Summary
The term"guilty pleasure"is often used to describe a movie that someone can only enjoy in secret, for fear of what the wider public thinks of the movie. Often, this means that a guilty pleasure movie is one that is typically looked down upon. However, I would argue that guilty pleasure is a term that is thrown around far too often when discussing unloved movies. But what if these guilty pleasures aren’t actually guilty? What if they’re just actually good movies?
From the vastness of space tothe dust of the Wild West, some ofthese so-called “guilty pleasures” are actually truly great movies. They often provide endearing stories full of compelling characters, yet for one reason or another, whether that’s their box-office performance or a misunderstanding of the themes, these movies get treated very harshly.It’s time to set the record straight, and embrace these movies for the misunderstood gems that they actually are.
10Starship Troopers (1997)
Misunderstood Upon Release
Starship Troopers, directed by Paul Verhoeven, is an adaptation of the 1959 novel of the same by Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of teenager Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien), who enlists in the military of the United Citizen Federation, a government that rules over the Earth. Earth is engaged in a war with an extraterrestrial bug species known as Arachnids. Upon release, it was heavily criticized for its alleged fascistic themes, and underperformed at the box office.
While a small group of fans now considerStarship Troopersto be a misinterpreted cult-classic, it deserves more than this modicum of appreciation.Starship Troopersis a sharp satire of militarized fascism, with its exaggerated nationalism and excessive violence acting as a critique of this. The cast is excellent, from Van Dien’s performance as Johnny, to Denise Richards as his girlfriend, Carmen, and all the members add toStarship Troopers' charm.It is a movie that is well-deserving of a re-evaluation, and an apology.
9John Carter (2012)
What’s In A Name?
John Carteris potentially only known to many audiences for its atrocious box office numbers, becoming one of Disney’s worst ever financial investments in a movie. John Carter tells the story of the titular character after he is accidentally transported to a planet he knows as Mars and must attempt to navigate this new, alien terrain. It was criticized for its slightly predictable story and low box-office numbers, but beyond these,John Carteris truly worthy of more appreciation.
Chief among these is the sheer impressive scale of the movie, with its visually stunning effects and incredible score by Michael Giacchino. The cast all give solid performances as well, adding to the depth of the movie, with Taylor Kitsch’s performance as John Carter being particularly impressive.If only the movie wasn’t given the rather boring name,John Carter, more people would have been interested in watching it, and giving this titan of a movie the respect and commercial success it probably deserved.
8Batman Forever (1995)
A Refreshing Diversion From Batman’s Tone
In fairness toBatman Forever, any movie that has to followBatman(1989) andBatman Returns(1992) would have a hard job of living up to them. However, a lot of the criticism leveled towardsBatman Forever, making it many people’s guilty pleasure Batman movie to watch, is extremely unfounded. One of the main problems that people have with Batman Forever is its lighter tone and colorful approach when compared to the two previous movies, butit is arguably this change in tone that makes the movie so underrated.
The iconic, over-the-top performances ofJim Carrey as The Riddlerand Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face are some of the highlights of the movie, and push the narrative forward in a fun and exciting way. While a more “family-friendly” approach to a live-action Batman movie may have been a misguided idea, it’s hard to deny thatBatman Forevermade the most out of the premise. Overall, it’s a fun superhero movie with two all-time great Batman villains in it, and should not be a guilty pleasure of anyone.
7Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)
Keeping The Franchise Fresh
The fourth installment in theIndiana Jonesfranchise was met with a lukewarm response from both critics and audiences. Too much CGI, too little storytelling, and far too many aliens, are often among those criticisms aimed atKingdom of the Crystal Skull.The CGI-heavy action sequences may detract fromKingdom of the Crystal Skull’s story, but this is ultimately a superficial problem and should not have warranted the treatment of the movie to have been so harsh.
It is a movie that kept the franchise fresh, taking new characters on new adventures, and still maintains that same spirit of exploration and fun that defined the original trilogy.
Introducing a son for Indiana (Harrison Ford) to interact with was a controversial choice, but nevertheless, one that adds a greater layer of depth and nuance toKingdom of the Crystal Skull’s storyline while still honoring the archeology legend. It is a movie that kept the franchise fresh, taking new characters on new adventures, and still maintains that same spirit of exploration and fun that defined the original trilogy.This movie is not a guilty pleasure, it’s a pleasure to watch.
6The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies (2014)
A True Fantasy Epic
While not at the same standard of quality as theHobbitmovies that came before it, and absolutely nowhere near theLord of the Ringstrilogy,The Battle of the Five Armiesremains a heartfelt movie full of grand spectacle and emotional hits. Of course, the glaring issue many people point to is the fact that the filmmakers stretched one book into three movies of at least two and a half hours each. As such, many people have criticizedThe Battle of the Five Armiesunfairly, calling its story bloated, and its production a cash-grab.
