Nida Faraz describes some sub-standard films
Film critics are quite candid in their assessment of movies and do not mince words in the matter. Like any other movie these films were also made with the usual methods and all technical aspects were employed while making them. Despite required efforts put into producing these movies they did not reach the standards expected and eventually failed. The disappointment expressed about these movies reveals that not only the critics panned them but audiences also reacted negatively.
Diana (2013)
The movie was inspired by the book Diana: Her Last Love, starring Naomi Watts as Princess Diana, recounts the last two years of her life including an affair with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. Critics gave the film one star and pointed out that in its attempt to martyr the famous Royal, the movie actually took away all the humanness that made her life and early death so impactful. Despite a solid performance from Watts, the story isn’t nearly as nuanced or interesting as real life and offers nothing new for viewers to take away from this particular story of the People’s Princess.
Winter’s Tale (2014)
With a tag line that reads “This is not a true story. This is true love,” it’s not a surprise that this 2014 fantasy drama starring Colin Farrell and Jessica Brown Findlay was big on cheese and light on substance. Based on a popular 1983 book by Mark Helprin and having nothing to do with Shakespeare’s classic play, the time-leaping story follows a thief who falls in love with a dying heiress and tries to find her again in time. The inclusion of magical, winged ponies just contributes to the nonsensical story.
The Lone Ranger (2013)
“Long” and “smug” are two of the kinder words critics used when describing this 2013 reboot of the beloved TV western. Armie Hammer stars as John Reid, a.k.a. The Lone Ranger, and Johnny Depp as his faithful sidekick Tonto— portrayed here as an eccentric spirit guide who dons white face paint and wears a dead crow on his head. The on-screen bond between Hammer and Depp is glaringly absent, and multiple action sequences with trains aren’t enough to propel the film forward. Not surprisingly, it bombed at the box office and was nominated for a Golden Raspberry award for worst picture of the year.
47 Ronin (2013)
This adaptation of the Japanese legend stars Keanu Reeves as Kai, a half-man/half-demon who sets out to help 47 samurai avenge their master’s death. As put by critics, the big-budget spectacle is undercut by the “spectacular goofiness” of the film. The fantasy/myth elements aren’t utilized to their full, imaginative capability, and the action is a choppy, boring series of fights that certainly don’t live up to the legend of the fierce and honorable warriors.
Valentine’s Day (2010)
With 21 stars in the cast, including Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, Patrick Dempsey, and Bradley Cooper, you might think this movie was sure to be a success. But there is so much going on, with so many capable actors competing for space, that what results is a film that’s more messy than romantic. For a movie that is set in Los Angeles, it’s also glaringly lacking in diversity of characters and complexity of the realities of love and dating life. Nearly every one of the many actors here has been in better romantic comedies not so reliant on gimmick and cliché.
Apollo 18 (2011)
Capitalizing on the found-footage horror movie model, the premise of this is that it is actual, secret footage of a disastrous 1974 American lunar mission that has been brought to light by a whistle-blowing website. While the style, made famous by films like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity isn’t original, the space setting meant there was potential for something a little different. Unfortunately, there is no tension or sense of impending fear, and grainy cinematography made to look authentic simply comes across as hard to watch. The result is a boring, blurry 88 minutes of the film. TW
