[Note: Every Friday on First Thoughts we host heated, half-serious, half-cocked arguments about some aspect of pop culture. Today’s theme is overrated/underrated films.]
“That movie was totally overrated. Now if you want to see a really worthwhile flick you should see . . . ” Because self-serious film buffs (like me) say this type of thing all the time so I thought it would be a worthwhile exercise to actually list 50 of the most overrated and 50 of the most underrated films of all time.
For today’s argument we’ll consider an overrated film to be anything that is undeserving of the critical or popular praise they receive (even if it was a good movie). The underrated films should all be examples of excellent cinema that are obviously superior (or at least slightly more worthy) than the corresponding “overrated” film with which they share a category. The categories, which range from the obvious to the just plain odd, are intended to cover a broad selection of interests. But it’s not exhaustive so feel free to add your own. These also don’t have to be your favorite films (many of my favorites don’t make the list) or films that no one has ever heard of. Even classic movies can be considered underrated if they’ve fallen out of favor with modern audiences.
To start us off, here is my list of the 100 most overrated and underrated films of all time (overrated on the left, underrated on the right):
1. Most overrated/underrated: Raging Bull | Metropolitan (Raging Bull is often referred to as one of the best films of the 1980s. Such people obviously do not like either a) movies or b) humanity, for the film is all style and no substance. Metropolitan, on the other hand, is nearly the opposite of Raging Bull in every way. It is urbane, witty, and subtle. But the main difference is that Whit Stillman’s charming little film shows a depth of understanding about the human condition that is completely lacking in Scorsese’s misanthropic so-called masterpiece.)
2. Movie about fraternities: Animal House | PCU (I hesitate to include these two together simply because the criminally overhyped John Belushi shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath as comic genius Jeremy Piven.)
3. Disney movie about dogs: 101 Dalmations | The Fox and the Hound
4. John Wayne movie: The Searchers | Big Jake (Don’t get me wrong: The Searchers is a great movie. But it doesn’t have quite the depth that the critics and fans claim. Both of these films are about the search for a kidnapped family member but Big Jake has two things missing from The Searchers: love and genuine humor.)
5. Harrison Ford movie Witness | The Mosquito Coast
6. Movie about a rock band: Gimme Shelter | Some Kind of Monster (I’m not much of a fan of either the Rolling Stones or Metallica. But Gimme Shelter shows that deep down the Stones are uninteresting dullards while Monster reveals the members of Metallica to be fascinatingly neurotic.)
7. Cold war movie : Dr. Stangelove | Crimson Tide
8. Mobster movie: Scarface | Miller’s Crossing (FT senior editor David Goldman disagrees: “‘Miller’s Crossing’ is one of the worst American movies ever made, at least in terms of the gap between source-material and outcome.” I always assumed it was an original screenplay; I didn’t know that the Coen’s movie was based on Dashiel Hammett’s novels, Red Harvest and The Glass Key.)
9. Audrey Hepburn movie: Breakfast At Tiffany’s | Roman Holiday (Breakfast starts off well but loses steam by the end. Holiday, though, is charming all the way through.)
10. Movie about a pig: Charlotte’s Web | Babe (As film critic critic Dann Gire once said, Babe is the Citizen Kane of talking pig movies.)
11. Sam Raimi movie: Evil Dead | Army of Darkness: Evil Dead 3
12. Western: Shane | Winchester ’73
13. Horror film: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre | 28 Days Later
14. Movie about a kid who plays chess: Searching for Bobby Fischer | Fresh
15. “Best Picture” Oscar Winners (1927-1959): From Here to Eternity (1953) | It Happened One Night (1934)
16. “Best Picture” Oscar Winners (1960-2008): American Beauty (1999)| The Apartment (1960)
17. Batman movie: Batman | Batman Begins
18. Foreign film (France): Breathless | Brotherhood of the Wolf (BotW is quite possibly the best French import since French Fries.)
19. Foreign film (Germany): Aguirre, the Wrath of God | Run Lola Run
20. Foreign film (Italy): Blow-Up | Cinema Paradiso
21. Foreign film (Australia): Picnic at Hanging Rock | Strictly Ballroom
22. Foreign film (China): Chungking Express | Eat Drink Man Woman
23. Foreign film (Mexico): Y Tu Mama Tambien | Like Water for Chocolate
24. Movie based on a foreign book no one reads anymore: Doctor Zhivago | Dangerous Liaisons
25. Movie about a couple on the run from the law: Badlands | The Sugarland Express
26. Sci-fi movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey | Serenity (But you have to see the entire season of Firefly on DVD before watching Serenity.)
