Unpopular Opinions

[caracas1914]

I don't really hate or even dislike Mery Streep, but I hate what she represents.

IE, that for older actresses in HW, she is the defunct "go to " actress with first dibs for virtuallyt every role over 50 when there are dozens of incredibly talented veteran actresses in HW. It's lazy that it's Meryl and then everybody else.

[JustaPerson]

I thought Pitch Perfect 2 was better than Pitch Perfect. 

[OakGoblinFly]

I didn't think the new Fantastic 4 was awful.

[ChaseMCP]

I like Mamma Mia! I am in my twenties, not a middle aged woman (as every punchline to every joke about the movie tells me) and I enjoy it because it is a silly, fun movie. It's gorgeous to look at, has a lot of recognizable actors who look like they're just having fun and aren't taking themselves seriously, and has catchy tunes. It's ridiculous and cheesy but it doesn't try to be anything different. You'd think it had committed a crime with how vicious some people are about it. It's a fun movie, and is great to watch with a group of people and I don't think anyone watching it expects it to be a grand masterpiece. 

 

I also enjoy Grease and think people take the ending of the movie too seriously. 

 

Fat Amy was my least favorite part of Pitch Perfect and is the reason I've held off on watching the sequel. 

 

I hate the new style of Disney movies and wish it would go back to 2D animation. The animation is impressive, but with Pixar and Dreamworks, I feel like Disney needs to go back to it's roots.

 

Leonardo DiCaprio is a good actor and I'm sure he'll get his due someday, but I don't think it's a crime that he doesn't have an Oscar yet. Frankly, I dread the day he gets a make-up Oscar that someone else who deserves it for a better performance should get instead. 

 

I am growing tired of all the remakes, sequels, franchises, etc. 

[Ubiquitous]

I didn't think the new Fantastic 4 was awful.

Did you mean Fantfourstic? LOL

 

I am growing tired of all the remakes, sequels, franchises, etc. 

I was not aware that's an UO.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Ubiquitous

[Wiendish Fitch]

I think I Know Where I'm Going! is twee, quaint, uninteresting, heavy-handed, and the leads have no chemistry at all. I also find The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp an utter snooze.

 

 

There, I think I've pissed off enough Powell and Pressberger fans for the day.

[turbogirlnyc]

I did not enjoy American Psycho. Perhaps I expected too much? I couldn't wait for it to end.

[Wiendish Fitch]

My UO will undoubtedly unleash a flurry of pissed off comments and insults at my expense, so let me preface by sparing you all the trouble: I'm a loathsome, heartless, soulless, miserable crap stain on the fresh linen of humanity. I obviously have no concept of, nor deserve, love or tenderness, and deserve nothing less than to be locked away in a cage that's three sizes to small for me, where I will spend the rest of my days devoid of human interaction and wallowing in my own filth. I'm worthless, vile, shallow, a disgrace to everything good and decent, and I'm ugly and smell bad, too.

 

There, that ought to do it. Now here's my UO:

 

I don't like Make Way for Tomorrow. 

Edited August 30, 2015 by Wiendish Fitch

[Julia]

My UO will undoubtedly unleash a flurry of pissed off comments and insults at my expense, so let me preface by sparing you all the trouble: I'm a loathsome, heartless, soulless, miserable crap stain on the fresh linen of humanity. I obviously have no concept of, nor deserve, love or tenderness, and deserve nothing less than to be locked away in a cage that's three sizes to small for me, where I will spend the rest of my days devoid of human interaction and wallowing in my own filth. I'm worthless, vile, shallow, a disgrace to everything good and decent, and I'm ugly and smell bad, too.

 

There, that ought to do it. Now here's my UO:

 

I don't like Make Way for Tomorrow. 

 

Are people really still that heated up about Beulah Bondi movies?

