Critically panned movies that you liked

[MalaCloudy Black]

Simple enough - I'm sure we all have some, movies that we liked or even loved that, well, critics didn't. For me, two films immediately come to mind: Be Cool and Fanboys.

In the case of Be Cool, I saw it on TV once a few years back and fell in love with it. I loved everything about it - from the movie's style to the cast to "Dabu, tea? What's with the finger? WHAT'S THAT?". Turns out, it's pretty critically panned, but I still have it on DVD and like to go back and watch it every once in a while.

With Fanboys, I just thought that it was a pretty nice, lovingly-crafted homage to Star Wars fans with some great gags.

So, what're yours?

[Mick]

Howard the Duck. I don't care if "the suit looks fake". Gee, it was 1986?

I also liked The Wizard. So what if there's a lot of real issues with the video games, the scenes involving Beau Bridges, Christian Slater and the child retriever are pure gold. There's also the greatest, most elaborate way to introduce something new in history. Seriously, every game changing invention needs an introduction like the one Super Mario Bros. 3 got.

[VerbalPuke]

Waterworld.

Seriously.

[OctoberRaven]

Death Race 2000 comes to mind.

In fact, it's my favorite David Carradine role.

[GoGo Yubari]

Aside from the usual lame stuff that happens in every Adam Sandler movie, I thought 50 First Dates was pretty endearing for what it was.

[Benji]

Kingdom of Heaven got pretty shitty reviews, but I loved it, and the director's cut made it significantly better. Same with Daredevil.

Semi-Pro got shit on, but I adored that movie, and "Love Me Sexy" has become a running joke with me and several friends.

The Matrix sequels I seemed to do the reverse of everyone else - whilst other people walked out thinking it was amazing, I thought it was shit. I then looked into the expanded universe and theories and came to love them.

I dug the 2004 version of The Punisher (seriously, it has John Travolta AND Kevin Nash ).

I liked Elizabethtown (Orlando Bloom's second appearance in this).

I'll probably think of more.

[Skummy]

People thought the Matrix sequels were amazing? I actually fell asleep in the cinema during the third one.

[Benji]

They did when I was walking out of the cinema. People's opinions seemed to quickly change when I pointed out the flaws in the first place, then I began to regret doing that because I grew to like them

[Mick]

When I saw Matrix Revolutions, I honestly felt like throwing my drink at the screen. That must've been how the suckers who paid to see Caddyshack II felt.

[GA!]

Main one for me is Batman & Robin. I love Batman Forever too, they are just really fun films.

[stokeriño]

I remember being really annoyed after seeing Matrix 3, but I don't think I ever had any problem with Matrix 2. But then if they'd just put those two films together and cut out every scene that didn't involve Agent Smith I would have been a lot happier.

[Jimmy]

There's probably loads for me because if I'm in the cinema with a bag of popcorn, I can make the most out of any most films because I know what to expect going in. GI Joe is probably the best example. I know that film is terrible, but it was just a shit load of fun. It may have been because I was just in a good mood that day, though.

[Benji]

I remember being really annoyed after seeing Matrix 3, but I don't think I ever had any problem with Matrix 2. But then if they'd just put those two films together and cut out every scene that didn't involve Agent Smith I would have been a lot happier.

I'm seriously let down that Hugo Weaving didn't get more major regular starring roles after that. Dude is amazing, and at one point would've been my guaranteed number one pick to play Namor (my favourite Marvel character) in the Fantastic Four movie they briefly discussed before going with the awful version of Galactus they opted to do.

Speaking of, I liked the FF movies, I just didn't like the way they did Galactus.

[Skummy]

It's probably because I last watched it with Rifftrax, but I bloody love Batman & Robin. It is awful, though.

There's a real difference, though, between "liking" a film and thinking that it's objectively a good film. I love some utterly awful movies, because they're just so much fun to watch, but I certainly wouldn't disagree with them being critically panned.

[Colly]

There's probably loads for me because if I'm in the cinema with a bag of popcorn, I can make the most out of any most films because I know what to expect going in. GI Joe is probably the best example. I know that film is terrible, but it was just a shit load of fun. It may have been because I was just in a good mood that day, though.

I loved GI Joe and watched it twice on the same flight. For me its the closest attempt at making a movie based on a cartoon actually feel like a cartoon. It was brilliantly brilliantly stupid in the best possible way.

Was the Cable Guy critically panned or is it just generally regarded as bad? I'm convinced if that was released now, possibly with a more Apatow type lead (Paul Rudd, its usually him) it would be a hit. Far better than its given credit for.

[brenchill]

Doom.

[SRN]

I'm with Skummy. There are tons of bad films that I like because they are so entertaining because they are awful; stuff like Prophecy from 1979. But I guess that isn't the point of this thread so I am going to say Valhalla Rising, because a lot of critics and movie-goers here in Denmark really hated it. But I found it amazing.

[OctoberRaven]

I dug the 2004 version of The Punisher (seriously, it has John Travolta AND Kevin Nash ).

Ditto on this, though the 1984 movie had the better story IMO.

Thomas Jane was a better Punisher than Dolph Lundren though. And Ray Stevenson... he was a fucking dead ringer for the comic version but he was really really bland. If not for the brilliant casting for every other character (ESPECIALLY Micro) War Zone would have been a disaster (mind you, I like War Zone, but it's the weakest of the Punisher films by FAR)

[Summers]

Waterworld.

Seriously.

Aside from the usual lame stuff that happens in every Adam Sandler movie, I thought 50 First Dates was pretty endearing for what it was.

Kingdom of Heaven got pretty shitty reviews, but I loved it, and the director's cut made it significantly better. Same with Daredevil.

I liked Elizabethtown (Orlando Bloom's second appearance in this).

Doom.

Agree with all of those, but plenty more too. Critics look for different things in film than just "are they entertaining?" so plenty of films that are panned by critics can be entertaining to watch & able to be enjoyed.

[Colly]

Wasn't Blade Runner slated by critics on release? And Shawshank Redemption, or did I make that up?