# Most overrated and underrated films of all time



## Jonathan C. Gillespie (Aug 9, 2012)

It's Friday. Let's take our writer hats off for a second and have some fun.

Name some movies: at least one underrated and one overrated (or more, if you care too).

I recently saw _Tron: Legacy_. I was expecting a popcorn flick in a stylish wrapper. And for the first half hour or so, that's exactly what it is, with a protag that didn't really excite me and a threadbare plot. The moment we meet Flynn again, however, the film becomes this kind of tech-noir dreamscape, the score becomes alternately haunting and moving, and the performances congeal together into a kind of melancholy soup I haven't seen since _Bladerunner_. I still can't quantify exactly why this film moved me so emotionally. I grok the themes even while I find the broader plot troubled, but there's just something going on here that makes for a beautiful film. I'm left considering the piece's DNA, which runs the gamut of everything from the original film to anime, and I find the end product is nothing other than good, solid science fiction. I adored it.

On the other hand, I also saw the recent _Star Wars_ and while it was enjoyable, I found it very disappointing. I don't get the widespread critical acclaim, unless we're all just so traumatized by Episode I and II that our expectations have been lowered. I found it very derivative and full of the kind of disruption of mythos and unrealistic character development that bothered me so much about the bulk of the prequels. Abrams did better with this than Episode I, for sure, but I actually think "Revenge of the Sith" was a better flick, warts and all.


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## Matthew Stott (Oct 22, 2014)

That first Avengers film. People went nuts for it, I thought it was 'okay' at best. And a terrible, punch the anonymous cartoon aliens finale. The Hulk moments were good, though.

Edgar Wright is the best director of comedy films around, and Scott Pilgrim Vs The World was absolutely terrific. I can kinda understand why it didn't do that well, I mean it was very expensive for what ultimately seems a niche, strong flavoured piece, but yeah: amazing film.


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## Ann Grant (Jul 16, 2015)

Underrated:  I loved Interstellar (2014), but less than 2/3 of the critics liked it. They thought it was too slow. I liked it for the sci-fi scenery, especially on the planet where the characters thought they saw mountains and then realized they were seeing waves. I also liked the film because it didn't have screaming, slam bam action in my face every minute (... okay, because it was slow...).


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

Most overrated film: Avengers

Most underrated film: Munich

Most overrated TV series: Arrow

Most underrated TV series: The Killing


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

Most overrated Disney movie : frozen.

Most underrated Disney movie: bolt.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Most people are mentioning superhero movies... interesting.  I'd mention my own"over-rated" movies, but I'm a contrarian, and most people wouldn't agree.


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## Fishbowl Helmet (Jan 12, 2014)

I'm a life-long science fiction fan, but I think the single most overrated film in history is: 2001.


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## cecilia_writer (Dec 28, 2010)

I thought 'Burn after Reading' was terrible - I had thought it would be really funny and I had never seen some of the actors before so I thought it would be worth watching, but I found it really boring.
I am not sure if anyone else will even have heard of this one but I thought 'The Constant Gardener' (based on a book by John le Carré, starring, I think, Ralph Fiennes) was excellent and deserved a better audience, awards etc (not sure if it did get any awards).


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## Speaker-To-Animals (Feb 21, 2012)

Most overrated: Gone With the Wind. I just didn't get hooked by the characters and found the "Lost Cause" agitprop to be troubling--I actually stopped watching after the first disk and sent it back to Netflix.
Most underrated: Big Trouble in Little China. John Carpenter is a massively underrated director and this is probably his most underrated film. It's a great parody on on multiple levels. Also probably the most quotable movie short of Lion in Winter.

Most overrated TV: Seinfeld. There's nothing wrong with it at all. Quite good in fact. Just not as good as everyone says it is.
Most underrated TV: Barney Miller. Sparkling characters with incredible chemistry. Subtle and sophisticated humor. Political but never sunk into preachiness. Hung it up before it got stale. I remember it being very well reviewed, but it's just disappeared off the face of the earth. Maybe more "forgotten" than "underrated"--I don't know.


