The Big Picture: The Terrible Twenty Films of 2014 Part 1

[Vigormortis]

I don't remember Bob having a hate-boner for Nolan, seeing as he liked Inception and The Dark Knight Rises (with some caveats). His hate-boner for Kevin Smith is very pronounced, what with dedicating 3 Big Picture episodes to it. I sure am saying boner a lot.

Yes. Yes you are.

But is that a bad thing? I mean, is it really?

<.<

Ahem, anyway:
I don't really keep up with Bob's body of work all that often, so I can't say I'm qualified to gauge his full opinion beyond the snippets I've seen. It's just that I've heard from other posters, quite often in fact, that he really has it in for Nolan. I've been told he gives backhanded compliments while constantly deriding the director and his work. Often being unusually critical of any shortcomings in Nolan's films while being overly lenient with others.

Don't get me wrong. I don't really care if someone loves the film or hates it. The level of enjoyment others have derived from the film is of no real consequence to me. I just thought it exceptionally odd that he'd include the film in a "Worst of the Year" list.

There were much, MUCH worse films this year. Certainly enough to fill a Top 20 Worst list. So to include films like Interstellar (and even Godzilla to a degree) in a list as an equal to Heaven Is For Real, Tammy, and Tusk feels like putting The Godfather on par with an Uwe Boll film.

That example is extreme, I know, but it's one that would leave me just as baffled as I am with parts of Bob's list. It almost feels like it's there out of spite.

 

[Alatar The Red]

Interstellar would have made my top 3 best movies of 2014

and guardrians of the galaxy would have made my top 3 worst movies of 2014 (because it represents everything I hate about CGI, idealized perfect characters, extremely pandering and marketing heavy no substance comic book movies, etc).

Then again that's probably why I don't watch bob's videos. His opinions are the polar opposite of mine from PCs to politics to movies. Not watching saves a lot of pointless rage.

 

[Nixou]

I wouldn't have been as kind as you on this one, Bob. When your way of introducing your "hero" of the movie, Godzilla, is to have him inadvertently drown hundreds of innocent people, you've already lost me. It's hard to root for someone who might kill me in the process of saving me. I call it the Man-of-Steel-Syndrome

The problem with your comparison is that Clark is supposed to be the quintessential benevolent farm-boy-scout, while Godzilla is more of an uncaring force of nature, so the whole "save mankind because it identifies whatever's killing us as a threat to itself but doesn't give a shit about collateral damage" plot is internally coherent in a movie starting the old Kaiju, while it pretty much goes against supe's character.

 

[walsfeo]

I don't know bob I'm sure I could come up with 20 movies this year that were easily worse than Interstellar. I 100% agree the 3rd act of Interstellar was a bit hodgepodge, but if someone asked me to go see it again today I'd go. The movie is amazing. The "twist" was just poorly executed. In fact what I really loved was the epilogue. I loved how it was treated and how it looked.

I was sitting in a huge IMAX thankfully when I saw it and the flight through the blackhole was worth the price of admission.

Yeah, Interstellar wasn't a groundbreaking masterpiece, but it was pretty good. The hard Sci-fi parts were good and the "we have encountered something we don't understand" parts were interesting if a bit of a state change. Interstellar felt like a Niven & Pournelle style disaster story with some hints of David Brin and just a splash of dumbing it down at the end so that the American Audience would like it. I frequently agree with Bob's movie critiques, but in this case he's off-base.

I can understand where he might say Interstellar belongs on a "most disappointing", list instead of a terrible list, because that's where preconception and perceived outcomes intersect but with his dislike of the director is it even disappointing?

 

[JenSeven]

I really don't understand Bobs insatiable hatred for Nolan, or Interstellar. I understand it's a little bit more complicated then what he's used to, and it doesn't have the pretty colors of Guardians of the Galaxy, but one of the worst films of the year? I don't think so. His dislike seems almost personal.

It had a somewhat weak third act, but all things considered, it was my favorite film of the year.