[raezen]

My UO will undoubtedly unleash a flurry of pissed off comments and insults at my expense, so let me preface by sparing you all the trouble: I'm a loathsome, heartless, soulless, miserable crap stain on the fresh linen of humanity. I obviously have no concept of, nor deserve, love or tenderness, and deserve nothing less than to be locked away in a cage that's three sizes to small for me, where I will spend the rest of my days devoid of human interaction and wallowing in my own filth. I'm worthless, vile, shallow, a disgrace to everything good and decent, and I'm ugly and smell bad, too.

There, that ought to do it. Now here's my UO:

I don't like Make Way for Tomorrow.

Yeah, I'm going to steal that.

With that out of the way, last night Mamma Mia was on and I discovered that I still hate it. Couldn't last 5 minutes. I am not a musical person but I think I get why musical people loved the play so much if you have a great live cast. The movie takes that away both those things or more accurately, the cast is good but wasted in a musical. A wasted cast on a sitcom plot.

Edited August 30, 2015 by raezen

[turbogirlnyc]

Yeah, I'm going to steal that.

With that out of the way, last night Mamma Mia was on and I discovered that I still hate it. Couldn't last 5 minutes. I am not a musical person but I think I get why musical people loved the play so much if you have a great live cast. The movie takes that away both those things or more accurately, the cast is good but wasted in a musical.

 

I'm sort of a musicals person and Mamma Mia is at the bottom of my list. And I've seen many, many musicals.

[Shannon L.]

I don't like Make Way for Tomorrow.

Heh. I've never heard of Make Way for Tomorrow.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Shannon L.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Are people really still that heated up about Beulah Bondi movies?

 

LOL, no, but my fellow classic film fans (indeed, pretty much every critic and director in existence) hold Make Way for Tomorrow in extremely high regard. Orson Welles once said that anyone who disliked the movie must have a stone heart. 

 

I guess my heart is stonier than Mt. Rushmore, because while I love Leo McCarey (my faves are Duck Soup and Ruggles of Red Gap), but I don't like Make Way for Tomorrow. I thought the old couple were actually irritating and boring, and it doesn't help that the husband was played by (IMO) the loathsome Victor Moore, who is incapable of eliciting any sympathy from me (if he played Bambi, I'd be rooting for the hunter to get him, too).

My UO will undoubtedly unleash a flurry of pissed off comments and insults at my expense, so let me preface by sparing you all the trouble: I'm a loathsome, heartless, soulless, miserable crap stain on the fresh linen of humanity. I obviously have no concept of, nor deserve, love or tenderness, and deserve nothing less than to be locked away in a cage that's three sizes to small for me, where I will spend the rest of my days devoid of human interaction and wallowing in my own filth. I'm worthless, vile, shallow, a disgrace to everything good and decent, and I'm ugly and smell bad, too.

There, that ought to do it. Now here's my UO:

I don't like Make Way for Tomorrow.

Yeah, I'm going to steal that.

With that out of the way, last night Mamma Mia was on and I discovered that I still hate it. Couldn't last 5 minutes. I am not a musical person but I think I get why musical people loved the play so much if you have a great live cast. The movie takes that away both those things or more accurately, the cast is good but wasted in a musical. A wasted cast on a sitcom plot.

 

 

Please do, raezen! I'd be flattered if you did! :)

 

Wait, disliking Mamma Mia is unpopular?! Boy, did I miss the memo!!

Edited August 30, 2015 by Wiendish Fitch

[GreekGeek]

I didn't dislike Make Way for Tomorrow, but I didn't think the old folks were saints and the kids were the worst. The old man could be difficult and the old woman could be tiresome. I also thought they were fools for being too proud to tell their kids that their home was being repossessed until it was too late. I thought what was good about the movie was that nobody was judged; everyone was trying to make the best of a bad situation.

 

I don't know if this is an UO or not, but I dislike the whole "If you don't weep at this, you have a heart of stone" hype when applied to movies. Just as senses of humor are different, things that make people cry will vary. It doesn't mean someone is an inferior human being if they're left cold by a movie that makes you weepy.