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## Ann Grant (Jul 16, 2015)

Most overrated film: The English Patient. Best picture academy award about 20 years ago, yadda yadda, most boring film ever made on Earth.


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

Ann Grant said:


> Most overrated film: The English Patient. Best picture academy award about 20 years ago, yadda yadda, most boring film ever made on Earth.


Many of us agree, including Elaine Benes.


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## Ann Grant (Jul 16, 2015)

Alan Petersen said:


> Many of us agree, including Elaine Benes.


LOL.  Yes, yes, yes, she nailed it!


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## Gone To Croatan (Jun 24, 2011)

Jena H said:


> Most people are mentioning superhero movies... interesting.


Superhero movies are really hard to do well, because finding a believable antagonist suitable for a superhero with superpowers is... not easy. I suspect this is why I prefer Batman to Super-Captain-Iron-Hulk or whatever the latest 'look at me, I got superpowers!' character may be. Batman is just a rich guy with some gadgets.

That said, I found the last Batman movie I watched terribly boring because they seemed unable to decide where to end it and kept tacking on more and more endings. Every time Batman caught the bad guy and it seemed to have ended, he escaped and Batman had to catch him again.


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Overrated - The first ones that come to mind or Avatar and Titanic. There's a theme there. 

Underrated - That's tougher and I'd have to really think. Moon was great and not appreciated as much as it deserved, I think.


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## Andrei Cherascu (Sep 17, 2014)

I think the most underrated movie for me would have to be The Illusionist. It's a superb work of cinematography. Edward Norton is captivating as always, Paul Giammati and Rufus Sewell are brilliant in their roles and even  Jessica Biel is good.  The story is engaging and the writing is good, yet almost nobody seems to know this movie.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

Monique said:


> Overrated - The first ones that come to mind or Avatar and Titanic. There's a theme there.


C'mon... Aliens was pretty awesome.


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Anarchist said:


> C'mon... Aliens was pretty awesome.


Aliens was very awesome.


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## Jonathan C. Gillespie (Aug 9, 2012)

Monique said:


> Aliens was very awesome.


I third that.


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## ......~...... (Jul 4, 2015)

Most overrated movie: The Dark Knight. This movie was boring and overlong. The only good thing about it was the Joker. I don't know if it's overrated but that Prometheus (Ridley Scott) movie was terrible on every level.

Most underrated movie: Haunter with Abigail Breslin. Push with Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning. Queen of Carthage seems to be getting some bad reviews but I really liked it. Chatroom. Suicide Room. I watch a lot of movies (especially in the horror genre) that have bad reviews but that I like, so this category is kind of hard to pin down for me.

Most overrated TV show: The Walking Dead. Watched the first season and that was enough.

Most underrated TV show: Legend of the Seeker. Wonderful show with humor, action, drama. It had it all but was canceled after only 2 seasons. I haven't read the books it was based on so you may feel differently if you have.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Underrated: _Unbreakable_. A fascinating and highly effective deconstruction of the superhero genre.

Overrated: _Dead Poets Society_. Sorry. I love Robin Williams, and I'm all for the humanities, but that film is excruciatingly bad.


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## Ainsley (Dec 26, 2013)

Overrated: Kick A$$
Under: Edge of Tomorrow


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

More TV:

Underrated: Deadwood

Overrated: Entourage


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## RN_Wright (Jan 7, 2014)

For me, those back-to-back Oscar vacuum cleaners, _Kramer vs Kramer_ and _Ordinary People_ were overrated. Technically competent with good acting, both had plots that didn't support all the drama.

_McCabe and Mrs. Miller_ might be my favorite underrated film. It was selected for the National Film Registry.


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## Matthew Stott (Oct 22, 2014)

Speaker-To-Animals said:


> Most overrated TV: Seinfeld. There's nothing wrong with it at all. Quite good in fact. Just not as good as everyone says it is.


 
My fave sitcom ever!


