My Top 10: Most Over-rated Films

Due to the highly controversial article by a journalist in a major UK newspaper, I felt the need to respond with my own top 10 most over-rated films I have seen.

Over-rated and under-rated films always brings up very interesting arguments. Discussions like this in my opinion is what makes movies. Everyone has a certain thing they want from movies, and matching their expectations is a tough task to achieve. When you hear about a major Oscar contender and go and see it, a lot of time you feel disappointed. It is perfectly natural to feel that. I sometimes try and kid myself into thinking this is great for the sake of it getting an Oscar nomination.
Thankfully, over time I do see the light and my sub-conscious takes control and I become brave to criticise a supposedly awards contender and big box-office smash.

Before I begin with my top 10, I must give an honorable mention to one film that sadly was pushed out of the list. I could have mention quite a few actually, but I think I will stick with one for now. That movie is the 1998 hit Armageddon. Nominated for 4 Oscars and loved by many, I had only seen it a few years ago. Before that, I always heard it get praised on a regular basis by the mainstream audience. So what I was expecting was a good solid sci-fi 'end of the world' fun popcorn movie. What I got was just silly nonsense about a group of guys messing around and being appointed to save the world because they are good at drilling. That's just a flavour of what I think about this film.
The main reason I refused this in my top 10 was that it is universally seen as not that great. The critics did not like that, and it is mainly seen as a guilty pleasure for the mainstream audience. Also it is more hateful that disappointing which is what this list is all about. But I felt I just had to mention it.
Another honorable mention for me would be Rocky. Don't get me wrong, it is a good film. But I think that the title of Best Picture Oscar winner shocked me as it just did not feel that good.

Right, before I mention my list. For me, the phrase over-rated does not mean that I hated this films. All of these I would consider either o.k, decent, or very good. But in terms of my expectations or its successes in the awards in the year they were released, I have considered these as massively over-rated. I hope find these are controversial, especially when there are four Best Picture Oscar winners. Enjoy:

10) A Serious Man - This has to be the worst of the Coen Brothers. I am not a huge fan of their work to be honest, but I do think a lot of their stuff is very pleasing to watch.
Sadly, not this Best Picture nominee (yes, Best Picture).
The acting may be vintage Coen, but I'm sorry, the "plot" is just a bunch of nothing.
Some amusing set-pieces does not make it terrible thankfully, it just shocks me that people can see something in this.

9) Despicable Me 2 - After a surprising success with it's first installment, this box-office hit for me put nothing new on the table.
Same gags, but less classy and a new character that seemed to pull it back in terms of the fast-paced and snappy humor from the first one.
Minions are enjoyable, but stealing the show does not mean you should over-use them to death in this one.

8) The Hangover - I'm going to straight into thick of it with this one.

It is NOT funny, NOT original, and INFERIOR to many films that do stupid, buddy comedies or are set in Vegas.

If you want a hangover themed film, then watch 'Dude, Where's My Car?'
How this won Best Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes is beyond me.

7) The Queen - One great central performance by Helen Mirren, and that is about it.
This Best Picture nominee that quite frankly looks like a TV movie at best should not be anywhere a cinema.
You would never think a film about the royal monarch would portray her as being a cruel person.
Outside of Mirren, the characters are not believable, and the choice of story seems quite stupid. If you could choose one plot, it should have easily been her coronation or entire life as Queen up to now.
Could easily have compared this with The Iron Lady.

6) Braveheart - Never thought I would say this. But after seeing this for the first time last year, I just felt surprised that this a Best Picture winner.

Mel Gibson has had a hard time in Hollywood recently, and there is a lot to enjoy in this.

But I'm afraid this feels a bit silly at times, and it would suit better within a graphic novel instead of it being extremely loosely based on William Wallace.

5) Annie Hall - The greatest rom-com of all-time?! Don't get me wrong, it has its funny moments but it seems Woody Allen was just making it like a stand-up routine and having to stop the film a few times to say these funny stories.
Winner of 4 Oscars including Best Picture, critics and the Academy praise Allen far too much.
He does not even attend your ceremonies!
Also, it beat Star Wars for Best Picture (just had to get it in there).

4) Unforgiven - Initially, I thought that a Western winning Best Picture in the 90's surely had to be a certified classic. Wrong!
I agree it was not a great year for films in 1992, but I can think of better choices than this.
It may have all the big stars, but the story of basically breaking down the old Western genre was just unnecessary and boring. It reminded of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace explaining what 'the force' is.

3) Capote - A bit awkward talking about this since the death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. But even if he was still here, I would still say the same thing about his performance.
Despite playing Capote virtually perfectly, the man himself for me always came off as a bit of a creep and arrogant moron.
As for the rest of the film, it was just boring. Hardly any tension which there should have been, no development, far too long and you do not care about anyone. Nothing made this interesting.

2) The Princess Bride - After being highly praised for being a essential for anyone's childhood, this just bored me silly.
I just do not get how people liked the comedy in this. I do not mind films that try to be silly, but this just failed on everything in my opinion.

I like a lot of cult films, sadly this one did not invite me into its club.

1) The Blind Side - Was completely stunned after seeing this. A Best Picture nominee with American Football in it sounds like my kind of thing.
However, the level of schmaltz and the look of a TV movie made me feel really disappointed.

Not even Sandra Bullock's wrongly given Oscar winning performance saved this from being passable viewing.