Ben Shapiro - Ben Shapiro’s Most OVERRATED Films
The speaker argues that many acclaimed films are overrated, using criteria that measure the gap between public perception and actual quality. They criticize 'The Shape of Water' for its implausible plot and political undertones, despite its high Rotten Tomatoes scores. 'Avatar' is described as visually stunning but narratively empty, with a simplistic plot and clichéd themes. 'Titanic' is criticized for its shallow characters and unrealistic plot points, despite its visual achievements. The speaker also targets 'The English Patient' for its tediousness and lack of engaging content, despite its numerous awards. 'Get Out' is seen as overrated for its heavy-handed social commentary, while 'Black Swan' is dismissed as pretentious. The speaker also critiques 'Avengers: Endgame' for its overstuffed narrative and low stakes, and 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' for its repetitive and chaotic storytelling. They argue that 'Glass Onion' fails as a mystery due to its lazy plot twist, and 'Napoleon Dynamite' is labeled as unfunny and annoying. The speaker challenges another critic to defend these films.
Key Points:
- Overrated films are those with a significant gap between perceived and actual quality.
- 'The Shape of Water' is criticized for its implausible plot and political themes.
- 'Avatar' is visually impressive but lacks depth and originality in its story.
- 'Titanic' is noted for its visual effects but criticized for character and plot issues.
- 'Get Out' and 'Black Swan' are seen as overrated due to their heavy-handed themes.
Details:
1. 🎬 Overrated Films: Setting the Standard
1.1. Overview of Overrated Films
1.2. Critique on 'The Dark Knight'
1.3. Public Reaction to Film Opinions
2. 🐠 The Shape of Water: A Controversial Best Picture
- 'The Shape of Water', released in 2017, won the Best Picture award at the Oscars.
- Critics argue that the film is overrated, highlighting a disparity between its perceived quality and its actual merit.
- The film has mixed reviews on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes, which critics use to argue that both audiences and critics have an inflated view of its quality.
- Specific criticisms include a 'horrible script' and 'universally terrible' performances, despite the film's accolades.
- The narrative is perceived as relying heavily on clichés and political messaging, particularly in the relationship between the protagonist and a fish-like creature.
- Some argue that the film's win was politically motivated, overshadowing technical and storytelling flaws.
- Despite these critiques, the film was praised for its visual style and direction, offering a counterpoint to its detractors.
3. 🌌 Avatar: Visuals vs. Substance
- The movie has a high critical acclaim with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics and a 73% from audiences, indicating a disconnect between critical and public reception.
- Avatar was the highest-grossing film in history at its release, showing significant commercial success despite the narrative critique.
- The film is criticized for its lack of substance, described as 'beautiful to look at and absolutely vacuous,' implying that visuals overshadow the storyline.
- Avatar is compared to other films like 'Fern Gully' and 'Dances with Wolves,' suggesting a lack of originality in its plot.
- The concept of 'unobtanium' is ridiculed, highlighting perceived weaknesses in the film's narrative logic and depth.
- The film portrays the military as a 'rapacious blood for oil force,' critiquing its representation of political and military themes.
- The narrative is seen as predictable, with themes of natives versus industrialists, reflecting critiques of its depth and originality.
4. 🚢 Titanic: Love Story vs. Real Heroism
- James Cameron's Titanic is critiqued for prioritizing a fictional romance over real historical heroism, where individuals like Isidor and Ida Straus, who chose to remain together rather than take a lifeboat, exemplify true sacrifice.
- Critics argue the film's iconic door scene lacks practicality, questioning the survival choices of the characters.
- The film's ending, where a character discards a priceless diamond, is seen as an illogical narrative choice that undermines historical context.
- By focusing on a romance narrative, the film misses showcasing acts of real heroism, such as the bravery of crew members who stayed to help others escape.
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6. 🌍 The English Patient: Lengthy and Unmemorable
- 'The English Patient' won nine Academy Awards in 1997, including Best Picture, reflecting its critical acclaim at the time.
- Despite winning numerous awards, the film is criticized for being overly lengthy and having a plot that lacks engagement.
- The narrative centers on a nurse in a bombed-out monastery during World War II, which some viewers find tedious and lacking in substance.
- In the same year, 'Fargo' and 'Jerry Maguire' were also nominated for Best Picture; both films are often regarded as more engaging and memorable.
- Kenneth Branagh’s 'Hamlet,' a highly regarded adaptation, was not nominated, which some critics view as an oversight by the Academy.
7. 🔍 Get Out: Social Satire or Overhyped?
- 'Get Out' received a 98% Rotten Tomato score and an 86% audience score, highlighting its critical acclaim.
- The film is criticized for its obvious and obnoxious metaphor of abducting black people, brainwashing them, and making them slaves, which some find insulting and ugly.
- The social satire is appreciated by audiences for its commentary on racial tensions and the dynamic between black and white people.
- Some conservatives appreciated the film's satire on left-wing white people who believe they aren't racist because of their political leanings.
- Despite its acclaim, some viewers rate the film a four out of ten, questioning the massive approval it received as a piece of social commentary.
8. 🖤 Black Swan and Darren Aronofsky’s Directing Style
- 'Black Swan' has an 85% critic approval and 84% audience rating, yet it's criticized for lacking depth in the protagonist’s backstory and being overly pretentious.
- The narrative of 'Black Swan' is perceived as simplistic, focusing merely on a character's mental breakdown leading to suicide.
- Darren Aronofsky is labeled as a pretentious director, with his films described as incoherent and nonsensical.
- Criticism of Aronofsky extends to other films such as 'Mother', 'The Whale', and 'The Fountain', which are considered confusing and overrated.
- 'Requiem for a Dream' and 'The Wrestler' are also dismissed as overrated despite their acclaim.
- Criticism is not limited to Aronofsky; 'Barbie' and 'Avengers: Endgame' are also labeled overrated, despite high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes (88% for 'Barbie' and 94% for 'Avengers: Endgame').
- The critique extends to the portrayal of characters and plot coherence, suggesting that popularity does not equate to quality or depth in storytelling.
9. 🔪 Glass Onion: Mystery Movie Missteps
- Despite high ratings with 91% from critics and 92% from the audience, 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' is criticized for not providing enough clues for viewers to solve the mystery, a crucial element in mystery films.
- The film's twist involving a twin character was criticized as a common and uninventive trope, diminishing its originality in the mystery genre.
- Director Ryan Johnson received criticism for introducing a character halfway through the film, considered irrelevant and a 'lazy twist', contrasting with the expectations of coherent storytelling in mystery narratives.
- In comparison, 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' also faced criticism despite a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and 79% audience score, being labeled as repetitive and having a storyline deemed ridiculous, highlighting the importance of maintaining consistent narrative quality.
10. 🎥 Concluding Thoughts and a Challenge to Matt Walsh
- The segment critiques 'The Prestige' for hiding plot clues in a way that can be seen as both 'dumb' and 'brilliant,' reflecting a nuanced view on film intelligence.
- It criticizes a murder mystery for allegedly insulting the audience's intellect, indicating a broader disdain for films perceived as clever yet condescending.
- Strong disapproval is expressed for 'Napoleon Dynamite,' despite its 72% Rotten Tomatoes score and 74% audience score, calling it 'stupid' and 'annoying.'
- A critique is directed at the film's humor and portrayal, suggesting it fails to engage or entertain effectively.
- The speaker challenges Matt Walsh to respond to their list of overrated films, asserting it is superior to Walsh's list and invites a debate on the merits of these films.
- This challenge reflects confidence in their film critique and seeks to engage Walsh in a discussion on film evaluation standards.