# Is there any movie we ALL would agree is good (if not great)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [January 2, 2026, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271 "2026-01-02T14:18:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/441 "2026-01-08T01:47:15Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > in the baseball game, I already cared about the team before the game started. That’s why I’m watching. I feel like a good movie would make me feel connected; I”m certainly not feeling that before the movie has started. I’ll go into a movie already connected, or at least predisposed to be connected, if it’s a director and/or actors I am a fan of. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/442 "2026-01-08T02:40:48Z")
There are some people on the SDMB that wouldnt agree that breathing air was a Good Thing. And of course tastes differ, so there that. No one will agree on any great film or music or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/443 "2026-01-08T02:42:23Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Maybe we need a companion thread “Is there any movie we all would agree is bad (if not terrible)”? > > I think the answer is no, I mean, even Plan 9 has a 3.9 IMDB rating! Somebody likes it. I think we’d have to distinguish between good bad movies and bad bad movies. A movie can be entertaining despite, or even because of, how bad it is. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/444 "2026-01-08T02:42:54Z")
Maybe the better question might be if there was a movie we all agreed was not terrible. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/445 "2026-01-08T03:12:11Z")
Poll Time: [What films would you give a thumbs-down to (dislike)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/6490) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/446 "2026-01-08T03:47:20Z")
I voted, but had to skip the 14 movies on the list I’ve never seen. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/447 "2026-01-08T05:04:31Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Poll Time: I viewed and voted for none, which looks like I didn’t look at all. For those films there are none i think are bad, but there are many I haven’t seen, so couldn’t vote “I like them all” And,. “ **Someone** Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Gordon\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_G)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/448 "2026-01-08T10:42:30Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > > [@Gordon\_G](#): > > > > but let me veto _Singin’ in the Rain._ There are at least a dozen better musicals. > > 12 better musicals produced in … how many years? That tells me that Singin’ in the Rain is pretty damned good! Let’s not let “perfect” get in the way of “good”! When I veto or endorse movies in this thread I don’t write long essays, just a pithy phrase or adjective. I DO like the title song-and-dance of _Singin’_, but the rest of the film is BORING. Among the dozen “better musicals” there are some I also might veto. Similarly I hope no one avoids _The Notebook_ just because I called it “a (very) sentimental love story.” I am also NOT a big fan of “sentimental” but _Ghost_, _The Green Book_, and _As Good as it Gets_ are all good movies that can be described as “sentimental.” I’ll also nominate _Whale Rider_ and _The Gods Must Be Crazy_. Neither is a “great” movie, but I’d be interested in earning reasons for a Veto. I think I’ve made enough nominations to deserve another veto. I find _Close Encounters_ pretentious and boring. I like a FEW sci-fi films – _Déjà Vu_ and _Source Code_ are interesting time-travel stories – and fantasies – _LOTR_ and _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ – but dislike sci-fi whose main appeal is the sci-fi. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/449 "2026-01-08T14:26:52Z")
If I had put in ANOTHER option I would have lost another title-yeah could make a 2nd poll but I only had to trim it by ~15 cuts and did get rid of the ones which were the most obscure. The typos weren’t mine but that of the Dopers who originally nominated them… **Anyway** , looks like Galaxy Quest, Rear Window, Stand By Me, & Star Wars are the only ones currently that have no thumbs-down’s. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/450 "2026-01-08T19:26:48Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > If I had put in ANOTHER option I would have lost another title-yeah could make a 2nd poll but I only had to trim it by ~15 cuts and did get rid of the ones which were the most obscure I suggest you cut anything that more than a third of poll voters haven’t seen (or don’t remember). That gives you plenty of space for another answer. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/451 "2026-01-08T19:52:01Z")
> [@Gordon\_G](#): > > I find _Close Encounters_ pretentious and boring. I like a FEW sci-fi films – _Déjà Vu_ and _Source Code_ are interesting time-travel stories – and fantasies – _LOTR_ and _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ – but dislike sci-fi whose main appeal is the sci-fi. This is one of many reasons we can never agree on a “good” movie. I feel just the opposite, that in sci-fi the emphasis should be on “science” at least in the sense that the story **could** be real and we can imagine it actually happening. Whereas I usually detest fantasies, where the premise is “here’s a bunch of totally magical things that happen, never mind how”. To me, both _Close Encounters_ and _2001_ are good sci-fi and hence good movies. I love the way _Close Encounters_ opens with a scene of the five TBM Avenger bombers that all mysteriously disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle in 1945, suddenly re-appearing in the middle of the Sonoran desert. There were fascinating rumours that aliens had something to do with the disappearance (to make things even weirder, a rescue plane sent to search for them also disappeared!) and while aliens were obviously not the cause, this tie-in to an actual historical event was a great way to open a movie about alien visitations. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/452 "2026-01-08T20:19:28Z")
Agreed that Close Encounters is a great film. I have loved it since I first saw it in the theaters when it was first released. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/453 "2026-01-08T20:27:12Z")
> [@Gordon\_G](#): > > I am also NOT a big fan of “sentimental” but _Ghost_, _The Green Book_, and _As Good as it Gets_ are all good movies that can be described as “sentimental.” I really do not like _Ghost._ > [@John\_DiFool](#): > > **Anyway** , looks like Galaxy Quest, Rear Window, Stand By Me, & Star Wars are the only ones currently that have no thumbs-down’s. I am not sure if enough of us have seen or remember Rear Window- I know i cant really remember it. But two of those are great. > [@wolfpup](#): > > To me, both _Close Encounters_ and _2001_ are good sci-fi and hence good movies. I love the way _Close Encounters_ opens with a scene of the five TBM Avenger bombers that all mysteriously disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle in 1945, suddenly re-appearing in the middle of the Sonoran desert. I like the film but even I agree that it is a _tad_ too long. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/454 "2026-01-08T20:35:15Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > **Anyway** , looks like Galaxy Quest, Rear Window, Stand By Me, & Star Wars are the only ones currently that have no thumbs-down’s. No, I nixed _Star Wars_ because I don’t like silly fantasies. I don’t think I’ve seen _Stand By Me_. I wouldn’t veto the other two but I wouldn’t want to single them out as so good that no one dares to dislike them! BTW, I’m happy to not veto _Galaxy Quest_ despite its Star Wars and Star Trek type quality just because it’s funny and totally doesn’t take itself seriously. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/455 "2026-01-08T20:36:10Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > No, I nixed _Star Wars_ because I don’t like silly fantasies. There’s always one. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/456 "2026-01-08T20:41:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I am not sure if enough of us have seen or remember Rear Window- I know i cant really remember it. I don’t think I’ve seen _Rear Window_, but I’ve seen 15,000 parodies of it. [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RearWindowHomage](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RearWindowHomage) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/457 "2026-01-08T20:42:46Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I don’t think I’ve seen _Rear Window_, but I’ve seen 15,000 parodies of it. I have also seen snippets of the Great Dictator, but likely not the whole film. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/458 "2026-01-08T22:18:37Z")
How about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Kill Bill: Volume 1 ? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/459 "2026-01-08T22:40:35Z")
According to the poll, 30% if ya haven’t seen it, it some remember it week enough to vote. I’ve seen stand by me and Galaxy quest. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-movie-we-all-would-agree-is-good-if-not-great/1026271/460 "2026-01-09T01:39:09Z")
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