Summary
- Guilty pleasure movies are often misunderstood gems that deserve more appreciation and respect.
-
Starship Troopers
,
Batman Forever
, and
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
are underrated classics. -
John Carter
,
Cars 2
, and
The Lone Ranger
offer unique stories and themes that challenge the conventions of their genres.
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 to the dust of the Wild West, some of these 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.
10 Starship 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 consider Starship Troopers to be a misinterpreted cult-classic, it deserves more than this modicum of appreciation. Starship Troopers is 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 to Starship Troopers‘ charm. It is a movie that is well-deserving of a re-evaluation, and an apology.
Starship Troopers R Sci-FiThrillerActionAdventure Where to Watch
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Director Paul Verhoeven Release Date November 7, 1997 Studio(s) TriStar Pictures , Touchstone Pictures Writers Edward Neumeier Cast Jake Busey , Denise Richards , Dina Meyer , Neil Patrick Harris , Casper Van Dien , Patrick Muldoon , Michael Ironside , Clancy Brown Distributor(s) TriStar Pictures Runtime 129 minutes Expand
9 John Carter (2012)
What’s In A Name?
John Carter is 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 Carter is 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.
John Carter PG-13Adventure Sci-FiAction Where to Watch
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Director Andrew Stanton Release Date March 9, 2012 Studio(s) Disney Writers Michael Chabon , Mark Andrews , Andrew Stanton Cast Mark Strong , Willem Dafoe , Taylor Kitsch , Lynn Collins , Bryan Cranston Distributor(s) Disney Runtime 132 minutes Expand
8 Batman Forever (1995)
A Refreshing Diversion From Batman’s Tone
In fairness to Batman Forever, any movie that has to follow Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) would have a hard job of living up to them. However, a lot of the criticism leveled towards Batman 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, but it is arguably this change in tone that makes the movie so underrated.
The iconic, over-the-top performances of Jim Carrey as The Riddler and 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 that Batman Forever made 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.
Batman Forever PG-13ActionAdventureCrimeFantasySuperhero Where to Watch
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Director Joel Schumacher Release Date June 9, 1995 Studio(s) PolyGram Pictures , Tim Burton Productions Writers Bob Kane , Lee Batchler , Janet Scott Batchler , Akiva Goldsman Cast Jim Carrey , Nicole Kidman , Tommy Lee Jones , Drew Barrymore , Chris O’Donnell , Val Kilmer , Pat Hingle , Michael Gough , Debi Mazar Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Runtime 117 Minutes Expand
7 Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)
Keeping The Franchise Fresh
The fourth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise 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 at Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The CGI-heavy action sequences may detract from Kingdom 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 to Kingdom 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.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull pg-13AdventureAction Where to Watch
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Director Steven Spielberg Release Date May 22, 2008 Studio(s) Lucasfilm Writers David Koepp , George Lucas , Jeff Nathanson Cast Harrison Ford , Shia LaBeouf , Cate Blanchett , Karen Allen , Ray Winstone , John Hurt , Jim Broadbent Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Runtime 122 Minutes Expand
6 The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies (2014)
A True Fantasy Epic
While not at the same standard of quality as the Hobbit movies that came before it, and absolutely nowhere near the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Battle of the Five Armies remains 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 criticized The Battle of the Five Armies unfairly, 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 make The Battle of the Five Armies a hollow movie at all. It manages to nail the actual battle itself (though the CGI is, admittedly, soulless at times) and produces a satisfying conclusion to the Hobbit trilogy. 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 upon The Battle of the Five Armies in a new, positive light.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies PG-13AdventureFantasy Where to Watch
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Director Peter Jackson Release Date December 17, 2014 Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Fran Walsh , Philippa Boyens , Peter Jackson , Guillermo del Toro , J.R.R. Tolkien Cast Martin Freeman , Ian McKellen , Richard Armitage , Evangeline Lilly , Luke Evans , Lee Pace , Benedict Cumberbatch , Cate Blanchett , Orlando Bloom , Hugo Weaving Runtime 144 Minutes Main Genre Adventure Expand
5 Cars 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, with Cars 2 often placing very low in Pixar rankings. Cars 2 was 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 2 is 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 movie and does not deserve the unfair status of guilty pleasure at all.
