# Movies you thought were good, but Critics didn't give a good review. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388 "2003-03-10T20:11:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/1 "2003-03-10T20:11:26Z")
Last weekend, I watched The Life of David Gale, I like Kevin Spacey, and when he is in a movie, I am there. He is very good in this movie. Fat-Ass Roger Ebert and other critics didn’t give this movie a good review. I thought it was great, go see this movie, not a paid endorsement, my personal opinion. I am very glad I don’t give too much to these talking heads, because there are other movies that I saw they didn’t give a good review, but I liked, I just can’t think of any more right now. Any movies you liked and the Critics didn’t give a good review for? ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/2 "2003-03-10T22:19:59Z")
I’m trying to think of one and I’m not able. Some of the stuff I liked got mixed reviews but I can’t think of all negative ones. Then again I usually can learn if I’ll like a movie or not independently from the opinion of the reviewer (Ebert for example) so it’s harder to remenber. I usually like critic lauded movies and dislike panned ones. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/3 "2003-03-10T23:17:31Z")
I have a couple that I can think of. The first was a virtual feast for the eyes and ears called _Freddy Got Fingered_. It featured sublime performances from two of Hollywood’s giants, Tom Green and Rip Torn, and featured a non-stop calvacade of jokes ranging from body functions to child molestation and right back to body functions (if you ask me, and no one ever does, you can never have too many jokes about goin’ poop). Brilliantly funny and wickedly satirical. I could not believe it when the critics didn’t fall over themselves praising this film. I mean, ususally, they only endorse those mind-numbingly boring movies with people like Streep and Nicholson and here was a fresh new look at comedy. I could not understand it. The second was another gem featuring another one of those eclectic, immensely talented ex-Saturday Night Live geniuses - Adam Sandler in _Little Nicky_. Featuring an equally brilliant performance by Harvey Keitel as Dad (reprising a role he first played in _Taxi Driver_ but, unfortunately not showing his penis) and the dead-on wit of a talking bulldog, I figured this movie was a can’t miss. Hell (pun intended), it even had one of those Arquettes in it and everybody likes them. But no, critic after critic panned this film in favor of other more “artistic” movies. It is situations like these when I discover that getting movie recommendations from the boys in my 5th grade gym class is far more agreeable than trusting someone like Roger Ebert. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/4 "2003-03-10T23:30:05Z")
Tell us the truth, **Ol’Gaffer** , you write for [the Onion](http://www.theonion.com/archive/archive_harvey.html), don’t you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/5 "2003-03-10T23:34:31Z")
Titanic ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/6 "2003-03-11T00:19:31Z")
“Titanic” got good reviews. (My critic, Joe Baltake, gave it 3 1/2 stars, for instance). ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/7 "2003-03-11T00:23:01Z")
Among my guilty pleasures are such movies as _Baseketball_, _UHF_, _Cat People_, and _Howard the Duck_, as well as the entire Kevin Smith collection, which has been met with very mixed reviews. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/8 "2003-03-11T00:24:07Z")
The critics in the Carroll County Times said it was pathetic. JC prooved otherwise to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/9 "2003-03-11T00:31:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\*Tell us the truth, **Ol’Gaffer** , you write for [the Onion](http://www.theonion.com/archive/archive_harvey.html), don’t you? > > 😃 \*\* What are you trying to say? That these movies are to be mocked and ridiculed like an evolutionist at an ICR conference? Mark my words, when AFI does the exhaustive **Films Of All Time** , these two cinematic masterpieces will be right there with all of your _Godfathers, Modern Problems, Red Balloons_ and other complicated farces that require way to much attention. It’s all about time, baby. Those critics will come around and be eating a plate full of something so bad you won’t even see it on Fear Factor! ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/10 "2003-03-11T02:10:04Z")
**Happy Gilmore** ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/11 "2003-03-11T03:41:12Z")
My brothers and I all thought **I Spy** was an absolutely hillarious movie. Hardly anybody gave it a good review. ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/12 "2003-03-11T04:01:50Z")
Gotta go with Zoolander. Some critics liked it, but overall they weren’t positive. ---
**Author:** ![Magickly\_Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magickly\_Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magickly_Delicious)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/13 "2003-03-11T04:57:55Z")
I liked _Vanilla Sky_, even though most crititics hated it. It is flawed, but it really made me think, which is more than I can say for a bunch of other critic-approved movies. ---
**Author:** ![Maleficent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Maleficent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maleficent)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/14 "2003-03-11T05:13:07Z")
I have to agree with Magickly Delicious. I really enjoyed Vanilla Sky, and thought it was a well-done, thought provoking movie. Most people I know (even ones I usually agree with movie-wise) (including critics), however, couldn’t stand it. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/15 "2003-03-11T05:31:47Z")
You know you can’t say Fat-Ass on SDMB don’t you? Tread lightly young grasshopper. Tread lightly. ---
**Author:** ![Circuit\_Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@Circuit\_Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Circuit_Rider)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/16 "2003-03-11T05:42:27Z")
“Three O’Clock High” “Taps” “Gone in 60 Seconds” ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/17 "2003-03-11T06:03:03Z")
I loved _Three O’Clock High_! Who gave that a bad review? My pick is _Eye of the Beholder_. Nobody else seemed to like it at all, but I thought it was a pretty cool, quirky movie with great music and a unique story. I loved the device of Ewan McGregor’s little girl throughout the film as a sort of briddge between him and Ashley Judd. I liked it… but I seem to be one of about three people in the world who did. ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/18 "2003-03-11T06:32:16Z")
I second **Zoolander** ---
**Author:** ![Tblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tblue)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/19 "2003-03-11T06:36:36Z")
I really enjoyed “Toys”. Kinda weird little story - lovely imagery, good movie score. Nearly put off by the cutesy singing at the start, but enjoyed the rest. It was advertised as a kiddies movie and a kind of Robin Williams comedy vehicle, over here. It was not that kind of movie at all, and disappeared without trace, at least over here it did. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388/20 "2003-03-11T07:28:26Z")
‘The Hitcher’ - any time this is on I have to watch it. Roger Ebert gave it 0 stars. George W. Bush helped finance it. I have my own theory about what the movie means, but it’s pretty ambiguous. ‘Little Nicky’ - the movie is a lot cleverer than it seems at first glance. Has some really bizarre imagery in it. ‘Showgirls’ - OK, everybody got that ‘Starship Troopers’ was not a serious movie, but ‘Showgirls’ went right over their heads. Extremely funny movie. ‘Commando’ - One of my favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. ‘The Sixth Day’ - Another great Schwarzenegger movie. Great sense of humor, loved the characters who kept dying over and over. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-thought-were-good-but-critics-didnt-give-a-good-review/160388.md?page=2)