Overrated Movies

[Drtooth]

Tim Burton might not be the best director in Hollywood (I'd like to see the fight that erupts when someone tries to take that mantle, but that's an apple for another day), but he wouldn't think that he could get away with making a Batman movie without Batman.

Tim's a great director, don't get me wrong... but he's settled on into habits, and his movies all seem the same now. Not in a his films all have a unified theme or thread... but basically everything he's done lately is basically the same. And yes, I shouldn't get him on using the same two actors that he's comfortable with... I should get him ON his comfort zone. Now, unlike most older directors, he hasn't become an old fart reliant on new technology... I give him credit for that. But sometimes it's good to stretch... give someone BESIDES Johnny a leading role. Stop trying to pair Johnny up with his wife and all... do something different, but not too different. I want to see the man behind Pee Wee's Adventure, Beetlejuice, and Big Fish, not the man behind Alice in Wonderland and Sweeny Todd. I like those films, sure... but I find them over rated out of everything else he did (face it, Alice in Wonderland did NOT need another goth facelift).

Again, I approve of his films a MILLIONZILLION times more than Zermeckis's motion capture claptrap, Lucas's "OOH! I THINK I want to add a musical number and 5 CGI characters in this old movie," and M. Night Shaggyfromscoobydoo's ...uhm... whatever the crap you call his increasingly terrible films. But he needs to break out of the stylish comfort zone and do something strange AND new.

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

I used to love Grease as a kid, but yeah now it's one of those "Why did I ever like that" movies, lol. Mostly there's the questionable lesson about changing yourself for your partner. Ironically, Grease 2 wasn't as good a movie, but it had much better lessons at the end!

I just hate that moral so much! And I hate even more that a lot of high schoolers take this moral to heart! I seriously blame Grease for every problem in American high schools for the last 35 years. (OK, I really don't. But still...)

I'm going to do a Nostalgia Critic-style review of Grease 2 this summer. I haven't seen it, but I'm looking forward to it... Nice to know it at least has a better moral. I can see a joke or two coming out of that. Of course, that's not going to stop me from running over the DVD with a Volvo at the end.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I just hate that moral so much! And I hate even more that a lot of high schoolers take this moral to heart! I seriously blame Grease for every problem in American high schools for the last 35 years. (OK, I really don't. But still...)

Well the thing is, I think the original Broadway version of Grease makes it more clear how stupid and loser-ish the characters are. The movie glorified all this stuff. But I don't blame Grease, High School has always been like that, heh.

 

[BoomerangFish]

if Tim Burton were to do Batman today, Johnny Depp would probably be the Joker and Helen Carter would be Harley Quinn and Batman wouldn't be in it.

haha! yeah, possibly. Although I adore the 1st Batman by Tim Burton (and Batman Returns)... in fact I still think the Keaton batman films are better than the newer ones. Something about the weirdness of them feels like Batman to me. The new ones are too grounded in reality, but hey, its a fresh take.

 

[ZeppoAndFriends]

Tim's a great director, don't get me wrong... but he's settled on into habits, and his movies all seem the same now. Not in a his films all have a unified theme or thread... but basically everything he's done lately is basically the same. And yes, I shouldn't get him on using the same two actors that he's comfortable with... I should get him ON his comfort zone. Now, unlike most older directors, he hasn't become an old fart reliant on new technology... I give him credit for that. But sometimes it's good to stretch... give someone BESIDES Johnny a leading role. Stop trying to pair Johnny up with his wife and all... do something different, but not too different.

First, thanks for not killing me. Second, they're not really married yet. Third, I think the problem is that there aren't that many suitably original ideas around Tinseltown these days and Tim himself isn't exactly a bank of story ideas. Forth, for what it's worth, neither Mr. Depp nor Ms. Carter are on the cast list for the stop-motion Frankenweenie film.

I want to see the man behind Pee Wee's Adventure, Beetlejuice, and Big Fish, not the man behind Alice in Wonderland and Sweeny Todd. I like those films, sure... but I find them over rated out of everything else he did (face it, Alice in Wonderland did NOT need another goth facelift).

Yeah, audience preferences always seem to shift towards a director's earlier works. I felt that the main problem with Alice is that they were trying too hard to make a concrete fantasy adventure story out of sheer nonsense (JABBERYWOCKY WAS THE POEM, DANGIT!).

Incedentally, have you ever seen Mars Attacks or Sleepy Hollow?

Again, I approve of his films a MILLIONZILLION times more than Zermeckis's motion capture claptrap, Lucas's "OOH! I THINK I want to add a musical number and 5 CGI characters in this old movie," and M. Night Shaggyfromscoobydoo's ...uhm... whatever the crap you call his increasingly terrible films. But he needs to break out of the stylish comfort zone and do something strange AND new.

