Most Overrated DVD?

[Rob Babcock]

What do you consider the most overrated DVD out there? Feel free to define "overrated" by any criteria you like (eg; could be a decent movie that's over hyped, a terrible movie that's widely acclaimed, or even a good movie that got terribly mishandled when the DVD was made). You can even list a decent one that's overstayed its welcome as a ref disc- I mean, how many times can you watch the Podrace scene from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace before you pull all your hair out?

If you like, add your TOP 5, as there's so many crappy ones it can be hard to pick just one!

 

[psyclobe]

Lord of the rings (all of em)

 

[Rob Babcock]

First DVD that comes to my head: The Matrix.

 

[outsider]

I think it's safe to say that nearly every DVD is overrated. With the amount of hype that is generated with every release, how could they not be overrated? That being said....

Lord of the rings (all of em)

definitely TTT and ROTK

Star Wars -all

 

[Mudcat]

One night in Paris, starring Paris Hilton.

 

[djoxygen]

1) X-Men 1.5 - While I like the movie enough, the extended/deleted scenes are annoying beyond belief when watched in sequence. Unfinished, unmastered, and non-anamorphic. Thankfully the movie can be viewed without them. But after what we've seen with so many other extended cuts, this was blatant marketing hype.

2) Independence Day - A movie so nauseatingly formulaic it is perfectly parodied by "Mars Attacks" which was written and in the can *before* ID was released. I'm sure we'll have versions of this stinker populating endcaps at Best Buy for decades to come.

3) Every movie about a comic book character dredged up from the depths of obscurity - while the Spiderman and X-Men movies are great fun, their success is going to subject us to years of Daredevils slapped together for a quick buck. I mean really, Sub-Mariner?!?!? What's next, The Wonder Twins? (Sound of frantic knocking on wood.) I'd rather see The Shoveler and Mr. Furious get their own spin-offs.

4) Can we please stop pairing the wise, spiritual martial arts expert with the street-smart, wise-cracking American cop? ('nuff said)

Sorry, that got to be more about movies in general than DVDs. I guess there's really no excuse for a poor quality DVD (technically speaking) anymore. The content however...

 

[Rob Babcock]

It is amazing how many "special editions" of Indepence Day there are- didn't they just release yet another one? I thought it was kind of fun, but pretty predictable (ditto for Armageddon). But certainly not worth half a dozen special editions.

It's funny how one persons pet peave is anothers fave. I'm glad to see superhero films being made, as I'm a long time comic book geek. Naturally, I'd rather see 'em make good ones (eg Spiderman, Spiderman 2, X-Men 2) instead of bad ones. Although that's more an issue about films, not DVDs per se.

You'd think this far along into the life cycle of DVD, there'd be no excuse for bad transfers, but be get them in droves. It seems part of the marketing revolves around the features, and I can only assume someone must find directors commentary & self congratulatory backslapping from actors & producers to be interesting. I surely don't. I rarely watch any of the extras, save perhaps deleted scenes (although many are deleted for good reason, and exist on the DVD only as a marketing point). At any rate, it seems often too much DVD space is wasted on having 3 hrs of fluff peices and 5 language soundtracks instead of a good picture & sound.

 

[outsider]

At any rate, it seems often too much DVD space is wasted on having 3 hrs of fluff peices and 5 language soundtracks instead of a good picture & sound.

well said.

Bonus features such as the Gollum acceptance speech from LOTR:The Two Towers EE are ok though.

 

[Francious70]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Funny, the first eleventybillion times, but no longer.

Paul

 

[Az B]

Carleton Sheets. I followed all the advice on the DVD but I'm still poor.

Highly overrated.

 

[djoxygen]

It's funny how one persons pet peave is anothers fave. I'm glad to see superhero films being made, as I'm a long time comic book geek. Naturally, I'd rather see 'em make good ones (eg Spiderman, Spiderman 2, X-Men 2) instead of bad ones. Although that's more an issue about films, not DVDs per se.

OK, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that I don't like comic book movies. Just that I fear the success of the good ones means putting up with a lot of bad ones as the bandwagon gets crowded.

And I'd sit through Punisher before Gigli any day.

 

[goodman]

The Good The Bad And The Ugly

You guys really nailed the bad ones. I share your views: Lord of the Rings - all unwatchable. The Matrix Films - the first one was a novelty, the last two just plain bad, especially the tacky religious allegory. Independence Day - nauseatingly cloying. Armagedon - so bad I don't remember it. Star Wars - for children. Star Treks - the only decent one I can remember was "Wrath of Khan".

