In my eyes King Kong is overrated. It wasn't a bad film, but the CGI sucked in certain places, and people was treating it like it was the fourth chapter of the Lord of the Rings saga

Apparently you don't like Gays, politics, violence, black people, orientals, or country music with that list you put together John. Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyways, I agree with most of these films being overrated. But as with all lists, it is subjective.
But I thought History of Violence was one of the best films of the year. I mean, it was so good. Yes, they were one dimensional in the beginning, but as the conflict grows in the story, the lines become more and more blurred. I loved it.
And Kung Fu Hustle was nothing more than a fun movie. In the way of visuals and storyline it was a lot of fun. And I think that is all that it was meant to be. Now for a few items that I think should be added to the list.
First is Syriana. I thought it was a well acted movie, but it was forced down your throat. The movies like that that work the best are the ones who hit you where you are. But that does not work with this film.
Wallace & Gromit. Yes it was impressive to look at, but I don't know if I just don't have the same sense of humor or what, but it just didn't do it for me. I thought it was fun and all, but not near as fun as what I have gotten used to from studios like Pixar.
These are the ones that I thought of at least. I am sure I will think of more as time goes on.

Maybe bad movies are the new excellent movies, John? *snort*

Wow, all those overrated movies with Oscar buzz and not one hooker with a heart of gold in the bunch or any Julia Roberts in 4" heels shaking her money maker all over a dusty road as she climbs in and out of dirty water wells???

Huh. Well, I'm stumped.

Agree on the History of Violence. I actually gave that the most overrated award on my 2005 list (to be posted this week).

I wouldn't say Kung Fu Hustle was one of the greatest films of the year either. Your remark about it being over the top is correct, but almost all of Stephen Chow's film have the same manic absurdity. Check out God of Cookery, King of Comedy, or Shaolin Soccer.

I did think, however, given the load of crap films that were shoveled into the cineplexes this year, that Brokeback Mountain was worthy of the praise it has received.

Cool list.

I agree with all of those except Brokeback Mountain and Crash. I haven't seen Brokeback Mountain yet, so I can't comment, but when I saw all the praise it was getting I figured it was mainly just because it's about homosexuals. So you're probably right about that one.

Crash, however, is my pick for best movie of the year. Not only is it brave, like you said, but it's done very well. The acting is superb. Paul Haggis deserves to win an Oscar for his script, and perhaps at least be nominated for directing. Not only is it a great film, I enjoyed how it plays off racial stereotypes in order to catch the audience in racist comments of their own. Great film.

Hi is dead on with his/her statement, about King Kong. I enjoyed it but do we really need 3 hours of STORY-TELLING or was it more of a showcase of the film's VISUAL EFFECTS? "Look at me, I am Peter Jackson, I can make very good CGI!" I suppose the logic with some filmmakers is that you make a film then make it reach 3 hours running time and it's going to be classed as some epic, worthy of all the accolades. Somebody has to get off their high horse.

From John's list, I have only seen "The Constant Gardener", not an excellent film but powerful message indeed. If it should receive any Academy nomination, I dont mind Rachel Weisz getting it.

I completely agree with many on that list. However, I disagree with A History of Violence.

I'm furios at critics and most people this year!
I have no idea how people put Munich or King Kong on there top 10 lists. WOTW and Munich were bad. King Kong was only good.

The best film of the year was HANDS DOWN DEFINATELY DON'T TRY ARGUING AT ALL Capote. I saw every other film, and nothing lives up to it. Capote isn't amaiinzing or anything it's just better then everything else.

However, because noone bothered to see it or becuase of thier biased views, they don't know that it is.

The only other movie I can exept over Capote, is if someone says A History of Violence (With good explenation) or a foreign film that I have not seen yet. If you think anyhting else is 1, Your wrong. You are wrong, I don't care, but you are completely wrong. Sadly, it's the truth.

(Note: I haven't seen Syriana, Squid and the Whale or Constant Gardener so you can say those are better, but from what I have seen about them, they aren't getting as good reviews)

Anyways about Kong. It was overdone, overkilled, and too long. The best parts were going to Skull Island and when Ann is given to kong and the first half of in New York. I can't beleive that people think that the second part of Skull Island is the best. It probably the worst part of the whole movie.

People really make me angry this year.

Also, about Brokeback Mountain. It's just an average crappy love story. If someone makes a film involving gay lovers about anything, nowadays they'll get all that critical bs.

It's the truth.

People really make me angry this year.

Dang, i've only seen Kung Fu hustle on that list. it was good, but not great.

