There are some films out there that have been so lauded by critics and so commercially successful that you’d think they would be exceptionally good. Many of these films are not bad, but they are not as great as they are made out to be. The technical aspects of these movies are usually what set them apart from other films; however, the storylines and dialogue usually suffer as a result. We think that many of these films are totally overrated and we’re not entirely sure how some of them went on to sweep the Academy Awards and make a killing at the box office. Here are 9 films that we think are way overhyped!
9. Avatar
On a technical level, “Avatar” is impressive. The visual effects are groundbreaking; however, the dialogue is flat and the story is borrowed. One critic, Ty Burr of the Boston Globe, claimed that it is the same movie as “Dances with Wolves.” Like “Dances with Wolves,” “Avatar” is “a white savior” movie meaning that the native people are only empowered once they accept the leadership of someone from the invading white culture. In spite of its obvious deficiencies, “Avatar” was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won three.
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8. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Despite receiving mixed reviews by critics upon its release, Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” went on to become universally recognized by critics, film-makes and viewers as one of the most influential films that was ever made. While some critics have praised it for its technical ingenuity, others have derided it for being morally pretentious, inordinately long and immensely boring. Sounds like another overrated film to us!
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7. Shakespeare in Love
“Shakespeare in Love” isn’t the worst movie out there, but it isn’t one of the greatest ones either. It was nominated for 13 Academy Awards back in 1999 and it took home seven. We think its success had more to do with its great Oscar campaigns as opposed to its worthiness. That same year, “Saving Private Ryan,” which was a much better movie, was up for 11 Academy Awards. It only took home five and even lost Best Picture to this Shakespeare-inspired romance. Sometimes life isn’t really fair.
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6. Scarface
“Scarface” is now considered one of the big classics of the mob genre; however, when it was first released, most critics gave it negative reviews. With its excessive swearing and over-the-top violence, this film obviously isn’t for everyone. The main character, Tony Montana, is anything but likable, which makes it really difficult to watch him for three hours. While contemporary reviewers have been more positive about “Scarface,” we think the film is totally overrated.
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5. Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is another critically and commercially successful film that is totally overrated in spite of all of its success. Nominated for an impressive 13 Academy Awards, it took home six. It also earned $677 million at the box office. We’re still scratching our heads trying to understand why. The lead character, Forrest Gump, isn’t especially compelling and the story itself gets kind of wearisome. Overall, we think the film is pretty forgettable.
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4. Inception
“Inception” has received a lot of good press. Many critics lauded it for its originality, superb cast and stellar visual effects, with BBC Radio 5 Live’s Mark Kermode naming it as the best film of 2010. Some other critics saw right through it though. David Edelstein had no idea what people were raving about while David Denby of The New Yorker claims that the film gets lost in its “fabulous intricacies.” While we like seeing Leonardo DiCpario, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy in suits, we think the film is pretty overrated.
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3. Crash
“Crash” received a lot of accolades, including three Academy Awards, but not all were deserved. While many agreed that the film dealt with important subject matter – racism – the overall consensus is that it came off as preachy, providing viewers with a vapid representation of what the racism in American appears to be through the mainstream media. “Crash” took home the Best Picture Oscar that year; however, many think “Brokeback Mountain” was the more deserving of the two.
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2. Titanic
“Titanic” swept the Academy Awards in 1998, tying various records for the number of Oscar nominations and wins. Like “Avatar,” which was also directed by James Cameron, the visuals are spectacular; however, the story and the dialogue are incredibly weak. One critic from the Los Angeles Times claimed that writing this kind of movie was not within Cameron’s abilities and that the only reason that it won so many Oscars was because of how much money it grossed at the box office. We think this critic may have been on to something!
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1. The Dark Knight Rises
The first two installments of Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” movies were pretty good; however, the last installment, “The Dark Knight Rises” was really disappointing. While it was visually impressive – much like other films on this list – it was way too long and had way too many holes in the plot. We personally don’t understand how it received so much praise. It seems way over-hyped and we think it under-delivered.
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