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## jaehaerys (Feb 18, 2016)

MOVIES:

Most overrated - _Crash_

Most underrated - _21 Jump Street_

TV:

Most overrated - _The Walking Dead_...aka _Lost_ w/ zombies.

Most underrated - _Friday Night Lights_


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## Matthew Stott (Oct 22, 2014)

For TV:

BOO:
Downton Abbey. I just don't get it.
Also Broadchurch; not sure why people went nuts for what seemed a very run of the mill drama.

YAY:
Everybody Loves Raymond. It's not cutting edge, but it's a super strong sitcom.
Neverwhere. The original BBC TV series. Made for about 5p, is awesome.


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## A. N. Other Author (Oct 11, 2014)

Overrated - Avatar

Underrated - the Prestige 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## The 13th Doctor (May 31, 2012)

Matthew Stott said:


> For TV:
> 
> BOO:
> Downton Abbey. I just don't get it.
> ...


Agree re: Downtown Abbey. Enjoyed Broadchurch but didn't think it was earth's battering.

I loved the 90s adaptation of Neverwhere! I think I only decided to watch it because I had a "thing" for Gary Bakewell, who played Richard Mayhew. The recent radio adaptation was good, too.

Other underrated TV shows are -

Takin' Over The Asylum - Ken Stott plays a DJ in a psychiatric hospital radio station. Funny, sad, moving, and featuring a young David Tennant who does steal the show as the bi-polar Campbell. The soundtrack was amazing, too.

The Fades - Supernatural drama about a teen who can see the dead. A rubbish description, to be honest, that doesn't give the show justice. It took a few episodes to get into its stride but I was chomping at the bit for series 2 after that finale but... it was axed instead.


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## Annette_g (Nov 27, 2012)

Overrated: Anything called Transformers 

Underrated: Little Miss Sunshine, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Argo.

Never hear much about it nowadays but I adore Moulin Rouge! Despite it having lots of modern music with a twist, you can tell the director really loves musicals and it shows.


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## RN_Wright (Jan 7, 2014)

Annette_g said:


> Never hear much about it nowadays but I adore Moulin Rouge! Despite it having lots of modern music with a twist, you can tell the director really loves musicals and it shows.


I was pleasantly surprised by Moulin Rouge after reading the mixed reviews. From the credits it looked like the people who made it had opera backgrounds. The whole thing came together nicely.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

Annette_g said:


> Overrated: Anything called Transformers


Anything with Michael Bay at the helm.


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## Eskimo (Dec 31, 2013)

Weighing in from the Crime Fiction genre....

Overrated: THE DEPARTED

Underrated: BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD


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## Some Random Guy (Jan 16, 2016)

Overrated: pretty much anything from Hollyweird
Underrated: reading a good book


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## PatriciaThomson (Mar 23, 2016)

cecilia_writer said:


> I am not sure if anyone else will even have heard of this one but I thought 'The Constant Gardener' (based on a book by John le Carré, starring, I think, Ralph Fiennes) was excellent and deserved a better audience, awards etc (not sure if it did get any awards).


It was nominated for four Oscars, and Rachel Weisz won for best supporting actress. /Oscar nerd

Overrated: _Shakespeare in Love_. I love Judi Dench but getting an Oscar for being in a film for EIGHT MINUTES is ludicrous. We will not mention Gwyneth Paltrow.

Underrated: _Find Me Guilty_. Any time anyone says that Vin Diesel can't act, I recommend this. Bonus for you _Game of Thrones_ fans--Peter Dinklage has a pretty hefty role in it and is quite good.

With that being said ..

Overrated TV: _Game of Thrones_. Nice costumes, pretty sets and actors, BORING show.

Underrated TV: _due South_. A friend of mine got me into this and it's the only show for which I own the DVDs. It's just so goofy.


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## Zelah Meyer (Jun 15, 2011)

I have deleted this post as I do not consent to the new Terms of Service that Vertical Scope are attempting to retrospectively apply to our content.  I am forced to manually replace my content as, at time of editing, their representative has instructed moderators not to delete posts or accounts when users request it, and Vertical Scope have implied that they will deal with account deletion requests by anonymising accounts, which would leave personally identifying information in my posts.