27. Incoherent movie about a hippie: Easy Rider | The Big Lebowski
28. Sports movie: Chariots of Fire | Kingpin
29. Movie based on a comic book: Superman | Hellboy
30. Comedy: Caddyshack | Raising Arizona (The nearly plotless Caddyshack hasn’t aged well and is not as funny as you remember. Raising Arizona, on the other hand, remains as fresh and hilarious as ever.)
31. Cult classic: The Rocky Horror Picture Show | Heathers
32. Mel Gibson movie: Braveheart | Gallipoli
33. Musical: A Chorus Line | Moulin Rouge
34. Martial arts movie: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon | House of Flying Daggers
35. Denzel Washington movie: Mississippi Masala | The Mighty Quinn
36. Documentary: Roger & Me | Brother’s Keeper
37. Movie about politics: All the President’s Men| Election
38. Sci-Fi Sequel: Star Wars: Episode IV (The original Star Wars) | X2: X-Men United
39. John Hughes film: Planes, Trains & Automobiles | Some Kind of Wonderful
40. Biopic about a civil rights leader: Gandhi | Boycott
41. Movie about amoral businessmen: Wall Street | Boiler Room
42. Vampire movie: Interview with a Vampire | Near Dark
43. War movie: The Thin Red Line | Breaker Morant
44. Christmas film: Frosty The Snowman | Elf
45. Movie about teen angst: Rebel Without a Cause | Ghost World
46. Kevin Costner sports movie: Field of Dreams | Tin Cup
47. Chick flick: Thelma & Louise | The Truth About Cats & Dogs
48. Movie based on a cheesy TV show: The Brady Bunch Movie | Josie and the Pussycats
49. Silent Film: Intolerance | The General (The conventional wisdom is coming around to the realization that Buster Keaton was a greater actor than Charlie Chaplin. After watching The General you’ll wonder why there was ever any doubt.)
50 . Movie with a “Christian” theme: The Passion of the Christ | Ponette (Watch them both and you’ll see what I mean.)
Think I’m wrong? (Of course you do.) Leave your alternative choices in the comments section. (Note: My list doesn’t include anything from the past five years but don’t let that limit your selections.)
November 13th, 2009 | 9:42 am
You’re right: #48, #43, #15 + #16.
You’re so wrong: #3 I always loved 101 Dalmations, but when I bought the DVD a few years back, they had a documentary about its creation, and it was revolutionary. It did for the technique of animation what Toy Story did in the 90′s. Plus, its got that snappy jazz soundtrack, and Caspar and Horace! Ah! Love it.
And I love that quote about Babe. While the movie of Charlotte’s Web was fine, they really shouldn’t have bothered making it. Can one really improve on E. B. White?
November 13th, 2009 | 9:44 am
Interesting choices, but instead of quibbles, an advisory re #26: it’s probably ideal to see the series “Firefly” before “Serenity,” but I saw the movie in a theater without having watched an episode. I was completely drawn in and then bought the series to backfill. I’ve mourned its early demise since — a wonderfully scripted and acted libertarian, postmodern take on Star Trek’s modern, liberal vision of the future.
November 13th, 2009 | 10:01 am
At the #1 bullet, you misspelled “overrated”.
But seriously, I am definitely more interested in seeing “Hellboy” and “Firefly/Serenity” after reading this.
OTOH, I will not be bothering with “Elf” anytime soon.
November 13th, 2009 | 10:03 am
An interesting list. But I wonder if many of the “overrated” are prejudiced solely on account of their popularity. At the risk of starting an argument, I find an example of this prejudice in the comparison of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin (though, to your credit you don’t list any of the latter’s films as overrated). Why can’t we do justice to Keaton without invidious comparisons to a very different talent? Chaplin’s popularity (and his arrogance) should not obscure the obvious fact that he was a great comic actor, not to mention writer and director. For what it’s worth, I don’t know if “The Circus” is the most underrated silent film, but it certainly can’t be overrated.
November 13th, 2009 | 10:56 am
Ditto Jeff Peterson re: Serenity/Firefly.
