No discourse on cinema is complete without hot takes.The more scandalizing and more apparently indefensible an opinion, the more entertainingit is. One of the best feelings in the world of film discussions is the realization that a radical claim becomes meaningful upon hearing the evidence, which is, quite often, substantial. For example, establishing that Janice deserves empathy and isn’t as annoying as people claim is one of the betterunpopular opinions aboutFriends.
Without strong arguments that would actually change someone’s mind, listening to hot takes is dull.They’re just remixes of others; opinions embellished with personalized effectsand have as much substance as a meaningless vanity project.Unpopular opinions for shows likeGame of Thrones, which is beyond famous, are thus a mix of theories that change everything and random claims made to stay in the zeitgeist. Butunpopular opinions about famous movies likeBarbieare truly unpopular because there’s a significant popular take to oppose in such cases.
The Notebook
Cast
Adapted from Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name, The Notebook is a romantic drama film that follows a couple who fall in love during the 1940s. Duke, an older man, recounts the story of two young lovers whose lives never lined up quite right to a fellow patient in his nursing home. Reading from the notebook pages, the movie keeps flashing from the present into the past to tell the story of the one that got away.
Rightfully given a low score by critics on Rotten Tomatoes,The Notebookis an inexplicably beloved “romance” film based on Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name. While there’s undoubtedly good chemistry between the lead pair of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, and the film ends on a bittersweet moment of pure, long-lasting romantic love, the central couple for most of the film is simply toxic. Gosling’s Noah practically threatens McAdams' Allie with suicide in the name of asking her out, which is a significant red flag.
10 Harsh Realties Of Rewatching The Notebook, 20 Years Later
Though The Notebook is a beloved addition to the rom-com genre, looking back on it 20 years later reveals some issues with the story & characters.
The premise of the film is that they’re meant for each other, so no matter where they are in their lives, they’ll always try to choose each other if possible. But if that comes at the cost of treating other partners like they’re disposable, or cheating on a current partner, then it’s an excuse for being a bad person. And in case Sparks fans forget,Allie slaps Noah for breaking up with her. This romance is anything but idyllic. The two are horrible people who only bring out the worst in each other.
TRON: Legacy
Tron: Legacy is the sequel to the 1982 cult classic Tron, in which Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) receives a signal from his long-lost father, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges). His search takes him into the Grid, a virtual reality created by his father, who is trapped inside. Father and son must work together with the help of Quorra (Olivia Wilde) to stop Clu, a malevolent program, from escaping the Grid and invading the real world.
WithTRON: Aresset to be released next year, the franchise is finally being talked about again, but barring a cult following,TRONis largely underrated. WhileTRON: Legacyhas some pacing issues that make the climax rushed, there are not enough flaws in the film to explain why it’s slept on. The greatest thing about the film is undoubtedly Daft Punk’s score, whose electronic notes complement the futuristic, techno-visual aesthetic of the world.
TRON: Legacyalso features a talented cast who are more than up for the task of picking up the emotional thread of the narrative whenever the showing off of cool stunts and visual design takes a back seat for the plot to progress. While there’s somewhat of an exposition dump in the middle of the film,TRON: Legacy’s lore is solid and makes the world feel habitableand complex with politics and genuine stakes involved. The father-son relationship could be better developed, but as far as sci-fi films go,TRON: Legacyisn’t flawed enough to be ignored the way it is.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift centers on Sean Boswell, who moves to Tokyo to live with his military father to avoid jail time. Immersed in the city’s underground drift racing scene, Sean navigates the challenges of his new environment and the intricacies of high-stakes racing.
One of the coolest things a car can do is drift. So, it’s not a surprise that there’s aFast & Furiousmovie that’s entirely focused on drifting, given that the franchise’s primary focus is vehicular stuntwork. Or rather, was, before a comically overdone emphasis on family and ignorance of the laws of physics became the franchise’s selling points. Shifting to a different location and focusing on different characters from the usual suspects of aFast & Furiousmovie is apparently the best thing for the franchise, becauseTokyo Drifthas the most coherent storyline with real heart init.
Tokyo Driftis the only grounded film in the franchise.
With cars not flying, and people having regular concerns like impressing their crush and making enough money to fund their lifestyles,Tokyo Driftis the only grounded film in the franchise. The stunts are still thrilling and visually appealing because cars drifting around each other while spiraling through tight tracks is anything but boring. It might be the lowest-grossing film, butTokyo Driftintroduces Fast & Furious' best characterin Han. His nonchalant demeanor and suave style of speech make him the perfect supporting character for the story ofTokyo Drift, which moves faster than the cars featured in it.
