The Underrated/Overrated SF films thread....

[Gubaba]

Grr Overrated:

People defending Moore's BSG against overratedness. .

Overrated:

CoryHolmes's taste in entertainment.

(Just kidding...couldn't resist. But if you want to hate me forever, I'll understand.

)

[CoryHolmes]

Overrated:

CoryHolmes's taste in entertainment.

... ...

Underrated:

Robotech! THERE I SAID IT!!!

(Just kidding...couldn't resist. But if you want to hate me forever, I'll understand.

)

I wouldn't hate you for this. I know that by expressing an unpopular opinion about a popular show/pairing/plot twist that I'm just opening myself up for rebuttals (ack! Been watching too much L&O). I'm just happy you could take it with a sense of humour and fire back just as wittily

That being said, I must now defend my above statement *opens folded paper*: Robotech is far far superior most people give it credit for. Unlike the 3 series' that compose it, the composite story is much darker, much more mature take on how I'd believe The End Of The World would occur. Macross ended off with hearts and flowers, the whole world being put back together with a grand path the stars laid out for the abomination that is Macross 7. In Robotech, the remnants of society fall back upon each other and with too few resources to go around, cuts had to be made. The grand path the stars did eventually leave, but not peacefully, happily, or without issue. The ending of the second generation is even more Crapsack World-like and sets the stage for the third generation. All in all, my kind of story. *refolds paper and puts into pocket*

Also? Mac7 mecha had faces. That's just plain wrong.

[Gubaba]

... ...

Underrated:

Robotech! THERE I SAID IT!!!

*yawn*

I beat you that one, a couple of pages ago:

OVERRATED:

Macross - Do You Remember Love

UNDERRATED:

Robotech - The Untold Story

I wouldn't hate you for this. I know that by expressing an unpopular opinion about a popular show/pairing/plot twist that I'm just opening myself up for rebuttals (ack! Been watching too much L&O). I'm just happy you could take it with a sense of humour and fire back just as wittily

That being said, I must now defend my above statement *opens folded paper*: Robotech is far far superior most people give it credit for. Unlike the 3 series' that compose it, the composite story is much darker, much more mature take on how I'd believe The End Of The World would occur. Macross ended off with hearts and flowers, the whole world being put back together with a grand path the stars laid out for the abomination that is Macross 7. In Robotech, the remnants of society fall back upon each other and with too few resources to go around, cuts had to be made. The grand path the stars did eventually leave, but not peacefully, happily, or without issue. The ending of the second generation is even more Crapsack World-like and sets the stage for the third generation. All in all, my kind of story. *refolds paper and puts into pocket*

Also? Mac7 mecha had faces. That's just plain wrong.

Nah, I get why some people like Robotech better. I don't agree, but I'm not gonna attack anyone for holding that view.

Not, that is, unless they say something else dumb...LIKE DISPARAGING RDM'S BATTLESTAR GALACTICA! RARRR! YOU DIE! YOU DIE NOW!!!

Edited April 8, 2010 by Gubaba

[mikeszekely]

But as I said, the use of the phrase "Final Fantasy" in the movie title is completely misleading, because of what that phrase implies.

If you're going to to complain that "Final Fantasy" is misleading as applies to Spirits Within because it's sci-fi and not fantasy, then I'm going to take issue with Final Fantasy II-XIV + any all spin-offs, on account of what "final" implies.

The Black Hole - Once again, a lot of flaws but at the heart of it there is a good story that I do enjoy...

Most sci-fi from that era is pretty flawed. But I love sci-fi from that era because, despite its flaws, there was so much imagination and optimism about human space exploration. It's before we found out we weren't going to do much beyond launch robots and orbit the earth with the same handful of vehicles for 30 years. But yeah, I liked The Black Hole.

Grr happy.gif Overrated:

People defending Moore's BSG against overratedness. tongue.gif

Underrated:

Robocop 2. Better'n it gets, really.

You're going to have a hard time winning me over on your opinion of BSG after defending a movie as god-awful as Robocop 2.

[CoryHolmes]

Not, that is, unless they say something else dumb...LIKE DISPARAGING RDM'S BATTLESTAR GALACTICA! RARRR! YOU DIE! YOU DIE NOW!!!

*spilts drink all over keyboard*

[Gubaba]

*spilts drink all over keyboard*

Aw, crap. I suppose I owe you a new keyboard, huh?