But, I’d argue the film/series aren’t so much “underrated” as not well enough known. In fact, among fans, I think the film/series are overrated – not that they aren’t wonderful, they are – but just because they’re so much better than Star Trek (in terms of characters, at least) and because of their early demise.
November 13th, 2009 | 11:07 am
I’m not sure about the fairness of some of these comparisons, as I didn’t think there was anyone who preferred the Burton Batman films to the Nolan ones, or the film of ‘Charlotte’s Web’ – though the book is superb – to ‘Babe’, and ‘Star Wars IV’ isn’t a sequel, and shouldn’t be compared, favourably or otherwise, with the second X-Men film.
I’m not convinced that ‘The Searchers’ or ‘Dr Strangelove’ are remotely overrated, though, and Margaret’s point about ‘One Hundred and One Dalmations’ is spot on. As it were. Have a look here: http://colorfulanimationexpressions.blogspot.com/2008/07/color-in-101-dalmatians-lengthy.html
On the other hand, I’m utterly with you on ‘Roman Holiday’, ’28 Days Later’, ‘Brotherhood of the Wolf’, ‘Strictly Ballroom’, ‘Serenity’, ‘Gallipoli’, ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’, ‘House of Flying Daggers’, and especially ‘Dangerous Liaisons’.
November 13th, 2009 | 11:38 am
Joe:
Only you could be so wrong about so much, but let’s start with where you are right!
Big Jake – one of Wayne’s finest – ever. The universal command “dog” has endeared that film to me like no other. Not sure Searchers is overrated though – no one says the film is that good, just Wayne’s performance.
Superman is overrated and you overrate Hellboy as well. Don’t get me wrong Hellboy is a fine movie, but when it comes to underrated, I’ll take the first FF flick anytime – way fun, like a comic book movie should be. Don’t know what is most overrated, but most overhyped is definitely Watchmen
It is impossible, I repeat impossible, to overrate 2001. The ending sequence is less than spectacular, but as an exercise in pure filmmaking it simply cannot be beat – effects that have yet to be matched, an utter and complete lack of exposition, it may be the most revolutionary bit of film since Eisenstein.
November 13th, 2009 | 11:46 am
Overrated SNL alumni movies: anything with Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, or Dan Ackroyd in it (with the exception of “Driving Miss Daisy”). Underrated: anything with Bill Murray in it (although, come to think of it, most of Murray’s movies are actually rated pretty highly).
And a low-key disagreement, with “2001: A Space Odyssey.” I try to watch it once a year; it’s one of the few movies that actually FORCES sustained reflection as the end credits roll: “What did I just see? What do I think about it?”
November 13th, 2009 | 11:48 am
Re 30. Agreed. In fact, I feel sorry for Nick Cage. His career peaked in 1987 with his masterful turn as H.I. McDunnough. Nothing he has done since even comes close.
November 13th, 2009 | 12:26 pm
Gallipoli (32) and Breaker Morant (43) were both excellent tales of actual military events. If you like the genre let me suggest another marvelous movie of the same vintage: The Lighthorsemen.
It is the story of what was probably the last-ever great mounted charge: the WWI attack by the 7th Australian Light Mounted Infantry at the Battle of Beersheba in 1917.
The DVD is difficult, but not impossible to find.
November 13th, 2009 | 12:33 pm
Margaret You’re so wrong: #3 I always loved 101 Dalmations. . .
It’s possible that I need to reconsider this one. And after thinking about it, I’m not “Fox and the Hound” meets my criteria of being better than the movie I put in the overrated category.
Mr. X OTOH, I will not be bothering with “Elf” anytime soon.
Although it fits into two genres that aren’t that good—Christmas films and Will Ferrell movies—its definitely better than you might expect.
Paul An interesting list. But I wonder if many of the “overrated” are prejudiced solely on account of their popularity.
Yes, most of them are. There are only about a quarter of the ones I listed as “overrated” that I think aren’t good at all. Most of them are just overhhyped.
Why can’t we do justice to Keaton without invidious comparisons to a very different talent?
I’ve always thought the reason they could be compared is because they both were slapstick physical comics in the silent film era. I think they did much of the same type of work. I will say, though, that my prejudice may be that Keaton seems more American while Chaplin comes across as European.
Thirsty Gargoyle I didn’t think there was anyone who preferred the Burton Batman films to the Nolan ones, or the film of ‘Charlotte’s Web’ – though the book is superb – to ‘Babe’,
Sadly, there are. I think in both cases it is because people find that latter films to be “darker” than the first.
