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I tell ya what film I was very disappointed in: Sleeper (1973). I expected something like Annie Hall or Play It again, Sam. I expected a film focused more on spoken lines, which is Wood Allen's strong suit, rather than goofy physical/prop comedy. For one, Sleeper has a number of quirky music sequences that just feel corny. And the music is annoying..lol. Not to mention Woody himself. While I generally find him funny, his personality can be irritating sometimes. Just the way he reacts to things. And the fact that he never shuts up...talks a mile a minute and goes nowhere.
The Gunslinger45's top 12 Biggest Film Disappointments
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I tell ya what film I was very disappointed in: Sleeper (1973). I expected something like Annie Hall or Play It again, Sam. I expected a film focused more on spoken lines, which is Wood Allen's strong suit, rather than goofy physical/prop comedy. For one, Sleeper has a number of quirky music sequences that just feel corny. And the music is annoying..lol. Not to mention Woody himself. While I generally find him funny, his personality can be irritating sometimes. Just the way he reacts to things. And the fact that he never shuts up...talks a mile a minute and goes nowhere.
I really like Quentin Tarantino, but I have been disappointed in some of his films, notably Death Proof, Kill Bill Vol.1, and Django Unchained. But Jackie Brown is still one of my very favorite movies.
Agree with the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. I would add Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, everything to do with Star Wars after the original trilogy, Batman v Superman, and a bunch more I can't think of.
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Another excellent thread, Gunslinger! Your lists always make for a fun read. You've included some of my favorite films on here (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Straw Dogs, Shaun of the Dead), and your number one disappointment is my number one favorite director, but you validly explain the reasons for your choices. Even good movies feel lackluster under the weight of hype and preconceptions, so I try to keep my expectations in check, but it's easier said than done.
Like you, I was also disappointed in Oldboy. I had watched and loved several South Korean thrillers, and I kept hearing from everyone that Oldboy was the best of the lot, but I was underwhelmed by it. I don't think I knew about the twist beforehand, but the big reveal didn't make much of an impact on me. Probably because I've seen that same theme role-played in so many porn videos. After all, incest is wincest. I saw Fight Club when it first came out, before it became every teenage boy's favorite movie, so I don't register it as a disappointment, but I have always been surprised by the level of praise it receives. I think it's a good movie, but I'd rank it near the bottom of Fincher's filmography, ahead of only Alien 3 and Panic Room.
If I'd had any expectation of Suicide Squad not sucking, it probably would've been a disappointment to me too, but I was able to get enough enjoyment out of Margot Robbie's slutty Harley Quinn shtick to help compensate for everything else wrong with the movie. I struggled to stay awake during 8 1/2. Out of all the movies that are consistently ranked near the top of these Greatest Films of All Time lists, that's the one I've struggled with the most. I'll give it another shot one day since I've liked/loved every other Fellini film I've seen. I liked The Crow when I was a kid, but I thought considerably less of it upon a recent re-watch. I agree with you about the POTC sequels, although I am still fond of Dead Man's Chest. I'm a little surprised by your reaction to Machete. I thought the immigration angle was too hokey to get riled up about. Prometheus is the biggest disappointment to me in recent memory. As for Alien vs. Predator, I don't think I'd even seen Alien yet at that point in time, so I wasn't hyped for it like other people. I'd definitely like to go back and play that AvP SNES game you referenced, though.
I'm not sure what would make my own version of this list. I know that Spider-Man 3 would be on there somewhere. And definitely Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, which I'm pretty sure killed something inside of me as a child, given how much I adored Mortal Kombat at the time. Coincidentally, I just watched Mortal Kombat: Annihilation the other night for the first time in twenty years, and it was every bit as bad as I remembered. F*cking CGI dragons.
Looking forward to your list of movies you like that other people hate. I figure either Tusk or Yoga Hosers will make an appearance. Maybe Pink Flamingos and Poultrygeist. No idea what else. I'll be curious to see if I fall more on the like or hate side of your selections.
Like you, I was also disappointed in Oldboy. I had watched and loved several South Korean thrillers, and I kept hearing from everyone that Oldboy was the best of the lot, but I was underwhelmed by it. I don't think I knew about the twist beforehand, but the big reveal didn't make much of an impact on me. Probably because I've seen that same theme role-played in so many porn videos. After all, incest is wincest. I saw Fight Club when it first came out, before it became every teenage boy's favorite movie, so I don't register it as a disappointment, but I have always been surprised by the level of praise it receives. I think it's a good movie, but I'd rank it near the bottom of Fincher's filmography, ahead of only Alien 3 and Panic Room.