On the subject of MoCap, I think it works better in live action movies when they're trying to get believable interaction and movement out of a CGI character, than as an animation medium on its own (Still like A Christmas Carol, though).

On the subject of George Lucas, am I the only person on the Internet who refuses to demonize him for adding things he wishes he could've had in the first place?


In closing, please don't kill me! Again!

 

[CensoredAlso]

On the subject of George Lucas, am I the only person on the Internet who refuses to demonize him for adding things he wishes he could've had in the first place?

Sorry but I'm in the demonizing crowd, hehe. I know it's his creation, but that doesn't mean he always knows what's best. He's too close to the material to be unbias. And to add modern CGI, I thought, was disrespectful to the hard work that was done originally. And it's disrespectful to the fans that actually liked the movies the way they were and made his movies a success to begin with. And it's not like his precious CGI is never going to be outdated. And it's not like specials effects always make everything better (the prequels prove that!).

 

[ZeppoAndFriends]

Sorry but I'm in the demonizing crowd, hehe. I know it's his creation, but that doesn't mean he always knows what's best. He's too close to the material to be unbias. And to add modern CGI, I thought, was disrespectful to the hard work that was done originally. And it's disrespectful to the fans that actually liked the movies the way they were and made his movies a success to begin with. And it's not like his precious CGI is never going to be outdated. And it's not like specials effects always make everything better (the prequels prove that!).

It's not like he went and chucked the last remaining prints of the CG-less ones in a fire. They're still out there and, given the backlash, I doubt they're going to disappear altogether anytime...ever.

I just thought that the Special Edition versions were an interesting look into what he had in mind when he was making the originals. I don't think they're better.

And yes, the prequels could've been better. But keep in mind, he tried to get other directors and writers in on them. Nobody wanted to touch them, because they were 'his thing'.

 

[CensoredAlso]

It's not like he went and chucked the last remaining prints of the CG-less ones in a fire. They're still out there and, given the backlash, I doubt they're going to disappear altogether anytime...ever.

And that was the one smart thing he did in the whole situation.

I just thought that the Special Edition versions were an interesting look into what he had in mind when he was making the originals. I don't think they're better.

Oh yeah I understand. It's always interesting to see alternate or original versions of movies etc. I just felt he took it too far by actually going in and altering the movies themselves. It's like if Leonardo went in and painted over the Mona Lisa with Photoshop.

And yes, the prequels could've been better. But keep in mind, he tried to get other directors and writers in on them. Nobody wanted to touch them, because they were 'his thing'.

It is an interesting problem. Sometimes remakes are bad because they didn't use the original creators. Yet other times, the creators are very much involved, yet the final product is still less than satisfying, heh!

 

[frogboy4]

Star Wars Trilogy:

I don't really see the films as overrated. All 6 films are still a pleasure to watch even with their problems here and there. Any director would have gladly taken the chair from George Lucas if not for the frustrations he created for the director of Empire that almost ruined the film. The new trilogy became about set pieces and goofy characters rather than story or real emotion. People complain about the dialogue, but that was always terrible. They still managed to get some emotion to the screen that was largely missing in the later trilogy. Lucas just doesn't like actors.

Casa Blanca:
Give me "Vertigo", "Citizen Kane", "Touch of Evil", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" or a slew of other classic films and I'll tell you how wonderful they are, but "Casa Blanca" never reached me in the same way. It did redefine the genre. I'll give it that. It just seemed like a great big mess of a movie and in fact it actually was. They rewrote the entire film while shooting and some of the lines were only minutes old. I think that shows. It's a beautiful and enjoyable film worthy of acclaim - just not quite as much as it receives IMHO.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Casa Blanca:
Give me "Vertigo", "Citizen Kane", "Touch of Evil", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" or a slew of other classic films and I'll tell you how wonderful they are, but "Casa Blanca" never reached me in the same way. It did redefine the genre. I'll give it that. It just seemed like a great big mess of a movie and in fact it actually was. They rewrote the entire film while shooting and some of the lines were only minutes old. I think that shows. It's a beautiful and enjoyable film worthy of acclaim - just not quite as much as it receives IMHO.

Sorry, but to me Citizen Kane is the overrated one, hehe. It reminds me of big epic films they make today, all style and little subtance. And a big ego trip. Pioneering camera techniques but underwhelming story for me. (I mean really, it wasn't that hard to figure out what Rosebud was! ).

Casablanca's writing process may have been hectic, but the final movie's dialogue is witty, sharp, a brilliantly character driven story with talented character actors and leads. And I love the idea of this cynical guy who is finally inspired to join the good fight. Plus the fact that the actors themselves were actually living these events in real life at the time makes it all the more poignant.

Movies like Citizen Kane were trying too hard to be classics. Casablanca simply is a classic and didn't need to try.

However, I will agree with you about Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, it never fails to move me. : )