"Bad" movies you actually like


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Are there any movies that are widely seen as bad that you are a fan of? Not movies that are so bad they're good, but rather movies that get a bum rap, are misunderstood, or underappreciated.

Name the movie, say why it's considered bad, and tell us why you like it.


I'll start:

Warriors of the Wind

Why it's "bad": This 80's cut and dub of Miyazaki's pre-Ghibli film Naüsicaa of the Valley of the Wind was reviled by Miyazaki fans (and Miyazaki himself) for cutting scenes from the film, rescripting the dub almost entirely, and changing the message of the film so much that Miyazaki was unwilling to let an American studio dub one of his films again until Disney approached him over 20 years later. The box art had almost no bearing on the film, highlighting a male side character over the female main character in what was clearly a Dune inspired pose, and the voice actress who dubbed the main character to this day refuses to admit doing so.

Why I like it: (Full disclosure, this was my favourite movie as a child. I would ask to rent it from the local video place once a year, and bought the vhs at almost full price when they eventually closed.) I have both Warriors of the Wind and the Disney release of Nausicaa. Nausicaa, like many Miyazaki films, has a theme of humanity facing problems due to negative interaction with the environment. Given that it was one of his earliest, Nausicaa is not particularly subtle, and up until the end it maintains a bleak tone. Honestly, it's kind of a depressing slog to watch. Warriors of the Wind isn't. It injects moments of levity here and there that help make the film both more watchable and more memorable. It keeps the important points, and the "protect the environment or suffer" message is abundantly clear, but it doesn't feel like it's as pessimistic.

Yes, most of the names for characters and places were changed, but does that make such a difference? Doesn't a rose by another name still smell as sweet? In the topic of changes, in my opinion the scenes that were removed make very little difference in the story, and were accounted for by dialog slipped into another scene. I don't think they made a meaningful change.

In the dubbing, nobody has room to boast. While the actress who dubbed Warriors won't admit it, the actress who dubbed the Disney release probably shouldn't point it out either. In the "making of" featurette, she admits she had no experience at voice acting, and it shows, with a flat lifeless reading of lines. The only standout in the Disney dub is Patrick Stewart, who does have voice experience, and lends personality to the supporting character he voices.

So in summary, Warriors of the Wind is more entertaining, no worse dubbed than the approved Disney release, and still tells the story clearly. It still led me to an appreciation of Miyazaki, and helped me to understand his ideas. While it obviously wasn't what Miyazaki wanted his first U.S. dub to look like, it wasn't bad at all.


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X-Men: The Last Stand

Other people have given their reasons it was bad, and I've given my reasons it was good, in this thread and this thread.

Scarab Sages

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Good bad movies!

The Stupids

This movie is bad because its horrible. BUT...

Tom Arnold at his finest camp. The entire Maury-esque segment where he sings "I'm My Own Grandpa" is a moment from childhood that I still chuckle about.

((That one kind of missed the point of the thread so here's a real one))

Austin Powers in Goldmember

Why its Bad: The movie, like Shagged, recycles jokes and humor that Meyers made funny in International Man of Mystery. Juvenile scatological and punny humor at its "finest." Bad acting, the ill fated attempt at starting a non-singing-movie Beyonce acting career, the list goes on.

Why its Good: First, it neatly wraps up the Austin Powers storyline with a goofy lost siblings plot that seems right out of the ancient epics. Two brothers, separated as infants, go on to become mortal enemies. The theme is also echoed in the diverging paths and animosity of Biolocial son Scott and Cloned son Mini Me. The execution isn't perfect, and the supporting cast is wretched (particularly Fred Savage and Beyonce), but Meyers, Green and Troyer shine as the well established stars of the franchise. Its a deeper movie than the romance behind spy stuff plots of the first two, and because of that rises above the comically superior Shagged. This movie has the strongest screenplay out of any of Meyers' writing credits (save maybe Wayne's World), and would be a classic if its comedy wasn't 80% derivative and recycled.


5 people marked this as a favorite.

Robin Hood, Men in Tights

Why it's bad: it's Robin Hood, Men in Tights

Why I like it: it's Robin Hood, Men in Tights.

Scarab Sages

18 people marked this as a favorite.

Flash Gordon
Why it's bad: It has all the hallmarks of bad science fiction. It's got bad dialog, poor plot, and cheesy special effects. It has a ridiculous football fight scene and it has the most over the top performance ever done by Brian Blessed.