I joined under the previous ownership and have posted over the years under different Terms of Service.  I do not consent to my name, content, or intellectual properties being used by Vertical Scope or any other entity that they sell or licence my data to.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Ken Ward said:


> Most overrated - _The Walking Dead_...aka _Lost_ w/ zombies.


Heh. Lost w/ zombies. And speaking of Lost....

*Overrated - TV*
Lost (I watched faithfully for three seasons, then walked away and never missed it.)
Battlestar Galactica
Everyone Loves Raymond (Ummm, no, everyone doesn't)

*Overrated - Movies*
Forrest Gump (I'm sorry, it's just dumb. *ducks*)

*Underrated - TV*
Jericho
Supernatural (Don't judge it because it's on The CW.)


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## anniejocoby (Aug 11, 2013)

*Underrated movies* - In the Heart of the Sea and Vanilla Sky. ITHOTS was an excellent movie with great stars and a great director, yet it was a critical and commercial flop. Same with Vanilla Sky, even though I can't stand Tom Cruise for personal reasons. I do like his movies though.

*Overrated movies* Lots of Oscar movies would qualify here. Slumdog Millionaire, The Hurt Locker and Spotlight come to mind. Don't get me wrong, these were decent movies, but the best pictures of the year? Not seeing it. Oh, and Citizen Kane. I can't understand why so many critics think that this is the greatest movie ever made. It was so soapy. I like soapy, but I can't imagine why this movie beats out Gone With the Wind and Casablanca and other films for the best movie of all.


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## Linn (Feb 2, 2016)

Monique said:


> Overrated - The first ones that come to mind or Avatar...


That's the first one that popped into my head as well. Insanely popular, yet insanely awful.

Underrated - Crimson Tide. Not enough action for most viewers, I guess. But I thought it was really well done.


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## AndrewSeiple (Jan 3, 2016)

Big Trouble in Little China is the most underrated film of the 80s. It was just flat-out FUN, in a way that most action movies haven't matched since.


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## Matthew Stott (Oct 22, 2014)

AndrewSeiple said:


> Big Trouble in Little China is the most underrated film of the 80s. It was just flat-out FUN, in a way that most action movies haven't matched since.


I'm actually going to watch that in a film theatre tomorrow...


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## Spin52 (Sep 6, 2015)

Over: Just about anything with Woody Allen in it. He makes me cringe and I found 'Annie Hall' particularly boring. On the other hand, he's much better behind the camera, and I enjoyed 'Blue Jasmine'.
Under: 'Lost in Translation'. Bill Murray is one of the most versatile actors around.


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## Robert Dahlen (Apr 27, 2014)

Fishbowl Helmet said:


> I'm a life-long science fiction fan, but I think the single most overrated film in history is: 2001.


+1. Last time I tried to watch it, I fell asleep. Bad sign.

Underrated: _Hoodwinked_. Yeah, I know, but it's actually one of the best of the first wave of post-Pixar CGI animated features. It had some decent music and a couple of very funny moments, and I'd rather watch it than any number of Ice Age or Madagascar movies.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

So funny. I love all those movies you guys hate. Avatar. The Avengers. Frozen. Have watched them all multiple times.

Movies I've hated most in my life, that were supposed to be profound:
Smash Palace
The English Patient
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
A Clockwork Orange
Once was way, way more than enough for all the above. I would've walked out in all cases, but I was with somebody else.
Plus most things that are supposed to be good but are just depressing or horrible.

I have beer taste. I would rather watch rugby than anything on TV. That's the only reason I ever turn my TV on.


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## PJ_Cherubino (Oct 23, 2015)

Overrated: Forrest Gump
Underrated: Hancock


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Yeah, I'm with Rosalind. I unfriend people on social media if they piss on Avatar.

I'm also very much with the peeps who found 2001 overrated. Although me watching it on a long-haul flight possibly did not aid its cause.
Ditto with Titanic. I cannot watch it. Three hours of cringe while you know the bloody thing sinks anyway.