Twilight
Based on Stephenie Meyer’s book of the same name, Twilight follows Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who falls madly in love with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who she soon finds out is a vampire. Falling in love with her at the same time, Edward and Bella must overcome obstacles to preserve their forbidden relationship.
WhenTwilightfirst came out, it garnered a cult following, but it became one of the most popular book-adaptation movie franchises. However, most viewers had two opinions: the story is dumb, and Kristen Stewart can’t act. People still make thewrong criticism of Stewart’s career due toTwilight, but she didn’t even do that bad of a job. Bella Swan is a famously one-dimensional character who has next to no personality development in the fourTwilightbooks that were adapted into movies. Stewart is appropriately uninteresting in her portrayal of the character.
Every character inTwilighthas something of a backstory and goes through a challenging experience that fundamentally impacts who they are as a person. Bella goes through some traumatizing experiences too, but her entire personality is based on being obsessed with Robert Pattinson’s Edward or leaning on Taylor Lautner’s Jacob. The feminist interpretations of the film are justified by reading it as a form of reversal of gaze and a campy reinterpretation of the sexy vampire trope.Twilightisn’t boring, Bella is,and Stewart ensures viewers know that.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. When Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds himself on the hunt for the fabled Fountain of Youth, he runs afoul of his old rival Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and the feared pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Accompanied by the mysterious Angelica (Penelope Cruz), Sparrow races his competition to the fountain in the hopes of claiming the Fountain for himself.
While the first three films in Disney’sPirates of the Caribbeanfranchise are no doubt the best and make a solid trilogy,On Stranger Tidesis unfairly dismissed as being a weaker entry. Orlando Bloom’s Will and Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth are absolutely part of the charm because, providing the emotional hooks for most of the storylines. However,the real MVP of the franchise will always be Johnny Depp’s “Captain” Jack Sparrow, who is inOn Stranger Tidesand entertaining as ever.The very first scene features one of his most elaborate escape sequences.
Sparrow’s style of combat, using his surroundings to get unfair advantages, his reliance on fortune to survive the day, and his quintessential charismatic persona that’s simultaneously repulsive and captivating, are all present, and less filtered than ever. Without the usual supporting characters, the focus is almost entirely on Jack, and he continues to manipulate people, somehow still doing the right thing, and eventually rejects the feisty heroine, played by Penélope Cruz, on his way to drunkenly get lost in search of his next adventure.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is set in a galaxy facing political turmoil, as Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi seek peace while encountering Anakin Skywalker, a slave with great potential in the Force. Meanwhile, the Sith begin their resurgence, threatening the stability of the Republic.
While he’s unanimously one of the most hated characters in movie history, and rightfully so,Jar Jar Binks simply doesn’t have enough screen timeinStar Wars: The Phantom Menaceto completely ruin the filmas some of its haters like to claim. For those who watch the franchise in chronological order, it’s the first film they see. As far as introducing people to the lore of the Force, the concept of the Jedi, the politics that defineStar Wars, and lightsabers go,Phantom Menacedoes a fantastic job.
Jar Jar Binks only appears for a total of 18 minutes in the 2 hours 16 minutes longStar Wars: The Phantom Menace.
Darth Maul, albeit underutilized in the film, is one of the coolest villains of all time; the duel between him and Qui-Gon Jinn is tied with the high-octane pod race featuring a young Anakin Skywalker, as the best scenes inPhantom Menace. Ahmed Best didn’t deserve the unfairhurtful backlash he received for voicing Jar Jar, and more importantly, he’s too insignificant to ruin an otherwise okay film. It’s not the bestStar Warsmovie, but apart from Midichlorian tests, it doesn’t misstep worse than any of the other films before the sequel trilogy.
Joker
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker is an origin story for Batman’s most iconic villain. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a down-on-his-luck clown who is trying to become a successful stand-up comedian. When things don’t go according to plan, and Arthur feels Gotham is oppressing him and others with mental illness, Arthur sparks a violent revolution within the city.
Todd Phillips' filmography has the craziest twist of all time. He went fromDue Dateand theHangovertrilogy to making the gritty crime thrillerJoker, which is a masterpiece about how society’s cruelty manufactures psychopaths. At least that’s what fans ofJokerlike to claim. He should perhaps have stuck to making comedies because all Phillips did was remakeTaxi Driver, but without recontextualizing the protagonist from the 1970s.Arthur Fleck isn’t the real Joker, or even interesting, but a mouthpiece for the belief that violence is the solution to privilege disparity.