‘Star Wars IV’ isn’t a sequel,
Tell that to George Lucas. ; )
John Only you could be so wrong about so much, but let’s start with where you are right!
Oh, John, your taste in movies is as questionable as your taste in politicians. ; )
no one says the film is that good, just Wayne’s performance.
Are you kidding? According to Wikipedia (an always reliable source) the film is often ranked as one of the greatest movies of all time and is the film most often mentioned in a poll of the favorite films of directors. Regular folk may not care for it that much but critics and filmmaker revere it.
It is impossible, I repeat impossible, to overrate 2001.
Oy vey. Raging Bull barely eeked out 2001 as the most overrated film of all time. Kubrik’s films are, I admit, coldly beautiful. But they are also devoid of any meaning. The viewer has to bring both their own meaning and popcorn to get anything out of the movie.
Craig Payne Overrated SNL alumni movies: anything with . . . Dan Ackroyd in it . . .Underrated: anything with Bill Murray
Your categories have a conflict: Ghostbusters!
“What did I just see? What do I think about it?”
I agree. The problem is that Kubrick doesn’t provide an answer; its up to the viewer to decide. He could have filmed inkblots from a Rorschach test and came up with the same effect.
November 13th, 2009 | 1:11 pm
Kingpin? Seriously? That’s the kind of thing that’s okay to think to yourself, I suppose, but that you should never post…anywhere… especially (a) paired with the ludicrous statement that Chariots of Fire is overrated and (b) given how many underrated sports movies there are out there.
Overall though, this is an awesome list. Great idea.
November 13th, 2009 | 1:15 pm
[...] at First Thoughts blog, Joe Carter offers a canonical list of most overrated and most underrated films by genre [...]
November 13th, 2009 | 2:03 pm
Most Underrated War Movie: “To End All Wars”
November 13th, 2009 | 2:04 pm
Movies of the 2000′s: Overrated=The Departed, Underrated=The Royal Tennenbaums
First movie in a series: Overrated=Star Wars IV,
Underrated=LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring
And I agree with the Serenity statement. My brother and I grew up on a steady diet of Star Trek TNG. In some ways Patrick Stewart’s, Jean Luc Picard was our model for manly behavior.
When we watched Serenity, we both agreed that it transcended its genre and was a good movie regardless of category. It’s certainly better than any feature length film the Star Trek franchise has released.
November 13th, 2009 | 2:47 pm
4. Comparing The Searchers to Big Jake!!–not even close on this one, Joe. It is simply impossible to over-rate THE SEARCHERS.
November 13th, 2009 | 4:19 pm
I find a lot to agree with, but I cannot accept that Animal House is overrated. It created an entirely new genre. It’s true that Belushi is overhyped, but he’s hardly what makes the movie lovable.
November 13th, 2009 | 6:59 pm
“Your categories have a conflict: Ghostbusters!”
Oops.
Well, since we’re on a First Things blog, I am able to adopt a handy theological reply: This wasn’t really a contradiction; more like a both-and complementarity. As such, I must simply exist with my admiration of Ghostbusters and my simultaneous dislike of Dan Ackroyd films.
As part of the human condition, it is our burden.
November 13th, 2009 | 9:36 pm
I agree with 1, 5, 7, 16, 32, 43.
Harrison Ford movies … most underrated = Blade Runner and Presumed Innocent
Most underrated western and Keven Costner movie – Open Tange
Most underrated sci fi movie = The Hidden
November 13th, 2009 | 11:21 pm
Body of work by a male actor: overrated–Jack Nicholson’s (honestly, how many times can an actor be praised for playing the same role?); underrated–Robert Duvall’s.
By the way, I agree on # 13, your underrated horror film pick (28 Days Later) and would add its also-good and also-terrifying sequel, 28 Weeks Later.
November 14th, 2009 | 11:03 pm
Johnny Depp movies:
Overrated–all 3 Pirates of the Caribbean.
Underrated–Edward Scissorhands
November 15th, 2009 | 4:00 pm
Overrated: Charlotte’s Web (Live action)
Underrated: Charlotte’s Web (Animated)
I was confused for a moment when you referred to Charlotte’s Web as dark. It has singing barnyard animals! But then I realized you were likely referring to the Dakota Fanning film, not the wonderful animated one.
I’d like to make a bold statement: Citizen Kane is the most overrated movie. People are afraid to go against the consensus #1. In its defense, however, I would like to say that it is very, very difficult for a #1 rated anything not to be overrated.