Underrated: Moon was great. The Incredibles was great. And geez what was the name of the movie where Clint Eastwood plays a grouchy old man who rescues a Vietnamese kid from a certain criminal path?

The latest Star Wars and of course My Fat Greek Wedding were rated as they should have been: awesome.

I don't watch TV.


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## N. D. Iverson (Feb 1, 2016)

Jonathan C. Gillespie said:


> It's Friday. Let's take our writer hats off for a second and have some fun.
> 
> Name some movies: at least one underrated and one overrated (or more, if you care too).
> 
> I recently saw _Tron: Legacy_. I was expecting a popcorn flick in a stylish wrapper. And for the first half hour or so, that's exactly what it is, with a protag that didn't really excite me and a threadbare plot. The moment we meet Flynn again, however, the film becomes this kind of tech-noir dreamscape, the score becomes alternately haunting and moving, and the performances congeal together into a kind of melancholy soup I haven't seen since _Bladerunner_. I still can't quantify exactly why this film moved me so emotionally. I grok the themes even while I find the broader plot troubled, but there's just something going on here that makes for a beautiful film. I'm left considering the piece's DNA, which runs the gamut of everything from the original film to anime, and I find the end product is nothing other than good, solid science fiction. I adored it.


OMG. I feel the same way! People hated the movie but I enjoyed it - because of the score and techo CGI. I have the score on my iPod; it makes for an epic workout.


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## N. D. Iverson (Feb 1, 2016)

*Most over-rated:* _ALL_ the Fast and Furious movies

*Most under-rated: * American History X


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## N. D. Iverson (Feb 1, 2016)

N. D. Iverson said:


> *Most over-rated:* _ALL_ the Fast and Furious movies
> 
> *Most under-rated: * American History X


Forgot my TV votes:
*Over-rated:* Game of Thrones (too many story lines dumped on you right at the get-go)
*Under-rated:* Generation Kill (great mini-series)


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## Robert Dahlen (Apr 27, 2014)

Patty Jansen said:


> Underrated: Moon was great. The Incredibles was great. And geez what was the name of the movie where Clint Eastwood plays a grouchy old man who rescues a Vietnamese kid from a certain criminal path?


_Gran Torino_. I didn't remember it either; it sounds like an auto racing video game to me. 

But _The Incredibles_ underrated? I'd have to disagree. Lots of people loved that movie and still rave about it. (I still think the fight scene against Syndrome's robot near the end is the best movie superhero fight ever.)


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## Nope (Jun 25, 2012)

.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Re. District 9. I loved that movie. At its heart, it's not actually a science fiction movie, it's a movie about South Africa and its political progress, or lack thereof.


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## rfallen (Nov 15, 2015)

Overrated - The Matrix series

Underrated - John Wick


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

Annette_g said:


> Overrated: Anything called Transformers
> 
> Underrated: Little Miss Sunshine, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Argo.
> 
> Never hear much about it nowadays but I adore Moulin Rouge! Despite it having lots of modern music with a twist, you can tell the director really loves musicals and it shows.


Those Transformer movies make a lot of money, but very few critic/people think high enough of those movies to be overrated.


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## JV (Nov 12, 2013)

Underrated?

Cloud Atlas. Saw it twice in two days in theaters. Sort of changed my life, at least in terms of what I deemed possible with storytelling in films. They adapted, perfectly, a book many said could not be adapted. It's one of my top 3 films of all time. Perfect 10/10 for me. It's one of the most beautiful commentaries I've seen on humanity and how what we do, no matter how insignificant we think it may be at the time, can echo through the halls of eternity. It's a sci-fi, an action film, a romance, an espionage thriller...all rolled into one, and it nails each genre so well.Anyway, I'm not going to write an essay, but that's my first one in terms of underrated.

Spring Breakers (incredible art house film. So much going on below the surface thematically. An Oscar worthy performance from Franco).

Drive. Critics loved it, but I feel like no one saw it. Again, one of my top ten films. 

