Weekly Discussion: Movies you love that had poor critical reception • Page 4

The comedy wasn't the problem, it was everything else.

 

Billy Madison was apparently torn to shreds by critics back in the day.

Watchmen was divisive but I don't see many ways you could make it a better adaptation of the source material.

 

I loved the watchmen movie, yeah

 

So you're the two people that saw Mortdecai!

 

Make it a miniseries on HBO instead of a film. Don't use the comic panels as a storyboard 'cause the whole idea of the original was that it imagined superheroes into more of a "real" world, and also 'cause what works on the panel doesn't always work on screen the same way. Don't smother the life out with that Snyder filter that can work in some contexts but detracts from the Watchmen experience.

You asked, lol.

 

Nacho Libre.

 

Didn't almost the entire story of the novel make it in the director's cut of the movie? And I disagree regarding how the comics were heavily referenced for the storyboarding. It's been a long time since I read it, but I watched the movie again this year and it is still visually impressive to me. I feel like some of the acting could be better/more emotional and sometimes Snyder could stand to hold back a bit on the style (slo-mo, etc), but for the most part I like it a lot and think it's up there with my favorite comic book movies.

 

I'll admit that I'm still impressed that they managed to fit as much of the book into the movie as they did, but having said that, Watchmen is to me a textbook example of how being extremely faithful to the source material does not necessarily equal a good movie. The movie's biggest problem - and, I think, Zack Snyder's biggest problem in general - is that it lacks any sort of subtlety. Everything is replicated to the most minute detail, but the emotional heft or commentary in those images is just not there. In the book, the violence was shocking but it also was making a statement about the depravity of the situation. In the film, the violence felt more like an attempt to remind the audience that the material was 'edgy.'

I think the best part of the movie is the opening credits. It creatively went about the task of setting up the universe for new comers while also providing nothing but fanservice for the... well, fans. And, for once, Snyder's on-the-nose soundtrack picks was NOT unbearable. (I also thought the how they reworked the ending also made a lot of sense.)

There's no way this would ever happen, but my ideal Watchmen adaptation would be to give three different directors free reign to each make their own movie and release them all together. Not only do I think it would be fascinating to see they stylistic and narrative differences between the three, but with Watchmen being such a dense and personal work, I'd love to see which moments each filmmaker felt they had to preserve - which beats they felt supported their interpretation of the book's overall message.

 

I've said it a bunch over the years but Tom Green was/is a misunderstood genius who also was ahead of his time. Like when you go back and watch his show(s) or FGF, it's not only comedic brilliance but was pretty much YouTube before it was even dreamt of. Nowadays, people do the exact same things he did back when while gaining a loyal following and making a living for it. Tom is the best and I honestly wish he could make a comeback in the mainstream because he's a funny guy and deserves another chance.

 

The Cable Guy is such a great dark comedy. It's not hard to see why it got panned, it was at the height of Jim's career and here comes this dark comedy about him stalking a guy basically and wasn't the zany film that he's known for being in. As time has gone on though, I feel like it stands on it's own and is arguably one of the best films he's ever done. Plus, it is quite amusing to see him during his speech about the internet talking about people playing Mortal Kombat online when that became a reality.

 

Triple post (sorry) but Hackers. Yeah, it's really outdated, the dialogue is cheesy, and the plot is pretty damn dumb but I love that movie. It's a neat time capsule in a way, in terms of computers at the time and Hollywood's ongoing growth at accurately portraying modern technology without looking silly. Plus, HACK THE PLANET as a phrase will never not be amusing to me.

 

Nothing against Green, but have you watched The Bum Bum Song video lately? It's incredibly dated and not even funny in an anti-comedy sense.

 

Oh it's not great, we could agree on that. However, it is an interesting look into the past and see how something as bad as it is could of been popular. That and the story about how MTV made Tom retire the video on TRL is such a funny little story about the network itself.

 

Tom Green was really charming in Charlie's Angels
the Chad is good

 

Poor Tom, becoming one of Drew's many husbands.