If I'd had any expectation of Suicide Squad not sucking, it probably would've been a disappointment to me too, but I was able to get enough enjoyment out of Margot Robbie's slutty Harley Quinn shtick to help compensate for everything else wrong with the movie. I struggled to stay awake during 8 1/2. Out of all the movies that are consistently ranked near the top of these Greatest Films of All Time lists, that's the one I've struggled with the most. I'll give it another shot one day since I've liked/loved every other Fellini film I've seen. I liked The Crow when I was a kid, but I thought considerably less of it upon a recent re-watch. I agree with you about the POTC sequels, although I am still fond of Dead Man's Chest. I'm a little surprised by your reaction to Machete. I thought the immigration angle was too hokey to get riled up about. Prometheus is the biggest disappointment to me in recent memory. As for Alien vs. Predator, I don't think I'd even seen Alien yet at that point in time, so I wasn't hyped for it like other people. I'd definitely like to go back and play that AvP SNES game you referenced, though.
I'm not sure what would make my own version of this list. I know that Spider-Man 3 would be on there somewhere. And definitely Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, which I'm pretty sure killed something inside of me as a child, given how much I adored Mortal Kombat at the time. Coincidentally, I just watched Mortal Kombat: Annihilation the other night for the first time in twenty years, and it was every bit as bad as I remembered. F*cking CGI dragons.
Looking forward to your list of movies you like that other people hate. I figure either Tusk or Yoga Hosers will make an appearance. Maybe Pink Flamingos and Poultrygeist. No idea what else. I'll be curious to see if I fall more on the like or hate side of your selections.
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Mr Minio's top 1 Biggest Disappointment
This thread.
This thread.
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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.
Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.
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I like this thread, GS. 
I've repped the posts of the films I've seen.
I've repped the posts of the films I've seen.
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To echo the sentiment that has already been expressed several times, excellent thread GS. And you know what, I'm probably on your side more than most people in regards to your choices.
Now Suicide Squad I've not actually seen but that's a result of being burned by Man of Steel which as you know I thought was dreadful. Following that I've not yet seen Suicide Squad or Batman v Superman. That said there's no chance of me being disappointed with SS because I'm expecting to hate it whenever I see it. While many people seemed to be getting really excited by the trailers, I never thought it looked anything other than awful. And tbh I think I turned on the film as soon as the pictures of Leto's Joker were revealed. Remember the people on here saying the tattoos were just for promotional purposes and that there was no way it would make the final film?
After the joyous fun of the first film, the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels really have gone on quite the downward spiral. The second film (Dead Man's Chest I think) was actually ok if I remember rightly but 3 and 4 were very poor. To me it felt like they fell into the trap that many film series do; they attempted to add depth and a darkness to the story and to build a big mythology around it. There seems to be a notion that just doing this instantly grants you respectability and dramatic weight; it's like they're trying to justify their existence. No, just follow the approach of the first film and just be fun, pure and simple. Instead they just became massive, bloated messes of over-arching storylines. The thing that really sticks in my mind about the 3rd film was when the voodoo witch lassie all of a sudden became a giant. That really was a "where the f*ck did that come from?" moment.
And then On Stranger Tides I think is actually the worst. Despite the diminshing returns I was actually looking forward to that one because the filmmakers had been making all the right noises prior to its release, talking about getting back to the fun romp of the first film. And after the series got dragged down by the bland romance of Will and Elisabeth, them being jettisoned was a welcome move. And then what did they do, they just went and replaced them with another bland romance; the mermaid and the missionary I think it was.
I'm with you on Shaun of the Dead just not being funny, simple as that. However unlike you I also thought that of Hot Fuzz. I just don't find either Simon Pegg or Nick Frost to be remotely funny. In fact I find them both to be remarkably irritating
And while I may not quite have your sense of apathy towards him I'm also no fan of Quentin Tarantino. I was a fan of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs when I was younger but even my fondness for them has waned. Outside of those two however I'm just really not a big fan of any of his other work. And with perhaps the odd exception I've found it to be very much a case of diminshing returns. The longer he goes the more bloated, convoluted, egotistical and over-written his films seem to become. For me his films are in drastic need of a brutal editor, someone that will just come in and hack out at least 30-45 minutes. For a future film I'd love to see some very strict restrictions placed upon him, either in terms of budget or running time; something that would just force him to pare down and deliver something really lean. And for the love of God can he stop appearing in his own films! He cannot act to save his life and everytime he pops up it completely takes me out of the story.
