Unpopular Opinions

[JustaPerson]

George Bernard Shaw was majorly pissed off at that ending too. He even wrote an essay about it, stating that Eliza married Freddy. 

[Spartan Girl]

I'm Team Freddy too. He was a nice guy that liked Eliza warts and all, and treated her right. "Freddy loves me, that makes him king enough to me!"

[Wiendish Fitch]

Hey, I don't want Eliza to marry Freddy just because he's nice; if you're not that into someone, you're not into them, plain and simple. I just wish she'd had the guts and good sense to see Higgins for the misogynistic bastard he clearly was and leave his miserable ass.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Wiendish Fitch

[vibeology]

Yes, Eliza going off and finding someone who makes her happy and is good to her would be the best ending. There are more than two men in the world and she was more than capable of putting herself out there and finding someone better, even considering the limitations she'd face because of her history.

[methodwriter85]

Maybe it's because I'm not a Gen Xer, but I never really "got" Indiana Jones. Maybe if I had seen it in the theater as a little kid?

Edited March 27, 2016 by methodwriter85

[wanderingstar]

But not gonna happen when I can't stand the guy who's playing Bats. I just don't like him as an actor. I just don't.

I've never been able to warm to Ben Affleck. I just find him to be bland in every role I've seen him in.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Gillian Rosh

[vibeology]

My favourite Ben Affleck performance was his Keith Olberman impression on SNL a few years ago. I've never found him all that powerful in dramatic roles.

[Julia]

Maybe it's because I'm not a Gen Xer, but I never really "got" Indiana Jones. Maybe if I had seen it in the theater as a little kid?

I think maybe the original is a victim of its own success. At the time it came out, the trends for movies was either big, dumb and 'family-friendly' or gritty underlit urban dramas or dystopian science fiction or bloated landscape epics (come to think of it, pretty much like scripted TV today).

Indiana Jones, and to a certain extent Star Wars, were a return to old Hollywood swashbuckling action movies a lot of people had never seen in the days before cable. I think they had a fair amount to do with the revival of those old movies, and that style of movie became a thing.

I don't know what it would look like to me as just another movie. It was the first, though.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Julia

[Princess Sparkle]

I don't get the appeal of Henry Cavill. I find him completely bland, and he poses for things like he's his own waxwork. And the few times I've heard him interviewed, I wasn't all that enamoured of what was coming out of his mouth.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I've never been able to warm to Ben Affleck. I just find him to be bland in every role I've seen him in.

Yep. And for me? Christian Bale is not only SEXIER, but a far better actor. So for ME, Bale is the best live action Batman/Bruce Wayne. Those cheekbones...that body...the fact he did 90% of his stunts. But I know that that is a minority and unpopular opinion.

[Enigma X]

Yep. And for me? Christian Bale is not only SEXIER, but a far better actor. So for ME, Bale is the best live action Batman/Bruce Wayne. Those cheekbones...that body...the fact he did 90% of his stunts. But I know that that is a minority and unpopular opinion.

I concur!

 

I will not lie. I never had any intention of watching Affleck as Batman. Batman is my favorite DC hero, and Affleck is just not the right look for the part. Reviews could have been outstanding, and I would still refuse.

 

This will be my same problem with Marvel's Gambit movie. Gambit is my favorite Marvel character and Tatum is not the right fit to me.

[Spartan Girl]

I'll join you at the Bale table. He was awesome as Batman, and the Nolan movies were great. In fact, this probably is an UO, but I thought The Dark Knight Rises was great. I'm a little annoyed that. Entertainment Weekly ranked it so low on their Batman and Superman movie list.

Man of Steel wasn't perfect but it was WAY better than the shitstorm that was Superman Returns, so I'm again pissed that Entertainment Weekly ranked it above MoS.

[wanderingstar]

But I know that that is a minority and unpopular opinion.

 

Really? I liked CB's Batman a lot. I thought he did a great job portraying both Bruce Wayne and his alter ego. 