[Julia]

I don't know if this is an UO or not, but I dislike the whole "If you don't weep at this, you have a heart of stone" hype when applied to movies. Just as senses of humor are different, things that make people cry will vary. It doesn't mean someone is an inferior human being if they're left cold by a movie that makes you weepy.

Oscar Wilde once said (about a character in a Dickens book I don't think anyone reads any more) "One must have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without laughing."

[Wiendish Fitch]

I didn't dislike Make Way for Tomorrow, but I didn't think the old folks were saints and the kids were the worst. The old man could be difficult and the old woman could be tiresome. I also thought they were fools for being too proud to tell their kids that their home was being repossessed until it was too late. I thought what was good about the movie was that nobody was judged; everyone was trying to make the best of a bad situation.

 

I don't know if this is an UO or not, but I dislike the whole "If you don't weep at this, you have a heart of stone" hype when applied to movies. Just as senses of humor are different, things that make people cry will vary. It doesn't mean someone is an inferior human being if they're left cold by a movie that makes you weepy.

 

Thank you, GreekGeek. Frankly, though, I think there is a bias to think the kids are monsters while the parents are saints. I hated how Beulah Bondi couldn't sit her ass down and shut the hell up while Fay Bainter was trying to teach her bridge class (something Bondi meanly dismissed as a dumb hobby as opposed to a job that Bainter was doing out of necessity), and don't get me started on how insufferable Victor Moore was. Really, I thought nasty granddaughter Barbara Read was much worse than any of the grown children.

 

Right on about not speaking up sooner about the house being repossessed. When the bank threatens to take your house... yeah, they're not just blowing smoke, they will do it. 

 

Lots of things that make people laugh do nothing for me, and same with sad scenes. 

[Archery]

My UO:  Meryl Streep should never, ever sing.  Except in Postcards From The Edge, where she was supposed to sound broke-down.  She is not a good singer, like Russell Crowe as Javert levels of not good.  Mamma Mia was atrocious, and I could not get through 1/2 hour of Into the Woods.  She has a song on the Sandra Boynton children's album, Philadelphia Chickens, and my then-two year old taught himself which button to press to skip her song, he hated it so much. It's awful.  (I am passing up a chance to see Rick Springfield on the big screen because I can't sit through another movie with her singing That's how bad.)  It's enough for you to be a great actress, Meryl; you don't need to sing.  Please.

[GreekGeek]

My UO:  Meryl Streep should never, ever sing.  Except in Postcards From The Edge, where she was supposed to sound broke-down.  She is not a good singer, like Russell Crowe as Javert levels of not good.  Mamma Mia was atrocious, and I could not get through 1/2 hour of Into the Woods.  She has a song on the Sandra Boynton children's album, Philadelphia Chickens, and my then-two year old taught himself which button to press to skip her song, he hated it so much. It's awful.  (I am passing up a chance to see Rick Springfield on the big screen because I can't sit through another movie with her singing That's how bad.)  It's enough for you to be a great actress, Meryl; you don't need to sing.  Please.

The saddest part is that she was not the worst singer in Mamma Mia. That honor went to Pierce Brosnan.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I don't know how unpopular this is, but I really liked the film version of Into the Woods. All things considered, it's pretty darn faithful to the original (I'm more amazed at what they kept in, rather than what they changed), and I think everyone does really well in their parts (especially Anna Kendrick as Cinderella and Chris Pine as Prince Charming). My unpopular complaints are rather paltry: I thought Meryl Streep looked better as the "old, ugly" witch than the "young, beautiful" witch (that turquoise, country singer bouffant/mullet was too much, and not in a good way), and I hate how Johnny Depp once again didn't take singing lessons after being cast in a musical. I don't think it was "gutsy" of him, I thought it was a tasteless show of arrogance. For the love of God, Madonna took singing lessons for Evita, so why the hell couldn't Depp put in some work?

