Movies that were once critically scathed but have since been acknowledged as being misunderstood at the time is a common occurrence, especially as fans are still arguing that The Last Jedi is misunderstood. One of the most popular examples of such a thing happening is Fight Club, but in the 23 years since, so many other movies have had the same trajectory.
While the Star Wars debate will seemingly continue until the end of time, Redditors have tried to convince users that tons of other movies are misunderstood. Whether it's because they were ahead of the time and audiences didn't know how to react to something so forward-thinking, or because they have deeper meanings and were taken at face value, Redditors make some great arguments.
Last Action Hero (1993)
Stream On Netflix
Last Action Hero sees Arnold Schwarzenegger playing an amalgam of his older characters in a satirical way, and at one point, the character even runs into his real-life self. Skull_Attachment claims that the poorly received movie is misunderstood, arguing, "At the time, Last Action Hero was somehow taken at face value. Blows my mind as it's probably one of the best satires I've ever seen."
In fairness, the current cinema landscape is full of comedies that are self-aware and full of meta jokes, whether it's the Jump Street series or the Deadpool franchise. Between the two movies in the latter series, they have grossed a total of more than $1.5 billion. And The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which sees Nicolas Cage sort of returning to his older roles, is critically acclaimed and has gotten so much fanfare. So there's no doubt that if Last Action Hero was released today or anytime in the past decade, it would have been a bigger success.
Godzilla (2014)
Rent on Apple TV
User SuperAlloyBerserker notes that Godzilla was endlessly criticized because of the two-dimensional human characters and because Godzilla was barely in it. However, the Redditor explains that the film is more of a remake of the very original movie and that the 2014 release is "a metaphorical (and literal) byproduct of nuclear warfare instead of just a cool giant lizard that can Kamehameha out of his mouth."
Even if audiences didn't pick up on that, though Godzilla wasn't exactly taken for granted in the movie, that meant that the film popped whenever the monster was on-screen. The film is a masterclass at building suspense too, as that iconic HALO jump that looked like people were jumping into the pits of hell could be a great short film in itself. And at the very least, the second attempt at a Hollywood remake of the Kaiju is way better than 1998's Godzilla.
Small Soldiers (1998)
Stream On Amazon Prime & Paramount+
There was an oddly specific trend of toys coming to life in 90s kids' movies. It happens in the Toy Story series, it happens in The Indian in the Cupboard, and it happens in the criminally overlooked Small Soldiers. The movie follows two feuding groups of toys, military soldiers and the Gorgonite monsters, and Mindful_Dribble thinks the movie is misunderstood, stating, "I'll die on this hill."
While the Redditor doesn't actually give much of a reason as to why the movie is misunderstood, Small Soldiers is a forgotten '90s gem. Between the perfectly cast voice acting of Tommy Lee Jones playing stoic Commando Elite Chip Hazard, and turning Barbie dolls into armies of expendable front liners, Small Soldiers is one of the funniest movies of the 1990s.
Only God Forgives (2013)
Stream On Vudu, Tubi, & The Roku Channel
There was a lot of hype surrounding Only God Forgives back in 2013, as it was the second collaboration between actor Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn after 2011's beloved Drive. The 2013 movie looked just as neon-drenched and spectacular, but it landed like a led balloon and was criticized for being void of any kind of sensical narrative. But the movie still has its fans, and Jakov_Salinsky thinks that audiences simply didn't understand it.
The Redditor specifically refers to one scene, "I absolutely love the fistfight in the dojo. Especially that straight-up boss music that plays over the scene." The scene almost feels like a level in a Street Fighter game, but it's also the only scene in the movie in which anything happens, and it takes '90s minutes to reach that point.
Speed Racer (2008)
Stream On Kanopy
Following the huge financial success of the Matrix movies, regardless of how poorly received they are, the Wachowskis dove even further into innovative CGI and digital effects by adapting the anime series Speed Racer. Just like the last two films in the cyberpunk series, Speed Racer was lambasted by critics and had a negative reception from general audiences.
However, Basa_maaw thinks the movie is misunderstood, arguing, "It remains one of the most liberally creative films I've ever seen. Sure, it's a bit cheesy but would it be speed racer if it wasn't?" In the years since its release, Speed Racer has become a cult hit and fans love the over-the-top style of the movie. And because of its newfound fanbase, the Wachowskis' Speed Racer 2 idea could see the light of day after all.
Clockstoppers (2002)
Stream On Starz
Clockstoppers is a typical early 2000s family movie. It features bad CGI, a Smash Mouth-plagued soundtrack, and a goofy sci-fi premise, and those are exactly the reasons why Physical_Edge_6264 loves it. The Redditor argues, "If you ignore the DJ contest scene (don't ask), the film handles the time aspect really well for a kids' movie. Yes, it's cheesy but it is peak 2000s vibes and very straightforward and a fun time for everyone."
The movie actually has a unique take on time travel, and in that respect, Clockstoppers doesn't get the recognition it deserves. And at the very least, the film is a time capsule, and in decades' time, if anybody wants to know what 2000s life was like, Clockstoppers would be the perfect viewing experience.
Wild Wild West (1999)
Stream On HBO Max
Trying to capitalize on Will Smith's bankability and the success of Men In Black's high concept, the studio doubled down with Wild Wild West. The movie combines the western genre with sci-fi, there's even a giant mechanical spider in the final act, and it's absolutely ridiculous by all accounts.
Redditor Thequirkyquark believes the film is misunderstood, arguing, "I don't understand the hate. It's a deliberately campy buddy action-comedy that's ridiculous on purpose." In fairness, just like with Last Action Hero, it may be that Wild Wild West was simply released at the wrong time. With blockbuster movies being more welcoming of over-the-top campiness these days, the film could have been a lot more successful if it was released today.
Cats (2019)
Rent On Vudu
2019's Cats might be the most infamous box office bomb of the 2010s, as the movie cost $100 million to make and only made $75 million worldwide, but absolutely everybody knew about it. The CGI human faces on the cats are so ghastly that it became one of the most memed and joked about movies ever.
However, SurprisedJerboa thinks there's a deeper meaning to the laugh-out-loud digital effects that everyone missed. The Redditor explains, "Cats is an industry-wide critique on the capitalistic flaws of unnecessary adaptations." While the Reddit user might be half-joking, other fans genuinely think that it'll be a classic in 10 years' time.
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Stream On Netflix & HBO Max
There are now more bad movies than good ones in the Terminator series, and one of the most criticized is Terminator Salvation. But Kalebmordecai wonders, "Not sure why people hate it exactly. My guess is a sorta, 'No Arnold, NOT MY TERMINATOR' mentality."
However, even though Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't feature in the movie, he did show up digitally. The final act sees a CGI T-800 wrecking havoc, and it's one of the worst examples of de-aging ever. Ironically, it might be because Arnie's likeness is in the movie as to why it was hated by critics and audiences, not to mention that Salvation is where the series started getting too convoluted and contrived for its own good.
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Stream On Netflix
Rent On Apple TV
2007's Spider-Man 3 followed the most successful superhero movie ever at the time and a sequel that most fans think is perfect. But due to studio interference and way too many villains, the threequel ended up being a sloppy mess.
User Rogue-Jedi disagrees, and though they admit the film is stuffed with too many characters, they argue, "the Bully Peter Parker scenes were way ahead of their time. The world was not ready for the meme-God in 2007." Between Peter's emo phase and dancing in jazz clubs, the movie made some questionable choices in regards to the character, and while it might be a disappointing end to the trilogy, the internet is grateful.