While the opinion of a critic ought to be respected, sometimes even they are liable of misinterpreting and putting up bad reviews that end up ruining the credibility of some otherwise excellent films. These well-made movies are kicked to the curb by the harsh reviews and are often forgotten which, frankly speaking, is a shame given how wonderful they are otherwise.
Of course this remains a matter of personal opinion and now with a number of streaming platforms these are at your fingertips that you can appreciate now with a click of your finger. In this video we bring to you a few movies that critics hated but are actually an enjoyable watch.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
The film is premised on Allan Quarter, a renowned adventurer, who leads an extraordinary team called a “League” with superpowers to battle a madman The Fantom who has unleashed a reign of technological terror.
This “League” consists of seafarer/inventor Captain Nemo, vampire Mina Harker, an invisible man named Rodney Skinner, American secret agent Tom Sawyer, the ageless, invincible Dorian Gray, and the dangerous split personalities of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Directed by Stephen Norrington, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is loosely based on the first volume of Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s comic book series of the same name. Like the comic, the film features prominent pastiche and crossover themes set in the 19th century.
It showcases an assortment of fictional literary characters appropriate to the period of Victorian-era superheroes. Critics like Roger Ebert claimed that despite assembling a splendid team of heroes, and a more than fantastic cast, the movie plunges into incomprehensible action and idiotic dialogue without cause or effect just when viewers feel like it’s a real corker of an adventure.
However of all studio renditions Alan Moore comics, this might have been the most exciting. The sheer depth of the fictional world combined with references to the real world of literature scored a direct hit on the steampunk psyche. The film starts with the same intriguing premise as the novel. Therefore, critics’ opinions aside, every viewer must give it a watch.
Weird Science (1985)
Gary Wallace and Wyatt Donnelly are two unpopular teenagers who are rejected by their peers in spite of their best efforts. In their desperation to be accepted, they create a living breathing woman with their computer- the gorgeous Lisa.
The objective behind Lisa’s creation is to boost their confidence by creating situations that will make them seem manlier. In their quest to acceptance they encounter many hilarious obstacles that give them an overall sense of silliness.
This movie, directed by John Hughes, combines two of the great traditions of popular entertainment; inflamed male teenage fantasies and Frankenstein’s monster. This movie turned out to be quite funny and unexpectedly more profound than critics expected it to be. This is Hughes’ third film that explores and attempts to reveal a teenager’s mind-set and inner psyche.
Unlike his last two films, Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, which depended mostly on characters and dialogue, Weird Science contains an abundance of special effects, including reverse photography that plays tricks with time. But the film’s central theme remains the famous mantra- Be careful what you wish for! Kelly LeBrock, who plays the fantasy woman, probably appears to be every teenager’s dream woman.
However, the difference is, she plays the character for warmth and motherly affection rather than sexual fulfilment. Unfortunately, critics pointed out that the movie might be too calculating and cautious for its repetitive vulgarity and wide array of gimmicks. Despite the criticisms it attracted, this movie is a fun watch.
My Name is Bruce (2007)
In a small town of Gold Lick, four teenagers vandalize an ancient 19th-century cemetery of Chinese labourers. One of them manages to disturb the demon that guards the souls of the 100 workers who died in the cave-in. The surviving teen Jeff kidnaps his hero, actor Bruce Campbell to bring him to Gold Lick in an attempt to save the town.
Bruce, who is unaware of the severity of the situation, plays along assuming it to be a birthday treat by his agent. He humours the townsfolk and chats up Jeff’s highly unimpressed mother. However, the demon wrecks his havoc and bodies soon start piling up. What will the unassuming Bruce do when he discovers that it is no ploy but a real demon at play?
In this horror-comedy directed by Bruce Campbell himself, he depicts himself as a drunken slob behind his alimony. He is a vain, egotistical monster and a poser who is in flight from his recent movie.
Critics say that despite Sam Raimi’s influence, Bruce Campbell is not cut out to be a director. Nevertheless, the film is filled with schlocky jokes, mostly at the expense of Bruce Campbell as a washed-up, B-movie actor. The movie is lacking in special effects but has decent sound effects.
Its’ slant towards the realm of B-movies makes its quality and quirks seem entirely in place and all the more enjoyable for viewers. Its dialogues might sound like they’ve been heard in other films, but they are delivered in new, inventive ways. Overall, this movie pays homage to all of Campbell’s previous work and a hilarious one created on a shoestring budget for Campbell fans.
Over the Top (1987)
A struggling trucker driver Lincoln Hawk arm wrestles besides his job to make extra cash while trying to rebuild his life. After his wife passed away, he tried redeeming his relationship with his son who he had left behind ten years ago.
Their first meeting does not go too well as Lincoln’s son does not have a very good opinion of his father until he enters the World Arm Wrestling Championship in Las Vegas. Lincoln hopes to make it big by winning the grand prize of $100,000 and a costly current custom truck to start his own truck company.
Dating from the post-Rambo period, this movie directed by Menahem Golan has its roots in the Wallace Beery classic, The Champion. The only difference being that arm-wrestling replaces boxing. Although the grapple scenes might appear to be lacking in thrills, the considerable edge-of-the-seat suspense remains consistent throughout the movie.