Edited September 2, 2015 by Wiendish Fitch

[caracas1914]

"Make Way for Tomorrow" is manipulative sentimental hokum.

[cpcathy]

Speaking of Johnny Depp singing, I really enjoy the Tim Burton version of Sweeney Todd. Is that unpopular?

[pricklypear]

Haha, cpcathy, I brought my sister-in-law, who doesn't watch movies very often, to see Sweeny Todd. She knew nothing about it. When Johnny Depp started to sing, I caught the expression on her face out of the corner of my eye. I thought, "Should I tell her now that this will happen more than periodically throughout the movie?" It caught her by surprise, but we both ended up liking it. One of my favorites.

[Ambrosefolly]

I like Anne Hathaway, even off screen. What is wrong with a woman that comes across as ambitions? She is in a difficult business, even great actresses not named Meryl Streep are having difficult time getting parts and hitting rough patches in their careers. Now I will admit, I haven't heard every story about her, so if she is doing underhanded things or treating people that work with her like shit (kind of like Marlon Brando did) then she deserves a ton of flack, but the only thing wrong with her that I see is that she comes across as trying too hard. She and James Franco tanked at the Academy Awards, but it was a risk and sometimes you fail when you take a risk, not like people didn't get their awards. At least she took it seriously. I admire that she was stretching herself early on in her career so she wouldn't be stuck in rom com purgatory and petter out like Meg Ryan did. Nor did I mind her comments about losing roles to younger actresses, which may or may not be directed at Jennifer Lawrence. For one thing, she was self aware enough to acknowledge she benefited from this not to long ago. Another is it is a problem. A lot of actresses struggle when they start leaving the ingenue stage. Even actresses that don't hit stride until their thirties, like Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts are hitting rough patches. Partly because they are raising families, partly the roles aren't that great. So it is doubly frustrating when Hollywood starts reworking roles originally intended for someone in their 30s or even 40s  and giving them to 20 something actresses. It has gotten to the point that we are shocked when someone like Jennifer Jason Leigh gets cast in an Oscar bait movie, and Quentin Tarantino has to almost defend himself as to why he didn't cast Jennifer Lawrence in that particular role. 

 

Another UO, I am getting sick of demanding from these actors that they have totally awesome personalities off screen. I am fine with actors that are kind of closed off and even prickly in the several interviews they are forced to do as part of their job. I just care if they are professionals on and off camera, I don't need to have a super engaging personality. 

Edited September 4, 2015 by Ambrosefolly

[caracas1914]

Yes, kissing ass is just as bad as being closed off, sometimes worse when it comes across as insincere and contrived.

[Ambrosefolly]

Yes, kissing ass is just as bad as being closed off, sometimes worse when it comes across as insincere and contrived.

For me, it is the complaints when actors aren't putting a show on while being interview. Now I detest it when actors are straight up rude to whoever is interviewing them, no matter how stupid the questions are (though I don't necessarily always count walking out of an interview that terrible). Take Liam Hemsworth, I get he isn't considered as talented as his brother, but, as someone who isn't the most forthcoming person, I don't mind that he is a bit of a cold fish in interviews and resent how it could hurt his career. 

[kiddo82]

But I also don't have a problem when someone "plays the game" either. I think there's a big difference between that and being an outright phony. How many of us put on a smile for work purposes even when we're not feeling it? Doesn't necessarily mean you're being insincere, just being more personable than you feel like. It's never a bad idea especially when you're an actor and a main component of your success is getting people to like you. I'm not saying I need to see this, just that there is this negative stigma when actors are perceived as not "keeping it real." Believe me, if I kept it real every time I felt like, I wouldn't have a job.

[ribboninthesky1]

Another UO, I am getting sick of demanding from these actors that they have totally awesome personalities off screen. I am fine with actors that are kind of closed off and even prickly in the several interviews they are forced to do as part of their job. I just care if they are professionals on and off camera, I don't need to have a super engaging personality. 