There's actually only one disagreement I have with you; The Crow. I love that film and have done so since the first time I saw it at about 13 years old I think
And you know what, I'm probably on your side more than most people in regards to your choices. Now Suicide Squad I've not actually seen but that's a result of being burned by Man of Steel which as you know I thought was dreadful. Following that I've not yet seen Suicide Squad or Batman v Superman. That said there's no chance of me being disappointed with SS because I'm expecting to hate it whenever I see it. While many people seemed to be getting really excited by the trailers, I never thought it looked anything other than awful. And tbh I think I turned on the film as soon as the pictures of Leto's Joker were revealed. Remember the people on here saying the tattoos were just for promotional purposes and that there was no way it would make the final film?
After the joyous fun of the first film, the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels really have gone on quite the downward spiral. The second film (Dead Man's Chest I think) was actually ok if I remember rightly but 3 and 4 were very poor. To me it felt like they fell into the trap that many film series do; they attempted to add depth and a darkness to the story and to build a big mythology around it. There seems to be a notion that just doing this instantly grants you respectability and dramatic weight; it's like they're trying to justify their existence. No, just follow the approach of the first film and just be fun, pure and simple. Instead they just became massive, bloated messes of over-arching storylines. The thing that really sticks in my mind about the 3rd film was when the voodoo witch lassie all of a sudden became a giant. That really was a "where the f*ck did that come from?" moment.
And then On Stranger Tides I think is actually the worst. Despite the diminshing returns I was actually looking forward to that one because the filmmakers had been making all the right noises prior to its release, talking about getting back to the fun romp of the first film. And after the series got dragged down by the bland romance of Will and Elisabeth, them being jettisoned was a welcome move. And then what did they do, they just went and replaced them with another bland romance; the mermaid and the missionary I think it was.
I'm with you on Shaun of the Dead just not being funny, simple as that. However unlike you I also thought that of Hot Fuzz. I just don't find either Simon Pegg or Nick Frost to be remotely funny. In fact I find them both to be remarkably irritating
And while I may not quite have your sense of apathy towards him I'm also no fan of Quentin Tarantino. I was a fan of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs when I was younger but even my fondness for them has waned. Outside of those two however I'm just really not a big fan of any of his other work. And with perhaps the odd exception I've found it to be very much a case of diminshing returns. The longer he goes the more bloated, convoluted, egotistical and over-written his films seem to become. For me his films are in drastic need of a brutal editor, someone that will just come in and hack out at least 30-45 minutes. For a future film I'd love to see some very strict restrictions placed upon him, either in terms of budget or running time; something that would just force him to pare down and deliver something really lean. And for the love of God can he stop appearing in his own films! He cannot act to save his life and everytime he pops up it completely takes me out of the story.
There's actually only one disagreement I have with you; The Crow. I love that film and have done so since the first time I saw it at about 13 years old I think
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Uh, I liked Prometheus. 
Never understood the heavy negative reaction. Maybe people were expecting it to be another Alien movie, hardly, but what Prometheus did was start off what hopefully would be a new franchise. Hey, theres a thought! I feel when Ridley Scott ever releases the sequel to Prometheus, that it might improve peoples impression of it.
Personally Im intrigued about learning of the race that made the bio-engineered Aliens. If theyre so advanced physically, mentally, technologically, and think of man as ants......well, it has potential.
Never understood the heavy negative reaction. Maybe people were expecting it to be another Alien movie, hardly, but what Prometheus did was start off what hopefully would be a new franchise. Hey, theres a thought! I feel when Ridley Scott ever releases the sequel to Prometheus, that it might improve peoples impression of it.
Personally Im intrigued about learning of the race that made the bio-engineered Aliens. If theyre so advanced physically, mentally, technologically, and think of man as ants......well, it has potential.
I have to ...
...on the Crow.
I spent so much time with that soundtrack that I remember more about it than the movie.
A welcome change of pace to hear someone dissent on Tarantino. Hateful 8 is the only movie of his I really consider disappointing. There were other bad ones, but H8 is close to shameful.