Jokeris a bad film because it’s a poor remake.
JokerfollowsTaxi Driver’s footsteps in introducing a protagonist with utter disdain for the very filthy behavior around him that he himself exhibits, butunlike Scorsese’s film,Jokerisn’t self-aware.Taxi Driverworks as a noir thriller because the film establishes beyond doubt that there’s no reason to condone its protagonist’s actions and that he deserves his judgment. Even if one were to think of it as a remake of the 1976 film and not related to the comic book character of the same name,Jokeris a bad film because it’s a poor remake.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, concludes the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga. It follows the remaining Avengers as they attempt to reverse the destruction caused by Thanos, navigating complex dynamics and forging alliances to restore balance to the universe.
Before James Cameron returned with anotherAvatarfilm,Avengers: Endgamewas the highest-grossing film of all time. An impressive feat, the achievement can only be attributed to one thing — fans' nostalgia about the three-part saga comprising 23 films that ended with it. The first major flaw is the highly convenient explanation of how time travel works. Not only does the theory not survive scrutiny with imaginary scenarios, but the film decides to dismissBack to the Futurefor having a weaker time travel theory, which is unnecessarily aggressive.
Neither of the character deaths get their due diligence in the film, in terms of representing grief. The infamous funeral scene where none of the actors look as sad as their characters should be because they didn’t know what scene they were filming, is a good example of how poorly madeAvengers: Endgamereally is. Even as nostalgia bait, it can’t provide real closure, using the other significant character’s death to set up the climax, which begins by cutting short the scene where characters mourn her. In fact, it tookdeleted scenes to improveAvengers: Endgame.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a reimagining of the 2017 film, where Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince assemble a team of metahumans, including Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg, to defend Earth from a looming cosmic threat, following Superman’s previous sacrifice. Released in 2021, it continues the DC Extended Universe narrative.
One of the most talked-about superhero films in recent years isZack Snyder’s Justice League, prompting ajoke inBarbieabout the director’s cut. It took petitioning to convince WB to allow the release of Zack Snyder’s uncut four-hour version. Snyder promised the unseen footage would solve every issue withJustice League. Instead, it’s just literally slower. The camera pans slowly over beautifully framed picturesque landscapes to fill up the runtime. Instead of context and backstory, the Snyder cut just adds an avant-garde aesthetic, as if all it needed was to look artsy.
Zack Snyder Explains Why Cut Batman/Superman/Lois Love Triangle Plan Was So Exciting
Zack Snyder’s Justice League plan originally included a romance between Batman and Lois Lane, and now he offers more detail on the cut storyline.
The characters still feel like they don’t know why they have been chosen as the protagonists of the story, Superman’s death is still mostly ceremonial with emotional tolls barely explored, the visual effects of the Flash running are still horrible, and the climax still feels rushed. The first half turns into a slow burn in Snyder’s cut, but it drags in the theatrical cut too. If anything, that part should have been tighter, making time to explore the characters' individual lives and motivations.Snyder’s flawed vision for the Justice League can’t be fixedwith two extra hours of movie.
Interstellar
From Christopher Nolan, Interstellar imagines a future where the Earth is plagued by a life-threatening famine, and a small team of astronauts is sent out to find a new prospective home among the stars. Despite putting the mission first, Coop (Matthew McConaughey) races against time to return home to his family even as they work to save mankind back on Earth.
It’s hard to find a movie as celebrated by cinephiles asInterstellar.Nolan’s film about a desolate future that can only be escaped by traveling through a black hole has stunning visuals, but that doesn’t absolve it of its writing flaws.Nolan is infamous for writing one-dimensional female characterswho aren’t fleshed out enough. This problem is most glaring inInterstellar, where Anne Hathaway is a protagonist. Despite her significance to the storyline, the character isn’t given strong motivations or even a satisfying conclusion. It’s one ofthe harsh realities ofInterstellarto reconcile with on a rewatch.
While it’s celebrated for being a “smart people’s movie,“Interstellaruses too much armchair physics. It’d have been more immersive ifInterstellarhad simply committed to being fictional instead of becoming Nolan’s platform to prove time travel can be done. Hans Zimmer does provide an amazing score in “Cornfield Chase,” which will always live rent-free in people’s heads. But the whole movie should have to pay the rent of having a coherent emotional thread that’s not introduced only when there are no more cool visuals to show off. The weak script doesn’t deserve the reputation it has.