 

Allegedly, there's a significant population of introverted actors, so I always feel bad for those who struggle in interviews (especially women).  I don't mean being rude or obnoxious - more like coming across as natural and engaging and quick-witted every.single.time.  I imagine it gets a little easier with more practice, but as an introvert myself, just imagining repetitive press junkets and red carpets with a thousand flashing cameras and paparazzi yelling at me to look hither and thither gives me heart palpitations.  Not to mention the seemingly requisite Twitter/Instagram/Snapchat/etc accounts to "engage" with the fans.  Yes, I know it's part of the job.  I'm still sympathetic to those who struggle with the promotional aspects of it.     

 

And it's not about being shy - I'm not, and don't equate shyness with introversion.  But having to be "on" to satisfy the traditional and social media machines would be stressful as hell for me, especially since the Internet never forgets and fandom will analyze everything to death.  That's on an entirely different stratosphere from what I have to do with a much smaller group of people on a regular basis, and I don't have to worry about being put on blast in the public sphere.  It's got to be stressful for even the most naturally engaging and extroverted people, let alone those who just want to do a good job on set and get on with it.  At least they're very well-compensated, and can retreat back into their semi-regular lives afterwards.          

Edited September 5, 2015 by ribboninthesky1

[Ambrosefolly]

I really miss the days in top tier animated films when the voice actors could be some c list sitcom actor, or some no name voice actor. I guess Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel are the closest to that nowadays, but now its a pretty rare for someone that doesn't have a film career/success tv career to get those roles. While I don't dispute that Tom Hanks was great, even perfect, as Woody, it kind of pisses me off that they court al these A-list actors with million dollar bank accounts when there tons of voice actors who know how to act with voices and would love gladly love a shot at anchoring a big time animated film. They do fantastic jobs on television. 

[Ruby25]

I know! In the older Disney movies they used professional voice actors all the time, or stage actors, like Pat Carroll and Jodi Benson (neither of whom did a slouch job in their iconic Little Mermaid performances).

[Wiendish Fitch]

I know! In the older Disney movies they used professional voice actors all the time, or stage actors, like Pat Carroll and Jodi Benson (neither of whom did a slouch job in their iconic Little Mermaid performances).

 

Or take my all-time favorite, Beauty and the Beast. The cast was impeccable, but it hardly consisted of A-listers. Angela Lansbury was far and away the best-known cast member, but the rest? Paige O'Hara had been on Broadway, but wasn't exactly a star. Jerry Orbach was best-known for Law & Order and Dirty Dancing (his Broadway musical past was practically forgotten). Robby Benson was a former teen idol who hadn't done anything significant in a while. David Ogden Stiers was a character actor through and through. And even today I don't have a clue what else Richard White and Jessi Corti had done. But when you watch the movie, you think about the characters, you're not distracted by the idea of the stars, and that's how I think it should be.

 

Now The Lion King definitely stepped it up in terms of major stars, but when I watched it as a kid, I wasn't thinking "OMG, that's James Earl Jones!" Jones, always the actor's actor, treated it like a proper acting job, because he wasn't banking on his star status. Same with Jeremy Irons and Whoopi Goldberg; you paid attention to the characters, not the people voicing them.

 

No one does that anymore. When Will Smith did Shark's Tale, all most people could think was, "That's Will Smith. That's Will Smith. Oh, look, he's still being Will Smith." He's not being the character, he's being WILL SMITH, all-around megastar, and who needs that in animation, especially when you can't even see the guy?!

[Ambrosefolly]

I am not saying the A listers or the very well known should be excluded: Ellen Degeneres did a great job in Finding Nemo, but was Justin Timberlake really that needed in Shrek 2?

