I was gonna say “how can this be overrated, no one liked it!” then noticed that you were listing recent Best Picture nominees. Given its critical reception, I’m really surprised that this was nominated (is there any way other than payola that this could’ve happened?). What a mess.
I agree with with this. The Dark Knight was a good movie, but it’s massively overrated. The film takes itself way too seriously and tries far too hard for gritty realism in a genre that does not lend itself well to realism. I’m fine with an unrealistic fantasy world so long as that world has a certain sense of internal logic and self awareness. For example, I’m not going to complain that Kill Bill is unrealistic because Kill Bill is clearly not supposed to take place “in the real world.”
I still think the best Batman film was the original Tim Burton one. It managed to be dark, violent and adult while still being fun and clearly establishing an element of fantasy that is sorely lacking from Nolan’s Batman films.
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I have compiled a list of my ten most over-rated (recent) Best Picture nominees, just to fan the flames of discussion. I dislike every one of these films:
Awakenings
The Blind Side
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dead Poets Society
Erin Brockovich
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Jerry Maguire
Network
Terms of Endearment
The Tree of Life
Benjamin Button was a blatant ripoff of Forrest Gump and should have been called Benjamin BOREDOM! And don’t get me started on that rosebud reference with the clock at the end!
Jerry Maguire (SHOW ME AN ACTUALLY INTERESTING CHARACTER!)
Erin Brockovich (Just because it’s true doesn’t make it interesting)
I never understood the appeal of Mel Brooks, and that ESPECIALLY includes “The Producers” with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. I didn’t laugh once. And don’t get me started on “The Twelve Chairs” and “Silent Movie.”
It does if you’re an environmental chemist with a lot of lawyer friends.
Now you’ve done it. I have stood (well sat really) by and let you trash Some Like It Hot, and do similar injustice to Citizen Kane, but to damn Mel Brooks because you did not like Twelve Chairs and Silent Movie is too much. If you fail to find humor in certain aspects of The Producers I can agree with you. If you think the farting scene in Blazing Saddles is childish, I concur. But both of these films have groundbreaking aspects that cause them to be considered great. Young Frankenstein, which you have, perhaps mindlessly, lumped in with all other eleven Brooks films is one of the greatest comedies of all time. It is a buffet of comic scenes, coming one after the other with some of the best comic performances on film. Gene Wilder, of course, deserves much of the credit but the result is pure Mel. What comedy do you see being superior to it?
By the way, if you are young and grew up watching Bosom Buddies, Some Like It Hot may not be as fresh as it was in 1959, but how can you not laugh when Jack and Tony are talking and Jack tells Tony he ius engaged and Tony says “who is the lucky girl?” and Jack responds “I am.” Or the description of Monroe as “Jello on springs?” You might want to give that movie another chance.
Absolutely! And that movie had its share of clunkers. But I’ve never laughed harder at any movie than during that “scene” (it wasn’t exactly the visuals that did it :)).
Also, while it may have been the excessive buildup I was exposed to, but “Citizen Kane” did not overly impress me, certainly not to the point that I ever needed to see it again.
I find most of David Lean’s films (Lawrence of Arabia, Bridge on the River Kwai, Brief Encounter, etc.) boring and soulless. All posturing and preening signifying nothing, like a painter afraid to get his fingers dirty.
Jackmanni, that is the problem with great reputations–they’re impossibly difficult to live up to, unless they do. For my part, films like *Kane *and The Seventh Seal do live up to their reps, but I can see your point.
It sure seems like a lot of you have really bad taste compared to my impeccable taste.
If you grew up watching Bosom Buddies (on the air 1980-1982), you aren’t young, you’re in your forties!
Sadly, I consider that young. Forgive me.
Yeah I never could get into “Bosom Buddies” either. Men dressing up as women just don’t necessarily bring me laughs, and that was what most of “Some Like It Hot” was based on. Billy Wilder has made some movies that I enjoyed, “The Apartment” for example. As for “Young Frankenstein” I saw it as a youth in 3rd grade when it first came out. I thought it was great. Then I saw it years later when I was in college (a triple feature with my first viewing of “Silent Movie” and “History of the World Part 1”) and I was totally dumbfounded at how UNFUNNY I thought it was. Where was the film of my youth that I thought was so great? I tried watching it again about ten years ago and my reaction was the same: not in any way, shape, or form was it funny to me. That being said, I actually did enjoy the infamous bean scene in “Blazing Saddles” as well as The Inquisition scene from “History of the World Part 1” and for that matter I still enjoy the original “Get Smart” from time to time. Nonetheless I must agree with some critics who say that Mel Brooks is proof that there is a fountain of youth, because as old as he was when he made those films, he thought toilet humor was still funny. It can be; but not necessarily. Like I said I never thought “Animal House” was the hilarious comedy everyone else seems to think it is either. To answer your question about what movies that I actually did find funny:
“Without A Clue”
“Airplane”
“Plan 9 From Outer Space” (Proof positive that the funniest people never had any intention of being funny)!
“Ed Wood”
“Caddyshack” (Admittedly not as funny as it was when I saw it in high school)
“Kentucky Fried Movie” (“A Fistful Of Yen” segment)
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (Actually Principal Rooney made that movie funny)
Other over-rated movies that I never liked are the following:
“Dr. Strangelove”
“Monty Python & The Holy Grail” (so bad & unfunny I never watched any other Monty Python films other than the Flying Circus, and that was just as unfunny to me)
“The Hangover” (I’m still stunned at the popularity of this film)!
“Hot Tub Time Machine” (with only 3 funny sequences in it, this film manages to ripoff “Back to the Future” and “Pleasantville”)
And speaking of which: “Pleasantville” (This movie had no idea whether it wanted to be a comedy or make a serious social statement; it ends up failing on both levels).
I think Chris Nolan is the most overrated modern director because he goes out of his way to be unnecessarily clever and complicated.
I understand that “Blade Runner” may not have general appeal. However, if you are a fan of both noir and science fiction, it is a great blend of both genres which pretty much defined the cyberpunk aesthetic on film and was copied by many later films.
i watched a couple of Woody Allen movies recently, i like Annie Hall and Manhattan, but Bullets over Broadway and Everythingg you wanted to know about sex… vastly overrated. Bullets over Broadway is also the worst dvd transfer i’ve seen - being chopped down to 4:3 is only one of the problems… it looks like it came from somebody’s back shed…
I’ve been noticing that is this thread, too. 
Oh yeah, I don’t like much that Woody Allen has done. There’s only so much self-indulgent whining I can take.
Regarding Blade Runner: a few weeks ago I would have agreed with you whole heartedly. I always felt the movie was boring but pretty. But recently I DVR’ed it in HD off Cinemax and watche dit for the first time in several years and I was floored. It all clicked somehow and I realized just how rich the movie is. You might want to give it another pass.
To add one of my own though: Caddyshack.
Howard the Duck was overrated.
By that I mean anyone who suggested that the creators and producers be spared tarring and feathering was giving the movie way too much credit.
Bob Ducca I agree with you.