A welcome change of pace to hear someone dissent on Tarantino. Hateful 8 is the only movie of his I really consider disappointing. There were other bad ones, but H8 is close to shameful.
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Cool list. I agree Tarantino is overrated.
My biggest film disappointment was Raging Bull. While I found most of Scorsese's films to be extremely well made I found that film disappointing because I was expecting a movie like a Rocky movie and I got a film about De Niro being a depressed animalistic character.
My biggest film disappointment was Raging Bull. While I found most of Scorsese's films to be extremely well made I found that film disappointing because I was expecting a movie like a Rocky movie and I got a film about De Niro being a depressed animalistic character.
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Totally agree about Fight Club ... but not for the same reasons as yours.
My reasons are a bit less sophisticated ... I just thought it was a total waste of my time ... crap.
My reasons are a bit less sophisticated ... I just thought it was a total waste of my time ... crap.
I agree with a lot of these, especially Fellini. I can't stand his films. The only movie you mentioned that I really love is Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
As for Tarantino, I respect the man more for the movies he champions than the movies he has made. I love his passion for exploitation/grindhouse/drive-in cinema and I share it. He's also a Xena fan, which scores a lot of points with me. Aside from the fact that he obviously drinks the PC liberal kool-aid they serve in Hollywood, he seems like a cool guy.
As for Tarantino, I respect the man more for the movies he champions than the movies he has made. I love his passion for exploitation/grindhouse/drive-in cinema and I share it. He's also a Xena fan, which scores a lot of points with me. Aside from the fact that he obviously drinks the PC liberal kool-aid they serve in Hollywood, he seems like a cool guy.
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1. Quentin Tarantino
Now you can get your pitchforks ready people!
Quentin Tarantino. What am I going to do with you beside not watch your movies? To me Quentin Tarantino is the cinematic equivalent of Communism. On paper, sounds like a great idea but in practice leads to broken hopes and dreams and piles of dead bodies. But at least in QT’s flicks they just die in the movie world.
Okay ham fisted metaphor aside, I am just not a fan. Tarantino himself tops my list of film disappointments because in all honesty, he should be one of my favorite directors. He makes violent movies, many of them with themes of crime or revenge, has a similar love for exploitation flicks, likes to use modern music to create memorable scenes like Scorsese has done, has been known to incorporate dark humor, and has an unquestionable passion for film and filmmaking that I really like. Hell his list of favorite movies includes multiple films in my top 25 or flicks I just really like! And yet his films and me just have this giant disconnect.
It is not like Tarantino just made one movie to make me not like his style. I have tried to like his flicks. My first introduction to him as a filmmaker was when I was about 13 years old. Which you would think would a great age to see one of his movies. And Lord knows I grew up watching tons of violent movies. It was around this time he released Reservoir Dogs. Easily one of his most famous and popular works… and at 13 years old I fell asleep during the movie. Bored me to tears.
So I did not like Reservoir Dogs. That is fine. After all it was just one movie. The biggest disappointment came when me and my brother tried to rent Pulp Fiction. Remember when I said in my The Crow segment there was a 4th movie I was forbidden to rent? Pulp Fiction was that final movie. So for about 3 years or so I waited thinking this flick was going to blow me away. I mean it had to right? There had to be SOME reason that I was not allowed to see it. And I had heard so many other people say how great the movie was. And finally me and my brother rented it when he turned 18. He really liked it. I was very disappointed. It was just… average. I liked the part in the Pawn Shop, but everything else was just not appealing.
My biggest issue after seeing 6 of his films is that I feel I just can’t connect with his trademark hyper stylized dialogue. And that is one of the biggest things his rabid fan base claim to be best about his movies. They love his dialogue. I just don’t care for it. And as a teenager I was getting into dialogue heavy films in a big bad way. Clerks was among my favorite movies and I was learning to really dig older less action oriented movies. And despite all of this, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs were just flat.
Now I continued to try and find something Tarantino did that I would like. Or at least be good. I tried Kill Bill, Kill Bill 2, and Death Proof (part of the Grindhouse double feature in cinemas). But outside of a few scenes here or there I was just not impressed. His films were just one meh after another. Because for me, Tarantino writes certain scenes very well; but just not the whole of the film. Now when I do find myself liking something Tarantino is attached to is when he acts as producer to a Robert Rodriguez movie. Then again I think Rodriguez is the better director. The final Tarantino directed film I saw was Inglorious Bastards. And I flat out HATED the movie. Over long, draw out, over inflated, and in desperate need of an editor. Not to mention the title characters The Bastards are barely in the film, but are the center piece for the advertisements. What is he paying homage this time? Michael Bay’s Transformer movies?