[Wiendish Fitch]

I am not saying the A listers or the very well known should be excluded: Ellen Degeneres did a great job in Finding Nemo, but was Justin Timberlake really that needed in Shrek 2?

 

Oh, I agree. I wasn't trying to imply there weren't exceptions to the rules when it comes to big name casting; for instance, I loved Ellen Degeneres in Finding Nemo, Lewis Black in Inside Out (textbook example of gimmicky casting done right), and Robin Williams in Aladdin, and those are only a few off the top of my head. But sometimes they cast actors who don't treat voice acting like a real acting job, or their choices are just head-scratching. For instance, why would you cast Ewan MacGregor in Robots, only to have him disguise his wonderful Scottish accent by adopting the blandest, most generic American accent ever? Um, wouldn't it have been easier to just cast an American actor? We can't see MacGregor, so we can't really be that impressed, and most young kids don't know who he is, so what gives?

 

One thing Pixar does well is daring to cast ever-so-slightly-past-their-prime actors (Craig T. Nelson, Kyle MacLachlan), acclaimed actors who aren't exactly box office megastars (Holly Hunter, Christopher Plummer), or people who aren't actors, but who have unique voices and still contribute a lot (Sarah Vowell).

[Spartan Girl]

I am not saying the A listers or the very well known should be excluded: Ellen Degeneres did a great job in Finding Nemo, but was Justin Timberlake really that needed in Shrek 2?

That was Shrek the Third, but other than that I totally agree.

My UO: I love the Look Whose Talking movies. Yes they're kind of dumb but it's still a guilty pleasure.

[yourstruly]

 

 

Mean Girls vs. Clueless vs. Heathers--do I have to choose? I love all three.

 

Random worthless trivia-the director of Mean Girls is the brother of the director of Heathers.

 

My unpopular opinions-or the ones I can think of off the top of my head-I think British actors are overrated and not inherently better than American actors. And I think Beasts of the Southern Wild is an unbearable movie, and basically trades on the noble black savage myth and portrays poor black Louisianans as "exotic". Since half my family is from New Orleans, I guess I don't see people from Louisiana as exotic. The whole movie made me cringe and it's up there with American Beauty and Little Miss Sunshine as one of those movies where if someone gushes about it, I think less of them.

 

 

Speaking of Johnny Depp singing, I really enjoy the Tim Burton version of Sweeney Todd. Is that unpopular?

I *loved* it-I think it's the closest anyone has gotten to making a great movie out of a Sondheim musical.

Edited September 12, 2015 by yourstruly

[GreekGeek]

 The whole movie made me cringe and it's up there with American Beauty and Little Miss Sunshine as one of those movies where if someone gushes about it, I think less of them.

 

That's pretty harsh. As I mentioned above in connection with Make Way for Tomorrow, movies can resonate (or not) with different people for many reasons. If someone happens to enjoy a movie you don't, it doesn't mean they're stupid or gullible or whatever. 

[Spartan Girl]

I loved Johnny Depp's Sweeney Todd. It was the first time in forever Tim Burton made a genuinely creepy movie. Plus Depp's singing was hot as hell IMO.

[ribboninthesky1]

My unpopular opinions-or the ones I can think of off the top of my head-I think British actors are overrated and not inherently better than American actors. And I think Beasts of the Southern Wild is an unbearable movie, and basically trades on the noble black savage myth and portrays poor black Louisianans as "exotic". Since half my family is from New Orleans, I guess I don't see people from Louisiana as exotic. The whole movie made me cringe and it's up there with American Beauty and Little Miss Sunshine as one of those movies where if someone gushes about it, I think less of them.

 

The trailer for Beasts of the Southern Wild triggered a similar feeling in me, so I never wanted to see it. 

