# Blade Runner---and other insanely over-rated movies ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2002, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739 "2002-04-26T10:02:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/21 "2002-04-26T16:17:45Z")
Okay, okay, so I’ll go and watch Bladerunner. Again. Nothing like research in the name of Fighting Ignorance !!! 😃 I think I didn’t misspeak, but misunderstood the quote. It didnt’ invent Noir, I know that. I will gladly concede the fact that it, to a large degree, invented cyberpunk. Although, Silent Running ain’t exactly a clean world… I wonder where I can rent that. Hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/22 "2002-04-26T16:31:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Although, Silent Running ain’t exactly a clean world… I wonder where I can rent that. Hmmm. **Silent Running** was actually pretty clean. The first “dirty spaceship” I recall was **Dark Star**. Definitely had that “lived-in” look. **Star Wars** had plenty of lived-in looking locales. But the essence of cyberpunk isn’t just dirt, it’s the idea of an aged and crumbling technology, mixed with some despair (it’s that _noire_ influence, I guess). Magazines like **Cinefantastique** were running spreads on the “look” of **Bladerunner** well before it came out – they knew that this was a new look and feel for science fiction film. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/23 "2002-04-26T16:35:58Z")
For overrated, I’ll throw in **L.A. Confidential**. I have no idea what was supposed to be so amazing about it. It seemed pretty by-the-numbers for me. I didn’t find it interesting, dramatic, sexy, charming, or anything else. No idea why it’s so highly regarded. Also, **As Good as it Gets** This one was downright painful to watch. “Ooh! I hope the sweet lady will hook up with the complete asshole at the end!!!” I guess there are still people out there who think Jack Nicholson is charming when he’s a complete ass. ---
**Author:** ![FriendRob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@FriendRob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriendRob)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/24 "2002-04-26T16:45:49Z")
**A.I.** = **Blade Runner** meets **ET**. They should never have met. Go see both of the other two again instead ( **ET** - now in a theater near you!) If I can leave SF for the moment, the most over-rated recent film I’ve seen is **Moulin Rouge**. Complete dreck. And (dare I say it?) **Something About Mary**. What a bunch of unfunny crap. … (runs for cover) … ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/25 "2002-04-26T16:55:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\* > > **Silent Running** was actually pretty clean. The first “dirty spaceship” I recall was **Dark Star**. Definitely had that “lived-in” look. **Star Wars** had plenty of lived-in looking locales. But the essence of cyberpunk isn’t just dirt, it’s the idea of an aged and crumbling technology, mixed with some despair (it’s that _noire_ influence, I guess). Magazines like **Cinefantastique** were running spreads on the “look” of **Bladerunner** well before it came out – they knew that this was a new look and feel for science fiction film. \*\* Well sort of… That look was hinted at in Alien (another Ridley Scott Film) based on some of the monlythic architecture of Metropolis and a hint of the lower parts of the city of that film. What made it look so “new” was the stark change from the “future city in the Mall” films of the groovy seventies. It is essentially the same grimey foggy drisily look of the old film Noir with colour and neon lights and Mega buildings. just my 2 cents (being Canadian that would be worth 1.3 cents American) ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/26 "2002-04-26T17:59:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by puddleglum \* > \*\* > Do not see AI, it is a horrible movie, comparing it to Blade Runner is like comparing “Citizen Kane” to “Dude Where’s my Car”. If you do a search you will find there was a long thread a couple of months ago about how bad AI was. \*\* I will not be havin’ no bad mouthin’ of _Dude Where Is My Car?_. None I tell’s ya- none. That was a carefree, fun little harmless movie which alot of people enjoyed. Now _Citizen Kane_ (a way overused Doper cliche- IMHO) versus Tom Green’s _Freddie Got Fingered_ now that’s a Grade A analogy for you (or possibly _Batman and Robin_- yuck!). _-me_ ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/27 "2002-04-26T18:10:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kingpengvin \* > \*\*Just admit you don’t like movies that actually take the time to make you think without flashy explosions and people dying every 5 seconds. > > Now Go watch Independence day and pretend you are a science fiction connoisseur. (FUME!)