Why it's good: I's incredibly fun despite all of that, it's got the best soundtrack Queen ever produced, and it has the most over the top performance ever done by Brian Blessed.


5 people marked this as a favorite.

The Scorpion King

Why it's bad: Action adventure doesn't get much cheesier than The Scorpion King. (So say the critics)

Why it's good: It's FUN. It's cheesy, knows that's it's cheesy, and glories in being what it is: A fun action adventure that doesn't let history, accuracy, or anything else get in the way of having a good time. Guy experimenting with gunpowder thousands of years too early. Sure. Flaming swords, hell yes. Sub-Saharan African amazonian kingdom in the middle east. Why not?


13 people marked this as a favorite.

The Ice Pirates

Why it's bad- possibly because rotten tomatoes and critics said so.

Why it's good- have you seen it? Space/sex comedy parody ahead of its time, ditto the special effects.

Sovereign Court

5 people marked this as a favorite.

The Blood of Heroes a.k.a salute to the jugger

why it's bad? Have you ever heard of it? I am guessing you havent. Its not a great budget and its pretty dated.

Why it's good? Well I was into post apocalypse films before post apocalypse films were cool. Its got Rutger Hauer and any film is instantly better with Rutger in it. Also, a young post gomer pile Vincent
D'onofrio. There is even an actual sport ongoing created from the film called Jugger.


Pan wrote:

The Blood of Heroes a.k.a salute to the jugger

why it's bad? Have you ever heard of it? I am guessing you havent. Its not a great budget and its pretty dated.

Why it's good? Well I was into post apocalypse films before post apocalypse films were cool. Its got Rutger Hauer and any film is instantly better with Rutger in it. Also, a young post gomer pile Vincent
D'onofrio. There is even an actual sport ongoing created from the film called Jugger.

one of the greatest movies ever, and a personal favorite

Liberty's Edge

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Imbicatus wrote:

Flash Gordon

Why it's bad: It has all the hallmarks of bad science fiction. It's got bad dialog, poor plot, and cheesy special effects. It has a ridiculous football fight scene and it has the most over the top performance ever done by Brian Blessed.

Why it's good: I's incredibly fun despite all of that, it's got the best soundtrack Queen ever produced, and it has the most over the top performance ever done by Brian Blessed.

That's BRIAN BLESSED! And don't you forget it.

Also has Max von Sydow's teeth marks all over the scenery, plus visuals that look like they were designed by Jack Kirby (and I mean that in a good way). I can ignore the cardboard acting by the two leads because of all the cool stuff going on elsewhere on the screen.

Scarab Sages

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Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Why it's bad: Jar Jar Binks, Terrible acting by Natalie Portman and Jake Lloyd caused by the inability of George Lucas to provide good direction to actors, Jar Jar Binks, the stupid pod race, a bad script, poor pacing, and Jar Jar Binks.

Why it's good: It's beautiful. Otoh Gunga is an awesome place, and the forceshield effects were gorgeous. It has some of the best lightsaber battles of any Star Wars film to date, Qui Gon Jinn is the best Jedi character ever portrayed, and Darth Maul was a fantastic assassin.

On the whole, the movie is not good when compared to other Star Wars films. It has moments of greatness though, which are often under-appreciated.


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Imbicatus wrote:

Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Why it's bad: Jar Jar Binks, Terrible acting by Natalie Portman and Jake Lloyd caused by the inability of George Lucas to provide good direction to actors, Jar Jar Binks, the stupid pod race, a bad script, poor pacing, and Jar Jar Binks.

Why it's good: It's beautiful. Otoh Gunga is an awesome place, and the forceshield effects were gorgeous. It has some of the best lightsaber battles of any Star Wars film to date, Qui Gon Jinn is the best Jedi character ever portrayed, and Darth Maul was a fantastic assassin.

On the whole, the movie is not good when compared to other Star Wars films. It has moments of greatness though, which are often under-appreciated.

the ending credits are my favorite part of the movie

Liberty's Edge

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Freehold DM wrote:
the ending credits are my favorite part of the movie

The Easter egg at the end of the credits was that the movie was actually done.

Liberty's Edge

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Beastmaster

I can't pass up an opportunity to watch this one whenever it comes on. It used to come on 5 times a day on HBO, and seemed to be on TBS so often that people joked TBS stood for: The Beastmaster Station.