Watchmen (best comic book film of all time. I love the way it explores the morality of heroes and presents them as humans with flaws...not to mention, that opening credit sequence).

Fury. 


Overrated? 

2001: A Space Oddysey. Jurassic World. Avengers: AOU. Spotlight. The Room (I hate The Room...one of the worst child actors in the history of cinema). Thor. Thor 2. The first Captain America. 

and in the spirit of honesty

The latest Star Wars. Did not get the hype. Was bored through most of it. Abrams needs to go back to directing Star Trek sequels. I actually enjoyed those.

TV wise 

Overrated

GoT. I watch it...but the gimmick of killing off major characters has lost its luster. It's very predictable.

Underrated

Banshee. Comes on Cinemax. It's like a very mature graphic novel come to life. I can't really describe it. Just go google it. If you've got Cinemax, give it a shot.


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## EvanPickering (Mar 8, 2016)

Underrated:

*Oblivion* (w/ Tom cruise. It wasn't groundbreakingly awesome, I just really enjoyed it and didn't get the hate.) 
Also, *Edge of Tomorrow* (someone said this before, totally agree) was honestly an amazing movie. So interesting, unique and thought-provoking.
(kind of hilarious that both of these are Tom Cruise movies.)

If it's possible that an already great movie can be underrated, *Guardians of the Galaxy* might be the best movie I've seen in ten years.

Overrated:

*There Will Be Blood* (91% on RT? Wtf is this isht lol)
*Toy Story* (Don't get me wrong, it was a great movie. But I don't know, I just don't think it was so earthshakingly amazing the way people like to portray it)


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## JV (Nov 12, 2013)

EvanPickering said:


> Underrated:
> 
> *Oblivion* (w/ Tom cruise. It wasn't groundbreakingly awesome, I just really enjoyed it and didn't get the hate.)
> Also, *Edge of Tomorrow* (someone said this before, totally agree) was honestly an amazing movie. So interesting, unique and thought-provoking.
> ...


PT Anderson (director of there will be blood) is a love him or hate him sorta director. I watched it with a friend, he was bored to tears. I was riveted. Loved the cinematography (some of my favorite cinematography alongside Prisoners, Sicario, and Revenant). And the acting...oh god, the acting. Daniel Day Lewis is truly the greatest living actor (imo of course). The monologues are so quotable. As a writer I just kept going "I wish I'd written that...and that...and that...". It was a stage play first, hence the caliber of the writing.

But yeah, always have to discuss that movie when I see it mentioned


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Hi, folks, 

This is really a Not Quite Kindle topic.  Moving it...  *show new replies* at the top will still find it!

Betsy
KB Mod


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

I have to say a word about 2001. first of all, I loved the movie when I saw it, waaaay back when it came out in 1968. Can't stand to watch it now. If you saw it when it came out, you were in the era of Star Trek and a host of pretty campy scifi movies. For that time, 2001 was a GREAT film. Visuals were stunning (to that period's viewers), story was from one of the top SciFi writers of the time. All in all, really great. That being said, I can't watch it now. It's boring, the visuals are antiquated, scenes drag on forever and the acting is second, if not third, rate. It should be relegated to an archive for film students or something. If you see it now for the first time, you'll be disappointed.

Most underrated: Inception
Most overrated: Star Wars - The Force Awakens


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## EvanPickering (Mar 8, 2016)

JV said:


> PT Anderson (director of there will be blood) is a love him or hate him sorta director. I watched it with a friend, he was bored to tears. I was riveted. Loved the cinematography (some of my favorite cinematography alongside Prisoners, Sicario, and Revenant). And the acting...oh god, the acting. Daniel Day Lewis is truly the greatest living actor (imo of course). The monologues are so quotable. As a writer I just kept going "I wish I'd written that...and that...and that...". It was a stage play first, hence the caliber of the writing.
> 
> But yeah, always have to discuss that movie when I see it mentioned


