Most Overrated Films of the 2000's

Ok. Since we already established the most underrated of the 90's 80's and 70's, I'm going to do the most overrated of the 2000's 90's 80's 70's 60's 50's 40's 30's and perhaps 1900-1920.

1. Gladiator (2000)

Quite possibly the worst film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, this over-the-top, ultra-long, ultra-cliche and horribly written film stars Russel Crowe as the angriest man in the world. He wants to unite the gladiators and rise above gladiator status. Isn't that such an original idea? All the same time there's the angry king, the love interest and the younger person he takes under his wing. This creation reminds me a lot of a scene in Barton Fink. In Barton Fink the titular character tries to write a B-movie about wrestling but puts too much of the cliches into it. When he does, everyone says that he should only put in one of them (i.e. just a love interest not a love interest and a kid.) Ridley Scott, apparently, never got the memo. Another thing I despise about this film was pointed out to me in Roger Ebert's review of this. He points out that it just looks horrible. We know that this is intentional but does that make it good? In my opinion, absolutely not. If a film tries to be horrible, and is horrible, does it succeed? I don't think I need to answer that...

2. Michael Clayton (2007)

I quote critic Keith Uhlich, "Dude, there's a bomb in your car." That basically describes Michael Clayton. One laughably bad scene is when he's driving and sees some horses. He decides to get out and pet them because he's George Clooney. He does and his car blows up. That seems like one of the many similar scenes from Airplane! that are very similar to that. Another laughably horrendous scene is when Michael Clayton is talking to a potential client about how Michael will find him a trial attorney. Instead of the potential client saying, "Thanks! You saved my ass." like I imagine someone would say, he says, "I DON'T NEED A REFERRAL! I NEED A F---ING MIRACLE WORKER!!!" It's hilarious because the only good acting in this attempt at a thriller are the leading roles.

3. Children of Men (2006)

Let me throw this out there before I start this review; I do not hate this film. I just think that its just OK, 2½ stars tops. Almost every single review I have seen for this film gave it 4 stars. It is not by any means 4 stars. Unless, all of a sudden, we decide to give out 4 star reviews for incredible stunts. If so, Live Free or Die Hard should be the most acclaimed film of the decade! Children of Men features the incredible script about how in the near future, the world will be infertile and all of a sudden, a woman is pregnant. Now, all the major powers (and a few not so major) are trying to protect her. There isn't a single thing wrong with that script. Let's focus on what is wrong with it. Let's start in saying that Clive Owen was absolutely not made to do two or three minute long takes. It really shows that he is a film actor, not a stage actor. The director (Alfonso Cuaron) almost single-handedly ruins this film. He tries to make it a documentary only he overdoes the whole shakey-cam thing. He lets blood splatter on the camera at the most random times. He lets his actors seem like cardboard without telling them what they should sound like. He puts in extremely obnoxious high-pitched whines to make us feel like we just had a bomb explode in our ears. Bottom line for this film, do not be turned off by my review. I know a lot of people who love this film. I know a lot who don't like it. See it and be the judge for yourself. Even though I didn't love it, I wouldn't dream of calling it unwatchable.

4. Iron Man (2008)

I can hear everyone saying how I shouldn't blog if I don't have good taste and blah blah blah. But in my opinion, this is the only film that I can never understand why so many people like it! It's absolutely predictable. Paltrow proves that they give out Oscars in Happy Meals. Terrence Howard proves that he can't even buy a Happy Meal. Jeff Daniels and Robert Downey Jr prove that they can buy a Happy Meal even in bad movies. I don't like to use this term, but this is a "cookie-cutter-superhero-movie." It is idential to X-Men only since this is Iron Man, he's so unstoppable that the fight scenes are extremely boring. Every ten seconds they mention his Iron Man's father because every single person knew him and everyone says he was a great person and that he's just like him and how they are so sorry that he died. They really didn't give much thought to this film even thought a lot of people found it exceptional. It even tried to be an ultra-tight drama about Iraq even though it just repeats philosophies expressed in the brilliant war films of the 70's and 80's (Hair, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket.) This isn't fresh, it isn't entertaining, and it certainly isn't great art.

5. A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Once again, I do not hate this film either. But there's either something I'm missing about this film or there's something the Academy and a whole lot of critics are missing about Memento. A Beautiful Mind tells the extraordinary story of a man whit a mental disorder. I don't want to say too much but it has it's twists and turns. Russel Crowe, in my opinion, ruins the film. Memento should have swept the Oscars this year in winning best picture, best actor and best adapted screenplay (it was adapted by Nolan from his brother's short stories.)