Movies I love that Critics Hate

Every now and then there is a movie that I really enjoy. I think that it accomplishes whatever it was that it set out to do, and made me enjoy the journey. These movies are not always movies that critics enjoy, but you can’t always trust what critics say!

1. Stranger than Fiction
I love this movie. I may have a slightly rosy view of this flick because of when I saw it. The night I proposed to Roni, we were on our way to see this very movie. This is a movie about a guy who hears voices. Not just any voices though. This is a person narrating his life, as it happens. It turns out that a local author is writing a novel about a person who she believes is fictional, but who is very much real. I like this movie because it is not your typical Will Ferrell movie. It is (I think) a very original idea for a movie, and does a very good job at making the movie not only fun, but somehow believable.

What they gave it: D (67%)
What I give it: A

2. Secondhand Lions
Family movies are a tough sell. You have to make it interesting enough for kids, funny enough for the older kids, and entertaining enough for the adults. This is a movie that I feel does all of those things very well. It is sweet without being sappy, and I think it has a great story. This movie is about a young boy whose mother drops him off to live with his eccentric uncles for the summer. It has humor, adventure and just about everything in between. If you want a family movie, this is one I strongly recommend.

What they gave it: F (52%)
What I give it: A+

3. Alien Vs. Predator
Action movies. Are they supposed to have plot? Barely. Are they supposed to be believable? Not Really. Should they have aliens, or better yet, TWO types of aliens trying to kill each other?? Most definitely. This isn’t a great movie, but it is a great action movie. I don’t think you can blame an action movie for be an action movie. In all honesty, I enjoyed this movie more than I enjoyed Dark Knight.

What they gave it: F- (29%)
What I give it: A- (as an action movie)

Do you guys have any movies that should go on this list? Movies that you love, but critics hate? If you do, then leave a comment!

Kimchi Western

What is a kimchi western you ask? You remember the classic spaghetti westerns right? Movies that were set in the Wild West, but were really filmed in Italy. Sounds like a crazy idea, but some of the most enduring westerns are spaghetti westerns. Where would we be without the likes of “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” or “Fistful of Dollars”?

Apparently, Korea is trying its hand at making western-style film. Borrowing (none too discretely, I might add) from the Italian, the title of the movie is “The Good, the Bad, and the Weird.” The title makes perfect sense… in Korean. The Korean word for “weird” means something more along the lines of deviant, but what kind of title is “The Good, the Bad, and the Deviant”?

I say the film is western-style because it is not set in the American west. One might rightly ask, “how is it a western if it is not set in the west?” and that is a good question. Look at the poster for the movie, looks pretty western eh? The trick here is that to Koreans, this IS set in the west. Think of what is west of Korea. CHINA! so the movie takes place in China, Manchuria to be exact. Clever, eh?

The movie is set in the 1930s during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The plot follows three outlaws as they run rampant- robbing trains, riding horses, and shooting things- everything that is typically done in westerns. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I really want to see this movie. If you go to youtube, you can watch the trailer here.

You watched the trailer right? You want to see it right? Even if it gets horrible reviews, I will probably find some way of seeing it. Or maybe I can just wait for their next movie. “Fistful of Won.”

How the Mighty Have Fallen

I estimate that most of you have at least a passing knowledge of star wars. It has been shaping the culture of nerds for quite some time now. Have you heard that they are making a new star wars movie? If you have, I am sure that you already know that it is going to be done completely with computer animation. I was skeptical of the idea at first, but had convinced myself that if would be OK. I mean, George Lucas founded Industrial Light and Magic!

I saw a preview for the movie today. I must say, I am underwhelmed. I understand that not all CG movies go for realism. But to be honest, the animation just looks shoddy. To me, it is like they forgot they weren’t making a Saturday morning cartoon. This isn’t Veggietales.

I also understand trying to create a stylized work. But style doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality (well… not always). For example, I think that the movie Flushed Away is a great example of using computer graphics, but maintaining a unique style. The characters keep the claymation look, but still look really good. Compare that to the poster on the left. Seriously, Look what they have done to Yoda! He looks like a twelve year old drew him! These graphics look like they don’t even match up to the Star Wars video games.

What do you guys think? Am I way off base here? Or is this really as bad as I think it is?