I think it is something about the hype but once a film gets too much I shy away from it. I havn't seen one of these films although I was initially interested in them all. I think hype scares me away.

How did you get this job again. From the article you just posted shows that you sure don't hell know much about the art of movie. You are a homophobe, and a racist. Go write your article at the KKK site next time, it would suite your style more.

Please tell me Mr. Bean is kidding. I can't read sarcasm but I hope that's all it was.

WOW!!!! I think Mr Bean's character was just completely defiled!!!!
I honestly hope that was sarcastic as well...if it wasn't...frankly someone should slap you for that.
JMHO :)

Panda said, "People really make me angry this year".

Same here, I have never been as angry as I have ever been when it comes to the movies this year. I am glad it's over! ;-)

Agree totally about History Of Violence. I was pretty close to falling asleep through that one. Were the "sex scenes" with Viggo getting his ass out really necessary? And then we had his "brother" appearing as almost like a sort of comic relief towards the end of the movie. What the hell?! Man I wish I had been hammered watching that piece of crap!

I hated CRASH - it was just a bad movie - about an interesting and important topic. The characters were too shallow and stereotypical and there was NOTHING new that the director or writer (or if it's the same guy) had to tell about any of the situations.

I don't understand why I see it on 'Best of Lists' and 'Worst of Lists'. I went to IMDB to see why people loved it so much - and anyone who said they didn't like it was labeled a racist by people who did like it - even though no one was bashing the topic. But none of them would respond to the film itself and defend the shallow characters or stereotypes. I would have liked it much more if the racism was a bit more subtle. Like if a minority character lost out on a job to a white person who had a criminal background or something. And are we really supposed to fall for Matt Dillon's character who is a racist sexual preadator because he has to help his daddy go to the bathroom - and then had to do his job by pulling one of his victims out of a car?

I guess some people can get into it more than others - but hey that's what makes movies great, right?

With History of Violence, I thought it was better than a lot of the other films out this year.

It was how it was able to get you to pose the questions about violence. It's tensions and what was really underneath.

However, the sex scenes were extremely odd.

I shunned Crash. I believe movies should follow Larry David's rule: "No hugging, no learning". Crash looked like it had plenty of both.

i've only seen crash, kung fu hustle, & a history of violence. i like crash quit a bit i would put it on my 2005 top list. i liked kung fu hustle it was like a live action cartoon and it was very silly, but i wouldn't put it on my top list. a history of violence...i did not like this movie. i thought it was very poorly acted. when viggo talked with his Philly or Boston accent. he sounded like a scared kid. the best parts were the action scenes very reminiscent of the Bourne Identity. anyway, that’s just my opinion. i love the site keep up the great work

Hollywood loves anything with gay people, but Hollywood loves gay people suffering from AIDs even more, and gay people suffering from AIDs and battling family incest is twice as fantastic. But you really want an Oscar? Make a movie about gay people with AIDs, suffering from incest, and caring for their Retarded Sibling while battling the Injustice wrought by a Giant, Soulless Corporation.

If CONSTANT GARDENER is on your overrated/worst list, then you clearly don't know much about film. About once a month, someone posts a completely off-the-wall article like this, and it makes me wonder why I keep coming back to this site...

I love how people get like, totally pissed when they dont agree with something. Chill y'all. IT IS ALL OPINION. I find discussion, especially heated discussion to be great. But relax. It'll be OK.

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BLOG ARTICLE: I think Movie X is overated. Thoughts?

RESPONSE BY READER: !!! #$@#@! How can you say Movie X is overated!?!?!? It was one of the finest pieces of movie art in over 3000 years!!! And you say you are a fan of film? I have seen better fans on ceilings. If you TRULY think that you should not be allowed to live, or breed, or have bred. So you and your heirs should be exterminated. Horribly. And then anyone who has the same name should be blinded with a hot cattle prod. I am sickened and must now go and commit hari-kari due to the offensive nature of that article. God bless us all. Except you.. BlogArticlePoster.
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I know i aint helping, but i have to amuse myself somehow... ;-)

I just saw The Constant Gardner and though it was not BAD (It was good) it was overrated.

Crash on the other hand is not overrated and is an excellent film.

As usual John, I disagree with you (That's cool though, I keep coming back to TMB). I was really into A History of Violence, one of the best films of the year. Never bothered with Crash and haven't yet seen Brokeback Mountain. Walk the Line was entertaining with very, very fine central performances even if the movie fell short of my expectations. Kung Fu Hustle is one of the most giddy, joyful pieces of cinematic madness that I've seen, it is not over-rated in the slightest...if you like your Kung Fu and the history of the genre which it is worshipping/mocking with every frame.