Edited March 27, 2016 by Gillian Rosh

[GHScorpiosRule]

I'll join you at the Bale table. He was awesome as Batman, and the Nolan movies were great. In fact, this probably is an UO, but I thought The Dark Knight Rises was great. I'm a little annoyed that. Entertainment Weekly ranked it so low on their Batman and Superman movie list.

Man of Steel wasn't perfect but it was WAY better than the shitstorm that was Superman Returns, so I'm again pissed that Entertainment Weekly ranked it above MoS.

Yes! And I don't get the criticism that the Bale movies didn't have humor. They most certainly did-when Bruce learns that Alfred had him declared dead in Batman Begins, to Alfred asking if Bruce was mauled by a tiger in The Dark Knight:

Bruce:"it was a dog."

Alfred:"Eh?"

Bruce:"It was a BIG Dog."

Or when that smarmy employee tried to blackmail Lucius when he said he knew Bruce was Batman. Had me and the entire theatre rolling when Lucius pointed out if Bruce was Batman, smarmy guy really thought he could blackmail him? The smooth and sarcastic delivery was hilarious.

So they weren't GRIM!DARK!GRIM! All the time. Icing on the cake for me were all the shirtless scenes with Bale and the homage to DCAU's Two-Face with the make-up job for Aaron's Harvey Dent.

Not to mention the EXCELLENT supporting cast that included Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman.

Edited March 28, 2016 by GHScorpiosRule

[katha]

I think liking Bale as Batman is a pretty popular opinion? I always see him and Keaton cited as the best two Batmans, and I agree with that. He came in for criticism for the "Bat-voice", which was a little strange. And there were accusations of lack of humour, but Nolan's version of the character is just rather grim. He had his moments of dry wit as Bruce Wayne in particular, though. But generally his turn is viewed in a favourable light, it seems to me.

[Enigma X]

I have virtually "liked" all the Bale/Batman love.

[greenbean]

I concur!

 

I will not lie. I never had any intention of watching Affleck as Batman. Batman is my favorite DC hero, and Affleck is just not the right look for the part. Reviews could have been outstanding, and I would still refuse.

 

This will be my same problem with Marvel's Gambit movie. Gambit is my favorite Marvel character and Tatum is not the right fit to me.

 

This is how I feel about Jesse Eisenberg. He at that nasty dry wig are not right for Lex Luthor imo.

[SmithW6079]

I don't get the appeal of Henry Cavill. I find him completely bland, and he poses for things like he's his own waxwork. And the few times I've heard him interviewed, I wasn't all that enamoured of what was coming out of his mouth.

He's sooo very pretty and so very well built.

He was a guest on the "Graham Norton Show" last year, and when he first came on, Graham says something to the effect of, "Can we just take a moment and gaze on the beauty that is Henry Cavill?" He was actually a fairly engaging guest. I think Russell Crowe was one of the other couch members that episode, and I might have been thinking of those two in other types of situations.

[proserpina65]

He's sooo very pretty and so very well built.

 

I don't think Cavill is attractive at all.  And he's a terrible actor.  I guess those are my UOs.

[vibeology]

I'll join you at the Bale table. He was awesome as Batman, and the Nolan movies were great. In fact, this probably is an UO, but I thought The Dark Knight Rises was great. I'm a little annoyed that. Entertainment Weekly ranked it so low on their Batman and Superman movie list.

Man of Steel wasn't perfect but it was WAY better than the shitstorm that was Superman Returns, so I'm again pissed that Entertainment Weekly ranked it above MoS.

 

I think with The Dark Knight Rises, the biggest problems were related to plot and character bloat. Nolan had gotten to the point where no studio exec was going to be able to go in and tell him to trim the runtime down, but the ending needed that badly. The Dark Knight Rises (and The Dark Knight) both had that Return of the King thing going on where it seemed like the story was finished then we'd get another scene a couple of times. Resolve your plot! The other DKR issue was Talia. Sorry because I like Marion Cottilard in other things, but it was a poorly written character who was then not given any extra life by the performance. That death scene is an actual joke, right? In these very serious movies tonally, she died like Paul Reubens in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You could have made a few adjustments, lifted her from the plot entirely and had a tighter movie.

