Top 10 Overrated Movies/TV Shows
Of The Last Decade (Or So)
10) Sherlock (Series 3). Current RT Public Score: 97%
So, before the fangirls burn my house down; I absolutely adore Sherlock Series 1 and 2. They are, in my opinion, some of the best episodes of TV of all time. Series 3, however, was a massive disappointment. Whilst I'll admit that each episode is moderately entertaining for a casual viewer, I found them extremely difficult to finish in one go. The main problem is the lack of actual crime solving. I'm all for character development, but when your crime show features around 10 minutes of crime, you know you have a problem. We got plenty of character development in Series 1 and 2 without compromising on (to quote Jayne from Firefly) "thrilling heroics".
9) How I Met Your Mother. Average RT Public Score: 90%
I'll be the first to admit that HIMYM can be genuinely hilarious. Where it fails however, is the stuff in between jokes. All the characters (except Marshall) are so feebly and inconsistently written that any development they may have undergone in one episode is completely nullified by the next. Ted is the worst example. Towards the end of Season 8, he decides (and I quote) "I'm ready to find the one". and what does he do in S9 E1? He goes after Robin on the day before her wedding! This is one of many examples of current sitcoms negating character growth for cheap laughs and/or conflict.
8) X-Men: First Class. Current RT Public Score: 87%
I'm constantly surprised by how many people cite First Class as their favourite X-Men film. Not that it's terrible or anything. It's just extremely bland. First off, (with the exception of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence) the acting is pretty awful. Special mention must go to Nicholas Hoult (Beast)'s hilarious delivery of "Don't mock me!" He honestly sounds like a man ingesting cardboard via his nostril! Other problems include: writing, special effects, Fassbender's Irish accent in the third act, generic bad guys and some MAJOR continuity issues.
7) District 9. Current RT Public Score: 82%
Nothing annoys me more than a movie that bathes in it's own self-importance. District 9 is most certainly one of those movies. Sure, there's some interesting satire going on, but it's delivered so heavy-handedly that it left me completely numb. But the preachiness isn't my main problem. That would be the complete lack of originality. People have called Avatar derivative, so why not Distrct 9? This also copies off Ferngully, Pocahontas and Dances With Wolves, perhaps more so. It also contains some of the blandest, most cliched characters imaginable. The corporate douchebag, the trigger-happy mercenary, the can't-cope-it's-so-hard-boo-hoo wife etc. A reasonably effective sci-fi, maybe, but a modern masterpiece?
6) Iron Man 3 (kind of). Current RT Public Score: 79%
When I say "kind of", I mean that there are a selection of people who absolute despise Iron Man 3. The vast majority of movie-goers however, somehow love this (another Firefly quote) "flying piece of gousa". I honestly don't understand why. I'm fine with humour in superhero films (the Hellboy films are some of my favourites) but IM3 goes completely overboard. Whenever it looks like the movie's going to get exciting, tense or (heaven forfend!) interesting, we're hit around the head with a heinous "joke" from Trevor Slattery (the far-better-than-this Ben Kingsley). There's nothing to grab hold of; no emotion, no thrills, no character development. Nothing but repetitive jokes about how hilarious the British sound!
5) The Big Bang Theory. Average RT Public Score: 87%
This pick will probably be the most controversial in terms of my age group, but this is the show that made me want to write this article. I'll be the first to admit that The Big Bang Theory (Seasons 1-5) is some of the best televised comedy of the 21st centruy. So, why in Spock's name is this on my list? Well, you'll noticed that there are 7 seasons of TBBT, not 5. Seasons 6-7 are genuinely the most frustrating seasons of television I've ever seen. The real issue is what the writers are doing to their characters. All of the main foursome (not like that!) have completely backtracked in terms of development in the last 2 years. Remember season 5 Sheldon? The serious, sort-of matured adult who made serious decision for the good of his girlfriend and friends? Well, screw him! Here's Season 7 Sheldon, who becomes furious with his girlfriend for revealing a plot hole in Raiders and becomes obsessed with ruining an aspect of her childhood. Funny, right? As with HIMYM, TBBT ignores character development for cheap laughs.
