Movies I Love That Were Poorly Received

The idea for this article came to me when I was talking with a friend who told me how much she loved this reboot in a certain film franchise and suggested that I see it. I don’t talk about movies often and I used to review them the same way I review video games now.

I’ve covered extensive topics regarding films in the past and it’s become a subject I only write about on occasion since I don’t really watch a lot of things that much anymore. But when I had this conversation with this friend, I noticed the film she was talking about had been a victim of negative reviews from both critics and audiences, the latter most likely was due to them being far too attached to the original films.

So the idea hit me, what are some movies I enjoyed that most people didn’t like?

Bride Wars

There are several chick flicks out there that are centered around weddings. What’s funny is that all the ones I have on DVD come in pink cases.

This one seemed to be a miss for a lot of people. I never understood the obsession with that these girls feel they HAVE to have their weddings at only one location and at only one time of the year? If it’s not feasible there are certainly other times and places for a wedding.

It seems critics just did not like this one, maybe because of the bridezilla rivalry and the stereotypes with it. But I enjoyed the comedy and Anne Hathaway is one of my favorite actresses. I’ve seen nearly all of her films, even ones that weren’t a success.

Critics have also called this film one of the worst chick flicks with a bad script but I never saw it that way. It made me laugh even though there were some parts that I felt could have been done better. Like Liv, can you just let your brother and fiance play Halo 3 in peace, or even better I suggest you get a hobby and join them, this coming from someone who is a gamer!

Dune (1984)

There are mixed reactions from critics and audiences alike for this movie. I witnessed my dad and brother watching it one evening and overheard them say they didn’t like it. I only saw a few clips: one involving the sandworms and some of the aliens and it drew my attention.

There is a narration at the beginning that gave me a basic understanding of the worlds and the spices each race craves from the titular planet but I feel like I would be required to do more research to understand everything.

I decided to not let my family’s negative feelings about the movie prevent me from watching it. When I finally saw it, I liked the lore and the concept over all. The special effects were pretty cool too. I can see why some critics and viewers might not like it because it can be confusing or its scenes may not be well-organized to others.

Not every review it received was negative however, but at first watch I did get a little lost on what’s what. Reading the books could help me understand the universe better and I would also like to see the remake too when it comes. It’s sci-fi and if it’s sci-fi with aliens, giant worms, whatever, I will watch it no matter how disliked it is. Oh did I mention Patrick Stewart is in it?

The Call

Not your average R-rated crime thriller. Like how often do we get movies that center around the job of being a 911 operator? It’s more stressful than you think! Imagine having to speak calmly even if you have someone on the line who is freaking out or crying.

What I love about the film is the suspense, it was extremely well done. I can’t count how many times I was on the edge of my seat when I saw it in theaters. The movie also made me loathe the antagonist once I realized what his motives were and the fact that he just kept eluding the police every time his most recent victim tried to give away her location. But, I have a lot of respect for the actor who plays him. Back when I used Twitter, I reached out to that actor and asked him what it was like to play that role, he was super nice and responded that he couldn’t have done it without Abigail Breslin (who plays the main victim) and that every role has its challenges.

I can see why it wasn’t well-received, it was praised for its suspense, but by the time it gets to the part where the protagonist goes to search for clues on her own does it deter from what makes it unique as a whole. I feel like the ending could have been better and I’m sure lots of critics and the public will agree with me. I just wanted to see that killer get locked up. But like I said, the continuous suspense makes me enjoy the film regardless.

The Golden Compass

I am a big fan of Phillip Pullman’s universe of His Dark Materials, and this movie was the first time I was exposed to that universe. When I saw the trailer, I fell in love with the fantasy elements: witches, armored bears, and a strong young female protagonist that is Lyra to top it all.

My dad took me to see it in theaters and I loved it so much, even if I didn’t understand the whole Magisterium thing back then. I didn’t care because it was fantasy with a bit of steampunk.

