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Unpopular opinions


Mosi Mynn

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I'm sure this has been done before, and I've blatantly pilfered this idea from the PreviouslyOn forums, but I feel the need to make a couple of confessions:

Firstly, I like all the Iron Man films - even the second one.  And I love the third one.

Secondly, I think The Phantom Menace is the best of the Star Wars prequels.  It has Darth Maul, one of the three best ever lightsaber fights, the best Jedi in Qui Gon Jinn (I find most other Jedi to be utterly unbearable), great outfits for Queen Amidala, fab music, and that excellent poster of child-Anakin with the Darth Vader shadow.  It also has the best Anakin Skywalker.  And I don't mind JarJar Binks.  While I'm digging this hole, I might as well just throw in that I don't like Obi Wan at all, in any of the films.

Phew!  I feel better!

Anyone else want to confess an unpopular opinion ...?

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Maybe The Expanse getting canned is a good thing. The writers have spoken about a 'six season plan'. Seeing as there's no way they'd be able to cover all the books in six seasons, maybe it's better if someone else comes along who wants to adapt all nine books. 

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On 5/14/2018 at 6:54 AM, Mosi Mynn said:

 

Firstly, I like all the Iron Man films - even the second one.  And I love the third one.

Anyone else want to confess an unpopular opinion ...?

I agree about this.  I love the third movie.

I don't care for any of the Godfather movies.  I have watched the first one a few times and just didn't care for it.  I can understand it is a well made movie and the performances are good and everything, I am just not into it.

Also, the LOTR movies are much better than the books, but the BBC production of the LOTR is much better than both.

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30 minutes ago, Fiddler said:

I agree about this.  I love the third movie.

I don't care for any of the Godfather movies.  I have watched the first one a few times and just didn't care for it.  I can understand it is a well made movie and the performances are good and everything, I am just not into it.

Also, the LOTR movies are much better than the books, but the BBC production of the LOTR is much better than both.

So, you like tiny Middle Earth with the secret magical Elvish transportation system along with incredibly inconsistent characters or characters changed into caracatiures?

You liked the scrubbing bubbles of death (that made the ride of the Rohirrim completely pointless) and the Ents being tricked into attacking Isenguard?

You liked Aragorn beheading a peace envoy because he pissed him off and Frodo randomly sending Sam home by himself at the top of the Pass of Cirith Ungol?  All those changes were for the better?

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3 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

So, you like tiny Middle Earth with the secret magical Elvish transportation system along with incredibly inconsistent characters or characters changed into caracatiures?

You liked the scrubbing bubbles of death (that made the ride of the Rohirrim completely pointless) and the Ents being tricked into attacking Isenguard?

You liked Aragorn beheading a peace envoy because he pissed him off and Frodo randomly sending Sam home by himself at the top of the Pass of Cirith Ungol?  All those changes were for the better?

I guess that's why it's posted under Unpopular Opinions ^_^

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3 minutes ago, Mosi Mynn said:

I guess that's why it's posted under Unpopular Opinions ^_^

Can you please elaborate on why that is your opinion about LOTR?  Can you explain why my points on weaknesses are wrong or how those points actually make the movies better than Tolkien’s books?

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1 minute ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

Can you please elaborate on why that is your opinion about LOTR?  Can you explain why my points on weaknesses are wrong or how those points actually make the movies better than Tolkien’s books?

It's not my opinion on LOTR.  I personally prefer the books.  I think Fellowship is the best adaptation - it's the film I saw the most times in the cinema, and I think of it as my Star Wars in terms of cinematic experience.  I hate what the films did to Faramir (one of my favourite book characters) in particular, and didn't care for most of the deviations from the source material.

But I suspect these are not unpopular opinions  ;-)

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I don't think the LOTR movies are better than the books, but I do love them and know many people who prefer the movies. Yes, there's definitely some silliness in the movies, and I also wish the green bubbles of death had been handled differently and that the Ent plotline had been more elegant. But I don't see how the movies have incredibly inconsistent characters and caricatures. On the plus side, they also avoid the awful pacing of the first half of Fellowship of the Ring.

My unpopular opinion: the Expanse books completely squander a fantastic premise/setting through bad writing, a pulpy atmosphere, and mostly paper thin characters, and the show has become an improvement on them in just about every way.

My really unpopular opinion (for this board): Seasons 5-7 of Game of Thrones have their flaws, but they're better than the books Martin's given us since ASoS.

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Iron Man 3 is the best Iron Man film (and the Mandarin twist was brilliant). The first one is a bit overrated because it was the first MCU movie, and started off a lot of things that are now standard in MCU movies. Plus, I really dislike the sexism of Favreau's Iron Man movies (like the way the reporter is treated, and Pepper's cattiness to her).

Thor: Ragnarok is very overrated. Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 is underrated and should be getting all of the praise that Thor: Ragnarok got. 

 

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1 hour ago, Caligula_K3 said:

I don't think the LOTR movies are better than the books, but I do love them and know many people who prefer the movies. Yes, there's definitely some silliness in the movies, and I also wish the green bubbles of death had been handled differently and that the Ent plotline had been more elegant. But I don't see how the movies have incredibly inconsistent characters and caricatures. On the plus side, they also avoid the awful pacing of the first half of Fellowship of the Ring.

My unpopular opinion: the Expanse books completely squander a fantastic premise/setting through bad writing, a pulpy atmosphere, and mostly paper thin characters, and the show has become an improvement on them in just about every way.

My really unpopular opinion (for this board): Seasons 5-7 of Game of Thrones have their flaws, but they're better than the books Martin's given us since ASoS.

