Well Schmoes, as 2014 draws to a close we reflect on a year of ups and downs at the movies, both critically and financially. There were some surprises in regards to which highly anticipated movies lived up to their trailers and marketing as well as some dark horses that came out of nowhere to really steal the show. But, if there is one thing for certain, there are always movies that are highly overrated and underrated by critics and fans alike.
As the UnPopular Opinion Guy, I felt it was only fitting to issue my list of the movies I felt that the masses got wrong. Some of these may shock you and some may just piss you off, but these are my honest to goodness perspective of the movies of 2014. If you disagree with any of the choices, please voice your own opinion in the talkback below. After all, the only opinion that really matters is yours, I am just here to share mine.
#5 – EDGE OF TOMORROW
Yeah, the battle sequences were pretty cool, but overall this Tom Cruise starrer just felt repetitive and not in a good way. The explanations were undercooked and the resulting final act of the film doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Overall, the movie performed poorly at the box office not simply due to bad marketing but being a bad movie.
#4 – DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
There was a great movie in DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES but it was brought down by poor pacing and weak human characters. Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell deliver two of the most striking motion capture performances of all time and deserve recognition for that, but they represent the good half of a film that should have been focused on the apes versus the humans rather than trying to get us to relate to the humans who are, on the whole, unlikable in this movie.
#3 – GONE GIRL
Like THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO before it, David Fincher has delivered his second weak film in a row. His visual skill is on display, that is for sure, but the movie doesn’t feel like it offers anything much different than the novel. The old saying is that the book is always better than the movie, but with Fincher behind the camera, his films should be the exception. Great performances abound here, especially from Rosamund Pike, but it is not enough to warrant the acclaim this movie has received.
#2 – GODZILLA
We all shit on Roland Emmerich‘s awful GODZILLA because it ruined the monster and spent too much time with the human characters. Well, the new GODZILLA from Garth Edwards manages to give us an awesome version of the monster itself and a great cast of human characters but manages to waste too much time with the people and not enough time with the lizard. There is something to be said about showing too much but GODZILLA doesn’t show nearly enough. It almost felt like two good movies smashed together into one mediocre one.
#1 – INTERSTELLAR
As much as I love the films of Christopher Nolan, I could not help but feel completely underwhelmed by his space epic. Yes, the science is astounding and fascinating. Yes, Matthew McConaughey delivers a powerful performance. Yes, the visuals are stunning. Yes, the movie keeps your attention for nearly three hours. But, the movie feels lacking in some capacity. The film feels too long and the ending doesn’t justify what precedes it. There is a brilliant movie here but this is not it. I commend everyone involved for creating one of the most amazing visual spectacles put to film but I wish there was more here to be excited about.