# Movies that were overrated garbo **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2020, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319 "2020-08-05T11:19:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/1 "2020-08-05T11:19:41Z")
This is just another thread for me to complain about ‘The Joker’. It wasn’t THAT bad… But the fact that people love it so much makes me want to gag in my throat. If it’s not political, why is it rich vs poor!? No. No. Clown talent agency to hold signs? What’s with his bemused miserable social worker? The ‘Going Out Of Business’ sign is that valuable? I just… There’s more, but the movie had me wondering why people liked it so much? Why does this have to be the joker and not some stand-alone character that has nothing to do with Batman? Anyway… I know it’s be been done before, but which films would you consider to be overrated garbage? ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/2 "2020-08-05T12:10:30Z")
I finally watched “Joker” this weekend. Seemed extremely derivative to me, like The King Of Comedy, Taxi Driver, and V for Vendetta had a threesome. When DeNiro showed up as the talk show host, I lol’d, and the scene where he and Mark Maron talk to Joker in the green room is basically the same bit as in The King Of Comedy. Not impressed. _ETA: just looked at the wikipedia page for Joker and I guess that’s what they were after._ I’ve never seen any of the Star Wars movies in full, but I’ve eyerolled at every minute of clips I’ve seen. I don’t doubt Spielberg’s skill at string-pulling, but I don’t care for a lot of his stuff ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/3 "2020-08-05T12:21:54Z")
It’s value to me was that it showed how a shy kid with low self-esteem could be warped into a horrible human being by the cruelty of others. Still, I haven’t watched it again since I first saw it in the theater, so that’s an indication that I wasn’t totally enamored with it. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/4 "2020-08-05T12:45:35Z")
The OP’s comments about _Joker_(no "the) make me think he was perhaps expecting something else. Not to invalidate anyone’s opinions - all are valid- but, for instance, who ever said it _wasn’t_ political? The part about him being “that” Joker has almost nothing to do with anything.It’s all about one human’s downfall at the hands of an uncaring society and not really about his turn into a future comic book super villian. It pains me to say it, but _Broke Back Mountain_ got a lot of love for it’s subject matter rather than the product itself, imo. Don’t get me wrong, I was one who raved about it at the time and blubbed like a little girl at the end. Now it’s message is has been widely accepted and it’s lost a bit of it’s punch. I haven’t had the desire to watch it in years. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/5 "2020-08-05T12:57:00Z")
Atonement. Worst piece of dreck I’ve had to sit through (was on a date, so couldn’t just leave). Absolutely nothing redeeming about it. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/6 "2020-08-05T13:17:53Z")
“Monsters Ball” totally sucked as far as I was concerned, but it got Halle an Oscar despite the fact that she did better work in better movies. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/7 "2020-08-05T13:27:56Z")
Speaking of the Joker, I’m not nearly as in love with The Dark Knight as a whole lot of other people are. I guess it’d be unfair to call it “garbo” but I can’t get behind the praise either. I think it suffers from trying to take itself way too seriously while also using comic book logic which pulled me out of the movie multiple times, thinking “But that makes no sense”. Doesn’t make enough sense to stay grim, not fun enough to just go along for the ride. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/8 "2020-08-05T13:35:11Z")
**Thelma and Louise** “We realized our lives are horrible so we’re going to make sure everyone else is miserable”. Yeah, no. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/9 "2020-08-05T14:34:51Z")
_Alien_, as I’ve mentioned many times before. The crew of the _Nostromo_ make the Three Stooges look like Albert Einstein. Stupid people doing stupid things for a stupid company merely to get audiences to jump. Not even that scary because none of the characters had any sense. _Starship Troopers._ Mostly more silly than bad, but becomes so because people who don’t understand satire in the slightest think it’s somehow satire – an interpretation that Paul Verhoeven specifically rejected. Verhoeven was trying to show how people become fascists without realizing it. I don’t think he succeeded, but that certainly fits what’s on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/10 "2020-08-05T15:02:22Z")
_The Usual Suspects_ is an entertaining film, but it is not the be-all and end-all of the mystery genre. I am glad I saw it before I heard all of the hype. I would have been severely disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/11 "2020-08-05T15:16:47Z")