Now, let me plug the ones I like: Terminator 2, an excellent film with great action. Galaxy Quest, very funny and still enjoyable. Men In Black - a freakin' riot. Tomorrow Never Dies - I love the opening scene at the terrorist arms bazaar and the aerial fight that follows.

 

[Rob Babcock]

I can only assume you haven't seen Wrath of Khan very recently! It has NOT aged well. Incredibly bad acting/overacting, dreadful special effects, all in all a mega cheesefest. I've not seen the DVD, but as for the film itself, I'd say it's dreadful. To each his own, of course.

Galaxy Quest is a gem that didn't really get it's due, IMO. It manages to poke fun at Star Trek without being disrespectful to it, and it stands well on it's own merits if you're not a Trekkie, or even a sci fi fan. I particularly loved Alan Rickman's role (by Grapthar's Hammer!).

Now we come to an areas I disagree- I really loved all the LotR films, and particularly the extended versions. Actually, the extended versions of the first two are dramatically superior to the theatrical versions. Despite being 1/2 hour longer, they actually improve the pace greatly. Maybe it's just that I'm a huge fan of fantasy & sci fi in general, but I think they richly deserved their "Best Picture" honors. And unless you just hated the movies, I can't see what's to criticize in the DVD packages. The sound & picture are both first rate.

Ditto the Star Wars films. Like most hardcore fans, I think Empire Strikes Back was the best, but I liked them all. Rating the DVD is a very sticky matter, though. On the one hand, it would be very hard to find fault with the technical standards of the set. The picture is stunning, much better than most new films, and certainly amazing for the age. Likewise I thought they did a superb job with the soundtrack. BUT, this is a biggie, I'll never forgive Lucas for the hatchet job he did on them, content wise. It's scandalous that a movie on the AFI's list of the top 100 films of all time get mutilated like this. If I rate the DVD set without regard for the artistic quality, I say it's an out of the park home run. But I can give the total effort perhaps a 6.5-7/10. I could see one day buying a Laser Disc player just to see the "real" movies again.

 

[Dan]

I will ring in that I love the LOTR DVDs. For movies that long I gotta have a pause button to take a pi$$. Can't do that in the theater. But then I liked the books too. While the books are better, I can't think of a better movie from a book ever.

Never liked any of the Star Wars even the first three. Great special effects horrible plot. Can't bother with the newer ones.

How about Saving Private Ryan for overrated? The first twenty minutes are fantastic. But then the rest is silly and ahistorical. The guy this REALLY happened to was a paratrooper named Fritz Niland and they sent a priest to find him. They never would have sent a squad and a captain.

 

[Rob Babcock]

How about Saving Private Ryan for overrated? The first twenty minutes are fantastic. But then the rest is silly and ahistorical. The guy this REALLY happened to was a paratrooper named Fritz Niland and they sent a priest to find him. They never would have sent a squad and a captain.

Man, and can you say overused? Every time a new "reference DVD" comes along, we end up seeing the same 15 minutes again & again & again! I think I've seen them take Omaha beach about 20 times! I liked the movie well enough, but there's several war movies I liked more (eg The Thin Red Line).

 

[Leprkon]

Starship Troopers... Unbreakable

just that they actually came out on DVD is a crime....

 

[rgriffin25]

Butterfly Effect

I would have to say that this DVD (movie) really surprised me. I wasn't sure what to expect with goofball Ashton Kutcher as the star in this suspenseful film. The DVD has two versions, the theatrical and the Directors cut. (the DC side is in DTS-ES 6.1) All I can say is the soundtrack did a great job of bringing me into the movie, and it made me jump a couple of times.

So if you are looking for a surprisingly good suspense movie, give this one a spin!

 

[djoxygen]

I could see one day buying a Laser Disc player just to see the "real" movies again.

OMG! A friend (who has the last edition of the origs on LD) and I popped them in a while back. They seemed fantastic when we first watched them a decade ago, but even an average DVD outshines the quality of both audio and video. They were almost unwatchable (to us). It is a shame that we can't get the Lowry Digital treatment on the original editions, but *I* have to pick the restoration over the historical merit.

 

[Polkfan]

First DVD that comes to my head: The Matrix.

Yep. I agree 100%. All hype with very little substance IMO.

 

[Tom Andry]

One thing that irritates me is when you look at the deleted scenes and scream WHY! All of a sudden there is a whole new level of the movie that was systematically removed. Sure, I don't want every movie 3+ hours but some of this stuff is good. For example, cruel intentions had a number of great scenes that were removed simply because this was the director's first movie and he couldn't stand up to the studio IMO.