 

So I think the criticism is earned. I still think its a good movie and I do get caught up in it, but its got a few major weaknesses that have to be talked about when you try to rank it.

[UYI]

I don't think Cavill is attractive at all.  And he's a terrible actor.  I guess those are my UOs.

 

I think he looked more attractive when he was younger. Now? Not so much. There are plenty of men who age well, but it appears he's not necessarily one of them. He's not ghoulish looking or anything, but he's...lost something, lookswise. 

[scarynikki12]

I think Cavill is a sexy bastard but I think he looks best without the Superman muscles.  When he's in shape but slimmer, with or without scruff, he's physically perfect. 

[methodwriter85]

I think he looked more attractive when he was younger. Now? Not so much. There are plenty of men who age well, but it appears he's not necessarily one of them. He's not ghoulish looking or anything, but he's...lost something, lookswise. 

Roids will do that to you sometimes.

[dusang]

Yes! And I don't get the criticism that the Bale movies didn't have humor. They most certainly did-when Bruce learns that Alfred had him declared dead in Batman Begins, to Alfred asking if Bruce was mauled by a tiger in The Dark Knight:

Bruce:"it was a dog."

Alfred:"Eh?"

Bruce:"It was a BIG Dog."

Or when that smarmy employee tried to blackmail Lucius when he said he knew Bruce was Batman. Had me and the entire theatre rolling when Lucius pointed out if Bruce was Batman, smarmy guy really thought he could blackmail him? The smooth and sarcastic delivery was hilarious.

So they weren't GRIM!DARK!GRIM! All the time. Icing on the cake for me were all the shirtless scenes with Bale and the homage to DCAU's Two-Face with the make-up job for Aaron's Harvey Dent.

Not to mention the EXCELLENT supporting cast that included Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman.

 

I think you just listed all of my favourite moments from the series.  And those moments are exactly what I point to when I'm explaining why I dislike the grim!dark!grim! of MoS.

 

(Although, walking into MoS I was like "yeah, Cavill is pretty but sexy? hot? not so much" and then I saw him bearded and shirtless and wet and I was like...::drool::.  I'm not hugely into beards but he definitely improves with scruff.  I wish they could work that into the Clark Kent disguise - super beard growth...)

[GHScorpiosRule]

I think you just listed all of my favourite moments from the series. And those moments are exactly what I point to when I'm explaining why I dislike the grim!dark!grim! of MoS.

(Although, walking into MoS I was like "yeah, Cavill is pretty but sexy? hot? not so much" and then I saw him bearded and shirtless and wet and I was like...::drool::. I'm not hugely into beards but he definitely improves with scruff. I wish they could work that into the Clark Kent disguise - super beard growth...)

Got another one! And I used it on my stupid phone so I would hear Bale's voice whenever I got a text or voicemail:

From Batman Begins:

"A man who dresses up as a bat CLEARLY has issues."

Bruce CLEARLY mocking himself/deflecting that HE couldn't possibly be Batman.

I guess beauty and opinions are in the eye of the beholder because I didn't and don't find Bale's Bruce OR Bats, or his acting constipated/bad. That would be Affleck, thrown in with dull and wooden as a stick.

[dusang]

Got another one! And I used it on my stupid phone so I would hear Bale's voice whenever I got a text or voicemail:

From Batman Begins:

"A man who dresses up as a bat CLEARLY has issues."

Bruce CLEARLY mocking himself/deflecting that HE couldn't possibly be Batman.

I guess beauty and opinions are in the eye of the beholder because I didn't and don't find Bale's Bruce OR Bats, or his acting constipated/bad. That would be Affleck, thrown in with dull and wooden as a stick.

 

Even after the deep conversation about destroying all the Bat stuff and turning himself in, Bruce jokes that he's going to pin the whole thing on Alfred.