He doesn't hate Nolan. It has nothing to do with the movie being "complicated" not that it even was. Trust me, a guy that has been doing movies his whole life I gurantee you he has seen more complicated movies than Interstellar. I would have to go back and watch the review to be sure but I am almost certain that the reason he panned the movie and the reason why nolan has been striking out lately is because of his character acting. It had the wrong actors trying to deliver emotional depth that nolan is not good at producing. And yes, it is possible to enjoy a movie and still recognize it for the failure that is is, that is why it is number 20, its the movie that was almost great.

I thought the actors did a wonderful job portraying a surprisingly complex set of characters, particularly Anne Hathaway. In fact, I thought this was the one time that Nolan really nailed the emotional core of the story. The Dark Knight was alright, and Inception was dreadful, but Interstellar delivered. Yes, this is largely due to the actors carrying the weight of the story, but it worked. Even the young girl.

The film was far from perfect, and I have my criticisms, but it's a little tiring to see people praise the rather shallow and poorly written Marvel films (Captain America) while placing Interstellar in a list of worst films because it apparently lacked... well developed characters (it didn't).

What Bob did here in this piece is write down an OPINION. He gave his OPINION on those movies. He liked some and didn't like some others. That someone can dislike some movies is purely based on what they like and dislike.
You have your OPINION on certain movies, like you have written down above here, and that OPINION isn't the same as Bob's OPINION.
Nothing wrong with that, everyone has opinions. Nobody needs to conform to other people's opinions.
I dislike horror movies and Stanley Kubrick movies, and I do not need to change my opinion because someone else likes those things.
I don't agree with some movies Bob likes and some he dislikes, but I can respect his opinion on those, they don't affect me.
It's a matter of TASTE, and TASTES DIFFER.

Now that I've made myself clear, can you understand all of that? Or is there something else I need to explain?

 

[MrJoyless]

I gotta be honest, I almost turned off the video when Bob opened with Interstellar. That film is one of my favourite thing is a long time and I love it to bits. And not as a guilty pleasure, I genuinely think it's objectively good. I can understand it not being someone's cup of tea, but putting it on a "Worst" list? Nope, you pretty much lose me on the spot. I did end up watching the whole thing, and I didn't object to any of the other entries, but still...

I came here to say the EXACT same thing, Interstellar was a great movie. He better put the damn Hobbit movie on here if he is actually being honest...ugh that movie sucked.

 

[Super Cyborg]

Just want to talk about the Godzilla movie a little bit. From a number of the Godzilla movies I've seen, it seemed to follow the formula of the one from this year. There is a threat of monster(s) against Japan, or something that Godzilla will have to fight. There is lots of fluff about various characters about the situation, saying that only Godzilla can stop the monster. After an hour with maybe some brief appearances, the final battle comes with Godzilla versus the monsters. It lasts for a bit then the movie ends.

Saying it is trying to emulate Jaws seems like a weird statement to make, as almost all Godzilla movies (at least the ones I've seen and remember) follow the formula the 2014 movie made. The older movies might be considered "better" because of the cheese it had, but this movie was just like the other Godzilla movies. Whether you think this movie is good just because it followed the other movies formula is your opinion, but don't pretend that this movie crapped over the others.

My big complaint is that the fighting was shorter compared to the other movies, and that the stuff leading up to the big fight was lackluster. However, it was a Godzilla movie, through and through.

 

[Fox12]

snip

...so we both stated our opinion? Thank you for that insight.

Bob has every right to put Interstellar in the worst films category, and I have every right to heartily disagree with him, especially since there were films in his best list that failed far worse at the things that he was complaining about in Interstellar. You can claim that Shakespeare is the worst writer in history (not that Christopher Nolan is a Shakespeare), but just because your given a podium and a right to free speech doesn't mean your given the right to be taken seriously by your audience. At least in this case.

 

[Ashley Blalock]

I've got to disagree about it being a good film year. Yes there were films that remembered to have fun and movies that gave us something truly interesting with characters and story. But there was way too much bland and boring as Hollywood tried too hard to play things safe and hoped that special effects would be all it took to get people to waste good money buying tickets for bad movies.