4) Man of Steel (kind of, again). Current RT Public Score: 76%
Again, there is a sizable pocket of people who absolutely hate Man of Steel. I named it as my Least Favourite Movie of 2013. Admittedly. it would have been 2nd if I'd seen The Lone Ranger in cinemas (I foolishly bought it on Blu-Ray). However, that doesn't change the fact that I despise MoS with all my gorram (more Firefly) heart! My issues with it have already been summed up by other (certainly better) critics, such as Sam Gavin, whose video perfectly captures everything that makes this movie a failure. Put simply: stupid characters, horrible acting, nauseating dialogue, soulless action and a ludicrous romance. I will probably go into further detail when Batman vs Superman vs Sleep Deprivation comes around.
3) Moulin Rouge. Current RT Public Score: 90%
Whilst it's true that Moulin Rouge is highly original, there's a very good reason why! It is widely accepted that Moulin Rouge is a love-it-or-hate-it experience, and that is entirely true. It's just, I can not fathom how anyone could enjoy this movie. First off, it has no idea what tone it's going for. One minute, Ewan McGregor is grieving over the loss of his great love, the next John Leguizamo (as a dwarf I might add) crashes through his ceiling in one of the most jarring tonal shift of cinematic history. This uncertainty continues; is this a parody? A hip retelling? A drama? I still have no idea. Like Iron Man 3, the bizarre veerings into goofball humour ruin a potentially impressive film.
2) The Artist. Current RT Public Score: 88%
I know, I'm a terrible human being! That being true, I can't stand The Artist. Maybe it was the weight of expectation I put this movie under. Maybe i didn't see it on the right day. I don't know, but somehow, I'm the only living soul on the planet that hates The Artist. Why? Honestly, it's the most mediocre film imaginable, full of cliched, boring characters (how many times have we seen George Valentin before?), obvious conflict (the obligatory overheard conversation) and the insanely goofy acting (Jean Dujardin smiles like a Sesame Street character). I promise you that if this film wasn't silent and in black and white, no one would have taken any notice of it. We've seen this movie so many times before, I dare not count. Finally, it's sheer smugness. Never before or since have I seen a film so utterly, ferociously pleased with it's own "invention". Well, except this next movie...
1) Les Miserables. Current RT Public Score: 79%
Now, I'm a huge fan of certain muscials. The Sound of Music is like a warm hug. Singin' In The Rain is an absolute must-see! An American In Paris is one of the most underrated films of all time! Why then, do I hate Les Miserables. The great thing about musicals are that the singing only takes place when a character is feeling an extraordinary level of emotion. For example, Don Lockwood in Singin' In The Rain only sings in the rain (!) because of his unshakable new love for Kathy Selden.Les Miserables, however, is not a musical; it's an opera. When every word is sung, none of them matter. I'll admit, Anne Hathaway is incredible as Fantine, but the rest of the cast are wholly uninspiring. As I mention before with Moulin Rouge and Iron Man 3, I found it extremely difficult to become invested because whenever a serious, dark moment loomed, we were "treated" to Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen's insufferable "comedy". There were so mind-crashingly irksome, I almost screamed a scream as time went by. It's well crafted, sure, but totally inaccessible and oddly cold.
Am I an idiot? What movies/TV shows do you hate that everyone else loves? Let me know in the comments below. As always, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@The_Hamster_Boy) and stayed tuned for more reviews and articles. My next review will most likely be Winter's Tale, probably on Sunday (it's released in the UK this Friday). Thanks for reading, I'll see you guys next time!
9) How I Met Your Mother. Average RT Public Score: 90%
I'll be the first to admit that HIMYM can be genuinely hilarious. Where it fails however, is the stuff in between jokes. All the characters (except Marshall) are so feebly and inconsistently written that any development they may have undergone in one episode is completely nullified by the next. Ted is the worst example. Towards the end of Season 8, he decides (and I quote) "I'm ready to find the one". and what does he do in S9 E1? He goes after Robin on the day before her wedding! This is one of many examples of current sitcoms negating character growth for cheap laughs and/or conflict.
