Since Everyone Loves Lists

Hapacheese's List of Top 10 Overrated Movies (IMO) That I've Ever Seen. Oh, and spoilers, duh.

Donnie Darko:
Had some great imagery. A great song (Gary Jules' rendition of "Mad World" is even better than the original). Solid acting. But I simply didn't connect with the story. I had heard from so many people how great the story was, how deep and moving it was, how it made you think, etc, but after watching it, all I could think was, "Okay, he was schizophrenic. How sad." I know I'm missing something, but it didn't intrigue me enough to go back and rewatch it to figure it out.

Titanic:
I even waited until all the hype died down to watch this. I refused to watch it amidst all the fervor, feeling that it would taint my opinion. Yes, the sets were epic. But the story was so predictable and the characters so run of the mill (and despite the fact that I think Decaprio is actually a decent actor, *anyone* could have done that role) that I couldn't find anything that elevated this movie above every other bodice-ripper equivalent. What was it about this movie, other than the simple cultural momentum it gained through marketing, that made it so successful? The mind boggles.

Grease:
Heresy! I know. But I've attempted to watch this movie at *least* 5 times, but have been bored out of my mind every time. I actually like musicals (hell, I've even been in one). I loved Moulin Rouge (though I'm sure there are others out there who would put it on their own list of overrated movies). But I found the characters vapid (I know that was intentional to a degree), I didn't really enjoy the music, and that pretty much kills my interest in it. Sorry eingy :P

Gone With the Wind:
This one's a little odd, I suppose. I probably don't have the proper context to actually understand the significance of this movie. I watched it and didn't find it terribly entertaining. On the other hand, I've watched other classic movies and been greatly entertained - this one, not so much. I know it is meant to capture the lives of individuals, but the movie, for me, feels too clausterphobic (it's hard to describe it). It never feels like the events in the movie matter, perhaps because I never really grew to care for the characters.

Raiders of the Lost Ark:
I know this is heresy for geeks. I'm not saying it's not a good movie - just not sure this is the be all end all of action/adventure movies. There are parts of the movie that feel disjointed, and overall, the movie feels very uneven, quality-wise. A lot of people like it more than Last Crusade, perhaps because Last Crusade feels more Hollywood and less pulpy, but I enjoyed it much more. It had all the elements of Raiders - mythology, adventure, romance, Nazis - but in a much tigher package.

Little Miss Sunshine:
Perhaps this was just a case of unfortunate timing on my part. See, there was a little known movie released a little bit before called "Everything is Illuminated." It was a beautifully quirky, funny, and gut-wrenchingly sad movie. The trailer featured the song "How it Ends," by the Devotchkas, which really captured the feel of the movie. It wasn't actually used *in* the movie, but having seen the trailer, I downloaded it on iTunes. When I went to watch Little Miss Sunshine, having heard all the hype, it didn't help that the opening theme was the exact same song. So, I expected the same sort of emotional rollercoaster... which never really materialized for me. It was a charming road movie, but it never went beyond that for me. Had I been in a different mindset (maybe this one warrants watching again, if I ever get around to it), I may have had a different opinion, but I remembered finishing this movie and being extremely disappointed.

Mystic River:
Right after I finished watching this movie, I remembered thinking it was great. Yet those feelings quickly slipped away over the following days and then I realized that I could hardly even remember what the movie was even *about*. But that seems to be the case with most people. It was extremely hyped when it came out, then it seemed to completely disappear from the collective conscience.

Scream:
Quit possibly the most crystal clear experience I've had with dealing with an overrated movie. Everyone around me would not stop praising this movie - talking about how great and scary it was. I broke down and watched it finally. See, for better or worse, I've been watching slasher flicks and horror flicks for as long as I can remember. Since I was at least 5 or so. I also grew up listening to, reading, and watching Japanese gothic horror - stuff that is on a completely different level of f'ed up. So when I watched Scream, I could appreciate the satirical nature of it, but it felt like the movie couldn't decide if it wanted to be ironically self-acknowledging and campy, or if it wanted to be scary. In the end, it didn't do either.

A Beautiful Mind:
On one hand, this movie is par for the course with November/December Hollywood releases. That's "We're Shooting for an Oscar" territory. So, when you go in with the understanding that you'll get some overacting, you'll get someone who is mentally challenged, etc, it's not a horrible movie. It's just, well, so very average. Yet, it won a ton of Oscars. I like Russell Crowe as an actor when he's used properly. I love Jennifer Connelly (and any guy who says otherwise needs to turn in their Man Card). Yet, there was no chemistry between them whatsoever. None. It's a very polished and well-made movie, but it feels as if it has no soul.

Shrek:
This one is pretty much for Shrek 1 and 2 combined. The first Shrek was... entertaining. It was the first non-Pixar CG movie that I think was at least half-decent, but the acting was horrible and a lot of the jokes fall flat. Shrek 2 was saved *only* by Puss in Boots - you couldn't help but feel that Antonio Banderas was actually having fun playing that character. Take him out, and you've got a relatively bland movie with maybe one or two decent jokes. Again, since this is a list of movies that are overrated and not necessarily movies that sucked, while I was mildly entertained by the first one, the fact that it's one of the highest grossing CG movies of all times is mind boggling.