 

I watched Batman Begins with my sister and I expressed how much I liked Christian Bale for the role and how handsome he is and she, thinking mostly of his American Psycho performance was like, "ewww, that guy?!" but by the time he was getting on the plane with Alfred she was like, "yeah, he's pretty dreamy."

 

(The Burton Batman vs. the Nolan Batman are almost apples to oranges, but I did always love Keaton's take on it.)

[Demented Daisy]

I guess beauty and opinions are in the eye of the beholder because I didn't and don't find Bale's Bruce OR Bats, or his acting constipated/bad. That would be Affleck, thrown in with dull and wooden as a stick.

 

How can you say that when, as you admitted in the thread, you haven't seen Affleck as Batman in BvS yet?

[GHScorpiosRule]

Because I don't like Affleck as an actor. Every movie of his that I have seen he's the same. Dull. Wooden. The trailers I did see of this movie didn't change my mind.

[Demented Daisy]

I guess I just don't understand how anyone could judge a performance they haven't seen.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Julia Roberts is the best thing about Secret In Their Eyes.

 

I've probably never said that Julia Roberts is the best thing about anything, but her turn as a distraught mother really blew me away, a far cry from what I expected of her. Though the movie largely follows Chiwetel Ejiofor's angsty federal agent, its Roberts' scenes that really pull me in. I really recommend seeing it, even just as a rental.

[DeLurker]

Because I don't like Affleck as an actor. Every movie of his that I have seen he's the same. Dull. Wooden. The trailers I did see of this movie didn't change my mind.

The only time I found Affleck good or fun to watch was in Dogma.  Damon too - they just aren't that interesting to me.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I guess I just don't understand how anyone could judge a performance they haven't seen.

 

 

That's why this is the Unpopular Thread. I can say what I feel without having to justify why I feel the way I do.

[Demented Daisy]

That's why this is the Unpopular Thread. I can say what I feel without having to justify why I feel the way I do.

 

I'm not asking you to justify your feelings on Affleck.  We all have actors we don't like, for whatever reasons.  I'm just saying that I don't understand -- that's my unpopular opinion, I suppose.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Demented Daisy

[UYI]

I understand why there was controversy over Do the Right Thing not being nominated Best Picture, but Driving Miss Daisy is still one of my favorite movies, and Jessica Tandy was fantastic in it. And the theme song is beautiful, too. 

[ribboninthesky1]

The only time I found Affleck good or fun to watch was in Dogma.  Damon too - they just aren't that interesting to me.

 

I've never understood why Damon is considered a better actor. They've always been about the same for me.   

[spaceytraci1208]

I've never understood why Damon is considered a better actor. They've always been about the same for me.

I enjoy Matt Damon, but I think most of the reason he's considered the better actor of the two, is that he's chosen/been chosen for better projects

[kiddo82]

I think people just like Damon better, fair or not. Affleck's reputation still hasn't fully recovered from JLo/Jersey Girl/Gili.

[Sara2009]

I enjoy Matt Damon, but I think most of the reason he's considered the better actor of the two, is that he's chosen/been chosen for better projects

I also think that Damon has more charisma. He's not a great actor, but he's enjoyable to watch. JMO of course.

[ribboninthesky1]

I think people just like Damon better, fair or not. Affleck's reputation still hasn't fully recovered from JLo/Jersey Girl/Gili.

 

Sure, I can see the correlation between likability and perception of talent. 

[KatWay]

Damon is more likeable but Affleck has always been more interesting to watch for me. And he is best when he plays characters like the one in Dogma - on the edge of self-destruction. Now I wonder why that is...

[blugirlami21]

I actually think Matt Damon is a better actor than Ben Affleck especially when they first started out. I don't think Ben could have pulled off Matt's role in Good Will Hunting.

[Enigma X]

I just find Matt more likable than Ben, and I think it is because Ben is kind of unlikable rather than Matt being overwhelmingly charming.

 

In general, Ben is more handsome (though not my type) than Matt but he seems arrogant.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Michael Keaton will always be my Batman!  Friends around my age always laugh at me for that opinion.  I always assumed the popular one around the older members of Gen Y is Bale, and maybe Gen X and older is Keaton?