8) X-Men: First Class. Current RT Public Score: 87%
I'm constantly surprised by how many people cite First Class as their favourite X-Men film. Not that it's terrible or anything. It's just extremely bland. First off, (with the exception of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence) the acting is pretty awful. Special mention must go to Nicholas Hoult (Beast)'s hilarious delivery of "Don't mock me!" He honestly sounds like a man ingesting cardboard via his nostril! Other problems include: writing, special effects, Fassbender's Irish accent in the third act, generic bad guys and some MAJOR continuity issues.
7) District 9. Current RT Public Score: 82%
Nothing annoys me more than a movie that bathes in it's own self-importance. District 9 is most certainly one of those movies. Sure, there's some interesting satire going on, but it's delivered so heavy-handedly that it left me completely numb. But the preachiness isn't my main problem. That would be the complete lack of originality. People have called Avatar derivative, so why not Distrct 9? This also copies off Ferngully, Pocahontas and Dances With Wolves, perhaps more so. It also contains some of the blandest, most cliched characters imaginable. The corporate douchebag, the trigger-happy mercenary, the can't-cope-it's-so-hard-boo-hoo wife etc. A reasonably effective sci-fi, maybe, but a modern masterpiece?
6) Iron Man 3 (kind of). Current RT Public Score: 79%
When I say "kind of", I mean that there are a selection of people who absolute despise Iron Man 3. The vast majority of movie-goers however, somehow love this (another Firefly quote) "flying piece of gousa". I honestly don't understand why. I'm fine with humour in superhero films (the Hellboy films are some of my favourites) but IM3 goes completely overboard. Whenever it looks like the movie's going to get exciting, tense or (heaven forfend!) interesting, we're hit around the head with a heinous "joke" from Trevor Slattery (the far-better-than-this Ben Kingsley). There's nothing to grab hold of; no emotion, no thrills, no character development. Nothing but repetitive jokes about how hilarious the British sound!
5) The Big Bang Theory. Average RT Public Score: 87%
This pick will probably be the most controversial in terms of my age group, but this is the show that made me want to write this article. I'll be the first to admit that The Big Bang Theory (Seasons 1-5) is some of the best televised comedy of the 21st centruy. So, why in Spock's name is this on my list? Well, you'll noticed that there are 7 seasons of TBBT, not 5. Seasons 6-7 are genuinely the most frustrating seasons of television I've ever seen. The real issue is what the writers are doing to their characters. All of the main foursome (not like that!) have completely backtracked in terms of development in the last 2 years. Remember season 5 Sheldon? The serious, sort-of matured adult who made serious decision for the good of his girlfriend and friends? Well, screw him! Here's Season 7 Sheldon, who becomes furious with his girlfriend for revealing a plot hole in Raiders and becomes obsessed with ruining an aspect of her childhood. Funny, right? As with HIMYM, TBBT ignores character development for cheap laughs.
4) Man of Steel (kind of, again). Current RT Public Score: 76%
Again, there is a sizable pocket of people who absolutely hate Man of Steel. I named it as my Least Favourite Movie of 2013. Admittedly. it would have been 2nd if I'd seen The Lone Ranger in cinemas (I foolishly bought it on Blu-Ray). However, that doesn't change the fact that I despise MoS with all my gorram (more Firefly) heart! My issues with it have already been summed up by other (certainly better) critics, such as Sam Gavin, whose video perfectly captures everything that makes this movie a failure. Put simply: stupid characters, horrible acting, nauseating dialogue, soulless action and a ludicrous romance. I will probably go into further detail when Batman vs Superman vs Sleep Deprivation comes around.
