Hated or Divisive Movies That I LOVED

Hated For: its unflinching portrayal of violence and cold nature.

Reason I Love It: It's gorgeously shot, brilliantly acted, refreshingly stylistic, and carries an impeccably curated soundtrack. To boot its themes about the source of good or evil and its satirical take on the weaponizing of psychological measures used to control such factors are downright genius.

Often Hated For: Its weak dialogue, over-dependence on visuals, and razor thin story.

Reason I Love It: Suspiria is not so much a film as a descent into an audio-visual nightmare fugue. It's a feeling rather than a strong narrative. It's a hodge-podge of inventive shots, stunning color, dissonant sound, and ghastly grue. In short, it's an experience.

Often Hated For: Being overly long, coming out around the same time as "Tombstone", and starring the divisive Kevin Costner.

Reason I Love It: Kevin Costner might have some questionable skills from time to time but without a doubt he embodied the nature of the mythological Earp much better than anyone has in cinema. The range and scope of the picture is a delight for fans of history or the west of which I am most certainly one. Say what you will but "Tombstone" doesn't even chart on my radar in comparison to this overlooked gem.

Often Hated For: It's desaturated color scheme, stylistic editing, and loose portrayal of true events.

Reasons I Love It: The exact reasons I listed for it being oft hated on top of a great cast, great action, and crazy vibe. Tony Scott felt unsatisfied but I was always pleased with this offering from him.

Often Hated For: Daring to be a remake of one of the most beloved horror classics, excluding the participation of Bruce Campbell onscreen, and a lack of humor.

Reasons I Love It: People forget that Raimi's original Evil Dead was not intended to be humorous either. Any comedy found in it is the result of what we now know of the production, people looking at it through the lens of its followups, or in-jokes. The remake keeps that spirit of unrelenting, grueling, and visceral horror alive and wisely sidesteps replacing (or casting) Bruce Campbell in the affair. It also widens the mythos of the series and gives the whole affair added heft with a metaphor about drug addiction.

Often Hated For: Disregarding the role of the Greek pantheon's hand in the events as portrayed in The Illiad and some of the casting choices.

Reason I Love It: The more realistic approach that still doesn't lose the grandiose nature of the events. Great action, awesome duels, and Brad Pitt's fantastic portrayal of Achilles.

Often Hated For: It's blend of hyper-kinetic editing, "MTV" style, and casting choices.

Reason I Love It: Style is the name of the game but I believe it gives the film a gorgeously unique look. A similar effect is created with the juxtaposition of present day settings and loyalty to Shakespeare's dialogue. Also, I think Leo has by now more than proven he was more than a hearthrob.

Often Hated For: Feeling derivative and being saddled with an unwarranted "whitewashing" controversy.

Reason I Love It: If it feels a bit unoriginal it's because it's a pretty loyal adaptation of the source material which, in turn, influenced many films western audiences were familiar with by the time of it's release. Having been a fan of the anime and manga I appreciated its loyalty and the expansion of themes of identity which, ironically, were emphasized by the very casting of a white woman in a role perceived for years as Japanese. On top of all this, the film is visually stunning, the action gorgeous, the cast diverse and stellar, and the score is awesome.

Often Hated For: Being the "lesser" James Cameron movie, it's glacial pacing, and its ending.

Reason I Love It: A great cast, escalating sense of tension and the awe of discovery, and, yes, its ending.

Often Hated For: Being a "sidequel" rather than a sequel whose mainstream popularity turned it from a beloved picture to one fit for derision, it's continued display of macho badassery, uber-violence, and sex, and its Spartan deficiency.

Reason I Love It: Honestly, I thought it did everything the original did only better (give or take an element or two) while entirely complementing it. Loved the peek into Xerxes' evolution as a leader and the new hero Themistocles was a lot easier to relate to that the Spartans. Plus, I'm a huge fan of history being fictionalized to the point of fantasy.

Often Hated For: It's association with Mel Gibson (at the time embroiled in controversy), excessive violence, and loose interpretation of history.

Reason I Love It: Because it's a balls to the wall, intense, visceral action adventure of the purest kind. It didn't depend on big names just content and succeeded at delivering thrills, gorgeous visuals, and a jaw-droppingly engaging experience.

Often Hated For: It's been called boring, confusing, unnecessarily loyal to its portrayal of the period, and overhyped.

Reason I Love It: It's a haunting tale of how overzealouness can lead the innocent down dark paths. The atmosphere and the authenticity (be in in speech, customs, beliefs, or clothing) lends to a highly immersive and credible experience. The acting is superb, the shots impressive, and the glimpses of the lurking evil truly terrifying. Also, the slow boil pays off in one of the best ending in horror in decades.

Often Hated For: Being to "mainstream", "too linear", and "not scary enough". And, lest we forget, "the Warrens are conmen".

Reason I Love It: There is no pleasing horror fans sometimes. They demand quality and recognition then they get it and they revolt against it because it caught the imagination of the masses. Well, it doesn't bother me. There is room for all kinds of good films in my book and this is one of them.