I particularly enjoyed Sin City, King Kong, Last Days and Munich as well.

The Chronicals of Narnia however was very, very disappointing to me. It fell flat on the big screen due to pacing problems (everything was to rushed, the best scene in the movie is Lucy with Thomas and that scene took things at a better pace), and adaptation issues. The big battle stunk and the Children felt out of place there, by the internal logic of the film, the boys should have been ripped to shreds by their enemies. Badly, badly done.

But really international cinema was were it was at this year. Just count the mind-blowing films from Denmark (Adam's Apples, Pusher II & III, and I've heard Brothers, Strings and Allegro are similarly excellent) and South Korea (Save the Green Planet, 3-Iron, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, April Snow, Memories of Murder, and I've heard Welcome to Dongmakgol is also fantastic)

"Hollywood is in a gay frenzy! Queer Eye For the Straight Guy. The Fast and the Furious..."

And keep knocking Kung Fu Hustle, chumps! I'd love to throw some curtain rings on my forearms, leap out of my tailoring shop and beat the soup out of all y'all with my gay tailor Kung Fu grip.

Right on, John, about the "Brokeback Mountain". I have seen it, and I wasn't all that inspired. The directing was good, and the movie had a layback atmosphere, but the story as a whole, well, let just say, I didn't want to go back and see it again.

Have only seen the first two films on the list. You're too harsh on "Constant Gardener". Fernando Meirelles overdirects the thing, the second half is too much of a runaround, and it ultimately gets by mainly on the strength of Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz (the latter in particular), but it's hardly Razzie-worthy.

As for "Brokeback", though, I think you're not far wrong. As a piece of actual filmmaking it's OK at best. If it were a heterosexual romance, hardly anyone would care about it (and almost no one would be going into the raptures that many critics have done over the film). And, somewhat more sadly perhaps, if it were made by an actually gay director with actually gay stars, even fewer would care about it.

Kungfu Hustle was about nostalgia and a lot was lost in the translation of a lot of "in" jokes. A lot of content was based on old Chinese novels. I was surprised at how well it did in non-Asian cinemas as it is. I thought it would have completely bombed. On that note, I don't think it should be on the list, because of the cultural gap. OK, it's not genius but damn did it ever make me feel good, after watching it.

John is a racist.

John you didn't like Crash. In my mind that takes down your status as a movie critic a peg. Now go to this link and read what a real critic said about Crash. I'm not saying your racist I'm just saying your a bad critic.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20050505%2FREVIEWS%2F50502001%2F1023&AID1;=%2F20050505%2FREVIEWS%2F50502001%2F1023&AID2;=

And go here too.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060108/COMMENTARY/601080310

Hey Alfredo,

That's funny... I could have swore I said:

"A good film that many people should see."

Does that sound like I said I didn't like it?!?!

To put this in perspective, here are what some other good critics said about Crash. Jami Bernard of the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS said: "Crash wants to be taken seriously as a meditation on our anxiety-plagued times, but the coincidences are too pat, the tugs on the heartstrings too insistent."

Ty Burr of the BOSTON GLOBE said: "Characters come straight from the assembly line of screenwriting archetypes, and too often they act in ways that archetypes, rather than human beings, do."

Carina Chocano of the LOS ANGELES TIMES said: "A grim, histrionic experiment in vehicular metaphor slaughter."

So I liked Crash more than the Boston Globe, The New York Daily News and the Los Angeles Times did. Does that make them all "bad critics" too?

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE Roger Ebert... but remember, he also gave Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace a "big thumbs up" and gave it a 3 1/2 stars out of four. To each their own... most of us would disagree with him on that one... but I would hardly call him a bad critic for it. Movies are all subjective.

The Constant Gardener was very boring, I don't care how "important" a movie's subjects are it has to be entertaining. This movie's praise was shoved down my throat from almost every critic but I havent met anyone that enjoyed this self indulgent crap.

A History of Violence was completely over-rated! A guy in the criminal protection program doesnt glam up to have his picture taken so he can be called a hero and easily recognized..was my first clue..second clue was the phony accents..should go into the 'fogget'abut'it' hall of fame.. 3rd was the creepy sex scene .."why dont we do it on the stairs" should have been playing in the background..first she likes it..then she doesn't.. make up your friggin mind..all the time im thinkin...The critics liked this movie?