It may have stretched out Bilbo Baggins' (Martin Freeman) story longer than was necessary, but that doesn’t makeThe Battle of the Five Armiesa hollow movie at all. It manages to nail the actual battle itself (though the CGI is, admittedly, soulless at times) and producesa satisfying conclusion to theHobbittrilogy. The movie also manages to balance this grand spectacle with intimate moments of emotional resonance, and I do not doubt that fans, one day, will look uponThe Battle of the Five Armiesin a new, positive light.
5Cars 2 (2011)
Overhated For Its Tonal Shift
A spy movie, but with cars! What’s not to love? According to both critics and fans alike, a lot, withCars 2often placing very low in Pixar rankings.Cars 2was a daring departure from the premise of the 2006 original, focusing on Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) as he is mistaken for a spy by Finn McMissile (Michael Caine), and unwittingly recruited into his mission. Audiences were surprised to see such a deviation from the tone of the first movie - from a small-town story to an international mission of espionage to uncover a conspiracy about the World Grand Prix.
Tonal whiplash aside,Cars 2is a movie that still has a great, action-packed story to tell. Audiences get to learn more about the Cars universe, while Pixar’s CGI efforts and technical prowess are on full display. This isn’t even mentioning the rather mature messaging about being true to oneself and the importance of loyalty.It’s a downright great movieand does not deserve the unfair status of guilty pleasure at all.
4Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
A Solid MCU Installment
Avengers: Age of Ultronis a great superhero movie. The introduction of so many new characters and subplots may appear convoluted at first, but it merely elevatesAge of Ultronto new heights. The primary issue with the movie is howUltron himself was arguably wasted by dying at the end, and should have appeared in more MCU projects. But even this cannot detract from the action-packed narrative of a movie that sees the Avengers team up once again to save the world.
Age of Ultronis not a guilty pleasure, it’s a richly layered movie that doesn’t even appear to notice the weight of the expectations on its back.It balances spectacle with intimacy, gives each member of the stacked ensemble cast their moment to shine, and sets the crucial groundwork for future acclaimed MCU projects, especiallyCaptain America: Civil War(2016). If one had to pick a weakestAvengersmovie, one would likely chooseAge of Ultronout of instinct, but honestly, the movie deserves more than that.
3Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Love It Or Hate It, You Definitely Watched It
When audiences talk about divisive movies,Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jediwill probably be mentioned. Loved by critics (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), questioned by audiences (41% on Rotten Tomatoes), but constantly talked about,The Last Jediis actually a very good addition to theStar Warsfranchise (viaRotten Tomatoes). The main critique that the movie faces is its constant subversion of expectations, especially in the way that Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) was portrayed.
Visually stunning, thematically rich, and above all, bold,The Last Jeditried something new, and was crucified by fans for it.
Ultimately, audiences can feel how they want to feel about Luke’s character, but it’s impossible to deny that his disillusioned hermit arc inThe Last Jediis compelling to watch, with Hamill giving an excellent performance. Visually stunning, thematically rich, and above all, bold,The Last Jeditried something new, and was crucified by fans for it. It’s high time that the movie gets the respect it deserves for being such a visionary and ambitious entry to the franchise.
2The Lone Ranger (2013)
Disney’s Western Is Criminally Underrated
In a similar vein toJohn Carter, the primary reason that many audiences talk aboutThe Lone Rangeris because of how badly it flopped at the box office. There is one infallible piece of criticism that cannot be disputed when it comes toThe Lone Ranger, and that is the casting of Johnny Depp, a white man, as the Ranger’s Native American companion, Tonto. Besides this major blunder,The Lone Rangeris one of the most unique, comedic, and dramatic Westerns of all time.
Yes, it is a long movie, with a runtime of over two and a half hours, but it’s full of action, incredible set pieces, and razor sharp dialogue. In particular,The Lone Ranger’s themes regarding the oppression of Native Americans in the US deserve to be appreciated more,sending a bold message to the historically whitewashed Western genre. Entertaining, epic, yet dark at times,The Lone Rangershould not be anywhere near the term guilty pleasure movie.
1Spider-Man 3 (2007)
It’s certainly encouraging to see more people come to appreciate the third installment in Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy, yet it still remains controversial to like, for some reason (viaMovieWeb). It was criticized heavily for being too crowded - with three villains, Peter Parker’s (Tobey Maguire) personal struggles, and theiconic “emo Peter Parker” dance. This is a movie that deserves another shot at appreciation, with its apparently “overcrowded” narrative actually being one of the highlights of the movie.
This is a movie that deserves another shot at appreciation, with its apparently “overcrowded” narrative actually being one of the highlights of the movie.
The inevitable chaos that comes with having so much in the story makesSpider-Man 3one of the most enjoyableSpider-Manmovies ever. Every rewatch reveals a new detail that you missed the first time, giving the movie a timeless charm that still hasn’t worn off. Sure, it’s messy in parts, but this doesn’t stopSpider-Man 3being great fun while also being an ambitious addition to the series.
Spider-Man 3
Cast
Spider-Man 3 is the third entry in Sam Raimi’s trilogy, where Tobey Maguire reprises his role as Peter Parker. Released in 2007, the film sees Spider-Man confronting new adversaries, including Sandman and Venom, while grappling with personal challenges involving an alien symbiote and complex relationships.
