Can a Great Performance Exist In a Bad Film?

[Drizzle]

Usually I say, to each his own, I value your opinion and blablabla. But everyone who dislikes The Big Lebowski deserves to be shot in the back of the neck.

Not only do they deserve to be shot in the back of the neck, but they deserve to have a rocket launcher fired at their genitals.

 

[Scooter]

Speaking of Will Smith, his finest performance was in the less than stellar Ali.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Yes Proof:

Michael Gough in Batman & Robin.

 

[Raiden]

Castaway is a good example of a bad movie that features a great performance (Tom Hanks).

 

[nocomics]

Will Smith in I am Legend was the first thing on my mind when I read the topic title

Though I liked the movie, the rest of the world think the movie is the biggest pos ever, so I'm posting Ian McKellen in X-Men The Last Stand

I hated Transformers, but I think Shia LaBouf made a great job...

I think the cast from Mission to Mars(robbins,sensie,chadelle)movie was weak,but they did a good job imo..
Hmm, about betty white in Lake Placid,the one scene was priceless: " This is the part I tell ya if I had a D**K ,I'd tell ya to suck it". I rolled when she said that..
Tom hanks/Ian in Devinci Code,thought the movie was decent,though think most ppl found it boring...
Movie I just watched; Sunshine.. I still don't know if I enjoyed the movie or not,lol. It was different,but the performances by Cillian Murphy,and Chris Evans were real good.
Brandon Routh,thought was a well done performance as well as Kevin Spacey.
I'm sure there is tons more and I'm sure lot of it depends on what we think is a great performance/bad film..

 

[Lighthouse]

Then there is Christopher Walken in anything..

By far the best example. Walken has been the shining beacon of awesome in some of the crappiest movies around. He's like the pain killer that helps you make it through the rest of a horrible movie.

 

[Swordmaster]

heh, the only part of Shia Labouf that was any good was when she was bending over the car looking hot....

Shia Lebeouf was the main character, and is a male.

 

[cerealkiller182]

I feel like a lot or reviewers use the line, " And so-and-so made this film bearable" or variations of. There can definitly be great performances in bad movies. The unfortunate part is that these performances tend to be overlooked. I cant think of one that deserved a nom/award, but Im sure there has been one.

 

[Steve Rogers]

This is a pointless argument. Bad is relative. Most of the movies labeled as bad in this thread are either considered good, or at least average, by most people I know. So, first we need to define what bad is. There is a difference between bad and I don't like it. I liked Jaws 3 and it was a bad movie. I disliked Casablanca and it's a classic. So are we talking bad as in personal taste? Box office returns? Or what?


PS I thought Big Lebowski was boring...

 

[JTStarkiller]

So, first we need to define what bad is. There is a difference between bad and I don't like it.

That's where I disagree. If you don't like something, then it's bad (bad is a relative word). Sure, Casablanca is a classic to most people, but that doesn't mean you've got to enjoy it. I mean, if you're bored during it, then it's bad (whether it's uninteresting story or characters, bad music, bad cinematrography, etc.).

 

[R3M3D1]

heh, the only part of Shia Labouf that was any good was when she was bending over the car looking hot....

Shia Lebeouf was the main character, and is a male.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Tango and Cash is a bad movie too but I love it. Its a guilty pleasure

Casablanca loses something in the changing of generations. Its not timeless at all.

 

[Raiden]

Shia Lebeouf was the main character, and is a male.

I think he was meant to say Megan Fox.

 

[R3M3D1]

Tim Roth - Planet of The Apes

 

[Warhammer]

This is a pointless argument. Bad is relative. Most of the movies labeled as bad in this thread are either considered good, or at least average, by most people I know. So, first we need to define what bad is. There is a difference between bad and I don't like it. I liked Jaws 3 and it was a bad movie. I disliked Casablanca and it's a classic. So are we talking bad as in personal taste? Box office returns? Or what?


PS I thought Big Lebowski was boring...

Bad as in personal taste.

That's where I disagree. If you don't like something, then it's bad (bad is a relative word). Sure, Casablanca is a classic to most people, but that doesn't mean you've got to enjoy it. I mean, if you're bored during it, then it's bad (whether it's uninteresting story or characters, bad music, bad cinematrography, etc.).

Exactly. If I don't like Casablanca, I don't like it. If I don't like it, then it is bad. It's bad because it can't be good if I didn't like it. It doesn't matter how critically acclaimed it is. It doesn't matter how much money it makes. It doesn't matter how many Academy awards it receives. If I don't like a movie, it's bad. I never bought into people who have a strong mentality like "You may not have liked it, but it was because you didn't understand it" or "The movie was great, and anyone that says different is stupid!!1" Good and bad is merely an opinion, and nothing more. A "well-made" movie is an opinion.