I feel you. I don't know, I can appreciate the nuances of it, and I agree Daniel Day Lewis is unreal, but from a pure story-entertainment perspective it's just so drawn out and self-obsessed. *throws two pennies on the floor*

I'm glad you and presumably others enjoyed it though! I'd hate to think this was one of those critically acclaimed movies that was just largely disliked by the populace


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

HappyGuy said:


> I have to say a word about 2001. first of all, I loved the movie when I saw it, waaaay back when it came out in 1968. Can't stand to watch it now. If you saw it when it came out, you were in the era of Star Trek and a host of pretty campy scifi movies. For that time, 2001 was a GREAT film. Visuals were stunning (to that period's viewers), story was from one of the top SciFi writers of the time. All in all, really great. That being said, I can't watch it now. It's boring, the visuals are antiquated, scenes drag on forever and the acting is second, if not third, rate. It should be relegated to an archive for film students or something. If you see it now for the first time, you'll be disappointed.
> 
> Most underrated: Inception
> Most overrated: Star Wars - The Force Awakens


Yep: there was nothing like 2001 when it came out, and not one pixel of CGI in it: it's all models and in-camera effects. While I won't claim it's perfect, it is at least an SF movie about science and not about fantasy (Star Wars) or silly, unlikely monsters with nothing better to do than fly across the galaxy to invade us. First time I saw it (in its first run), I was totally blown away, and had no idea what was going on in it. Then I read the book, then saw it again, and understood it much more.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

For most underrated, I'm going with "Twelve Monkeys", because it's one of my all-time favorites, yet I've met so many people who've never even heard of it. Visually great, effective casting (Brad Pitt's over-the-top wacko characterization works!), a mind-twisting story, and great music.

Overrated is a bit more difficult for me to narrow down. I'm going to lazily join the "Avatar" camp for now, as it was the first to come to my mind, too; but I do understand how it could appeal to many people -- but I'm picky about the science in SF movies, which is why many of them tend to not live up to my hopes. Maybe I'll edit this later if I come up with a more overrated choice.


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## Nope (Jun 25, 2012)

.


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## deckard (Jan 13, 2011)

NogDog said:


> For most underrated, I'm going with "Twelve Monkeys", because it's one of my all-time favorites, yet I've met so many people who've never even heard of it. Visually great, effective casting (Brad Pitt's over-the-top wacko characterization works!), a mind-twisting story, and great music.


Totally agree. 12 Monkeys is one of my favorite films. All of the acting, IMO, is top notch.

Have you seen La Jetee, the movie (short actually) that was the inspiration for 12 Monkeys?

Deckard


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

deckard said:


> Totally agree. 12 Monkeys is one of my favorite films. All of the acting, IMO, is top notch.
> 
> Have you seen La Jetee, the movie (short actually) that was the inspiration for 12 Monkeys?
> 
> Deckard


Added to my Amazon watch list.


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## Tripp (May 28, 2009)

NogDog said:


> First time I saw it (in its first run), I was totally blown away, and had no idea what was going on in it. Then I read the book, then saw it again, and understood it much more.


Re 2001: This was my exact experience.


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## PJ_Cherubino (Oct 23, 2015)

NogDog said:


> For most underrated, I'm going with "Twelve Monkeys", because it's one of my all-time favorites, yet I've met so many people who've never even heard of it. Visually great, effective casting (Brad Pitt's over-the-top wacko characterization works!), a mind-twisting story, and great music.
> 
> Overrated is a bit more difficult for me to narrow down. I'm going to lazily join the "Avatar" camp for now, as it was the first to come to my mind, too; but I do understand how it could appeal to many people -- but I'm picky about the science in SF movies, which is why many of them tend to not live up to my hopes. Maybe I'll edit this later if I come up with a more overrated choice.


I will add that to my own underrated list. The mood of that film was amazing. It felt so dark but also held a tiny bit of sweet hope as well.

I will add Brazil to the underrated list as well. Very dark mood with a thread of absurd comedy.