It is an iconic arm wrestling and truck movie that paints Sylvester Stallone in a mix of cocaine-loving and an adorably insane light. The film represents a deeper concept than critics give it credit for.
For instance, the confrontation between Lincoln and his father is ideological. It is a commentary on a self-made man who represents the American dream being suppressed by a cold, institutional American that turns people into corporate drones. Lincoln does not want that for his son.
The film, otherwise centred on arm-wrestling, goes beyond its nutty central theme to make a more nuanced and poignant argument than most of its counterparts. The movie contains creative symbolism, with a bunch of great ideas bluntly inserted in it.
Ghost Rider (2007)
Johnny Blaze, a motorcyclist, is devastated to know that his beloved father has terminal cancer. He strikes a deal with Mephistopheles to give is soul in exchange of his father’s good health.
However, Johnny is deceived as his father is killed in a motorcycle accident at an exhibition. A devastated Johnny leaves everything behind, including his girlfriend Roxanne. Several years later Johnny emerges as a famous motorcyclist who performs risky stunts on shows.
He chances upon Roxanne, now a TV reporter. He is approached by Mephistopheles who promises to free him from his deal if he agrees to become the Ghost Rider and defeats his evil son Blackheart who wants possession of one thousand evil souls and unleash hell on Earth.
This movie, directed by Mark Steven Johnson, is adapted from a popular comic book. It was made into a B-movie, which critics, unfortunately, thought had a silly premise with cheesy special effects and blasphemously imbecile storyline. However, it becomes laughable and preposterous only if viewers take the movie too seriously.
After all, being a B-movie, everyone knows that it has to be low budget. Therefore, a low-budget film warrants low-budget action sequences that, while predictable, are hilariously entertaining. Nicholas Cage plays the protagonist Johnny with an off-kilter intensity that makes for a strangely sympathetic portrayal.
Eva Mendes slips in perfectly in the narrative in his girlfriend’s role. Unlike Peter Parker and Mary Jane, their chemistry is slightly different but enough to keep the audience engaged with a steaming love story amidst all the action and devils. Moreover, the Ghost Rider comics were extremely dark; therefore, the movie taking a more campy approach was a refreshing change.
The Longest Yard (2005)
Paul Crewe was a revered football superstar back in the day, but has now faded into oblivion. Paul lands up in jail after getting involved in a drunk driving case. Here he discovers that he was specifically requested by the warden Hazen, a dubious prison official, for Paul’s athletic skills.
Paul is assigned to assemble a team of convicts for a football match against a team of sadistic guards. Paul takes up the challenge and promises an exciting game with assistance from fellow convict Caretaker and an old legend Nate Scarborough as the coach. As Paul prepares his team, the warden and the guards remain in dark about what they are actually up against.
Directed by Peter Segal, this film makes viewers appreciate it in a goofy way. It is a remake of the 1974 film of the same name starring Burt Reynolds, who appears as the coach Nate Scarborough in this film. It contains dogged ridiculousness that is amusing, especially with Adam Sandler playing the role of a quarterback.
The movie is a surprisingly good-natured but crude, dumb, and somewhat typical vehicle for Chris Rock. It is filled with foul language and sexual innuendos, which granted points at a more adult viewership, but makes it an entertaining one for them nonetheless. This film comes with a plethora of exotic jokes, cross-dressing cheerleaders, mentions of homophobia, and sexism.
Although critics have openly expressed disapproved of this film as far from a work of art, it is undoubtedly filled with bizarre characters and unlimited laughs. Unquestionably, it accomplishes what it sets out to do, make a hilarious football movie, one that does not take itself seriously.
The A-Team (2010)
The story is premised on four American soldiers based in Iraq who are sent on a mission to recover plates for printing 100 dollar bills used to print a billion dollars. While returning to the base after accomplishing the task, an explosion occurs which kills their commanding officer while another operative uses this opportunity to steal their plates.
The remaining officers are court marshalled and sent to different prisons. Six months later, the leader Hannibal Smith is visited by CIA spook who informs that he has the intel on the rogue operative who stole the plates and wants him and his men to recover the plates from him.
He then helps him and the rest of his team break out of prison and go after the plates. However, they soon find out that the spook might have been an imposture, and a military intelligence officer involved with one of them is looking for them.
This action thriller film directed by Joe Carnahan boasts of a prolific ensemble comprising famous veteran actors like Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, and Jessica Biel. The movie uses a new style of violent action, which fragments sequences into several bits and pieces.
The actors appear in flash frames, intercut with CGI animation shards accompanied by loud noises, urgent music, and explosions. This film is unique for its minimal dialogue usage and uses the actor’s facial expressions to reiterate their emotions. Not to mention it has a fantastic action scene that demonstrates Newton’s Third Law, which states that there is an equal and opposite reaction for every action.
The movie illustrates this as the heroes fall from an exploding airplane while inside an armoured tank. Moreover, the action scenes also benefit from everyone having had a glance at their choreography beforehand. Amidst all these enjoyable qualities of the film, critics felt that some of the action was laughably farfetched.