3) Moulin Rouge. Current RT Public Score: 90%
Whilst it's true that Moulin Rouge is highly original, there's a very good reason why! It is widely accepted that Moulin Rouge is a love-it-or-hate-it experience, and that is entirely true. It's just, I can not fathom how anyone could enjoy this movie. First off, it has no idea what tone it's going for. One minute, Ewan McGregor is grieving over the loss of his great love, the next John Leguizamo (as a dwarf I might add) crashes through his ceiling in one of the most jarring tonal shift of cinematic history. This uncertainty continues; is this a parody? A hip retelling? A drama? I still have no idea. Like Iron Man 3, the bizarre veerings into goofball humour ruin a potentially impressive film.
2) The Artist. Current RT Public Score: 88%
I know, I'm a terrible human being! That being true, I can't stand The Artist. Maybe it was the weight of expectation I put this movie under. Maybe i didn't see it on the right day. I don't know, but somehow, I'm the only living soul on the planet that hates The Artist. Why? Honestly, it's the most mediocre film imaginable, full of cliched, boring characters (how many times have we seen George Valentin before?), obvious conflict (the obligatory overheard conversation) and the insanely goofy acting (Jean Dujardin smiles like a Sesame Street character). I promise you that if this film wasn't silent and in black and white, no one would have taken any notice of it. We've seen this movie so many times before, I dare not count. Finally, it's sheer smugness. Never before or since have I seen a film so utterly, ferociously pleased with it's own "invention". Well, except this next movie...
1) Les Miserables. Current RT Public Score: 79%
Now, I'm a huge fan of certain muscials. The Sound of Music is like a warm hug. Singin' In The Rain is an absolute must-see! An American In Paris is one of the most underrated films of all time! Why then, do I hate Les Miserables. The great thing about musicals are that the singing only takes place when a character is feeling an extraordinary level of emotion. For example, Don Lockwood in Singin' In The Rain only sings in the rain (!) because of his unshakable new love for Kathy Selden.Les Miserables, however, is not a musical; it's an opera. When every word is sung, none of them matter. I'll admit, Anne Hathaway is incredible as Fantine, but the rest of the cast are wholly uninspiring. As I mention before with Moulin Rouge and Iron Man 3, I found it extremely difficult to become invested because whenever a serious, dark moment loomed, we were "treated" to Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen's insufferable "comedy". There were so mind-crashingly irksome, I almost screamed a scream as time went by. It's well crafted, sure, but totally inaccessible and oddly cold.
Am I an idiot? What movies/TV shows do you hate that everyone else loves? Let me know in the comments below. As always, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@The_Hamster_Boy) and stayed tuned for more reviews and articles. My next review will most likely be Winter's Tale, probably on Sunday (it's released in the UK this Friday). Thanks for reading, I'll see you guys next time!
First off, the fact you're using Firefly quotes all over this neat round-up list is kick arse. That show must never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I do agree with you about the films/shows on this list being predominantly overrated (it makes my day seeing Man Of Steel getting bashed). Even if I like most of these films to some extent, there's no denying their faults.
Take The Artist. I love it. I loved what it was doing with its style and how effectively it utilized its retro narrative to create the late 1920s environment - ultimately giving the story most of its charm. But, even I had to admit that, when outlining the plot, it actually came off as very subpar.
And having a fairly French background, growing up on Jean Dujardin films, I'm gonna have to disagree about the acting part. I was thrilled to see him finally getting some worldwide praise (along with supporting actors such as Cromwell and Goodman).
One more thing; positive RT rating aside, I've never heard Iron Man 3 get positive feedback from anyone I know. I almost fail to understand half the criticism that's thrown at it. It's as if people just have an unnecessary desire to hate it.
I suppose my defending of this movie is down to my love for anything Shane Black touches, and the fact that people keep putting Iron Man 2 ahead of Iron Man 3 (Iron Man 2 is an abortion of a movie. Period).
I must say I respect your stance towards all of the above listed quite a lot. When it comes to movies, it's no fun when everyone's in agreement.
Anyways, soooo well written dude! I even chuckled on numerous occasions. Keep 'em coming!