Faramir is a one note caricature.  He’s a man obsessed with needing his Father’s love and approval.  Denethor has no depth at all. He’s idiot destroying Gondor with his maddness.  Theoden is angry Gondor didn’t support Rohan in its war with Saruman, when he never asked Gondor for help.  Then completely forgets his anger when the beacons are lit (when Pippin ignores orders and lites them against Denethor’s instructions.

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25 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

Faramir is a one note caricature.  He’s a man obsessed with needing his Father’s love and approval.  Denethor has no depth at all. He’s idiot destroying Gondor with his maddness.  Theoden is angry Gondor didn’t support Rohan in its war with Saruman, when he never asked Gondor for help.  Then completely forgets his anger when the beacons are lit (when Pippin ignores orders and lites them against Denethor’s instructions.

I'd argue that Faramir has more depth in the movies than in the books, where he's essentially Aragorn the Lesser. In the movie, he struggles with the choice with Frodo, struggles with filling Boromir's shoes (along with his father's love and approval), learns from his mistakes, etc... I'd say he gets a pretty good character arc. In general I'd say that characterization is not one of Tolkien's strongest points as a writer, partially because the Lord of the Rings draws as much on epic as it does the novel form.

Denethor is definitely more one note in the movies than the books. I wish they'd written him with a bit more nuance, but this isn't a huge complaint for me, given Noble's performance and the difficulty of squeezing in all these characters into a three and a half hour movie. I do wish that the Boromir/Faramir scene had been left in the theatrical version of the Two Towers, because it does add some depth to all involved.

As for Theoden.. I mean, I think we can assume that Rohan called for help off screen. And I think we can also understand pretty easily a character feeling petty and short sighted (which Theoden can be) and then having his heroic nature get the better of him in the moment when the beacon is lit.

The books are amazing, the movies are amazing. I'm incredibly grateful for both.

 

 

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55 minutes ago, Caligula_K3 said:

I'd argue that Faramir has more depth in the movies than in the books, where he's essentially Aragorn the Lesser. In the movie, he struggles with the choice with Frodo, struggles with filling Boromir's shoes (along with his father's love and approval), learns from his mistakes, etc... I'd say he gets a pretty good character arc. In general I'd say that characterization is not one of Tolkien's strongest points as a writer, partially because the Lord of the Rings draws as much on epic as it does the novel form.

Oooh no no no!

Film-Faramir is Boromir the Lesser - a complete contradiction to the books where he explicitly states that whatever drove Boromir to his doom he would never pick up, even if it would save Gondor (and it would).  And he doesn't.

I feel for book-Faramir - he's heroic and wonderful yet he plays second fiddle to Boromir in his father's eyes and second to Aragorn for Eowyn.  He must have thought he was second best his whole life.  He could so easily have taken the Ring to impress his father.  But he never thinks of it.  He's is own man and knows his worth.

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Oh, boy... I will stay out of LOTR movies confessions save one...

1. Cate Blanchett is God given creature that has graced every movie she has been in. Perhaps it is not unpopular, but has to be said.

2. I don't think Sophie Turner sucks playing Sansa Stark or that she is a bad actress. I think that she tries very hard to have that Sansa's empty-headed looks that makes people think she is stupid, which is why she gives nothing sometimes.

3. The only woman in MCU that Disney should be making movie is Margaret Peggy Carter. 

4. This one is divisive, so I don't know whether it is unpopular, but... Jennifer Lawrence simply does nothing for me as an actress. Completely uninspiring actress.

5. I like Henry Cavill as Superman, and I wish he had been James Bond.

6. For some reason, I never understood the love for Peter Dinklage.

7. I still watch "Grey's anatomy"... Don't ask why.

8. Sheldon Cooper still makes me laugh.

9. Kathryn Janeway was the best Star Trek captain in terms of saying "battle stations"

10. Oh, the biggie... I never watched Buffy. I understand how popular it is, but simply... Not my cup of tea.

11. I think "Legend of the Seeker" was more than watchable fantasy series.

I will think of more... But, so far these... :D 

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I love Tom Hardy's Bane.

@Mosi Mynn Your Phantom Menace take is not an unpopular opinion, it's a correct opinion.

Structurally it's the only one of the prequels that wouldn't get you thrown out of freshman film class, and if you remove Jar Jar it's a mostly inoffensive nap of a movie whereas Clones and Sith display blatant contempt for the audience.

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3 hours ago, Caligula_K3 said:

I don't think the LOTR movies are better than the books, but I do love them and know many people who prefer the movies. Yes, there's definitely some silliness in the movies, and I also wish the green bubbles of death had been handled differently and that the Ent plotline had been more elegant. But I don't see how the movies have incredibly inconsistent characters and caricatures. On the plus side, they also avoid the awful pacing of the first half of Fellowship of the Ring.

My unpopular opinion: the Expanse books completely squander a fantastic premise/setting through bad writing, a pulpy atmosphere, and mostly paper thin characters, and the show has become an improvement on them in just about every way.

My really unpopular opinion (for this board): Seasons 5-7 of Game of Thrones have their flaws, but they're better than the books Martin's given us since ASoS.

Well, my opinion - which is that GoT seasons 5-7 are utter garbage witu writing that is at the level of awfulness that is rarey reached by scripted TV - is probably more unpopular in the general public (which doesn't read the books, thiugh).

Also, for unpopular opinions in ASOIAF  fandom: AFFC and ADWD are great, and AGOT, while I love it, is comparatively the weakest of the five books. 

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