Cars 2 GAnimationAdventureComedyFamily Where to Watch
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Director John Lasseter , Brad Lewis Release Date June 18, 2011 Studio(s) Disney Writers Ben Queen Cast Owen Wilson , Larry the Cable Guy , Michael Caine , Emily Mortimer , John Turturro , Eddie Izzard , Thomas Kretschmann Distributor(s) Disney Runtime 106 minutes Expand
4 Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
A Solid MCU Installment
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Avengers: Age of Ultron is a great superhero movie. The introduction of so many new characters and subplots may appear convoluted at first, but it merely elevates Age of Ultron to new heights. The primary issue with the movie is how Ultron 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 Ultron is 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, especially Captain America: Civil War (2016). If one had to pick a weakest Avengers movie, one would likely choose Age of Ultron out of instinct, but honestly, the movie deserves more than that.
Avengers: Age of Ultron PG-13ActionSci-FiSuperhero Where to Watch
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Director Joss Whedon Release Date May 1, 2015 Studio(s) Marvel Studios Writers Joss Whedon Cast Chris Hemsworth , Clark Gregg , Robert Downey Jr. , Cobie Smulders , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Jeremy Renner , Thomas Kretschmann , Chris Evans , Don Cheadle , Mark Ruffalo , Elizabeth Olsen , Scarlett Johansson , Paul Bettany , Samuel L. Jackson , James Spader Distributor(s) Disney Runtime 141 minutes Expand
3 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Love It Or Hate It, You Definitely Watched It
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When audiences talk about divisive movies, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi will probably be mentioned. Loved by critics (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), questioned by audiences (41% on Rotten Tomatoes), but constantly talked about, The Last Jedi is actually a very good addition to the Star Wars franchise (via Rotten 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 Jedi
tried 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 in The Last Jedi is compelling to watch, with Hamill giving an excellent performance. Visually stunning, thematically rich, and above all, bold, The Last Jedi tried 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.
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi PG-13 Sci-FiActionFantasyAdventure Where to Watch
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Director Rian Johnson Release Date December 15, 2017 Studio(s) Lucasfilm Writers Rian Johnson Cast Daisy Ridley , Oscar Isaac , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , John Boyega , Adam Driver , Andy Serkis , Lupita Nyong’o , Anthony Daniels , Gwendoline Christie , Kelly Marie Tran , Laura Dern Distributor(s) Disney Runtime 152 Minutes Expand
2 The Lone Ranger (2013)
Disney’s Western Is Criminally Underrated
In a similar vein to John Carter, the primary reason that many audiences talk about The Lone Ranger is because of how badly it flopped at the box office. There is one infallible piece of criticism that cannot be disputed when it comes to The 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 Ranger is 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 Ranger should not be anywhere near the term guilty pleasure movie.
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Director Gore Verbinski Release Date July 3, 2013 Studio(s) Disney Writers Ted Elliott , Justin Haythe , Terry Rossio Cast Armie Hammer , Helena Bonham Carter , Johnny Depp , Ruth Wilson , William Fichtner , Tom Wilkinson Distributor(s) Disney Runtime 2h 29m Expand
1 Spider-Man 3 (2007)
It’s certainly encouraging to see more people come to appreciate the third installment in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, yet it still remains controversial to like, for some reason (via MovieWeb). It was criticized heavily for being too crowded – with three villains, Peter Parker’s (Tobey Maguire) personal struggles, and the iconic “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 makes Spider-Man 3 one of the most enjoyable Spider-Man movies 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 stop Spider-Man 3 being great fun while also being an ambitious addition to the series.
Sources: MovieWeb, Rotten Tomatoes.
Spider-Man 3 PG-13ActionAdventure Sci-Fi Where to Watch
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The third film in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man 3 sees the Marvel hero face some of his most iconic enemies. Peter Parker’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of an alien symbiote, even as his former friend Harry Osborn prepares to assume the mantle of the Green Goblin and his uncle’s killer gains superpowers after escaping from prison. Starring Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man alongside Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Topher Grace, and Thomas Haden Church.
Director Sam Raimi Release Date May 4, 2007 Studio(s) Sony Writers Sam Raimi , Alvin Sargent , Ivan Raimi Cast Tobey Maguire , James Franco , Topher Grace , Bryce Dallas Howard , Kirsten Dunst , Rosemary Harris , J. K. Simmons , Thomas Haden Church , James Cromwell Distributor(s) Sony Runtime 139 minutes Expand