Cheesy-bad acting and spray-painted tiger non-withstanding, it had some pretty cool action sequences and monsters....and Tanya Roberts.

Birdmen who digested their prey with their leathery wings.

Berserker warriors driven crazy by glowing leeches poured into their ears.

Witches who can steal a baby by teleporting him from his mother's womb into a cow.

A rampaging horde of barbarians led by a guy who looks like Lord Humongous from The Road Warrior.

J.J's dad from Good Times has a supporting role.

And.....Tanya Roberts!

Liberty's Edge

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Circle of Iron

Why it's bad: Wooden acting by Jeff Cooper, cheesy dialogue, morals delivered by the Fist of Ham, really cheap sets and costuming.

Why it's good: Decent fight scenes, David Carradine's blind man is the perfect annoying wise man, and the ending is actually pretty funny.

Liberty's Edge

7 people marked this as a favorite.

Ladyhawke

Why it's Bad: Horrible soundtrack, ridiculous costumes - including armor that looks like it came from a toy store in a package labeled ages 6 and up.

Why it's Good: Amazing story and great acting. If ever a movie needs a remake, it is this one.


12 people marked this as a favorite.

And yet... if it were to be remade, the movie would never match the original. No. Leave well enough alone, I say.

Suckerpunch

Why it's bad: People don't understand it, an absolutely vital scene got cut, and it features skimpy costumes.

Why it's good: Awesome scenes, a serious and important story/message. And it features skimpy costumes.


Sissyl wrote:

And yet... if it were to be remade, the movie would never match the original. No. Leave well enough alone, I say.

Suckerpunch

Why it's bad: People don't understand it, an absolutely vital scene got cut, and it features skimpy costumes.

Why it's good: Awesome scenes, a serious and important story/message. And it features skimpy costumes.

If you watch this, try to get the Director's cut. It adds enough to it to help out, if just a bit. Also, I liked the movie.


8 people marked this as a favorite.

Johny Mnemonic
How Bad? A 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Golden Raspberry nomination for Keanu Reeves

Why I like It: As a unabashed William Gibson fan, this film showed me the worlds that I spent my teenage years imagining, reading Neuromancer in my school library. Yes the dialogue is so cheesy you could spread it on bread. Ice-T and Dolph Lundgren ham it up gloriously too.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Sharoth wrote:
Sissyl wrote:

And yet... if it were to be remade, the movie would never match the original. No. Leave well enough alone, I say.

Suckerpunch

Why it's bad: People don't understand it, an absolutely vital scene got cut, and it features skimpy costumes.

Why it's good: Awesome scenes, a serious and important story/message. And it features skimpy costumes.

If you watch this, try to get the Director's cut. It adds enough to it to help out, if just a bit. Also, I liked the movie.

I adore Suckerpunch. I fully admit that it has a needlessly layered setting (real world, brothel fantasy, inner battles), but in standard Zach Snyder fashion, it looks great. The inner battle sequences are the closest thing I've ever seen to live action anime. Also, I think it is hopeful and inspiring.

Sovereign Court

4 people marked this as a favorite.

Outland

High noon in space. Sean Connery before his post Bond resurgence. Pretty good as far as I am concerned. But i read that it is universally dubbed as bad. For some reason.

Liberty's Edge

2 people marked this as a favorite.
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Hama wrote:

Outland

High noon in space. Sean Connery before his post Bond resurgence. Pretty good as far as I am concerned. But i read that it is universally dubbed as bad. For some reason.

The explosive decompression effects were kind of gross, though not as over-the-top stupid as the ones in the first Total Recall. I remember liking it when it came out; the director did a nice job with evoking the claustrophobia and confinement of a relatively small station.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

The Big Year

I think it got a bad rap because it starred Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson, and so suggested a zanier brand of comedy than it delivered. But it was still funny in a subdued kind if way, with great character development

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

Rustler's Rhapsody

This is a favorite from my childhood, and it gets unfavorably compared to Blazing Saddles a lot. I personally like it way better as a parody of Western movies. It's brilliantly written, and Andy Griffith, the avatar of everything wholesome and old-fashioned, plays an evil, camp gay cattle baron. Watch it for that if nothing else.


RainyDayNinja wrote:

The Big Year

I think it got a bad rap because it starred Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson, and so suggested a zanier brand of comedy than it delivered. But it was still funny in a subdued kind if way, with great character development

I didn't figure it for a bad movie, just one that was poorly advertised and kind of obscure...