[eugimon]

You're going to have a hard time winning me over on your opinion of BSG after defending a movie as god-awful as Robocop 2.

Compared to some of the stuff he likes, Robocop 2 is a masterpiece.

[CoryHolmes]

You're going to have a hard time winning me over on your opinion of BSG after defending a movie as god-awful as Robocop 2.

I wouldn't quite say "defending" it as much as "it's better than most people give it credit for". Maybe only a teensy bit, but still a bit. It doesn't quite have the subversive qualities of the first one, but the Cyberpunk tones shine through and through.

[anime52k8]

overrated:

people calling moore's BSG overrated.

tim burton'sChristopher Nolan Batman and all subsequent sequels.

fixed for you.

[eugimon]

fixed for you.

To paraphrase one wiser than myself

Not, that is, unless they say something else dumb...LIKE DISPARAGING RDM'S BATTLESTAR GALACTICA NOLAN'S BATMAN! RARRR! YOU DIE! YOU DIE NOW!!!

[dreamweaver13]

If you're going to to complain that "Final Fantasy" is misleading as applies to Spirits Within because it's sci-fi and not fantasy, then I'm going to take issue with Final Fantasy II-XIV + any all spin-offs, on account of what "final" implies.

Hm..ok... I don't know you well enough to know if you're kidding or not. I'd like to think you are. Otherwise... no, i'm not even gonna say it.

[Marzan]

Underrated:

They Live - a great little film with interesting ideas.

Taksraven

Funny movie that one yet with a serious message!

Pretty much anything John Carpenter did in the 70's and 80's is underrated in my book.

[mikeszekely]

Underrated: stuff I like.

Overrated: stuff I don't like. Or possibly everything.

[RD Blade]

Underrated: stuff I like.

Overrated: stuff I don't like. Or possibly everything.

Congrats on winning this thread.

[eugimon]

Underrated: stuff I like.

Overrated: stuff I don't like. Or possibly everything.

wrong!

underrated: stuff *you* like

overrated: stuff *I* like.

[Radd]

On the two Final Fantasy movies:

Spirits Within was crap. Still, I would say it's underrated to a degree. It was crap with a great, Final Fantasy plot at it's core. Meteor from a dead planet, bringing ghosts from that planet's dead people, animals, etcetera? That's pretty awesome stuff. Like, 1 part FF, 1 part Lovecraft.

Too bad it was buried under a godawful screenplay, absolute crap voice acting (everyone sounded like they were reading lines off a page, with no context). The CG modeling quality was brilliant, but the actual designs were extremely uninspired. The soundtrack score was just awful. Nothing redeeming about it. The L'Arc~en~ciel track was good, tho. The other end credits song was entirely forgettable.

I'd love to see someone take the core plot of Spirits Within and do something good with it. It was a terrible movie, but there's a gem of an idea buried under all that crap.

Advent Children was a shameless cash-in, one that took a big huge crap over the FF VII game. So they took the story from one of Square's most popular FF games, and rewrote the ending entirely so that they could make sequels. Tear out all that "closure" and "good storytelling" so they can make a few bucks. Of course, most FF VII fans seem to love being crapped on like that. Among that crowd I'd say the movie is overrated. To most everyone else, the movie was a pretty, yet ultimately pointless train wreck of bad storytelling which was quickly forgotten.

[Gubaba]

On the two Final Fantasy movies:

Spirits Within was crap. Still, I would say it's underrated to a degree. It was crap with a great, Final Fantasy plot at it's core. Meteor from a dead planet, bringing ghosts from that planet's dead people, animals, etcetera? That's pretty awesome stuff. Like, 1 part FF, 1 part Lovecraft.

On that note, why does it seem to be impossible to make a good Lovecraft-based movie? The only good ones are Reanimator and Ghostbusters, and neither of those are terribly faithful to the source material.

[taksraven]

On that note, why does it seem to be impossible to make a good Lovecraft-based movie? The only good ones are Reanimator and Ghostbusters, and neither of those are terribly faithful to the source material.

Not too familiar with Lovecrafts works, but am interested. Can you name a good starting point for his stuff as well as overall themes of his works?

Taksraven

[Gubaba]

Not too familiar with Lovecrafts works, but am interested. Can you name a good starting point for his stuff as well as overall themes of his works?

Taksraven

I'll PM you about it.

