# Panned Movies that You Actually Like **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810 "2003-02-27T03:39:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/1 "2003-02-27T03:39:40Z")
I’m sure this has been done before, but of course it can’t hurt to re-hash this from time to time. What are some movies that were panned by critics and/or tanked at the box office that you actually _liked_? I’ll start. 1. _Captain Ron_. Not Kurt Russell’s best work, and by all accounts it’s a somewhat boring comedy that’s not terribly funny. BUT, I empathize with the characters and vicariously enjoy myself as they tool around in the Caribbean. It’s upbeat and fun, and I always catch myself smiling at the end. 2. _Joe Versus the Volcano_. No, I’m not one of those JVtV cultists out there who finds unfathomable depth and meaning in its script. But I always thought it had some hilarious lines (“I’m not arguing that with you!” “You have a brain cloud.” “I have no response to that.”) and a fun plot. I mean, here’s this hypochondriac shlub in a boring job who [SPOILERS AHEAD] gets conned into going off to some deserted tropical island in Polynesia to die and winds up finding hope and love. Can you relate? 3. _Scooby-Doo_. What can I say? The live actors totally captured the spirit of the animated characters, especially Shaggy and Velma. The plot was kind of stupid, but all of us who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s watching _Scooby-Doo_ have to admit that, in retrospect, the cartoon was pretty stupid, too. Which is why I think the campy plot was appropriate. That, and the movie has one of the funniest bits of dialogue ever. SHAGGY (to GIRL): So, like, what’s your name? GIRL: Mary Jane. 🙂 SHAGGY: :eek: 😃 That’s, like, my favorite name! * * * So, what are some of your favorite bad movies? C’mon, don’t be ashamed! ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/2 "2003-02-27T03:45:29Z")
Oh my god. I can’t even say it. It’s just too embarassing. I am never coming back to this thread. So I won’t see all the horrible derogatory things you all are going to say to me. _Swept Away_ =====zoom! ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/3 "2003-02-27T03:45:50Z")
I liked _Death to Smoochy_. No, really. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/4 "2003-02-27T03:54:33Z")
I thought _Kung Pow: Enter the Fist_ was hilarious, generally for all the reasons everyone else hated it. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/5 "2003-02-27T03:58:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HeyHomie \* > \*\*3. _Scooby-Doo_. What can I say? The live actors totally captured the spirit of the animated characters, especially Shaggy and Velma. \*\* Though I lothed this movie with every fibre of my being I agree that Matthew Lillard and the girl who played Velma did great jobs. Freddy Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar succeeded in capturing the essence of Freddy Prize Jr. and Sarah Michelled Gellar trying and failing to play Dapne and Fred convincingly. ---
**Author:** ![scablet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@scablet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scablet)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/6 "2003-02-27T03:58:47Z")
I thought _Death to Smoochy_ was pretty darn fun. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/7 "2003-02-27T04:05:48Z")
I liked _Final Fantasy_. No, really, I did. I also have an unhealthly love for _Bedazzled_ (the newer version with Brendan Fraser). I find I must watch it each and every time I run across it on TV. What? Why are you all looking at me like that?:o ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/8 "2003-02-27T04:30:33Z")
I thought “Death To Smoochy” had some poor, poor elements, but, as a whole, I liked it. I LOVED “Stuart Saves His Family.” It is by far, including “Blues Brothers” and “Wayne’s World” (ick), my favorite SNL-related film. Al Franken, who I can usually take or leave, does a pitch-perfect version of some people I have known in the past, which is possibly why I like it so much. Vincent D’Onofrio is great, the whole movie is superlative. My comedy tastes differ from the norm, tho… I HATE HATE HATED “Meet The Parents” and “Analyze This,” which everyone on Earth loved… hrh ---
**Author:** ![greenphan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@greenphan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenphan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/9 "2003-02-27T04:50:15Z")
I LOVED Ishtar. I thought it was hilarious. Sure, it tanked; sure, it’s less than stellar work from stellar actors. But at least it’s fun. “Who told you stones glow in the dark?” “Who told _you_ there’s no wind in the desert?” And I think I’ll have to second Bedazzled. It’s not great, but it’s slightly amusing and it has Elizabeth Hurly in skimpy clothing, which will brighten any movie. Another Brendan Fraser bomb, which I also love, is _Monkeybone_. If nothing else, it has Chris Kattan running around with organs falling out. Amusing. –greenphan ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/10 "2003-02-27T04:59:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tangent \* > \*\*I liked _Death to Smoochy_. > > No, really. \*\* Maybe us Death to Smoochy fans should start an exclusive club or something? All 10 of us, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/11 "2003-02-27T05:01:16Z")
I’ll second Scooby Doo. I liked the cartoon and the movie was probably the best that was going to happen being live action. I’m also one of the only two people who liked _Daylight_. ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/12 "2003-02-27T05:14:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HeyHomie \* > \*\* > > 1. _Captain Ron_. Not Kurt Russell’s best work, and by all accounts it’s a somewhat boring comedy that’s not terribly funny. BUT, I empathize with the characters and vicariously enjoy myself as they tool around in the Caribbean. It’s upbeat and fun, and I always catch myself smiling at the end. > > \*\* This is one of my mom’s alltime favorite movies…but that probably has to do more with her lifetime crush on Kurt Russell. As for me? I liked _Cabin Boy_. I didn’t love it, but I liked it. It was so surreal and absurd. I wrote a vigorous defense for it on the imdb comments for the movie. Best lines: Nathaniel: “I love sitting up here, looking at those bright, twinkly things in the sky…I forget their technical name.” Trina: “Stars.” Nathaniel: “Whatever.” Nathaniel: “I’m sorry, I was just thinking how much fun it is to roast pumpkin seeds.” I dunno, I just find something funny about a string of quirky non sequiturs. To each his own. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/13 "2003-02-27T05:19:43Z")
I like David Duchovny’s _Playing God_. There, I said it. Tear me apart if you wish, but I still hold to it. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/14 "2003-02-27T05:42:31Z")
I love _Hudson Hawk_. I think it’s hilarious and clever, I have no idea why everyone hates it so much, and why critics just about wet themselves in their rush to pan it. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/15 "2003-02-27T05:45:08Z")
The Robin Williams thread made me think of this one: _Popeye_ I love this movie! I think it captures the spirit of the cartoons as well as a live-action feature-length movie could while still having a plot. The actors were well-cast, the island village (Sweethaven) was perfect. I even liked the songs! Lots of funny little gags, too. (the picture of “Me Pappy”) I’m going to check right now to see if it’s out on DVD… ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/16 "2003-02-27T05:58:59Z")
So, nobody’s going to go first. Fine. _The Last Action Hero_. I think it ended the period nicely. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/17 "2003-02-27T06:00:01Z")
It also stole my ability to code, but I think that’s a price worth paying. ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/18 "2003-02-27T07:14:49Z")
I second **Last Action Hero** ---
**Author:** ![SadTomato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@SadTomato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SadTomato)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/19 "2003-02-27T07:15:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by delphica \* > \*\*I love _Hudson Hawk_. I think it’s hilarious and clever, I have no idea why everyone hates it so much, and why critics just about wet themselves in their rush to pan it. \*\* I second that emotion! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810/20 "2003-02-27T07:20:22Z")
I’ll fifth _Death to Smoochy_… I’m an Edward Norton fanboy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panned-movies-that-you-actually-like/157810.md?page=2)