 

Yeah, I agree about there being a lack of subtlety, that's in part what I was getting at by saying the acting could be more emotional and Snyder could benefit from showing some restraint with stylizing. Perfect example it the close-up of Rorschach when he jumps into the window near the beginning of the movie. But aside from going too far with it every now and then, he worked some serious magic in visually bringing the comic to the screen. Rorschach's mask, Dr. Manhattan, etc. The movie looked amazing for the most part.

I think Zack knew what to go for with the tone of the movie for the most part, including depicting the violence. It's brutal and hard to watch at times, not stylized or glorified (again, aside from some of the times when he Snyders it up, like the scene at the beginning where Comedian is thrown out of the window). Whether he executed it just right obviously depends on the viewer. My biggent qualm is the acting could have been pushed further. Most of the characters aside from a few were a bit more animated than I had hoped, like they were thinking "remember, you're in a comic book movie" instead of treating the dramatic scenes like ones in any other film. I don't know if this was Snyder's direction or the choices of some of the actors (Not all though, I think Crudup was fantastic, as was the villain in the movie) but I think it is the main reason why the story in movie form didn't resonate as much as the book might have.

Man, I disagree about the music choices though. The use of music was ok, but it's like Zack or whoever chose the soundtrack's research method was: go to google > type "music" > search > scan the first few pages and buy the rights.

Yeah, I think It'd be cool to see another director tackle the material one day as well. Obviously Nolan and Del Toro would bring something to a new adaptation, maybe Fincher, Gilliam, etc.

 

CLOVERFIELD!!! A sick movie tbh, don't @ me!

 

Brother by Takeshi Kitano. Critics mostly panned it but it's one of my favorite Yakuza movies. The acting isn't the greatest, but his character in the film is a memorable bad mofo and there are several funny scenes and brutal gang violence that rival many gangster classics. Music is amazing.

 

I really enjoy The Island. Sure it has some flaws but I think it's a really cool concept and I love McGregor and ScarJo in almost anything. Probably my favorite Bay film since The Rock.

 

Yeah I liked the Island, the first half specifically.

I don't think I would consider Cloverfield to have gotten poor critical reception.

 

Just to be clear, I'm saying that I felt like the music choices worked for the opening credits ONLY. The rest of the movie is pretty typical Zack Snyder "HEY THIS IS COMMENTING ON THE STORY" stuff.

And I felt like the violence was glamorized, to a large extent. Like, in the comic, when Dr. Manhattan zaps somebody they kinda just turn into a puff of smoke, but in the movie they explode into a shower of gore.

I thought the acting was uniformly pretty good, I actually think Snyder doesn't always credit for his casting. I dunno, I think we agree on the lack of subtlety, just differ on what parts were weren't heavy handed. I do like Zack Snyder and I wish he had more stronger movies under his belt, he's an extraordinarily gifted visualist.

Btw, been trying to find a copy of the 'Ultimate Cut' (the one that incorporates the "Tales of the Black Freighter" short) and it seems like it practically vanished from the face of the Earth. Anywhere I can find it cheap(ish)?

 

I would say I love it. The movie is hilarious, I still quote it all the time because my friends love it too. Rip Torn was also hilarious as Tom's dad, the film is a classic.

"Nighty-night daddy"
"Mike Fitzgibbon's son is a nuclear physicist, and my son can eat a chicken sandwich!"
"Look at me, I'm a farmer!"

 

I loved this! I watched it twice in theaters, there were so many free screenings for it.

I really enjoy cheesy blockbusters, like The Island mentioned above. I find myself watching Eagle Eye when it's on tv. I could probably think of more. The Sum of all Fears is another one. I like those cookie cutter political movies. And finally, the movies Congo and Twister are classics in my house, oft quoted and rewatched.

 

this

 

so basically every movie I like haha.

I will say the first that comes to mind: Spring Breakers.
I wouldn't say that was totally hated by critics? But people were pretty split about it. I have heard a lot of hate for it.