The characters seem to be annoyingly perfect being able to predict exactly what will happen and coordinate their response. Nevertheless The A-Team is an enjoyable flick you can watch with your friends over a few beers and a tub of popcorn.
Primeval (2007)
This film is premised in Burundi where a British forensic anthropologist is seen examining corpses in a mass grave inferring that they were killed identically. When the woman digs her shovel into what she thinks is another grave, an unseen creature attacks and violently drags her into the river.
The United Nations soldiers go to her rescue only to see her mangled corpse afloat. In New York, a TV journalist Tim Manfrey is assigned by his boss to travel to Burundi with a reporter named Aviva Masters who deals with animal stories and is interested in the creature.
This creature turns out to be Gustav, a giant, fierce crocodile known to have taken hundreds of lives. On reaching, they learn of the unrest in the area being caused by a dangerous, armed warlord who calls himself Little Gustave.
This movie is the product of Michael Katleman, who has previously directed a large and diverse number of television episodes. This film is loosely based on a real life event of a giant man-eating Nile crocodile that lived in Burundi.
The movie piously reminds viewers that white westerners do not care about revolutions or genocides in Africa. While this message resonates with reality, critics were not happy with the method of portrayal of it. Nevertheless, it portrays a thrilling, action-packed, monster horror tale. The film attempts to compare Gustave the crocodile to Godzilla, implying that men create most monsters.
Viewers notice the social commentary that it showcases by discussing the issues of media’s responsibility to display Africans’ suffering. The movie is genuinely underrated; although people compare it to past monster horror flicks, they claim that the mistake Primeval makes is taking itself too seriously despite having the same schlocky effects and performances.
However, it accomplishes an impressive feat in that there is a unique spin that the other movies do not have. Rather than the crocodile appearing to people, the people come to it. Besides these, Katleman uses dynamic action sequences to capture its thrill, which is incredibly fun to watch.
Godzilla (1998)
A low-profile scientist Niko Tatopoulos is summoned by the United States Army during extensive nuclear testing in the South Pacific Ocean to shed light on a fishing ship’s mysterious attack. They discover that there have been ominous sightings of a gargantuan sea dragon.
Before long, a mutated scaly nightmare in Godzilla’s shape is a massive and all-powerful radioactive sauroid that threatens to level the rain soaked New York City. The backdrop of a crippling bureaucracy and the military’s attempts to stop the invincible beast prove futile. It is now up to Niko, Philippe, Audrey, and Victor to put an end to Godzilla’s reign of terror before it’s too late.
Many say that the rain throughout Godzilla makes the special effects easier to obscure. If one never gets a clear view of the monster, how will they see its face created by schlocky special effects? The answer is that this movie needs to be watched with an open heart and mind.
It is certainly no Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg, but Roland Emmerich has nevertheless done a decent job in creating this monster film. Several criticisms of the film were given about how some facts were left unexplained but that is because this film was seen with a seriousness that it does not really preach. None of what they say prevents us from enjoying and absorbing its campy fun.
It certainly has a good cast of Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, and Hank Azaria, who everyone loves. Furthermore, there is a strong bandwagon effect on this film. This means that people who haven’t watched it often refuse to, based on critics’ comments, referring to it as their personal opinion.
Another point of criticism has been from a small crowd of purist fan-boys who simply disliked the movie because the massive monster’s appearance wasn’t a man in a rubber suit but rather special effects. Besides these, Emmerich gives viewers an epic, expensive-looking film that manages to include several genres within it. It features more coherent dialogues and subplots than the original Toho Godzilla film.
Snakes on a Plane (2006)
A young lad Sean Jones, while practicing motocross in Hawaii, witnesses a powerful mobster Eddie Kim murdering an American prosecutor. He is then persuaded by an FBI agent named Neville Flynn to testify against Kim in LA.
They board the Red Eye Flight 121of Pacific Air, occupying the entire first-class section. However, Eddie dispatches hundreds of different species of snakes airborne with a time operated device in the luggage to release them into the flight. He intends for the plane to crash. Neville and the passengers enter a world of struggle with the snakes to survive.
For several critics, this film was just absorbing that its title did not allude to any deeply embedded allegory or metaphor but was merely referring to snakes on a plane. A unique feature of this film was that the media did not receive any exclusive clips or previews of the film. The fans and viewers were the first ones to view it.
Theoretically, this movie is the first Wikipedia film to be created by the users themselves. The writers supposedly scanned fan sites and blogs for what content to include in the script and agreed to a lucky blogger’s suggestion. Although critics might grumble while buying a ticket to watch this film, there is an undeniably simple but ridiculous brilliance in the image of all those snakes slithering around the airplane seats.
The CGI snakes might be shudder-inducing; nevertheless, there is something cheerfully ridiculous about the film for which viewers must watch it at least once. How it switches to rubber snakes during hand-to-hand combat is rather comical and creative at the same time. The action is way over the top, but it is still worth watching for its handful of great moments containing low brow comedy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a72xIBcRi48