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## antares (Feb 13, 2011)

Most overrated film: _The English Patient_; runner-up: _Argo_
Most underrated film: _Ruthless People_

Most overrated TV show: _The Bachelor_ (Seriously, what is the attraction? Who thought this was a good idea?) 
Most underrated TV show: _Almost Human_ (consistently strong performances by Karl Urban and Michael Ealy; thought-provoking story lines)


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## Maggie Brooke (Jan 30, 2016)

I would agree with the _English Patient_ as still being the most overrated film. I would put _Forrest Gump_ up there as well. I couldn't watch more than 30 minutes of _There Will Be Blood_ either, though in that case I recognized its artistic value. It was just damned boring.

In terms of television, I know people love it. I even watched the first few seasons, but in the past, the _Walking Dead_ got more critical acclaim than IMO it deserved. I feel that way about _House of Cards_ as well (ducking now).

Underrated is much harder to pin down. Usually things that are good eventually develop a cult following and are no long underrated, e.g. _Veronica Mars_ and _Serenity_. Other things, like _Friday Night Lights_ and the current show _The Good Wife_, never became super popular but have been critically acclaimed from the beginning, and in that sense can't technically be considered underrated.


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## Warren Dean (May 10, 2015)

I'll throw in 2c worth:

Most underrated film: Kick-ass

Most overrated film: anything starring George Clooney...


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## ......~...... (Jul 4, 2015)

Warren Dean said:


> Most overrated film: anything starring George Clooney...


Ha! I like to say he got an Oscar for eating extra cheeseburgers. I just don't get the appeal. He pretty much plays himself in every movie I've seen him in.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

NeedWant said:


> Ha! I like to say he got an Oscar for eating extra cheeseburgers. I just don't get the appeal. He pretty much plays himself in every movie I've seen him in.


And your point would be? 

"He pretty much plays himself in every movie I've seen him in."

And he does it sooooooo well.

Betsy
*who was not a fan of young Clooney but will pay to see older Clooney read the phone book.*


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## ......~...... (Jul 4, 2015)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> And your point would be?
> 
> "He pretty much plays himself in every movie I've seen him in."
> 
> ...


It's good if you're into him I guess.  I feel the same way about Brad Pitt. Then there's Ryan Gosling...okay, I'll stop now. No pitchforks please!


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

P.J. Post said:


> These lists are so subjective, it's kind of fun.
> Overrated doesn't mean I didn't like the movie (although it might), but rather it probably means that it just didn't warrant the hype and genuflecting it received. So here are my partial lists:
> 
> *Overrated:*
> ...


Oh, man, I would reverse, like, 80% of that.


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## Warren Dean (May 10, 2015)

Two of them I would agree with, at least:

Overrated - District 9 (awful movie)

Underrated - The Island

(Respect, metal, for reading Stranger in a Strange Land.)


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## jaehaerys (Feb 18, 2016)

Anyone who thinks Clooney can't act needs to watch 'Out of Sight', 'O Brother Where Art Thou', and 'Michael Clayton'.


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## ......~...... (Jul 4, 2015)

Ken Ward said:


> Anyone who thinks Clooney can't act needs to watch 'Out of Sight', 'O Brother Where Art Thou', and 'Michael Clayton'.


I think I've only seen Michael Clayton and the only thing I remember from it are Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson, which is telling since Clooney is the title character.

I've heard good things about O Brother but I actively avoid it. The whole concept of it just doesn't appeal to me.


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

Warren Dean said:


> (Respect, metal, for reading Stranger in a Strange Land.)


I actually need to update that thing because I read that awhile ago.


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## Jonathan C. Gillespie (Aug 9, 2012)

JV said:


> Daniel Day Lewis is truly the greatest living actor (imo of course). The monologues are so quotable. As a writer I just kept going "I wish I'd written that...and that...and that...". It was a stage play first, hence the caliber of the writing.
> 
> But yeah, always have to discuss that movie when I see it mentioned


Daniel Day Lewis is the kind of actor everyone else in the film wishes they were. The man is a genius. I didn't care for _Lincoln_, but I watched it just for Lewis.


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