Now, I don’t have to do any research to determine why this movie wasn’t a big success. If you’ve never read the books before, it’s easy to get confused with the plot, characters, and the overall lore. There were scenes where random characters were seen speaking and some of the dialogue I didn’t understand. As a kid I didn’t care, but as an adult I was excited when the HBO series was announced and then that made me want to read the books.

This movie does take some things from the books like when I read the first book, I realized the movie got the fight between Iorek and Iofur better than the HBO series did, for example. It’s still a good movie even if it stands out more from the other adaptation.

Princess Diaries 2

Another Anne Hathaway film eh? I loved the first one and this one I thought was going to be an interesting story because I wanted to see Mia become queen. But it still got low ratings from critics and I feel it could have done a little better at the box office.

Some say they don’t like it because there wasn’t enough material to make it really good. I don’t care either way, I loved seeing Mia return and there was another character played by Raven. The most touching moment of the film was when Mia stopped the parade to check up on a girl in the orphanage who was being picked on by two boys, then she invited all the children to walk with her, and the girl she comforted eventually stopped sucking her thumb and began to enjoy herself.

Stay Alive

This horror film, don’t get me started on the negative reviews it received and other things that impacted its failure. I just remember one time my brother wanted to rent this and we watched it up at the cottage my relatives owned at that time. There’s a ton of reasons why nobody both audience and critics didn’t like this film, I mean it could be better it many ways but I never disliked it.

It was one of the first horror films I ever saw and I feel like I’ve seen two different versions where some scenes are edited out and replaced with others that can make it confusing. It may seem typical how in the story, anyone who died in the game would be killed in real life the same way.

What drew me to it was how it was based on the story of the infamous Countess Elizabeth Bathory, one of the most iconic serial killers of all time, and how in the movie, it was her spirit that hunted anyone who died in the game, until it reached a point where she could do so freely. Then the remaining characters had to locate her body and burn it to stop the murders from increasing.

Despite the case, she is used in a lot of pop culture and this is one of them.

Hellboy (2019)

Last but not least, this is the film that drove me to write this article and the one that my friend suggested I watch when she told me she liked how it followed the comics more. I did watch the other two Hellboy films directed by Guillermo Del Toro before watching this one. Those two films weren’t what I expected, they turned out to be rather fanciful with more comedy than action, perhaps to place emphasis on the fact that Hellboy himself isn’t meant to be taken seriously. While I did like how in those films, he loved cats and I also enjoyed the character of Abe, and some other parts of the story and the monsters, I didn’t totally love them enough to give them five stars.

Then I saw the trailer for this reboot film and decided to watch it because I was interested in Hellboy as a character and wanted to keep an open mind, no matter what actor played him. Watching this film I liked how it was more action-packed: like the scene where he fights those giants single-handedly, with great music (I just say that I because I love rock and metal!) and not to mention Hellboy was a lot more attractive to me, he just looks more manly in this movie while in the other two he just looks like he’s still a teenager. I didn’t see much difference in his personality though.

I can’t understand why critics and audience didn’t like this reboot. Most comments I’ve seen from the latter just simply say it’s shit without providing a lot of reason because they are most certainly, too attached to Del Toro’s films. Critics on the other hand just think it was badly done and fails to live up to the other two, whatever that means. I enjoyed it however, even if it wasn’t perfect, like the profanity seemed to just be there for the hell of it (no pun intended) because they’re trying to make it like Deadpool, and some of the gore was overdone and some deleted scenes should of stayed, but I still enjoyed it because I just simply found a way to do so.

It’s also because I feel myself developing an attraction to Hellboy, (I mean how could I not be?) he is hot! But if I were to start having daydreams about him and all that shit, then he would look the way he does in this film.

Yeah I think I said the most about this one because my thoughts were still fresh on it since I only watched it last weekend.

Anyway, those are the films I’ve enjoyed that weren’t well-received by audience and critics. Through all the criticism and hate, I manage to find the silver lining whether it’s an attractive extraterrestrial protagonist or an interesting story.

What are some films you loved that weren’t very successful?

👽Emily