November 15th, 2009 | 6:01 pm
The first five episodes of Firefly (including the made for TV movie first episode) are streamed at Hulu. I think those would set up the movie “Serenity” nicely.
I could not finish watching American Beauty, and The Apartment is great — but underrated?
I was impressed with Mann’s Last of the Mohicans and would call it underrated compared to Dances with Wolves (though I liked it). Dances with Wolves was a little too down on America for my taste. Kevin Costner in part made up for it with Open Range (with a lot of help from Robert Duvall). But Wes Studi was downright scary in Last of the Mohicans. Despite its sense of the tragic, it did not over romanticize either side in “The Clash of Cultures.”
November 15th, 2009 | 9:54 pm
#3 – I prefer the romance of “Lady and the Tramp” to the bromance of “The Fox and the Hound”
#5 – “Mosquito Coast” is underrated for sure, but the “Star Wars” trilogy are a series of Harrison Ford movies much more overrated than “Witness.”
#7 – I just have to disagree with you on this one. “Dr. Strangelove” is by far the best Cold War movie that I can think of.
#43 – Same as #7, I would say that “The Thin Red Line” is the best WWII film out there; for the overrated movie in this category, I would submit “Saving Private Ryan”.
One that I would unequivocally agree with you on though: “Brotherhood of the Wolf” is an awesome movie; one can’t do much better after a stressful week than to watch a French action flick involving ecclesiastical and aristocratic intrigue as well as some pretty cool martial arts during the pre-Jacobin era. It is shocking that the film doesn’t have a huge cult-following.
November 16th, 2009 | 9:24 am
Boy, Joe, when you’re wrong, you’re wrong!. Everything about “The Searchers” screams cinematic immortality. John Ford’s framing of his spectacular scenery, the spare but eloquent dialogue, his capture of Wayne’s gradual change of heart and mind. Sublime. But you’ve got a lot of good choices there, too.
November 16th, 2009 | 9:26 am
And I enjoyed “Big Jake”, too. But it really was just a “B” movie.
November 16th, 2009 | 3:28 pm
The General underappreciated? The General is routinely listed as one of the greatest silent comedies ever, which it almost is. (The actual greatest silent comedy is Harold Lloyd’s criminally underappreciated The Kid Brother.)
I’m also surprised to hear that the minor classic Roman Holiday is underappreciated, or that the modest little animated Charlotte’s Web is overrated.
I’m SO with you on Babe and Strictly Ballroom. And you’re so wrong on Witness and House of Flying Daggers.
P.S. Underrated Western: The Big Country. Most overrated movie not mentioned so far: The Lion King. There, I said it. :)
November 16th, 2009 | 5:16 pm
Julia Roberts movie: overrated: Pretty Woman. underrated: My Best Friend’s Wedding.
November 16th, 2009 | 6:18 pm
My favorite super-under-rated movie: Ishtar. Two guys who will do ANYthing to be able to write their own music, play it and sing it. They LOVED music. With all their hearts. It was deeply affecting. As well as being deeply and surprisingly funny.
No idea what category it should be in.
Another under-rated movie: The King of Comedy, with De Niro and a chilling performance by, of all people, Jerry Lewis.
I liked Big Jake, but come on: it was B movie, pure and simple. Though, except for Searchers, most of Wayne’s movies were under-rated, or at least he was.
Platoon was over-rated. It over-rated itself, actually, with that opening score from Barber’s Adagio for Strings.
Most under-rated Pre-Batman Christian Bale movie: Reign of Fire. Smokin’.
Also under-rated: The Rocketeer, directed by Joe Johnston. A very complete movie; and “Master and Commander.”
I think you’re over-rating Gallipoli by calling it under-rated. It was well-done, but nowhere near the depth, the power of “Breaker Morant.” (Edward Woodward just died, at 79, I saw today.)
Other under-rated:
Big Trouble in Little China; Kurt Russell.
The Hidden, while not the MOST under-rated scifi movie is certainly under-rated.
First Blood, and Uncommon Valor, both by the under-rated director Ted Kotcheff.
November 18th, 2009 | 12:52 pm
Kudos for choosing Hellboy, a fantastic movie, and Raising Arizona, the highlight of the Coen Bros. But how can anyone in their right mind choose Some Kind of Wonderful, a charming movie albeit, over that masterpiece of bufoonery and charity Planes, Trains and Automobiles? Scandalous! And Donnie Brasco was a better film than either Scarface or Miller’s Crossing.
