Movies that are way better than the critics think
Stellar films that got lackluster reviews
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- 27 titles
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodEli WallachLee Van CleefA bounty-hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.One of the greatest films of all times, but the initial reviews were muted.
- DirectorJim SharmanStarsTim CurrySusan SarandonBarry BostwickA newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter.A cult classic, but Roger Ebert only gave it 2.5 stars.
- DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsJohnny DeppArmie HammerWilliam FichtnerNative American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice.Over the top and tries too hard to be socially conscious, but squeezes a lot of entertainment into its running time.
- DirectorJohn WooStarsBen AffleckAaron EckhartUma ThurmanA technical wizard learns that his memory has been erased.I'm a sucker for time paradox movies and action films by John Woo.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsColin FarrellJamie FoxxGong LiBased on the 1980s TV action/drama, this update focuses on vice detectives Crockett and Tubbs as their respective personal and professional lives become dangerously intertwined.Having never seen the television program, I watched it with fresh eyes and enjoyed it immensely.
- DirectorMarco SchnabelStarsMike MyersJessica AlbaRomany MalcoPitka, an American raised outside of his country by gurus, returns to the States in order to break into the self-help business. His first challenge is to settle the romantic troubles and subsequent professional skid of a star hockey player whose wife left him for a rival athlete.Offers a lot of humor on different levels. There were a lot of jokes I didn't like, but enough gags I enjoyed to compensate.
- DirectorCorey YuenStarsShu QiWei ZhaoKaren MokA conflict of interest between two high-kicking assassin sisters is complicated as they're pursued by the criminals who hired them and an equally high-kicking female cop.This is not the best example of Hong Kong cinema, but it is the film that caused me to fall in love twice -- once with Hong Kong's genre-blending cinema and once with 林立慧, the incomparably beautiful Taiwanese actress and model.
- DirectorFlorian Henckel von DonnersmarckStarsJohnny DeppAngelina JoliePaul BettanyA tourist on the train to Venice is approached by a mysterious woman for an unusual reason.A little contrivede, stiff and mannered, but an enjoyable ride.
- DirectorGeorge Tillman Jr.StarsDwayne JohnsonBilly Bob ThorntonMaggie GraceAn ex-con gets on a series of apparently unrelated killings. He gets tracked by a veteran cop with secrets of his own and an egocentric hit man.The plot is boilerplate, but the characters are interesting and complex. Great cast. To fully appreciate the film, one must view the alternate endings.
- DirectorRussell MulcahyStarsDolph LundgrenGina BellmanConrad DunnWaxman is a former Special Forces soldier who is now working as a heavily armed assassin for a top secret government agency. When a covert mission goes terribly wrong, Waxman and fellow assassin Clegg become that agency's prime targets.A moody film with existential undertones.
- DirectorJoe CarnahanStarsJeremy PivenRyan ReynoldsRay LiottaWhen a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing.Complex characters, Byzantine plot, plenty of over-the-top action, great cast, clever dialogue -- what's not to like?
- DirectorsElizabeth BanksSteven BrillSteve CarrStarsEmma StoneStephen MerchantRichard GereA series of interconnected short films follows a washed-up producer as he pitches insane story lines featuring some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.Decidedly not politically correct, but raucously funny. Great cast performing absurd comedy absolutely deadpan. Not for the easily offended, but hilarious for those who can put their inhibitions aside.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsJohn BelushiDan AykroydTreat WilliamsHysterical Californians prepare for a Japanese invasion in the days after Pearl Harbor.A lot of energy, a great cast and solid production values. Humor ranges from burlesque and slapstick to subtle and understated.
- DirectorStephen KayStarsSylvester StalloneRachael Leigh CookMiranda RichardsonA Las Vegas mob enforcer travels back to his hometown to investigate his brother's mysterious death.For my money, much better than the 1971 original. Michael Caine is undoubtedly a better actor than Sylvester Stallone, but Stallone is much more believable in this role and does a very credible job acting.
- DirectorMichael LehmannStarsBruce WillisDanny AielloAndie MacDowellA cat burglar is forced to steal Da Vinci works of art for a world domination plot.At times goofy and over-the-top, but an amusing crime caper comedy with outrageous characters and a solid cast.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsHenry CavillAmy AdamsMichael ShannonAn alien child is evacuated from his dying world and sent to Earth to live among humans. His peace is threatened when other survivors of his home planet invade Earth.A little heavy on the backstory and the fight sequences became a bit repetitive, but Henry Cavill was excellent in the role.
- DirectorJay ChandrasekharStarsSeann William ScottJohnny KnoxvilleJessica SimpsonCousins Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke, and their uncle Jesse, egg on the authorities of Hazzard County, Boss Hogg and Sheriff Coltrane.Better than one might expect for a big screen version of an old television series.
- DirectorRobert SchwentkeStarsRyan ReynoldsJeff BridgesMary-Louise ParkerIn the afterlife, Nick Walker, a detective who used to work for the Boston Police Department, is hired by a director of a group of deceased police officers to fight against the renegade ghosts.Clever concept and title. Enjoyable film.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodJeff FaheyCharlotte CornwellA thinly fictionalized account of a legendary movie director, whose desire to hunt down an animal turns into a grim situation with his movie crew in Africa.One of Eastwood's better dramatic roles.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsSean PennJennifer LopezNick NolteA man heading to Vegas to pay off his gambling debt before the Russian mafia kills him is forced to stop in an Arizona town where everything that can go wrong does go wrong.A comedy dark enough to make black seem grey. Great cast playing complex characters against type.
- DirectorJeremy GarelickStarsKevin HartJosh GadKaley CuocoTwo weeks shy of his wedding, a socially awkward guy enters into a charade by hiring the owner of a company that provides best men for grooms in need.Kevin Hart doing what he does best. As good as or better than 'I Love You, Man.'
- DirectorsJason FriedbergAaron SeltzerStarsAlex AshbaughDale PavinskiLili MirojnickA spoof on The Fast and the Furious (2001) and the following F&F movies. An undercover cop joins a gang of criminal street racers to get close to the LA crime kingpin.Much of the humor is cornball, but a lot of laughs.
- DirectorDavid KoeppStarsJohnny DeppGwyneth PaltrowEwan McGregorJuggling angry Russians, the British Mi5, and an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part-time rogue Charlie Mortdecai races to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain a code that leads to lost gold.A deft parody of the British gentleman sleuth genre. Obligatory viewing for fans of Dorothy Sayers and Elizabeth George.
- DirectorJonathan LynnStarsEileen BrennanTim CurryMadeline KahnSix guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.Wacky and over-the-top, but Tim Curry holds it all together. For a film inspired by a board game, it's much better than it has any right to be and outshines Battleship.
- DirectorPierre MorelStarsSean PennIdris ElbaJasmine TrincaA sniper on a mercenary assassination team kills the minister of mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His kill shot forces him into hiding. After returning to the Congo years later, he becomes the target of a hit squad himself.Great cast in a gritty tale of intrigue told on a more credible level than other films in its genre.