 

Ben Affleck looks sooooooooooo Botoxy in those commercials.  I hope the mask covers up a lot of that.  Jesse Eisenberg is my only draw to that movie ;)  I think Matt is a hell of a lot more talented, which was really obvious in Good Will Hunting but also shows how he can carry full movies based entirely around his performance (like The Martian) and film series like Bourne (which I personally don't care for.)  Ben is more traditionally handsome, chiseled jaw, high cheekbones and all that.  But Matt is the kind of actor who is already a character actor (The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Informant!, etc.) and can probably extend his career doing this forever.  Too bad he seems like an ignorant dick.

 

Matt is Oscar-level good in my opinion.  I haven't really seen it from Ben yet.  He's always "The Handsome Guy" in movies, surrounded by a lot of help.

Edited March 30, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[GHScorpiosRule]

Even after the deep conversation about destroying all the Bat stuff and turning himself in, Bruce jokes that he's going to pin the whole thing on Alfred.

 

I watched Batman Begins with my sister and I expressed how much I liked Christian Bale for the role and how handsome he is and she, thinking mostly of his American Psycho performance was like, "ewww, that guy?!" but by the time he was getting on the plane with Alfred she was like, "yeah, he's pretty dreamy."

 

(The Burton Batman vs. the Nolan Batman are almost apples to oranges, but I did always love Keaton's take on it.)

 

 

Funny. Even though he was a murdering psycho (no pun intended!) I found Bale's Patrick Bateman a sexy beast. Not the character, but dayummmm, his body was so...sculpted.  By the time Begins was released, I'd totally forgotten that Bale was the villain in the remake of Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson.  And then I quickly went on a Bale-movie-binge, by watching everything he'd ever starred in, going back to Spielberg's Empire of the Sun.

 

And until Batman Begins, Keaton was my favorite live action Batman.  And the Burton and Nolan are like apples and oranges when you look at them--Burton's is very...cartoony, in terms of set design, if that makes sense.  And Nolan's is very...realistic, grounded in reality, that is. And that's what Nolan wanted to do/was aiming for.  And he succeeded.

 

Michael Keaton will always be my Batman!  Friends around my age always laugh at me for that opinion.  I always assumed the popular one around the older members of Gen Y is Bale, and maybe Gen X and older is Keaton?

 

 

I'm Generation X, and as you can see, Bale is my Bats, after Kevin Conroy. But since Conroy can't be considered live action, it's Bale for me.  All the way.  He knocked Keaton's Bats over when I saw that one minute? trailer, where all I saw were the Himalayas, the caves and then that quick glimpse of Bale saying that he was the most scariest thing or something. I can't remember the line, and I didn't even know what movie the trailer was for, but when I saw him, standing there? I totally lost it. In a good way.  And after I saw Batman Begins, the thing going through my head was, someone finally gets it. I was thrilled. The only weak link in that movie for me was Katie Holmes. YUCK.

[dusang]

Michael Keaton will always be my Batman!  Friends around my age always laugh at me for that opinion.  I always assumed the popular one around the older members of Gen Y is Bale, and maybe Gen X and older is Keaton?

 

 

And until Batman Begins, Keaton was my favorite live action Batman.  And the Burton and Nolan are like apples and oranges when you look at them--Burton's is very...cartoony, in terms of set design, if that makes sense.  And Nolan's is very...realistic, grounded in reality, that is. And that's what Nolan wanted to do/was aiming for.  And he succeeded.

 

I recently watched the Honest Trailer for Batman (1989) and he points out that Burton had to resurrect live-action Batman from the 60s TV version, which is, I believe, the actual definition of crazy cartoon camp.  HT also points out that Michael Keaton plays a Bruce Wayne who seems legit unbalanced enough to choose to put on a bat costume to fight crime (I mean really, you want realism?  THE MAN DRESSES AS A GIANT BAT AND FIGHTS CRIME we left realism like fifty miles behind).  And, although the Burton franchise was hijacked by Schumacher (sp?) and turned into the cartoon camp we all know and shake our heads at, Batman and Batman Returns were, while visually bonkers, pretty dark.