\*\* kingpengvin++ I actually had a friend once tell me that he thought _Armageddon_ was the best movie he ever saw. I could only stand gaping for five minutes. I had another friend whose favorite movie was _Independence Day_, but he was a computer scientist with a thing for redheads. ---
**Author:** ![Semp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Semp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Semp)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/28 "2002-04-26T18:32:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by arisu \* > \*\*_A.I._ started out interesting, but quickly turned into a big pile of suck. \*\* My problem with AI is that the lead character is the least interesting character in the film. A lot of potential, but no growth. If Teddy had been the primary character, or maybe Gigolo Joe, it would have been a much better film. And oh yeah, one ending is enough, thank you very much. My nomination, which hasn’t been mentioned yet, is The Lord Of The Rings (the new one, I’ve never seen the cartoon version). Sure, it was very well made, and it’s part one of a three part story, but I would have liked there to have been some resolution at the end, or at least an interesting cliffhanger. And the “battle” at the end, which was really nothing more than a large-ish skirmish, didn’t give me any reason to believe it was very important. And it seemed to be packed with filler, that I, as someone who has never read the books, didn’t have too much appreciation for. A three hour long butt numb-er. Take that, fanboys! ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de053/32.png) [@Umbriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/29 "2002-04-26T18:56:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DanielWithrow \* > \*\*Me, I love movies that make me work. You wanna do hard labor at the theater, watch Brazil. > > Blade Runner/Director’ Cut is a whole different beast from Blade Runner/Awful Harrison Ford voiceover. I saw the Director’s cut first, and was blown away by the movie. It was beautiful, tense, sad, and thoughtful. > > Then I later saw it with Harrison’s voiceover, and I was appalled. He sounded like a surly drunk, like they told him he had to do this voiceover and he said, “Okay, but I’m gonna do it as badly as I can.” > Daniel \*\* Rumor has it that that’s exactly what happened – that the studio (based either on focus group responses or the whim of some powerful weasel) demanded voiceover narration contrary to Ridley Scott’s desires. Something along the lines of “let’s do the narration and see how it works” transpired, and Ford, who also thought it was pointless, intentionally tried to make the narration unusable. Unfortunately, with a voiceover produced, the weasels insisted on using it. I’m not sure whether an interview with Scott or Ford confirms this. It almost makes too much sense to be true. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/30 "2002-04-26T19:36:47Z")
If we’re not limiting ourselves to science fiction, then I would like to toss out (literally) **Gone With the Wind.** Yes, there were some nice panoramic views, and I suppose it’s mildly interesting for a “slice of life” view of the Old South, but I will always associate **GWtW** as four hours of nauseating racism coupled with Scarlet The Overpampered B\*tch and Rhett The Idiot. If he had any sense at all, he would have permanently dumped her by the second act and spared us all this overbloated, overhyped mess. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/31 "2002-04-26T19:37:41Z")
I vould live without the voiceover in _Blade Runner_ but I’ve never undrstood objections to the so-called “happy” ending. And that unicorn scene was just a damn waste of time, along with all that other “is-Decard-a-replicant?” crap. Actually, we’ve done this to death in a previous thread. In any case, it’s a cool movie. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/32 "2002-04-26T19:47:29Z")
I didn’t think _LA Confidential_ was all that good, either, but the one movie that made my teeth hurt was _The Piano_. I can get into ‘moody’. I can even handle (sometimes) a ‘chick flick’. BUt I mean 10 minutes of them tromping through mud and woods to get to a destination, 5 minutes of them being there, another 10 minutes of them sloshing back through the mud and yuck to get back to where they were. Damn. And, I found the little girls’ betrayal of her mother to be totally unrealistic. Nor did I find it credible that a woman would eventually fall in love w/some one who basically raped/blackmailed her. and it won awards. ---