With the domestic box office down so much this year you would think it would be some sort of wake up call that hey people want something better. But who wants to bet that Hollywood will just blame pirates or anything else other than the quality of their films? When you can ship crap like Transformers 4 to China to make money because Chinese ticket buyers don't know any better then I don't think better films are a goal of Hollywood.

While I had a blast with The Lego Movie, Captain America 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, 22 Jump Street, and Big Hero 6 mostly it was a year I could have spent as a hermit on a tropical island without messing much of anything at the movies.

 

[tyriless]

Lucy. That's the worst movie I've seen all year and Bob recommended it. I love me some Scar-Jo, but casting her as emotionally neutered pseudoscience clap-trap-philosophy spewing sociopath is not my definition of fun, interesting, or entertaining. Forget the science aspect, I knew it was silly going in, but the director seemed to actively hate the audience by taking one of the most beautiful and talented actresses of our day, and doing absolutely nothing interesting with her.

Moviebob, I love your show, but your taste in films is like your taste in video games: questionable.

However, there is nothing better when we both hate the same movie. God damn it...A Dame To Kill For was so disappointing. You putting it on the list was therapy for my soul. It was like Miller and Rodriguez was trying wring out an orange rind for just a bit more juice and it had hardly any. Everyone was wasted in that film, including Jessica Alba.

Hate is what brings us together in the end.

 

[tyriless]

I've got to disagree about it being a good film year. Yes there were films that remembered to have fun and movies that gave us something truly interesting with characters and story. But there was way too much bland and boring as Hollywood tried too hard to play things safe and hoped that special effects would be all it took to get people to waste good money buying tickets for bad movies.

With the domestic box office down so much this year you would think it would be some sort of wake up call that hey people want something better. But who wants to bet that Hollywood will just blame pirates or anything else other than the quality of their films? When you can ship crap like Transformers 4 to China to make money because Chinese ticket buyers don't know any better then I don't think better films are a goal of Hollywood.

While I had a blast with The Lego Movie, Captain America 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, 22 Jump Street, and Big Hero 6 mostly it was a year I could have spent as a hermit on a tropical island without messing much of anything at the movies.

Chinese ticket buyers might not know any better now, but we've been funneling money to Michael Bay films for years before we decided he was a hack. At some point (hopefully soon), they will figure that out too, and he can either try a little harder or get bumped out of the business.

 

[Mr.Evil]

I wouldn't have been as kind as you on this one, Bob. When your way of introducing your "hero" of the movie, Godzilla, is to have him inadvertently drown hundreds of innocent people, you've already lost me. It's hard to root for someone who might kill me in the process of saving me. I call it the Man-of-Steel-Syndrome

The problem with your comparison is that Clark is supposed to be the quintessential benevolent farm-boy-scout, while Godzilla is more of an uncaring force of nature, so the whole "save mankind because it identifies whatever's killing us as a threat to itself but doesn't give a shit about collateral damage" plot is internally coherent in a movie starting the old Kaiju, while it pretty much goes against supe's character.

Internally coherent? Perhaps. But that doesn't change my point, though, and that's probably why I'm not the biggest Godzilla fan. The only Godzilla movies I've liked are the ones that either paint him as a villain (like the original movie) or where he keeps the collateral damage to a minimum. Hell, I'm not even a Mothra fan (despite its typical depiction as a good-guy monster) since its actions in its first movie caused lots of death and destruction. I like my good guys GOOD, damn it.

Give me Pacific Rim over Godzilla any day of the week. At least that movie knew what it was and had fun with the idea.

 

[Paul10238]

I found Interstellar to be full of itself(no big surprise coming from Nolan). Chalk another stinker up for him. If the damn Nolanites don't like it that's just tough shit for them.

 

[aba1]

I gotta be honest, I almost turned off the video when Bob opened with Interstellar. That film is one of my favourite thing is a long time and I love it to bits. And not as a guilty pleasure, I genuinely think it's objectively good. I can understand it not being someone's cup of tea, but putting it on a "Worst" list? Nope, you pretty much lose me on the spot. I did end up watching the whole thing, and I didn't object to any of the other entries, but still...