I have to rise in defense… Garbo is **not** overrated!!! > **[Greta Garbo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Garbo)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > Greta Garbo\[a\] (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson;\[b\] 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic characters, and her subtle and understated performances. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Garbo fifth on its list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema. > Garbo launched her c... ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/12 "2020-08-05T15:20:09Z")
“who ever said it _wasn’t_ political? The part about him being “that” Joker has almost nothing to do with anything.It’s all about one human’s downfall at the hands of an uncaring society and not really about his turn into a future comic book super villian.” Um… Joker said he wasn’t political. I know what it’s about, he wouldn’t turn into the comic book super villain because it wasn’t him who killed Bruce’s parents. If we’re to believe anything he says it all, because the movie craps out and tells us “maybe it’s all a lie!” Seriously, why did people like this movie? ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/13 "2020-08-05T15:21:11Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > I have to rise in defense… > > Garbo is **not** overrated!!! I came in to post the same thing! You may not call Garbo overrated. Go back and ponder where your live went astray. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/14 "2020-08-05T15:21:17Z")
I wish I knew enough about Greta Garbo’s filmography to make the obvious joke. (… And peccavi gets one in while I’m writing the post.) To give my actual answers… On the topic of superhero movies - Ant Man. I actually can’t stand about half the movie - basically any part with Scott’s criminal friends (so not only do I not agree with the majority on the quality of the movie, the majority’s favourite part is why I dislike it). When he’s with the Pym-Van Dynes, or his daughter, ex-wife and ex-wife’s new husband? Great stuff. With the cons? Not so much. The Empire Strikes Back - great movie, don’t get me wrong, but…yeah, not the best part of the series, by a long shot. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/15 "2020-08-05T15:25:37Z")
_The Graduate_. It’s before my time so maybe it’s a generational thing but the movie left me confused in so many ways. The soundtrack is good, though. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/16 "2020-08-05T15:30:36Z")
_Saving Private Ryan_. The opening battle scene is great. But once that ends and the story starts, the movie goes downhill. It’s basically a remake of _A Walk in the Sun_ that’s trying too hard. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/17 "2020-08-05T15:33:30Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > _The Graduate_ . It’s before my time so maybe it’s a generational thing but the movie left me confused in so many ways. The soundtrack is good, though. What pissed me off was that she wasn’t that much older than him in real life. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/18 "2020-08-05T15:33:47Z")
Hitchcock’s _Vertigo_. Hailed as a work of genius, but when I finally got round to watching it, I found it very dated, slow, with a silly plot that didn’t make any sense, and characters that were not believable. I’m sure the camerawork was good. ---
**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:** [August 5, 2020, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/19 "2020-08-05T15:55:41Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > _Saving Private Ryan_ . While I wouldn’t call them “garbo”, for me, it’s most anything by Speilberg. He has a certain…sensibility that shows up in this films. His films all are smaltzy in the same way. Sure, he can make a dramatic scene, a stunning visual. ( The Mothership’s appearance in CE3K, for example). But they are in service of a weak story. He can’t seem to make a complete “film”. He has no artistic vision. I’m more annoyed by Schindler’s List than SPR, though. To borrow a phrase, it insists upon itself. It tries so very earnestly to be important. It’s an important event, an important story, but IMO it is handled all wrong. I haven’t watched it since the first time when it was new. (though I have to add, in complete disclosure, that I believe I am the only person other than Mr Speilberg, to understand and/or like the ending of A.I. I thought it was perfect. Make of that what you will.) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319/20 "2020-08-05T15:57:16Z")
I thought it was a mediocre movie at best. As far as the character being the Joker, every time you get an origin story for The Joker, whether it be one human’s downfall at the hands of an unjust society, or because mommy and daddy didn’t show him enough attention when he was a child, or what have you, it’s _always_ a lie: > They've given many origins of the Joker, how he came to be. That doesn't seem to matter—just how he is now. I never intended to give a reason for his appearance. We discussed that and Bill [Finger] and I never wanted to change it at that time. I thought—and he agreed—that it takes away some of the essential mystery. > > ‎ ‎ > – Jerry Robinson, the Joker’s creator For sure he's no political crusader. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-overrated-garbo/917319.md?page=2)