# movies you loved that got horrible reviews... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 5, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884 "2003-06-05T18:09:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BellaVoce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@BellaVoce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellaVoce)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/21 "2003-06-06T01:07:21Z")
**Evolution** ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/22 "2003-06-06T01:12:19Z")
I second “Showgirls” and add “Glitter” and “Wisegirls”, especially the latter. Great/campy mob film. (OK I just like to look at Mariah, SUE ME!) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/23 "2003-06-06T01:56:35Z")
I seem to remember John Carpenter’s **The Thing** being critically loathed when it was first released, as was **Big Trouble in Little China**. I loved both movies and have seen them probably a dozen times. Actually, I don’t know how John Carpenter keeps getting his movies funded; they almost never make money, and almost always get terrible reviews. ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/24 "2003-06-06T02:12:14Z")
I loved **Pitch Black** well before I knew who the heck Vin Diesel was. I thought it was extraordinarily innovative in the way it played with alien and space movie conventions. It was given almost universally mediocre reviews. I loved **AI**. Think it is a masterpiece. The last 20 minutes were dreadful, but I thought Spielberg did a wonderful job with most of the film. I am actually glad Kubrick never made it. Kubrick was a great conceptualizer of films, but the end result always left me cold. I never felt he had any kind of touch with his actors. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/25 "2003-06-06T02:24:42Z")
_Ghost Ship_. I love scary movies that are about ghosts-rather than your typical slasher films. I love a good ghost story and I love mysteries. And Monica Mancini’s singing was gorgeous! ---
**Author:** ![insomnia4AM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@insomnia4AM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insomnia4AM)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/26 "2003-06-06T02:43:02Z")
**tracer** , I’ll second that vote for _Shallow Hall_, and I’ll throw **Mallrats** out there. Yeah, I know, it was pretty bad, but I thought it was entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![minega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@minega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minega)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/27 "2003-06-06T17:53:42Z")
‘A life less ordinary’ and ‘Frequency’ are excellent choicees! Whole heartedly agree. And may i add a few more: ‘Anaconda’ and ‘money train’ were both great entertainment. And is it just me, or does every movie thread here come dangerously close to a debate on the merits or demetirs of ‘A.I’? Just like the way every thread at aintitcool becomes a starwars or lord of the rings free-for all… ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/28 "2003-06-06T17:57:34Z")
For an extremely related recent thread, click [HERE](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=187150) Barry ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/29 "2003-06-07T05:33:05Z")
Two already mentioned here: Lynch’s **Dune** (far superior, I thought, to the dull thing they put on cable not long ago), and **AI.** ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/30 "2003-06-07T05:42:59Z")
**Red Planet**. I was at least glad to see that The Bad Astronomer liked it too. ---
**Author:** ![And\_that\_s\_the\_bottom\_line](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df788c/32.png) [@And\_that\_s\_the\_bottom\_line](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/And_that_s_the_bottom_line)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/31 "2003-06-07T06:25:26Z")
A movie I liked that got mediocre reviews was **Wildthings**. For a movie that looked like just a skin flick it was remarkably well done. All the plot twists really kept you guessing. The movie really surprised me. ---
**Author:** ![AchimbaProphet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@AchimbaProphet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AchimbaProphet)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/32 "2003-06-07T06:25:26Z")
Fifth Element ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/33 "2003-06-07T07:26:40Z")
> [@](#): > > My more recent favorite that got trashed was Death to Smoochy I love that movie. A highly entertaining look at the dark side of childrens television. Some great improv rants by Robin Williams, and who could forget the “Parade of Hope Foundation, the roughest of all the charities” I second this. I loved Death to Smoochy, and couldn’t understand why nobody else seemed to. ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/34 "2003-06-07T16:30:41Z")
I have to completely agree with _AI_. I thought it was brilliant. I can even take the last bit even though I know it’s inferior to the rest. It **should** have ended underwater, but I’m okay with the fact that it didn’t. I have to respectfully disagree with _Shallow Hal_. It deserved every rotten tomato it got. A movie based on the idea that inner beauty is, inherently, thin? I’ll pass. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/35 "2003-06-08T04:25:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by drachillix \* > \*\*My more recent favorite that got trashed was **Death to Smoochy** I love that movie. A highly entertaining look at the dark side of childrens television. Some great improv rants by Robin Williams, and who could forget the “Parade of Hope Foundation, the roughest of all the charities” \*\* Thirded. Edward Norton’s a god and Robin Williams was great as the guy that’ll do anything to stay on top. The Nazi Rally setup was hysterical and I think I laughed for five minutes straight when at the end, Rudolph answered “I’m fucked up in general so it’s hard to gauge” when asked if he was okay. Oh, and I didn’t hate _Star Trek: The Final Frontier_. It was so bad it was good. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/36 "2003-06-08T22:01:58Z")
I also like “The Postman.” In fact, I’ve been thinking of reading the book. Has anyone read it? An older one is “Paint Your Wagon.” My whole family loved that movie despite it’s being on every shitty-movie list since it was made. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/37 "2003-06-08T22:09:02Z")
I really dug _The Postman_, in spite of Kevin Costner’s wooden acting. And, hey, how can you not love a movie that has Tom Petty in it as, well, Tom Petty. I also liked _Battlefield Earth_. Great, cheesy fun, and John Travolta was hilarious as an alien. 'Course, I’ve always had an appetite for badfilm that actually rivals my appetite for good horror movies. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/38 "2003-06-09T01:07:05Z")
**A.I.** was horribly misunderstood by many. I don’t even have a problem with the third act, since I feel it fits in rather well. Can’t explain why I like **The Fifth Element** so much. **Gladiator** has taken a surprisingly large number of lumps, but I think it’s a great flick. **Raising Arizona** was given an abysmal review by Roger Ebert. I think it’s a brilliant flick, and until **The Big Lebowski** came along, it was my favorite comedy film. ---
**Author:** ![ninevah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/39 "2003-06-09T01:16:24Z")
Some have listed my favourite bad-reviewed films too - **Dune, The Fifth Element **- but I’ll put in a vote for** Cutthroat Island** (guess it’s the piratey influence from Monkey Island) and also \*\*Dead Man on Campus \*\*(can’t explain why I like it though!) ---
**Author:** ![amy\_shamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@amy\_shamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amy_shamon)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884/40 "2003-06-09T01:26:55Z")
i really enjoyed Blair witch 2, I found it quite frightening, unlike evryone I know, who says its bad. I also really enjoyed The Faculty too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-loved-that-got-horrible-reviews/179884.md?page=3)