Against the Crowd Blogathon

Wendell from Dell on Movies is back with the Against the Crowd blogathon, and this time he’s co-hosting it with KG of KG’s Movie Rants. The blogathon runs until August 26, so head over to their sites for the rules (and join in!). I haven’t joined in any blogathons recently, and I had fun participating last year, so I’m definitely in for this one.

Movie Everybody Loved But I Didn’t
Deadpool (2016)
Rating: 84%

I kind of had a hard time choosing for this one. I don’t gut-wretchedly dislike this but I do not understand the hype surrounding the ‘awesomeness’ that is Deadpool. Yeah, it’s a R-Rated superhero flick. Yes, it’s very tongue-in-cheek kind of comedy. It’s so meta. That’s it? While Ryan Reynolds was born to play the role, his character was so irritating that I didn’t care about what happens to him. The gimmick of the movie felt so repetitive to the point that it’s not funny anymore. 

I didn’t find anything special with this movie. I think it was just the different way of telling an origin story that made this click. It’s great that the backstory wasn’t dragged out so much (rather, it was placed conveniently in segments to balance out the movie), but when I think about it now, it’s hard to place scenes where Deadpool was awesome, or something totally amazing happened. 

We all want superhero movies to have content, but being entertaining plays a big part in making the movie work. If it’s not memorable (even one epic scene would make a difference), then it’s partly not doing what superhero movies are supposed to do. 

Movie Everybody Hated But I Didn’t
Blended (2014) 
Rating: 14%

Yes, I am one of those people who watch Adam Sandler comedies. Just looking at his filmography, the man is no stranger to a rotten rating. While I’m not a fan of his over-the-top crude humor, I think movies that he makes with Drew Barrymore are quiet enjoyable. I think it’s because his sense of humor is dialed down a notch compared to the usual raunchy fare he does with his group of friends. Blended is his lowest-rated (and the only one applicable) outing with Barrymore and while it doesn’t really have a plot, I still liked it. 

It’s a generic kind of movie: a romantic story between single parents and shenanigans ensue. It’s set in a resort somewhere in Africa, making the movie one vacation for everyone involved. Were there problems with the movie? Some of the jokes were cringe worthy or fell flat. The writing wasn’t terrific, and there were parts that the movie could have done without. It was ultimately the chemistry between Barrymore and Sandler that makes this movie a bit more enjoyable than it should be.

10 comments:

  1. This is a perfect post because I feel exactly the opposite of you on these. I am in love with Deadpool and would rather be hit by a bus than watch Blended again. That said, I get where you're coming from on Deadpool. The character can be a bit much to take. Thanks for joining in on the fun!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I tried 50 First Dates and hated it - I like Drew Barrymore but nothing will make me like Sandler. I hate all his movies apart from Hotel Transylvania, because he don't see his face.

    Interesting what you say about Deadpool though but hey you can't win them all right?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Deadpool for many reasons but I do see where you're coming from! I find Adam Sandler movies so hit and miss I try to avoid them at all costs now, but I might give Blended a go :)
    - Allie

    ReplyDelete
  4. There was a time when I loved superhero movies, the original Superman with Christopher Reeve, the original Spiderman and the first couple of X-Men movies, but they've all become so cookie cutter and dull and I found Deadpool no exception. I even like Reynolds up to a point but he was trying to hard and the supposed comedy was flat.

    I've gone back and forth on Blended. The reviews were so horrendous that it kept me away at the theatre but I LOVED Drew and Sandler in The Wedding Singer, still his best film in my opinion, and though I thought the idea behind 50 First Dates was absurd their chemistry made it pleasant. So if that potent chemistry is still there I'll give it a try and hope that someday they'll use that strong connection to make a really good film again.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I enjoyed Deadpool, but I definitely understand where you are coming from because I also had the same issues as you did. Deadpool's witty humor got tiring after awhile and though I think it's better than most superhero films these days, it's still not amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I actually did mention in my review that the meta aspects of the film would make or break it depending on the individual so it's interesting to see you were unimpressed by it.

    I knew an Adam Sandler pick would worms its way in here haha

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes thank you I also did not like (or get the hype around) Deadpool! Wish I had thought of it for my blog post haha. I haven't seen Blended!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cool post! I haven't seen really seen either of these, but it's fun to see people have varying opinions of a beloved or disliked movie.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Of all the posts in this blogathon so far, I think I agree with you the most. While I did like Deadpool and have to admit that it's a gamechanger, I did find its humour to be repetitive and the story rather lacking.

    I LOVED Blended. As you say, it's one of those generic romcoms but it's done quite well. There are great heartfelt moments that resonated with me and Sandler and Barrymore have fantastic chemistry.

    Thanks for joining in.
    KG

    ReplyDelete
  10. I liked Deadpool a lot, but I agree the breaking the 4th wall gimmick was way overused. It stoppes being funny pretty early on.

    ReplyDelete