[Radd]

Guillermo Del Toro is supposedly going to be doing "At the Mountains of Madness". Rumour has it Ron Perlman will be in it, too. Tho, I also heard the whole project got pushed back due to Tel Toro's involvement in "The Hobbit".

[Gubaba]

Guillermo Del Toro is supposedly going to be doing "At the Mountains of Madness". Rumour has it Ron Perlman will be in it, too. Tho, I also heard the whole project got pushed back due to Tel Toro's involvement in "The Hobbit".

That's right...I remember hearing about that a while back, feeling excited about it, and then forgetting all about it.

I hope it'll turn out to be good, if it gets made.

[areaseven]

Overrated

Event Horizon

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within/Advent Children

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

All Highlander sequels

Jumper

Jurassic Park II-III

Resident Evil movie series

Star Trek: Generations/Insurrection/Nemesis

Star Wars Episodes I-III

The entire Twilight saga

Underrated

Children of Men

A Clockwork Orange

Death Race 2000

Flash Gordon (1980)

Highlander (1985)

The Last Starfighter

Metropolis (1927)

Mystery Men

Rollerball (1975)

Westworld

[CoryHolmes]

At the risk of bringing more attention to myself and risk being branded with "questionable" taste (), where does Waterworld fit in with the MW crowd?

[Gubaba]

At the risk of bringing more attention to myself and risk being branded with "questionable" taste (), where does Waterworld fit in with the MW crowd?

CoryHomesRated...a unique brand of awful.

[taksraven]

At the risk of bringing more attention to myself and risk being branded with "questionable" taste (), where does Waterworld fit in with the MW crowd?

That depends. Do you think its overrated or underrated??

Taksraven

[CoryHolmes]

That depends. Do you think its overrated or underrated??

Taksraven

That's my problem. It had an impressive idea, outstanding sets, and decent enough effects to do the job. It also had questionable acting, narm-tastic dialog, poor pacing, and iffy direction. As for Over/Under-ratedness, I 'unno. Think I'm gonna sit on the fence and call it Ovderrated

[RD Blade]

Sometimes a bad movie is just that.

[areaseven]

I forgot to add Time Bandits to my list of underrated films. An absolute classic.

[VT 1010]

Overrated

Event Horizon

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within/Advent Children

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

All Highlander sequels

Jumper

Jurassic Park II-III

Resident Evil movie series

Star Trek: Generations/Insurrection/Nemesis

Star Wars Episodes I-III

The entire Twilight saga

I think you misunderstand the meaning of "overrated"; they have to be highly rated to begin with. Most of the movies you listed...well most of them pretty much sucked. I think the only movies you listed that got favorable reviews were the Jurassic Park movies. The rest, not so much. And I personally thought Twilight was funny as hell. I laughed my ass off the whole time--What?! It's not a comedy?! They sure fooled me...

[Agent ONE]

Underrated: stuff I like.

Overrated: stuff I don't like. Or possibly everything.

LOL

[Agent ONE]

Overrated

...

Star Wars Episodes I-III

...

Ep 3 was the best in the series.

[Excillon]

Serenity is designed to work with or without the series though.

Any talk of it being over rated is just false, however.

It is overrated. I understand that there was a lot of love for the show, yadda yadda, but at the end of the day, it's a high-end B movie, just like anything else Joss Whedon has his hands in. And I'm sorry, but the Captain guy, whatever the hell his name was, CANNOT act. Firefly/serenity was interesting, but that's about it. That movie could have been a made for TV 2 hour Sci-Fi Channel event and turned out exactly that same.

Although after Buffy, Whedon should have been drug out in the street and shot.

[taksraven]

Ep 3 was the best in the series.

I think you meant to say episode 5.

Taksraven

[Marzan]

It is overrated. I understand that there was a lot of love for the show, yadda yadda, but at the end of the day, it's a high-end B movie, just like anything else Joss Whedon has his hands in. And I'm sorry, but the Captain guy, whatever the hell his name was, CANNOT act. Firefly/serenity was interesting, but that's about it. That movie could have been a made for TV 2 hour Sci-Fi Channel event and turned out exactly that same.

Although after Buffy, Whedon should have been drug out in the street and shot.

I think Serenity is a bit overrated too. I think it has some neat ideas and a really good story but it get's way too much positive feedback for what it is.

And you're right about the terrible acting skills of Nathan Fillion who plays the captain.

[Excillon]

I'd say G-saviour is underrated, but that would be denial on my part as a Gundam fan that it's a big steaming mecha-turd.