Well Schmoes, as 2013 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 2013. 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 – THE GREAT GATSBY
Baz Luhrmann has always been one of those directors whose style could easily overwhelm the subject matter. But, with THE GREAT GATSBY, Luhrmann is able to convey the excess of the Roaring Twenties using his hyperkinetic visual style and contemporary music to translate a novel that many have considered unfilmable. Critics said that the movie lacked the emotional soul of the book while I would argue that the entire focus of the novel is the lack of feeling exhibited by these characters. The stunning visuals alone make THE GREAT GATSBY an achievement in film.
#4 – PACIFIC RIM
If you think back to the best Summer movies you have ever seen, the majority of them were likely popcorn flicks that let you turn off your brain and just take a rollercoaster ride without leaving the theater. Guillermo Del Toro's PACIFIC RIM is exactly the type of movie that has been missing since superheroes took over the multiplex. It has a convoluted backstory that you forget about ten minutes in because you are too busy enjoying huge robots kicking gigantic monster ass. Idris Elba delivers the best movie speech since Bill Pullman in INDEPENDENCE DAY and for that alone this is one of the best Summer movies of the decade.
#3 – JACK THE GIANT SLAYER
When people heard that Bryan Singer was making a fantasy adventure movie, I think they were expecting something on par with LORD OF THE RINGS or HARRY POTTER. But, JACK THE GIANT SLAYER is neither of those nor does it want to be. The movie is a family friendly fairy tale that is a hell of a lot more entertaining than the sterile CHRONICLES OF NARNIA movies. With a great cast hamming it up including Stanley Tucci and Ewan McGregor, Singer's movie is a light-hearted fun time that got mis-marketed as something completely different.
#2 – GANGSTER SQUAD
After getting bumped from 2012, GANGSTER SQUAD opened up 2013 with a bang. There is not much beyond the flashy violence and big name stars here, but they sure as hell have a lot of fun with it. Ryan Gosling, who usually avoids studio fare like this, does his typical brooding bad boy schtick while Emma Stone looks hot as hell in slinky evening wear. Overall, this feels like YOUNG GUNS crossed with THE UNTOUCHABLES which is not such a bad thing as long as you aren't expecting this to be more than a shoot em up action movie with a noir feel.
#1 – THE LONE RANGER
I guarantee the people you know who criticize THE LONE RANGER are doing so based on word of mouth from critics. If you have watched the movie, you know it is a fun, oversized western with some funny moments and one of the best action sequences put to film in the last twenty years. The climactic train scene is a literal roller coaster ride. Armie Hammer does a good job as a new take on the classic character and Johnny Depp is not nearly as slapstick as the trailers made him out to be. While it is hard to see where the inflated budget went as the movie doesn't look like it cost $200 million, but it is definitely a movie that deserves to be enjoyed. It may not be the best movie of 2013 but it is far from the worst.