November 19th, 2009 | 7:19 am
Perhaps I’m too much of a Scorsese and Ford enthusiast, but the claim that Raging Bull and The Searchers are over-rated simply will not stand up. Raging Bull is deservedly praised as, by far, the best film of the eighties. From the stunning opening title of Jake shadow-boxing in the ring to the accompaniment of Cavalleria Rusticana, to the ambiguous ending, this is a masterpiece, a horrifying portrait of male obsession and paranoia,l as well as a parable about assimilation. Anyone who says it is lacking in humanity does not grasp the depth of Scorsese’s compassion for the brutish, limited Jake, or the way Joey and Vicky are portrayed.
As for the Searchers. Well, it has already been adequately defended by other respondents to Mr. Carter’s piece. Let me simply say that it is the supreme western, and one of the greatest paprables about America.
November 25th, 2009 | 4:15 pm
I have to disagree with Army of Darkness being underrated. Among everyone I know, that’s universally rated as his best movie. It’s good, but it’s not underrecognized as being so.
On the other hand, Spiderman 3 is one of the best superhero movies I’ve ever seen, and it’s universally derided, so I’d have to say that’s his most underrated.
Batman Begins, similarly, is not underrated. It may be one of the best comic book movies ever made, but it’s universally recognized as such. I actually liked Batman Returns, which many didn’t like, so I’d say that for underrated. I very much did not like The Dark Knight, which wasn’t remotely of the quality of Batman Returns. So I’d have to put that for overrated. I liked the first 90s Batman with Jack Nicholson.
Serenity is similar not underrated, even though it’s one of the best scifi movies ever. I’d say The Fifth Element for a seriously underrated scifi film. 2001 was boring, so I can’t fault you for that. But I also didn’t like the new Star Trek movie very much. It was good on microscopic issues like dialogue and getting the casting right, but the overall story was not much better than lame. Given that 2001 has kudos for decades, it’s hard to compete with that, but Star Trek is getting all the undeserved hype now, so it does compete.
Raising Arizona, again, is well recognized, so I can’t say it’s overrated. On the other hand, hardly anyone I know recognizes the brilliant satire and spoofishness of The Last Action Hero, Demolition Man, and the Fifth Element, all of which are among the most underrated comedies of all time.
I thought X2 was the worst of the X-Men movies.
November 25th, 2009 | 4:32 pm
Christian Bale’s Equilibrium is actually my favorite of his, even more than Batman Begins. It tries to capture a world without emotion, and it’s one of the most intelligent hard scifi stories I’ve ever seen, up with Twelve Monkeys and the Doctor Who episode “Blink”.
December 5th, 2009 | 11:39 am
My brain hurts…, honestly though i have definately lost faith in average human intelligence just by reading most of the comments and your absolutely moronic list. Has to be the raging bull and 2001 ones that take the cake though, also the searchers. Oh and i cannot believe you even compared an average film like crimson tide to Dr.strangelove.
December 5th, 2009 | 11:43 am
But not to look like a total a-hole i agreed with the apartment and with the general but comparing the general to intolerance really doesnt make sense you should have narrowed down the silent films.
December 25th, 2009 | 12:58 am
decent try, have to be brave to put a very subjective list up like this… and I do agree with you on some… Raging Bull, all style no substance, but… you really lost me when saying Dr. Strangelove was over-rated (a film most kids today have never heard of) and Big Lebowski (who hasn’t heard of it?) under-rated… also i’m not sure who considers Batman Begins an underrated film, granted it was unrightly overshadowed by Dark Knight, and certainly better than the earlier iterations of Batman but is by no means under-rated…. i just found a lot of the comparisons pretty irrelevant… sure Miller’s Crossing and Scarface were both “gangster movies” but dealt with entirely different subjects, one was a rise and fall story, the other was about a damn hat
December 25th, 2009 | 1:49 pm
I determined you were an idiot the second I read the phrase “comedic genius Jeremy Piven”.
January 8th, 2010 | 5:06 pm
Crimson Tide underrated?? I don’t know…it’s a pretty decent pressure cooker thriller elevated by overachieving performances by the leads that ultimately falls apart in the final act. It’s not even the best submarine movie of it’s epoch. (That would be the B-tastic U571)
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