I love it solely because I am also a birder, and the movie does a pretty fair job overall of showing what the hobby can be like, and some of the places us birders go to rack up a good ABA (Canada, Alaska, and lower 48) life list.


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Imbicatus wrote:
Flash Gordon

Damn. For a second I was hoping you were citing Flesh Gordon, a far superior picture.


Taking Care of Business. It gets panned because it's dated, corny, and stars Jim Belushi. It's also my favorite comedy movie of all time.

"You guys look... benevolent!"
"Hey, Big Sack, you gotta choke up on that racket!"

And Loryn Locklin in a swimsuit.

Scarab Sages

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Kirth Gersen wrote:
Imbicatus wrote:
Flash Gordon
Damn. For a second I was hoping you were citing Flesh Gordon, a far superior picture.

Trying to avoid films of that nature here. Otherwise, you could make a case for anything with Ron Jeremy. :P


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Hawk the Slayer

The Bad: It's cheesy. It uses some crappy jump cut special effects to make it look like the elf is a badass at archery.

The Good: Jack Palance. It's a real D&D movie, far more like any other D&D branded movie has been. And it's available on DVD. I got mine.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Imbicatus wrote:

Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Why it's good: It's beautiful. Otoh Gunga is an awesome place, and the forceshield effects were gorgeous. It has some of the best lightsaber battles of any Star Wars film to date, Qui Gon Jinn is the best Jedi character ever portrayed, and Darth Maul was a fantastic assassin.

Of the prequels, I actually like Phantom Menace best (dislike least?). At 2 (Qui Gon and Maul), it has 2 more interesting characters than any of the other prequels. It has the best light saber fight. It doesn't leave the unanswered question "What turned a genuinely helpful, cheerful, optimistic kid into a whiny prick?" that the other two movies leave behind.


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Death Race 2000 -

Yes, it is cheesy, nonsensical, gratuitously violent, and very dated (we are 15 years in this movie's future).

The movie is still fun to watch for the dark humor and over the top premise. The remake may have been somewhat more believable in premise, it just wasn't as fun. I miss the cheesiness of the original.


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I really liked Episode II, which I know causes me to receive death threats, but, some on -- Christopher Lee! And a better arena fight than either Gladiator or John Carter.


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I like the Family Guy interpretation of Star Wars more then the original.

Scarab Sages

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All ships, focus all firepower on captain yesterday!


What! Why me!

Seth Green is the a~&*~&& that cashed all those tiny little checks Seth McFarlane paid him. :-D


1 person marked this as a favorite.

"Simply Red checking in!"

Classic, I say! :-D

"Great! Now we gotta do the rest of this thing with Danny Elfman"

Scarab Sages

Oh, I loved the Family Guy versions. It was saying they were better than the original that was the issue.

I especially love the Seth Green / Seth McFarlane bickering in "It's a Trap!"


The first 3 movies are classic yes, but I can't watch them anymore without adding family guy lines in my head. :-D


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Ooooh, this is a fun one! As someone who loves watching outright bad films as a hobby, I love talks like this.

Event Horizon

The Bad: It's a cliché ghost story set in space, with all the critical appeal of a wet paper bag

The Good: This movie is just fun. Sam Neil and Laurence Fishburne are both fantastic in it, and there's a great homage to Alien in the way the sets are built (if not the entire movie itself). Add in the prevalent Warhammer 40k feel (seriously, it's hard not to see this as a failed Warp Drive if you know 40k lore), and it just gives me happy fun times.


limsk wrote:

Johny Mnemonic

How Bad? A 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Golden Raspberry nomination for Keanu Reeves

Why I like It: As a unabashed William Gibson fan, this film showed me the worlds that I spent my teenage years imagining, reading Neuromancer in my school library. Yes the dialogue is so cheesy you could spread it on bread. Ice-T and Dolph Lundgren ham it up gloriously too.

Keanu Reaves in this is always my go-to for discussions of the worst casting ever (though Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is now a close second)... especially as I was a huge William Gibson fan when it came out...


limsk wrote:
Keanu Reeves

GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! I hate hate hate Keanu Reeves. He can go die in a fire set off by a toxic waste dump!

Liberty's Edge

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Why it's bad: Wooden acting, meh action and a fairly predictable plot. Plus, it's nothing like the book.