Thanks for your continued support! I have to admit, The Artist was my first encounter with Jean Dujardin, so perhaps I wasn't accustomed to his style.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe I wanted to hate IM3, and certainly agree that it's a lot better than 2
I'd also like to point out that I too enjoy some of these on some level. District 9 works for me as a dumb sci fi, but it tried so hard to be what it wasn't!
Thanks again for the comments!
Haha don't thank me, thank Sam. He's the one who brought you to my attention on Twitter, and again through FB. :)
DeleteAnd I just can't relate to any of the opinions about Iron Man 3 - just like The Wolverine, I find it's had a lot of unfair criticism.
But then again I loved Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, so what do I know lol
I'm now also wondering this; surely you disliked Elysium and Iron Man 2 more than District 9 and Iron Man 3? They scored far more unreasonably high ratings, so why no dishonorable mentions for them?
Oh and, if you ever check out Dujardin's previous (more comedic) works, I recommend OSS 117. Kind of like a French James Bond spoof. Quite fun.
I haven't seen Elysium yet, so it might have been on here if I had. I included IM3 rather than 2 because whilst it's not as bad as 2, it pissed me off a lot more. This is of course largely down to the treatment of The Mandarin and the disregard for comic book fans.
ReplyDeleteI'll see if I can pick OSS 117 up at some point, but it's probably hard to find in the UK...
I'd love to see you do a review on Elysium!
DeleteAnd see, I loved what they did with The Mandarin. It took balls to go in that direction. And to quote Team America, "I like balls". Aside from that, there was a great deal of easter eggs for the hardcore comic book fans to uncover. I've actually not seen a single review give credit to all of the hidden stuff in Iron Man 3. Ah well. I suppose it's a similar issue that Darkman suffered from - if you don't pick up on the references, it'll be a fairly flat experience.
And nah man, OSS 117 got an excellent subtitled release in the UK. Otherwise I wouldn't be recommending it to you. :)
I may well review Elysium when a new Neill Blomkamp movie is on the way. It'll also give me a chance to go more in-depth with my problems with D9
ReplyDeleteI agree that it takes balls to do what they did with Mandarin, but I just couldn't get past the constant distraction it caused that made everything seem like a joke with no real peril. It's all subjective really!
I'll definitely seek OSS out, but probably won't do a full review. Maybe a couple of tweets or comment my most recent blog at the time?
I look forward to it. It'll be interesting seeing what you think of Blomkamp's latest works.
DeleteI love the way Shane Black writes humour into his screenplays. Very Joss Wheddon-esque IMO... but I guess that's subjective as well. ;)
I'm following your twitter and your blog, so either way's cool.
Curious to hear what you think of Dujardin's comedy-roots. It definitely suits him better.
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your article. You've gone very in-deph, & you've given very solid reasons for thinking these films are Overrated.
ReplyDeleteI agree on X-Men: First Class. I liked it, but I still agree that a lot of the acting was wooden, & it was packed with serious continuity errors, which for some reason; people overlook.
I personally love Iron Man 3, but I see where you're coming from.
I thought Man of Steel was ok. It could have been better, but there are certainly good things in it in my opinion.
I also enjoyed Les Miserables, but I can understand your reasons for not liking it.
I haven't really seen the rest. I've seen one episode of Sherlock season 3, which I don't really have an opinion on.
Are there any films you'd say are 'Underrated'?
Thanks for your comments!
DeleteAs mentioned in the article, I think An American In Paris is criminally underrated. The way they used the music and choreography to tell the story blew me away! I hold it on par (if not higher) with Singin' In The Rain.
I've never understood the hatred people have for X-Men 3. It's bloated and overlong, but I still find it entertaining. I thought Logan's journey was really interesting and the Cure subplot raised fascinating moral issues. Granted, I haven't actually read the Dark Phoenix comic books, but I think it stands up as a decent, if unspectacular, superhero film!
Sorry for the late reply.
I agree on X-Men 3. It may have it's problems, but it's still very entertaining.
DeleteHi guys,
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't already, be sure to check out my review of The Book Thief: http://gregreviewsmoviesandmore.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-book-thief-review.html