Had the exact reaction I was literally jaw dropped cause I would have placed it up there for best of the year and I have studied film for many many years so its not even like i am a idiot when it comes to what makes a good or bad film.

 

[FateWitch13]

I know that X-Men Days of Future Past will be in his top ten worst. He reviewed it very poorly. I still don't understand why he disliked X-Men Days of Future past. I get it not being someone's cup of tea but I wonder {and not just Bob I'm talking all of us into Marvel} if it's really stemming from us choosing sides for Marvel or Fox. Both companies have behaved deplorably when it comes to the rights of the X-Men. I understand that people dislike the original X-Men movies because they're in black, not their original costumes and some stuff is drastically different from the comics {comics I love}. That never mattered much to me but I don't get why Days of Future Past is so reviled when it fixed everything the Horrid X-3 did. I guess I just don't think Guardians of the Galaxy is a better movie.

 

[endtherapture]

I know that X-Men Days of Future Past will be in his top ten worst. He reviewed it very poorly. I still don't understand why he disliked X-Men Days of Future past. I get it not being someone's cup of tea but I wonder {and not just Bob I'm talking all of us into Marvel} if it's really stemming from us choosing sides for Marvel or Fox. Both companies have behaved deplorably when it comes to the rights of the X-Men. I understand that people dislike the original X-Men movies because they're in black, not their original costumes and some stuff is drastically different from the comics {comics I love}. That never mattered much to me but I don't get why Days of Future Past is so reviled when it fixed everything the Horrid X-3 did. I guess I just don't think Guardians of the Galaxy is a better movie.

Bob is a Marvel fanboy. It colours his views of everything - if it's not Marvel, then it sucks!!!. Bob's not an objective reviewer and he can't find any flaws in Marvel films, just like he automatically despises anything by DC, Fox or Sony because it's NOT made by Marvel. It's quite pathetic really.

 

[ForumSafari]

As per usual I'm going to horn in on something I don't care too much about but...

Black guy plays 'the whitest of the gods': Colour shouldn't restrict people's ability to play parts.
White people play ancient Egyptians: this is whitewashing.

Huh?

 

[sporkaganza]

As per usual I'm going to horn in on something I don't care too much about but...

Black guy plays 'the whitest of the gods': Colour shouldn't restrict people's ability to play parts.
White people play ancient Egyptians: this is whitewashing.

Huh?

If you really don't see the difference in cultural context for these two things, then I feel a little sorry for you. Hint: Which of those races were enslaved for 200 years in the United States?

Re: Bob's bias toward Marvel, while there's definitely truth to this, I feel like the exaggerated "DC-hating MovieBob" stereotype is blown up by DC fans who just can't accept that anyone would hate the movies they love so much. I would respect their opinion a little more if most of the reviews by critics who don't hate superhero movies on principle didn't tend to line up with Bob's: Marvel Studios films are good, DC's attempts at competing aren't so good, Marvel movies made by other studios are a crapshoot leaning on mostly bad.

 

[ForumSafari]

If you really don't see the difference in cultural context for these two things, then I feel a little sorry for you. Hint: Which of those races were enslaved for 200 years in the United States?

Was it the ancient Egyptians? I know it wasn't Idris Elba's ethnic group since his parents are British and moved there from Ghana and Sierra Leone where, to put it bluntly, if his ancestors were involved in the slave trade they were more likely to be slavers than slaves. I don't think giving a black British guy a pass because black Americans were enslaved (and owned slaves) along with some white people is really consistent, it's kind of suggestive of not being able to tell black people apart to be honest.

Don't get me wrong, American racial politics are amusingly weird but I'm just not getting it. Surely if you wanted to 'make up for' slavery (in itself a ridiculous concept) you'd promote African American acting talent rather than picking some guy who happens to be black but whose family was never involved in slavery and saying it like that's a useful gesture.

EDIT: I should make it clear that I don't have any reason to suspect his ancestors were involved in slavery.

 

[DeadCoyote]

Nope. Interstellar was realy good.