 

[Steve Rogers]

So if you don't like it; it's bad. By that rationale, every movie ever made is bad. See, I can recognize when something is good, even if it doesn't appeal to me. That's why, I can't get behind this if you don't like it; it's bad thing.

And if I didn't like the film, I probably didn't like the performance either.

 

[Warhammer]

So if you don't like it; it's bad. By that rationale, every movie ever made is bad.

How so?

See, I can recognize when something is good, even if it doesn't appeal to me. That's why, I can't get behind this if you don't like it; it's bad thing.

Personally, I believe that "good" and "bad" is an opinion, not something that I must blindly believe. What is the point of my opinion if I have to disregard it for an opinion from another person(s)? If somebody doesn't like The Godfather, does that mean that their opinion is wrong? How can you regard something as good if you didn't like it. It can even go the opposite way. Regarding film as an art form, if somebody liked a film that had negative reviews and found some motif or theme in the film that they thought was beautiful, do they have a wrong opinion because the world says the opposite? Who has the audacity to say that somebody else's personal opinion is wrong?

Another example could be food. If I hated how it tasted, do I still have to think it is good because of the effort it took to make it/how it was cooked? It's all opinion, and from that person's point of view, personal opinion on a film overrules what somebody else thought.

That's just me.

 

[Steve Rogers]

How so?

Because every movie is disliked by someone.

Personally, I believe that "good" and "bad" is an opinion, not something that I must blindly believe. What is the point of my opinion if I have to disregard it for an opinion from another person(s)? If somebody doesn't like The Godfather, does that mean that their opinion is wrong? How can you regard something as good if you didn't like it. It can even go the opposite way. Regarding film as an art form, if somebody liked a film that had negative reviews and found some motif or theme in the film that they thought was beautiful, do they have a wrong opinion because the world says the opposite? Who has the audacity to say that somebody else's personal opinion is wrong?

First of all, I'm not saying anyone's opinion on anything is wrong. But just because someone doesn't like something, does not make it bad. Hitler didn't like the Jews--doesn't mean they are bad. I can recognize the quality of something without liking it. Casablanca. It is so well written and well structured. Bogart is awesome as usual. But the film is boring to me. Just because it is not my cup of tea does not mean that suddenly the things like structure cease to be good. It just doesn't appeal to me.

 

[Warhammer]

Because every movie is disliked by someone.



First of all, I'm not saying anyone's opinion on anything is wrong. But just because someone doesn't like something, does not make it bad. Hitler didn't like the Jews--doesn't mean they are bad. I can recognize the quality of something without liking it. Casablanca. It is so well written and well structured. Bogart is awesome as usual. But the film is boring to me. Just because it is not my cup of tea does not mean that suddenly the things like structure cease to be good. It just doesn't appeal to me.

I think you are missing my entire point. I am talking solely from personal opinion. Every movie ever made isn't bad, from somebody's personal opinion. That one person likes at least one movie. Hitler didn't like the Jews, so in his perspective, they were bad. To everyone who doesn't hate the Jews, they weren't bad, but to him and the Nazi's, they were. Just to let you know, I happen to enjoy Casablanca. That doesn't mean everybody else has to. My whole point was about somebody's opinion. Not a general consensus.

 

[BatMatt]

to keep the thread on topic
Big Lebowski rules most films, n'uff said
onto the subject on hand

 

[livrule]

Mmmmmmm.

I think for the sake of this topic we need to focus on movies that generally are considered rushed, weak and lack effort/heart.

When I think of movies that (in my opinion) are 'bad' its normally because I feel no effort was put into the making of it.

Like Steve said above ... I too don't really enjoy Casablanca but would never class it a bad movie because the sense of quality is impossible to ignore.

 

[Steve Rogers]

I think you are missing my entire point. I am talking solely from personal opinion. Every movie ever made isn't bad, from somebody's personal opinion. That one person likes at least one movie. Hitler didn't like the Jews, so in his perspective, they were bad. To everyone who doesn't hate the Jews, they weren't bad, but to him and the Nazi's, they were. Just to let you know, I happen to enjoy Casablanca. That doesn't mean everybody else has to. My whole point was about somebody's opinion. Not a general consensus.

No, I get your point. I just don't see eye to eye with it. You're saying that bad is opinion and I am saying that bad is about quality. You are saying that if one dislikes something then it is bad. I am saying that just because one dislikes something, that doesn't necessarily make it bad. We're butting heads for no reason. Let's just agree to disagree. No offense meant.

to keep the thread on topic
Big Lebowski rules most films, n'uff said

Um, that statement is not on topic at all.

 

[QueerMike]

Then there is Christopher Walken in anything. And that's all I can think of right now.

Yes! The Power of Walken has changed my opinion!!!

 

[SuperFerret]

Christopher Reeve in Superman the Movie.

 

[BatMatt]

Um, that statement is not on topic at all.

right...I'm ending the arguement with fact