 

Related to this, I think it's perfectly legitimate for a someone to decide not to watch a film based on its trailer, even if the trailer is "deceptive." I often read opinions like, "You don't know what it's about," "You're not giving it a chance," or "You need to watch it before you make up your mind."  Trailers are designed to pique interest in a film, give one a taste, and if someone opts out based on that, so be it. I think most trailers tell you what the film is about, anyway.  There are very few movies I've seen in the past few years where I've thought, "Woah, that was unexpected!"       

[dusang]

The trailer for Beasts of the Southern Wild triggered a similar feeling in me, so I never wanted to see it. 

 

Related to this, I think it's perfectly legitimate for a someone to decide not to watch a film based on its trailer, even if the trailer is "deceptive." I often read opinions like, "You don't know what it's about," "You're not giving it a chance," or "You need to watch it before you make up your mind."  Trailers are designed to pique interest in a film, give one a taste, and if someone opts out based on that, so be it. I think most trailers tell you what the film is about, anyway.  There are very few movies I've seen in the past few years where I've thought, "Woah, that was unexpected!"       

 

On the one hand -- the entire purpose of a trailer to to persuade you to watch the film and if the trailer fails to do that, or goes so far as to persuade you to NOT see the film, then that's an entirely valid decision-making process.  On the other hand, there have been movies that I chose not to see based on the trailer but ended up seeing due to circumstance and found that whoever made the trailer was an idiot and totally undermined the film.  So, if someone who's taste you trust encourages you to disregard the trailer and watch it anyway, I think that's also valid.

[ribboninthesky1]

Agree, though my post wasn't to imply that any decision to watch or not watch a film was invalid. I was explicitly referring to the decision to NOT watch a film based on its trailer, and only that.  

[magicdog]

I agree that trailers these days seem to give too much away and/or show the best parts of a film ("Lucy", anyone?).  If one does end up seeing them, disappointment follows.   Half the time I see them, I feel like I've seen the film and can save a buck (or twenty).  My hunches are often confirmed when the film turns up on cable and I'm bored silly or when the film dies at the box office opening week. 

 

 

 

I really miss the days in top tier animated films when the voice actors could be some c list sitcom actor, or some no name voice actor.

 

 

ITA.  It seems studios want "star power" even if the actor will be unseen and essentially voicing themselves, rather than a character.  Why was George Clooney in the "Mr. Fox" film?  Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore in Titan A.E. (although I liked the film and think it deserved better)? Why was Will Smith doing any voice work?  Justin Timberlake I might give a pass - he did a great job voicing Boo Boo in the Yogi Bear film.  Don Messick would have been impressed.     There are so many great VAs on current animated shows today, and they often get overlooked for big screen projects.

[Athena]

Why was George Clooney in the "Mr. Fox" film? 

 

Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson were in this film too. I think that movie was a particularly different case of being more of a Wes Anderson film than a standard animated film. Anderson frequently attracts well known actors to his projects. The prestige director and actors definitely helped it being made, and it was stop motion as well.

[harrie]

Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson were in this film too. I think that movie was a particularly different case of being more of a Wes Anderson film than a standard animated film. Anderson frequently attracts well known actors to his projects. The prestige director and actors definitely helped it being made, and it was stop motion as well.

 

I agree - some time ago, there was an item in the arts/entertainment column about Bill Murray, George Clooney and Wes Anderson dining together at a restaurant in Litchfield, CT.  It turns out that they were discussing/planning The Fantastic Mr. Fox at that dinner.  I think some, possibly a lot, of the film's dialogue and sound effects were done at the farm of Karen Duffy (Duff, to those who remember her on MTV), who lives in Litchfield County and is good friends with Clooney.  Streep also lives in Litchfield County.  I have no idea where Willem Dafoe lives.  But between that gossip item and a Jason Schwartzman interview on Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me, I think The Fantastic Mr. Fox was largely just a Wes Anderson thing, and no studio decisions were made (or needed) to bring in the big guns. 

