to watch than, say, Malekeith.

 

That I understand, but it is more the fan reaction (and even the reaction in universe somewhat) that portrays Magneto as some sort of worthy opponent antagonist who plays fair and has lines he won't cross.  He doesn't - he regularly uses innocents as pawns and throws his own followers under buses.  He's trying to save mutants but if a mutant has to die when furthering his schemes too bad.

 

It's not just that he's doing wrong it's that he is also a jerk. That part seems to get lost because he and Charles used to be friends.

 

He is as I've said a complex, interesting villain but the sympathy he gets seems disproportionate.

[psychoticstate]

I love, love, love Robert Downey Jr. to the point of obsession but I really disliked Sherlock Holmes.  I wanted to like it -- I like SH, I like period pieces but I thought it was boring as f**k.  (Do people cuss at freely here as at TWOP?) 

 

I am also a classic movie nutjob but I have never understood the f**k and awe over Citizen Kane.  Boring! 

 

On the other end of the spectrum, one of my absolute favorite movies is Sliding Doors.  Love it - - love the "what if" possibilities, love John Hannah as James and even love Goopy Gwyneth as Helen.  It just works for me on every level. 

 

I also love Jaws, even the terrible (Jaws 3 and 4) sequels, and will watch them ANY time I catch them while channel surfing.  Even though I own the original and part 2 on DVD.  Irrelevant!

 

For old movie classics, absolutely The Women from 1939 and The Thin Man movies are irreplaceable.  Must sees and I never tire of them.

 

Love this thread!

I dunno, Bane's voice tickled me (though I'm sure neither Christopher Nolan or Tom Hardy were aiming for that); to me, he sounded like WC Fields trapped in a well. I kept waiting for him to say "Godfrey Daniel!"

 

More UOs (gosh, this is fun!):

 

I don't hate Anne Hathaway. I couldn't care less if she's snooty, phony, annoying, whatever. She's not my neighbor, my friend, or my co-worker, her personality is immaterial to me. She's a good actress, and that's all that matters. Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" in Les Miserables had me spellbound, and I would have been royally miffed if she hadn't won. Same goes for Gwyneth Paltrow. I don't care how snobby, hateful, and out of touch with reality she is: I will love Emma and Sliding Doors 'til my last dying breath.

 

I love, love, love the 1999 film version of Mansfield Park. So Fanny Price in the movie is nothing like the one in the book? Good! I found Book!Fanny horribly dull, and Frances O'Connor (who looks and acts every bit the Austen heroine) brought her to spirited new life.

 

I didn't think Tracy in The Philadelphia Story was in the wrong at all. She was right to kick her alcoholic wastrel of a husband to the curb (I don't care if he is played by Cary Grant), and to be pissed at her father for dumping her mother for some little bimbo. Tracy is not the one who needs to learn a valuable life lesson. So yeah, The Philadelphia Story is not a favorite of mine.

 

Come sit by me because I somehow missed your post earlier and I said how much I love, love, love Sliding Doors. 

 

And the film version of MP is superior to the book, IMO.  And I say this as a diehard Jane Austen fan.

 

 

My unpopular opinion is that I don't understand why Tom Cruise is considered a good actor. I think he's terrible, he never becomes the character, he's always Tom Cruise acting.

 

 

I wouldn't call that an UO. I'd call it a brilliant observation! You are completely right IMO. He's Tom Cruise playing a spy or Tom Cruise pretending to be a soldier or Tom Cruise acting like he's human. Ok, so I don't like the guy. His acting never takes me out of myself enough to not be aware it's Tom! Cruise! And don't even get me started on his attempt to be Jack Reacher. Gak!

 

I thought Tom Cruise was a much better actor before he became TOM! CRUISE!  Celebrity Spokeshole for Scientology and Telling Everyone How They Should Live Life.   He did a phenomenal job in Born On The Fourth of July but then he started cranking out crap like Cocktail (even if it was slightly enjoyable) and movies that involved him running, running, running and things blowing up.  See Tom run. Run, Tom, run!  See Tom jump.  Jump, Tom, jump!   I don't think he was terrible in Interview with a Vampire or Collateral, where he was playing against type.  And War of the Worlds was enjoyable in a summer movie/brainless kind of way.  But don't get me started on that whole fake "marriage" with the robot Katie Holmes and the kid that is supposed to be his. 

 

I am curious to know when you have seen Tom act human.  That I'd like to see.

 

Jack Reacher?  Ha ha!  I don't think Tom has man heels high enough to put him anywhere to close to six feet five, or whatever Reacher is supposed to be.

[geekamonggeeks]

I love, love, love Robert Downey Jr. to the point of obsession but I really disliked Sherlock Holmes.  I wanted to like it -- I like SH, I like period pieces but I thought it was boring as f**k.  (Do people cuss at freely here as at TWOP?) 

 

I am also a classic movie nutjob but I have never understood the f**k and awe over Citizen Kane.  Boring! 

 

On the other end of the spectrum, one of my absolute favorite movies is Sliding Doors.  Love it - - love the "what if" possibilities, love John Hannah as James and even love Goopy Gwyneth as Helen.  It just works for me on every level. 

 

I also love Jaws, even the terrible (Jaws 3 and 4) sequels, and will watch them ANY time I catch them while channel surfing.  Even though I own the original and part 2 on DVD.  Irrelevant!

 

For old movie classics, absolutely The Women from 1939 and The Thin Man movies are irreplaceable.  Must sees and I never tire of them.

 

Love this thread!

I actually love Citizen Kane, but I can understand why people may not like it or find it boring or overrated. I think the fact that pop culture has more or less beat it into our heads that it's the best movie OF ALL TIME that causes that reaction. I had no desire to see it when it was shown in my high school film class for this very reason, and was pleasantly surprised when I actually liked it. I feel like it's one of those films that you have to see at least once just to see what all the fuss is about.

[jah1986]

Just want to join in the conversation here. Love all you guys observations and respect your UO. I love Sliding Doors and I liked Meet Joe Black until Joe Black showed up, then it was terrible. I can't stand Tom Cruise and have never paid money to see any of his movies in theaters. He's not a terrible actor just can't stand the hype. I didn't love The Dark Knight Rises, kept waiting for it to decide what kind of movie it was going to be. And thank goodness I'm not the only one who wanted to slap Tracy's father in The Philadelphia Story and High Society, what the what?!?

 

My own UO I like Star Wars Episode IV better than Empire Strikes Back. I just don't think ESB is this great spiritual epic that others think it is. Also, when Star Wars came out there was no anticipation for a sequel, the movie stands on its own. It was just great fun.

[ribboninthesky1]

I don't understand why everyone sympathises with Magneto in the X-Men films (note I mean films not the original comics.)  Even if you sympahise with his views he's still a genocidal prick.

 

On TWOP, I had a long rant about Magneto's twisted logic in First Class (his disdain for humans when it was actually a fellow mutant who was largely responsible for destroying his childhood and his mother's death).  In the original film trilogy, I never saw him as sympathetic whatsoever.  I didn't realize he was supposed to be, or that others actually did until your post, Lazlo.  I've no interest in Days of Future Past, so I doubt I'll see it anytime soon, if at all.  But based on the films I've seen, I wholeheartedly agree with you.  He's as bad as the Nazis who imprisoned him and his family, as far as I'm concerned.