But the final nail in the coffin for me was years later. Even after Inglorious Bastards, I wanted to give Tarantino one last try. And I did so by trying to rewatch Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Maybe a rewatch would help. There have been plenty of movies I have rewatched that I ended up really liking. It worked for Blade Runner and Apocalypse Now. Hell it worked for Taxi Driver! So just a few years ago when I was still in the Army I sat down and watched both movies over again. And each time it was the same thing. Average. Meh. I just do not connect to these movies at all. It was then I finally just gave up on Tarantino. The guy is just not for me. Lord Knows I gave him more than his share of chances.
Now you can get your pitchforks ready people!
Quentin Tarantino. What am I going to do with you beside not watch your movies? To me Quentin Tarantino is the cinematic equivalent of Communism. On paper, sounds like a great idea but in practice leads to broken hopes and dreams and piles of dead bodies. But at least in QT’s flicks they just die in the movie world.
Okay ham fisted metaphor aside, I am just not a fan. Tarantino himself tops my list of film disappointments because in all honesty, he should be one of my favorite directors. He makes violent movies, many of them with themes of crime or revenge, has a similar love for exploitation flicks, likes to use modern music to create memorable scenes like Scorsese has done, has been known to incorporate dark humor, and has an unquestionable passion for film and filmmaking that I really like. Hell his list of favorite movies includes multiple films in my top 25 or flicks I just really like! And yet his films and me just have this giant disconnect.
It is not like Tarantino just made one movie to make me not like his style. I have tried to like his flicks. My first introduction to him as a filmmaker was when I was about 13 years old. Which you would think would a great age to see one of his movies. And Lord knows I grew up watching tons of violent movies. It was around this time he released Reservoir Dogs. Easily one of his most famous and popular works… and at 13 years old I fell asleep during the movie. Bored me to tears.
So I did not like Reservoir Dogs. That is fine. After all it was just one movie. The biggest disappointment came when me and my brother tried to rent Pulp Fiction. Remember when I said in my The Crow segment there was a 4th movie I was forbidden to rent? Pulp Fiction was that final movie. So for about 3 years or so I waited thinking this flick was going to blow me away. I mean it had to right? There had to be SOME reason that I was not allowed to see it. And I had heard so many other people say how great the movie was. And finally me and my brother rented it when he turned 18. He really liked it. I was very disappointed. It was just… average. I liked the part in the Pawn Shop, but everything else was just not appealing.
My biggest issue after seeing 6 of his films is that I feel I just can’t connect with his trademark hyper stylized dialogue. And that is one of the biggest things his rabid fan base claim to be best about his movies. They love his dialogue. I just don’t care for it. And as a teenager I was getting into dialogue heavy films in a big bad way. Clerks was among my favorite movies and I was learning to really dig older less action oriented movies. And despite all of this, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs were just flat.
Now I continued to try and find something Tarantino did that I would like. Or at least be good. I tried Kill Bill, Kill Bill 2, and Death Proof (part of the Grindhouse double feature in cinemas). But outside of a few scenes here or there I was just not impressed. His films were just one meh after another. Because for me, Tarantino writes certain scenes very well; but just not the whole of the film. Now when I do find myself liking something Tarantino is attached to is when he acts as producer to a Robert Rodriguez movie. Then again I think Rodriguez is the better director. The final Tarantino directed film I saw was Inglorious Bastards. And I flat out HATED the movie. Over long, draw out, over inflated, and in desperate need of an editor. Not to mention the title characters The Bastards are barely in the film, but are the center piece for the advertisements. What is he paying homage this time? Michael Bay’s Transformer movies?
But the final nail in the coffin for me was years later. Even after Inglorious Bastards, I wanted to give Tarantino one last try. And I did so by trying to rewatch Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Maybe a rewatch would help. There have been plenty of movies I have rewatched that I ended up really liking. It worked for Blade Runner and Apocalypse Now. Hell it worked for Taxi Driver! So just a few years ago when I was still in the Army I sat down and watched both movies over again. And each time it was the same thing. Average. Meh. I just do not connect to these movies at all. It was then I finally just gave up on Tarantino. The guy is just not for me. Lord Knows I gave him more than his share of chances.
Aaaaaahhhhhh!
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