Five Movies I should hate...but I really don't!

We all have movies that are guilty pleasures. But what about those movies that everyone talks about how horrifically bad they are, but you just can't agree, even after all the peer pressure. I have many of these films in my collection, but I've narrowed it down to five. Haters, please don't kill me.


#5-"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III"

I'll just get the most surprising one out of the way first. 'Turtles III' is not a good movie. But with the exception of the first 1990 film, I don't think any of them are. I know a lot of people love 'Secret of the Ooze', but to me it felt like a feature length "Nickelodeon" commercial buffer. 'Turtles III' tried something new. I'm not saying it worked entirely, but I like the chances it took. Time travel wasn't really something anyone had seen in this franchise, and we haven't really seen it since. It's cool seeing the turtles fight in an ancient Japanese battleground in the movie's final moments. I know the effects (including the turtle suits) look crappy, and some of the jokes are horrendous, but to me it's far from a godawful experience.

#4-"Need for Speed"

This is definitely the most recent movie on this list. When the fast paced video game adaption came out this past March it was welcomed to pretty crappy reviews and terrible box office numbers. The only reason I went to go see this one was because my little brother played the games and really wanted to check it out. I was expecting something horrendous, but what I got was a lot of fun. Granted, it wasn't a smart movie. It was extremely cliche, and overly dramatic, but the stunts rivaled that of a 'Fast and Furious' movie (sadly, the characters didn't, but...). The movie is staged like a musical, but instead of breaking into song when emotions get high, people break into races. Long, realistic, brutal races. It's filmed in a glossy manner, but has the grit of an old 60s/70s driving movie. For me, personally, it was a lot of fun. 

#3-"Planet of the Apes"(2001)

This is the movie I understand the hate for, completely. Dumb, illogical ending. Bad writing. Crappy Wahlberg performance. Weird monkey sex scene. Trust me, I could go on. But I still think there are some things to admire. I like the fact that Tim Burton didn't want to do exactly what the original '68 classic did. The environments feel different, and he goes deeper into the ape culture with its politics and religion. Tim Roth also gives a terrific performance behind all his prosthetic makeup as General Thade. The final battle is well choreographed too. But the true masterwork comes from Rick Baker's make up design on the ape actors. Though I love what the new 'Ape' films have done with Andy Serkis in motion capture suits, I still admire how Baker showed off all his masterful techniques to transform these actors into primates. 

#2-"Speed Racer"

Another racing movie. Except this one is directed from 'Matrix' creators, the Wachowski Brothers. While many people say that this movie fails for being too overblown and CG heavy, that's actually why I like it. Since this film is based on a colorful 60s Japanese cartoon, the movie sort of needs a lot of colors and fast paced action. That's why I admire it. It feels like a two hour cartoon. The laws of gravity are thrown out the window as we see cars drift through tracks that reach up to fifteen stories. Ramps go straight down as cars free fall to the bottom, just racing in mid air. It's lunacy, and I love it. The directors also use really innovative ways to cut to different sequences. A car passes by, and by the time its tail reaches the camera, we're at a different location. It's a joy to watch. The plot also revolves around...um....the cars are really cool, by the way.

#1-"Child's Play 3"

The majority of these movies, I understand why people hate. But for the life of me, I don't know why this third installment in the 'Child's Play' franchise gets so much flack. Granted, if you aren't into these types of slasher movies, then there's really no reason to check this out. But what surprises me is that even hardcore gore hounds and Chucky fans in general, call this a low point in the series. To me, it's a really interesting idea to move Chucky to a different setting, and what better than military school? Seeing Chucky demolish the school and use its weapons against the students is a joy. Some of the humorous dialogue given by the satanic doll has never been better ("Just think: Chucky's gonna be a bro!). To me, it's the best of the sequels and deserves a second look. 

Article by: Josh McCormack