Edited September 15, 2015 by harrie

[GreekGeek]

When I saw that Julianne Moore was starring in the upcoming Freeheld, I felt a bit of dread that she is starting to do what Jane Fonda did: become a face for various causes via her movies, rather than be a gutsy actress willing to play complicated and often unlikable characters. I'm not saying the cause is unworthy, just that I hate to see Moore, like Fonda, pigeonholed in movie roles as The Woman Who Gets Her Political Consciousness Raised.

[turbogirlnyc]

I really miss the days in top tier animated films when the voice actors could be some c list sitcom actor, or some no name voice actor. I guess Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel are the closest to that nowadays, but now its a pretty rare for someone that doesn't have a film career/success tv career to get those roles. While I don't dispute that Tom Hanks was great, even perfect, as Woody, it kind of pisses me off that they court al these A-list actors with million dollar bank accounts when there tons of voice actors who know how to act with voices and would love gladly love a shot at anchoring a big time animated film. They do fantastic jobs on television.

That was the case with Tangled. Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy are known for smaller roles but nowhere near A list actors. I can't think of another "known" name in that movie. And I love Tangled. So much more so than Frozen or even Beauty & The Beast.

Edited October 5, 2015 by turbogirlnyc

[Bruinsfan]

The saddest part is that she was not the worst singer in Mamma Mia. That honor went to Pierce Brosnan.

To be fair, he is to singing roles what Dick Van Dyke is to British accents.

 

I agree that trailers these days seem to give too much away and/or show the best parts of a film ("Lucy", anyone?).  If one does end up seeing them, disappointment follows.   Half the time I see them, I feel like I've seen the film and can save a buck (or twenty).

This is why I'm avoiding all Star Wars promotional material. They had me at "Chewie, we're home," I don't need to know anything more about it before I sit my ass in the theater.

 

When I saw the chronological point-by-point outline of the film in the Southpaw trailer I felt like standing up and yelling "thanks for saving me ten bucks!"

[Crim]

I very rarely watch trailers. Between the plot being spoiled like it doesn't matter and the chances that it is misleading, it's easier to completely skip the trailer... unless it's a movie I'm excited about.

 

Probably extremely UO: I don't give a shit about the new Star Wars. The prequel movies were so awful that I lost all interest. Also not interested in JJ Abrams as a director.

[Shannon L.]

I very rarely watch trailers. Between the plot being spoiled like it doesn't matter and the chances that it is misleading, it's easier to completely skip the trailer... unless it's a movie I'm excited about.

Probably extremely UO: I don't give a shit about the new Star Wars. The prequel movies were so awful that I lost all interest. Also not interested in JJ Abrams as a director.

I never saw the prequels and probably won't see the new one. The trailer was satisfying enough for me.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

When I saw that Julianne Moore was starring in the upcoming Freeheld, I felt a bit of dread that she is starting to do what Jane Fonda did: become a face for various causes via her movies, rather than be a gutsy actress willing to play complicated and often unlikable characters. I'm not saying the cause is unworthy, just that I hate to see Moore, like Fonda, pigeonholed in movie roles as The Woman Who Gets Her Political Consciousness Raised.

 

I'm looking forward to Freeheld, mostly because I've been patiently waiting for Ellen Page to do something interesting again.

 

As for Julianne Moore, I think she's already been pigeonholed as The Woman Who Always Cheats On Her Partner. Which is too bad, because she's capable of a lot more than that, but considering the lingering reaction to her role in Crazy, Stupid Love, I can see why she might prefer to be thought of as something else for five minutes.

[OakGoblinFly]

Probably extremely UO: I don't give a shit about the new Star Wars. The prequel movies were so awful that I lost all interest. Also not interested in JJ Abrams as a director.

 

May I join you at your table?

 

I'm not at all interested in the new Star Wars film(s) - for me there were no Star War films after 1983 - besides, I'm much more of a Star Trek kinda gal.

[Crim]

You can totally join me at the table, but... (Unpopular Choice incoming!) I haven't watched any of the Star Trek movies. Deal breaker?