# Name an unjustly derided movie. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549 "2014-11-13T18:22:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/221 "2015-01-10T07:07:21Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Terrific movie: smart, funny, well-cast, and looked great on a budget. A mine of quotes, too. Too much Spleen, but Macy was great. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/222 "2015-01-10T11:32:54Z")
> [@chancetx](#): > > I never understand why the Matthew Broderick “Godzilla” is so hated. I’m not defending it as high art but for a summer popcorn flick I thought it delivered quite well. It was certainly much more entertaining than Spielberg’s “The Lost World” from the previous summer. Talk about damning with faint praise… ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/223 "2015-01-10T12:28:44Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > My choice is _Howard the Duck_. C’mon, it’s Howard the Duck! Well, it _wasn’t_ really Howard the Duck, was it? It was some very different duck with the same name and a similar (but a little off) appearance. And then the movie turns into a sort of warmed-over \*Ghostbusters \*without the humor. I really, _really_ wanted to like that movie. But face it, it was just _bad_. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/224 "2015-01-10T12:36:44Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > The book [David Brin’s _The Postman_] kinda went off the deep end with > > the super-soldiers, the various oddball locations (such as the fake computer place) > > The movie-makers decided to strip it of all that but that made it very generic action movie as a result. Nailed it. And even by the standard of a generic action movie, there’s some stuff that sucks. For instance, the scene with Costner and Tom Petty grates on me. “I’ve heard of you!” “I’ve heard of you too.” That just seemed to take us right out of the world of the movie, and into the world where Tom Petty is a celebrity - that is, _our_ world. I may not be at all representative here, but to me, it felt like watching two celebrities high-fiving each other in a movie over their both having made the big time IRL. Spare me, please. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/225 "2015-01-10T12:42:54Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > [The _Bedazzled_ remake] had its moments (I liked all the surtitles of all the minor character’s sins), but they remade a movie that was pretty flawless the first time out, never a great idea, and gave it an ending with less punch. Never saw the remake, but like you say, the original was nearly flawless, and really, how can you beat Peter Cook as Beelzebub, and Dudley Moore as his mark, with the great chemistry between them. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/226 "2015-01-10T15:34:21Z")
I think we’ve pretty much covered all of them. I’ll toss in “Die Another Day” if it hasn’t been mentioned yet. It receives criticism for the invisible car (Shows up late in the film) Madonna and her accent (the fencing sequence was fine as was her accent). Personally I liked that: 1. We’re 30 minutes into the film, and I still had no idea what the hell this film was supposed to be about. He’s captured, traded, escapes MI6…and goes to lay on a beach? Is it just a simple revenge film? Okayyyyyy 2. They fooled me with the baddie. I didn’t catch on before the reveal that he was the guy at the beginning of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/227 "2015-01-10T15:41:53Z")
Annnd I see “Die Another Day” was covered. Yup. We’ve done all of them unless someone wants to stick his neck out for “Encino Man” No? No takers? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/228 "2015-01-11T18:29:12Z")
> [@Gerald\_II](#): > > Yes! I caught it when it started playing on cable, way back when, and thought the build of suspense and horror was great. It feels like a horror film in the middle, but then turns into a warrior’s tale. I liked that movie and thought it was a great bit of storytelling (albeit with some Hollywood shortcuts). The big thing have a hard time getting around every time I see the movie is: Gothic plate? How did the Viking get Renn-era Gothic fucking plate armor? Tends to take me out of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/229 "2015-01-13T00:00:26Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Another movie that I thought was unfairly derided was 13th Warrior. Not the greatest film in the history of films but one of the better Poet-from-Bagdad-hooks-up-with-12-Norsemen-and-they-fight-cannibalistic-Neanderthals movies that I’ve seen. > [@Gerald\_II](#): > > Yes! I caught it when it started playing on cable, way back when, and thought the build of suspense and horror was great. It feels like a horror film in the middle, but then turns into a warrior’s tale. In short–one of the better adaptations of _Beowulf_. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/230 "2015-01-13T12:48:20Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Never saw the remake, but like you say, the original was nearly flawless, and really, how can you beat Peter Cook as Beelzebub, and Dudley Moore as his mark, with the great chemistry between them. Liz Hurley in a schoolgirl outfit while holding a whip doesn’t beat that? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a5b964/32.png) [@lister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lister)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/231 "2015-01-13T13:27:08Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Aren’t there two Elephant Movies–one based on the stage play, the other night. I’m almost certain I’ve seen both on YouTube. There is definitely another filmed version of **The Elephant Man**. Strictly speaking it was not a theatrical release (i.e. movie theatre) but an American TV movie first screened on the ABC on January the 4th, 1982. It is a filmed stage production adapted from a stage play written by Bernard Pomerance, which debuted on Broadway in 1977. ---