**Author:** ![smilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@smilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smilla)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/33 "2002-04-27T00:40:43Z")
**rjung** , if you don’t like _Gone with the Wind_, you might like the parody of it, a book named _The Wind Done Gone_ by Alice Randall. And just so I don’t completely hijack this thread, a) Blade Runner was an awesome film. I’ve never seen the non-director’s cut, so I guess I really have no reason to object to it. The thing that struck me was outside of a few special effects (like the gun and the cars), the set looked a hell of a lot like New York. But someone already said that. The future is now, dudes. Oh yeah, and b) _The Blair Witch Project_ was a complete and utter waste of time and money and c) I’m going to say it even though I know that everyone on this board probably loves this fucking movie but… _Star Wars_ - _all_ 4 releases so far - suck. I have a feeling the fifth is going to be just as bad, if not worse. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/34 "2002-04-27T02:17:14Z")
Have we established which version of **Blade Runner** **Philip** saw? My wife is suggesting **Princess Bride** because she thinks it’s one of those movies everybody _says_ they like because they think they’re _supposed_ to like it “but it’s really stupid” [/endquote]. I tend to disagree 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/35 "2002-04-27T03:03:09Z")
2001 ---
**Author:** ![meyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@meyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meyer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/36 "2002-04-27T03:28:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by evilhanz \* > \*\* > My wife is suggesting **Princess Bride** because she thinks it’s one of those movies everybody _says_ they like because they think they’re _supposed_ to like it “but it’s really stupid” [/endquote]. I tend to disagree 🙂 \*\* Wow, would I ever like to meet your wife! Seriously, I hate **The Princess Bride**! Hate, hate, hate! It seems to me to be the most boring, pointless, stupid thing I have ever seen. I have seen it at least three times, and I have yet to find even one redeeming feature. I have no doubt that other people find it entertaining, but whenever I mention the fact that I don’t like it they say “You just don’t get it” - No, I get it, I just think it’s dumb! ---
**Author:** ![Phlip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Phlip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlip)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/37 "2002-04-27T04:01:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by evilhanz \* > \*\*Have we established which version of **Blade Runner** **Philip** saw? > > My wife is suggesting **Princess Bride** because she thinks it’s one of those movies everybody _says_ they like because they think they’re _supposed_ to like it “but it’s really stupid” [/endquote]. I tend to disagree 🙂 \*\* It was the Directors Cut. On a side note, the DVD transfer of that movie is one of the top 3 worst I have ever watched. Its was shaky the whole time. The only one I can think of that was worse than this was the Batman DVD. BTW, Princess Bride is a fun movie. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/38 "2002-04-27T04:49:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlip \* > \*\*Anyway, maybe this is one of those movies that requires repeated viewings to catch all the hidden shit (ala Beastmaster 😃 ), but to me, the whole point of watching a movie is to SEE the plot develope onscreen, not to piece it together in your head or to assume that a character is feeling a certain way. > > I read books when I want to do that much work. \*\* If this is your attitude, you are never going to like the film. It’s that simple. Many people love this film (me included) but they simply do not have your attitude. But I trust that you do not have the attitude that your attitude is the only valid attitude…? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/39 "2002-04-27T04:57:51Z")
Let’s stick to Sci-Fi 1. Original Blade Runner: over-rated, mostly due to the voiceover and other peculiarities. 2. Director’s Cut: Haven’t seen it. I want to. 3. 2001 is over-rated in some ways (it drags), but it was also an enormously influential movie. Then again, so were most films by Kubrick. His shots and themes were recycled over and over again. Recall that 2001 was the first sci-fi film that wasn’t pitched as a jokey low-budget throw-away. (Unless Planet of the Apes came out first.) 4. Let’s face it, Star Wars is hilariously over-rated. News flash: “The Force” is not a deep concept. Without the special effects the film would be an embarrassment. 5. As for LOT being over-rated because the first part needed a happier ending… Um, it’s a bit much to expect resolution when you’re 1/3 of the way through a given work. Perhaps the poster should wait until all 3 of the films are out so that they can be seen in succession. (For 6 hours!!! :eek:) ---
**Author:** ![DaPearl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@DaPearl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaPearl)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739/40 "2002-04-27T05:17:18Z")
On the voice over i’ve also heard the same story. Harrision Ford thought it was a bad idea so he intentionally did a bad job on it, thinking the studio executives would never use it. He greatly underestimated them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-and-other-insanely-over-rated-movies/105739.md?page=3)