Why I love it: when I first saw this movie, I was with two of my best friends. As an innocent twelve-year-old, I was completely unprepared for this movie.

Every. Single. Frame. Was made of pure magic for me. I saw darkness in an action film for the first time, and ate it up. I can't watch it without regressing back to that twelve-year-old boy staring slack-jawed in wonder.


9 people marked this as a favorite.

Tank Girl.

Why I like it: has a special place in my heart as the first post apocalyptic movie I'd seen, still love it. Not to mention Ice-T as a mutant bunny man!

Why it's bad: No one else seems to like as much as I do. Ice-T as a mutant bunny man was probably ahead of it's time.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
lucky7 wrote:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Why it's bad: Wooden acting, meh action and a fairly predictable plot. Plus, it's nothing like the book.

Why I love it: when I first saw this movie, I was with two of my best friends. As an innocent twelve-year-old, I was completely unprepared for this movie.

Every. Single. Frame. Was made of pure magic for me. I saw darkness in an action film for the first time, and ate it up. I can't watch it without regressing back to that twelve-year-old boy staring slack-jawed in wonder.

YES!!!!

I love this movie more every time I see it. Doesn't hurt that one of my friends teaches Civil War history and starts twitching every time I mention it ;)

It's cheesy and the concept is ridiculous... but it not only KNOWS this.. but REVELS in it. JUst something about Lincoln in full top hat and beard spinning an Ax like a dwarven weapon master!!!

Myself, I constantly find myself defending Daredevil Especially the director's cut.

Why it's Bad: They made some poor decisions... making Daredevil a murderer... too much focus on Elektra...

Why I love it: It's DAREDEVIL!!! The costume was pretty spot on. Affleck did a great job (The editing hurt it more then the acting). Foggy was amazing (surprisingly it seems Foggy is the highlight of ANY DD media... Who knew??) The origin was done in flashbacks...

I love the series too, but given a choice, I'd rewatch the movie over the series.

Dark Archive

phantom1592 wrote:
[on Daredevil] I love the series too, but given a choice, I'd rewatch the movie over the series.

I liked the Daredevil movie as well. The real weak point, for me, was Colin Ferrel's interpretation of Bullseye. Just a tad too over the top...

Favreau as Foggy just rocked, and I preferred Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin to the hesitant figure we got in the Netflix series.

Sovereign Court

That's because Duncan's Kingping wat at the height of his power. We're yet to see TV show Fisk get there.
Movie was terrible.

I admit that "blind vision" effect were nifty


Set wrote:
phantom1592 wrote:
[on Daredevil] I love the series too, but given a choice, I'd rewatch the movie over the series.

I liked the Daredevil movie as well. The real weak point, for me, was Colin Ferrel's interpretation of Bullseye. Just a tad too over the top...

Favreau as Foggy just rocked, and I preferred Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin to the hesitant figure we got in the Netflix series.

Yep. I agree there. Netflix Kingpin had potential, but he was way too soft and whiny. They focused too much on the sad little boy looking to be loved with the occasional temper tantrum... and not enough on the Kingpin of Crime who will kill you... your family... even your pet fish if you cross him.

Too much negotiating/pleading/begging with everyone he worked with. I could see SIGNS of the real kingpin in there... but Vanessa REALLY should have been saved for season 2. or maybe even 3... Frankly who needs to see Fisk's love life. That's a bit too much character development for the mega-evil of the series. In a comic fine, but in this media?? Too much focus being drawn away.


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Set wrote:
phantom1592 wrote:
[on Daredevil] I love the series too, but given a choice, I'd rewatch the movie over the series.

I liked the Daredevil movie as well. The real weak point, for me, was Colin Ferrel's interpretation of Bullseye. Just a tad too over the top...

Favreau as Foggy just rocked, and I preferred Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin to the hesitant figure we got in the Netflix series.

....

I see...

The Exchange

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Cutthroat Island!
1995, starring Gena Davis. One of the biggest box office bombs ever... but 12 year old me thought Matthew Modine was just too amazing and that Geena Davis was the ultimate "action girl"!

I guess it's nostalgia for my misspent youth, but I still like the movie.

CI also has some of Frank Langella's worst acting moments ever caught on film, and that's including the 2000 mini-series of Jason and the Argonauts, a Dino de Laurentiis production (he was also a producer on Flash Gordon!).

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