**Author:** ![lister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a5b964/32.png) [@lister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lister)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/232 "2015-01-13T13:39:16Z")
For some reason critics seem to bag the hell out of this movie. There is no denying that the sequels were awful but I love the original movie. Great story. Masterful direction. Awesome soundtrack. Superb visuals. Memorable characters. What is there to dislike? Ok so you have a Frenchman as a Scot and a Scot being a Spaniard. The accents aren’t convincing but so what! ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/233 "2015-01-13T13:51:12Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Annnd I see “Die Another Day” was covered. > > Yup. We’ve done all of them unless someone wants to stick his neck out for “Encino Man” No? No takers? Not going there, but I think _Biodome_ deserves better than its 5%. It brought us Tenacious D and a good Futurama reference. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/234 "2015-01-13T16:02:09Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > _Die Another Day_. Pierce Brosnan’s _Bond_ films were never less than watchable and this one had some very witty performances. Madonna a little long in the tooth for you here? God forbid you should focus instead on Halle Berry or Rosamund Pike. Yeah the invisible car was a little over the top, as was Moneypenny’s sendoff, but you’d think Brosnan tried to rap in blackface from the critical hits this movie took! Oh, I focused on Rosamund Pike, believe me. Anyway… I think that the backlash against the movie wasn’t so much a backlash against _that_ movie, so much as a backlash against Brosnan’s sort of neo-Moore portrayal of James Bond, with the wink and nod toward the audience about hte silliness of the plots, scenes, names, etc… **Die Another Day** was just sort of the apotheosis of this style of Bond films, and had the backlash as a result. If you liked that kind of Bond, it was a fine movie- possibly even one of the better ones. But if you were looking for a more book-faithful Bond, then you had to wait a few years for **Casino Royale**. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/235 "2015-01-13T19:05:03Z")
> [@lister](#): > > Great story. Masterful direction. Awesome soundtrack. Superb visuals. Memorable characters. What is there to dislike? The fact that only 3/5 of those points are even arguably true. The story is virtually non-existent, and the direction is blah. Some of the visuals are nice, but generally those are beautiful-but-pointless scenery porn that stalls the progress of the story and points out the listlessness of the direction. Characters…the Kurgan is inherently memorable, but MacLeod and Ramirez are only memorable as archetypes (to the point that when I started watching the TV series (having missed the pilot, where Connor appeared) I didn’t realize that Duncan wasn’t Connor for quite a while - and in the end, Duncan was a much stronger character than Connor was). The soundtrack, on the other hand, is undeniably excellent. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/236 "2015-01-13T19:14:46Z")
> [@lister](#): > > For some reason critics seem to bag the hell out of this movie. There is no denying that the sequels were awful but I love the original movie. Great story. Masterful direction. Awesome soundtrack. Superb visuals. Memorable characters. What is there to dislike? Ok so you have a Frenchman as a Scot and a Scot being a Spaniard. The accents aren’t convincing but so what! If you pretend the released version doesnt exist and only watch the Directors cut, Highland II really isnt awful. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/237 "2015-01-13T21:47:10Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Liz Hurley in a schoolgirl outfit while holding a whip doesn’t beat that? 😉 I enjoyed it because every one looked like they had a lot of fun making it. And it was directed by Ramis after all. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/238 "2015-01-13T22:30:37Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > The story is virtually non-existent, I don’t know if this counts as “story” but the concept is what made the movie. There Can Be Only One. Immortals coming together to chop off each others heads and absorb their power? Bad acting, weird casting, you just ignore it to see more sword fighting. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/239 "2015-01-13T22:49:13Z")
Oh, yes, it had a great premise, which deserved a much better (or at least meatier) movie. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549/240 "2015-01-13T22:54:15Z")
I’m another one who thinks _Signs_ was a good movie. One that hasn’t been mentioned is _She’s Having a Baby_. It generally got poor reviews but I think it’s a classic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-an-unjustly-derided-movie/704549.md?page=13)