It is now a widely known phenomenon that Hollywood only cares about its business. Yes, once a while, we got a film that is unique in its own way, maintaining the boundary created by the Hollywood system and creating creative chances alike, but they are truly rare. The welcome escape is independent studios which are now lashing out good films in a continuous way, but not everyone is a fan of these studios.
The mainstream industry also has a certain responsibility to create intelligent and socially important films, but with changing times Hollywood didn’t change but transmogrified itself in dull franchise outings.
The films listed here are not definite bad films, there are some decent and good films mentioned, but the effect of careless in the film’s treatment is clear. Hollywood has taken us for granted, now outright insult our intellect, knowing that the sheets will follow. Without further ado, here are ten films that insult our intelligence.
1. American Hustle
A Gimmick doesn’t make a film, and impersonations certainly don’t. Director David O. Russell tried so hard to make a Scorsese film, he forgot that apart from atmospheric, a film also needed a minimum thematic cohesion to work out.
He also showed short-sightedness in casting the films lead players – Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence being the highlights in a miscast film. Cooper delivers a hugely monotonous one-dimensional act throughout the film and Jennifer Lawrence is misused in a sidelined story.
This is a black comedy caper film, but the uninteresting plot and uninspired writing can’t project itself to be so. Maintaining the rule of genre films, the twist comes in the climax but again presents itself as a forced necessity. Just because it is a con film, it is not acceptable that any random stupid twist should be thrown to entertain and surprise the audience, especially when there was not even a single cleverly lurked around suggestion skewed on.
Audiences are not dumb that will eat anything which is fed to them in the name of entertainment. It is high time that the filmmakers start to take note that the viewers also possesses intelligence and a brain.
2. The Life of David Gale
In this case, the film and the behind the camera story are equally tragic. Alan Parker was a celebrated filmmaker with masterpieces like “ Pink Floyd: The Wall” and “Mississippi Burning” in his filmography, and no one believes that he will end his career with a miss like “The Life of David Gale”.
Intended to make an anti-capital punishment film, Parker wrongly made a version whose message becomes pro-capitalist at best. This is ridiculous to think that a person will frame himself to stir up the judicial system. Even if the viewer suspends their disbelief for the sake of story progression, the character motivation is not strongly portrayed in the film.
A film of a different genre, but in “JFK” the motivation of Jim Garrison was prominent, that he cant relief himself if he can’t investigate the truth behind the JFK assassination. The viewer has no reason, prior the shocking event, to disbelief the words of Gale; this is a simple case of bad filmmaking and an improper building where the twist comes suddenly in the hope of dumbfounding the audience. The issue is strong, but it needs a strong film too to start conversations in the marketplace. Also, Kate Winslet is wasted in the film.
3. Prometheus
Visually and thematically, “Prometheus” is a strong contender in the filmography of Ridley Scott, a man forever confused with the world’s inception. He also tried to tie the film’s events with the “Alien” series, making a spiritual prequel. But trying to play the god game, he forgot to bind the film’s logical loose ends, just like his “engineers”.
It is unlikely to meet scientists stupider than the one Ridley portrayed in this film. Who takes off the helmet in an alien planet where dangerous microscopic orgasms can live, even if the air is breathable? The dumb scientists continue to explore the planet, even in the events of an upcoming storm, and doesn’t manage to create a rule of permissible territory or diameter. Witnessing the first alien, a biologist pokes at the creatures face observing more. This is a matter of common intelligence, and Ridley wants us to believe that this biologist didn’t have any.
The decision of Weyland corporation to keep this tour a secret is also astonishing to believe. News of such magnitude is a huge share booster for a company, and ignorant sci-fi wants us to believe that corporate bosses only operate for an ideal and curiosity.
4. Titanic
To this day, everyone laughs about the ludicrous physics that James Cameron wanted us to believe in, and at the same time, enjoys watching the film. This is a perfect “So bad it is good” film, except the budget and the spectacle. It is time-wasting to discuss whether the piece of wood had enough space to hold both Rose and Jack or not; It had enough.
A tearjerker can take such offensive and unimaginable routes to build to a suitable climax, it is excused, but what about the other amusing foolishnesses? When the ship is sinking, the violin players are playing in full volume to tame the riches in their final moment.
Life doesn’t work like that Mr. Cameron, it is your imagination. It is time to die, and death doesn’t know the rules of social strata. It is mass hysteria, not a romantic goodbye as portrayed in the film. In the final moments, when Rose is hanging on the woods, she still has the pairs of pumps of her feet intact. Because it is blasphemy to lose the pumps, it will lower her status. Not only technical mastery, but crisp logic is also needed to make a film, Mr. Cameron.
5. The Core
“The Core” feels best when taken for lightly, knowing that it is gonna be a pseudoscience disaster B-movie, but considering how many dull films are out there, sometimes we need more from the films.
The filmmakers had taken the viewers for granted, that inserting unscientific and borderline absurd theories wouldn’t be nitpicked by the audience and it feels surreal in the age of “Interstellar” where Kip Thorne worked as scientific consultant taking huge production amounts of money.
The films cast have a small but decent time to solve the rotating earth problem, starting the magnetic field to save the planet from doomsday like starting the engine of a dead motor. From the days of primary education, we are reminded by our teachers that the magnetic field is protecting us from massive solar radiation and it is common sense, that if the magnetic field stops working, we will be exposed to the devastating effects within a minute.
But the filmmakers were so adamant to make it a laugh riot that they excused such simple logic and also introduced a small EMP device that can be the solution to the earth’s problem. One should not have to look beyond the car’s roof to anticipate massive stupidity; when the golden gate is collapsing, the roof of the cars remain intact. Even if all this scientific accuracy is excused for entertainment, the acting is disastrous and the major players have no cohesive character arc.