 

However, my favourite Keaton moment is when he meets Selina Kyle as Bruce Wayne and says they've already met because he met her as Batman.  When she corrects him, saying they have not met, he casually says, "oh right, I mistook me for someone else."  Which just tickles me on so many levels.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I recently watched the Honest Trailer for Batman (1989) and he points out that Burton had to resurrect live-action Batman from the 60s TV version, which is, I believe, the actual definition of crazy cartoon camp.  HT also points out that Michael Keaton plays a Bruce Wayne who seems legit unbalanced enough to choose to put on a bat costume to fight crime (I mean really, you want realism?  THE MAN DRESSES AS A GIANT BAT AND FIGHTS CRIME we left realism like fifty miles behind).  And, although the Burton franchise was hijacked by Schumacher (sp?) and turned into the cartoon camp we all know and shake our heads at, Batman and Batman Returns were, while visually bonkers, pretty dark.

 

However, my favourite Keaton moment is when he meets Selina Kyle as Bruce Wayne and says they've already met because he met her as Batman.  When she corrects him, saying they have not met, he casually says, "oh right, I mistook me for someone else."  Which just tickles me on so many levels.

 

 

When I said "cartoony" I was referring to the set design. Does that make sense? And I can't not love it, because the designs and the music was what Bruce Timm and Company used as a model for Batman: The Animated Series as well as Shirley Walker's music for its theme song!

 

Like I said, I loved Keaton as Bats, but when Bale came along...

 

And now I'll shut up, unless we can get a Batman movies/saga thread like the one we have for Rocky, so I can continue to gush talk more in details what I loved, didn't like/hated about Nolan's trilogy, along with Burton's and that hack, Schumacher. But really, the last I have pretty much bleached out of my mind/brain and don't want to revisit. Like. At All.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Sorry, everyone, but Kevin Conroy will always be the only Batman for me, if in voice only. :) Incidentally, Mask of the Phantasm is probably my favorite Batman movie.

 

Superman Returns was messy at worst, "meh" at best, but I'd watch it 10 more times before I ever watch Man of Steel again. Hell, Kevin Spacey makes a royal ass of himself as Lex Luthor, but at least he injects some semblance of fun and energy into the proceedings.

 

I thought Pacific Rim was cliched, shallow and forgettable, not to mention a waste of a good cast; kind of like Prometheus, only prettier (hey, wait, Idris Elba was in both those movies! Why can't this man catch a decent break?! It's like a conspiracy...)

[methodwriter85]

Man of Steel just took itself waaaayyyyy too seriously. I was pretty disappointed because everybody was saying it was going to be better than the '06 movie, but it just wasn't. Nothing about it clicked for me other than Amy Adams.

[Ohwell]

I thought the best thing about Man of Steel was Henry Cavill.  Amy Adams messed it up for me.

[dusang]

When I said "cartoony" I was referring to the set design. Does that make sense? And I can't not love it, because the designs and the music was what Bruce Timm and Company used as a model for Batman: The Animated Series as well as Shirley Walker's music for its theme song!

 

Oh totally, I agree.  Burton is always a bit "cartoony".  I just, more generally and not specifically directed at you or anything you said, think that Batman Forever and Batman & Robin have kind of unfairly tarnished the reputations of the first two films.  Burton definitely wasn't aiming for "gritty realism" but he wasn't going for the batshit camp Schumacher tarred the entire franchise with.

 

(Honestly, every time someone talks about the "realism" of MoS or BvS I'm like, "there are global conflicts killing hundreds of people daily and you think it's realistic for Superman to be stopping bank robbers in Metropolis?!?"  That's a fundamentally unfair argument, I realize, but ... Marvel has not painted themselves into that "realistic" corner of my mind, if you know what I mean and I doubt you do.)