First off, the setting, the cast, and the serious approach to the entire affair are big pluses for me. Wan's deliberate and meticulous build up for scares makes any jump scares well-earned and not cheap. He is also a master of negative space making any shot with wide spaces pregnant with potential. There is some legitimately cool and eerie imagery throughout which is pretty damn neat. And, yes, we all the know the Warrens are more than likely charlatans...this is fiction folks and Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are EXCELLENT as leads. Just a great, old-fashioned horror flick.

Often Hated For: Causing a million arguments about what exactly is "Lovecraftian" and what the difference is between an homage and a ripoff.

Reason I Love It: It is quite literally a well-made pastiche of many a Lovecraftian influenced works loaded with jaw-dropping physical effects and a synth score worthy of John Carpenter. Disorienting, disturbing, over the top, and topped off with a dose of cosmic nihilism.

Often Hated For: Its focus on the human element rather than the titular beast, cutaways at the peak of excitement, and the death of Bryan Cranston.

Reason I Love It: The film managed to give us the feeling of immersion with the "man on the street" approach of its many human characters. It gave the entire affair a realism and Godzilla was shown as a true titan and natural force to be feared and reckoned with. The film also brilliantly drums up and plays with expectation until it finally unleashed its all out monstrous majesty. Never had Godzilla felt so real to me until this came along.

Often Hated For: Not having enough Godzilla action, changing the mythos and look of the titular beast, and long scenes with humans.

Reason I Love It: Well, if you have an attention span this movie proves itself very early on. The real world aesthetic sells the terror of Godzilla by treating him like a emergency crisis that must be responded to by bureaucrats scrambling for a foothold. I also loved the idea of injecting something new into the tired Godzilla franchise which the movie provided with not only its delivery but it's ample changes to the monster's raison d'être.

Often Hated For: Changing the focus of the story to other people (or for being a sequel to a movie that was derided/loved), it's crazy characters and scenarios, and not being based on an actual book.

Reason I Love It: I'm in the minority that finds the first Pet Sematary particularly bad as an adaptation (tons of stuff was left on the cutting room floor) and as a movie (the acting from the leads alone)so I always find great pleasure in seeing its sequel actually show the influence of the virtually non-existent Wendigo entity from the first movie. This movie got more right about its far-reaching evil and it's disturbing effects on people than the first one ever did. Couple that with some neat and gruesome scenarios and Clancy Brown's wild character and it's one helluva entertaining movie.

Often Hated For: Its extreme visceral nature.

Reason I Love It: The film is grueling, harrowing, and shocking, that alone sets it apart in a world where art rarely does this. The acting is superb, the villains feasibly menacing, and the journey is nerve-shattering. Much is made about the extreme graphic nature of Martyrs BUT the film has something big to say and the violence, though disturbingly uncomfortable, only makes its final defiant scene all the more impacting.

Often Hated For: Being yet another forgettable Dwayne Johnson movie.

Reason I Love It: Had it been released in the 70's it would of been remembered as a great exploitation revenge movie, in the the 40's a hard-boiled slice of badassery. "Faster" is thrilling, packs a nasty punch, and eats and shits "cool". An awesome cast rounds things out perfectly.

Often Hated For: Having the audacity to be a pre-planned part in a series of films, having Guy Ritchie-isms litter a medieval story, the changes to the mythos, and the huge budget spectacle approach.

Reason I Love It: It gave us a different and fresh take on a story that, frankly, has been worn thin, it re-introduced elements of fantasy and action that had long been taken from Arthur stories, the effects were stunning, the score intense, and the action a blast.

Often Hated For: Being a religious movie with insane amounts of gore directed by Mel Gibson(during another controversial career moment).

Reason I Love It: Quite simply it is a visually arresting depiction of the one of the most well-known stories of all time. Not only that but it interweaves this with a very artistically rich interpretation of the grander spiritual elements in play. Gibson's renown dedication of realism adds an extra layer of discomfort, tragedy, and cathartic suffering to the whole affair. Beautifully shot, scored, and acted, Passion needn't be in line with your beliefs to be appreciated as the masterpiece it is.

Often Hated For: Depictions of utterly reprehensible and vile acts and its exploitative vibe.

Reason I Love It: Make no mistake this movie is unsettling, grotesque, and downright filthy BUT it is also darkly comedic in its extremes and has a thorough satiric undertone that binds everything together. Admittedly, there is also a fascinating quality to watching something so unabashedly offensive unfold before your eyes. No matter how much you expect things or how much you are prepared for them, A Serbian Film still shocks.

Often Hated For: Being part of a prequel series nobody really asked for and that started off on the wrong foot.

Reason I Love It: It justified sitting through the previous installments with sheer spectacle, but I also really appreciated the expounding on the mythology that fans of Tolkien's world have always wondered about or wanted to see. Is it more flash than substance? Yes, but that's partially why it's so enjoyable.

Often Hated For: Its unflinching and sadistic and sexual overtones.

Reason I Love It: There is method and purpose behind all the madness. The movie might be grisly and uncomfortable but it has much to say about the human condition in a world that is increasingly self-involved and materialistic. Bale is yet another highlight putting in a career-changing performance as Patrick Bateman. Bonus points for the notes of surrealism that call into question the events you are watching.

Often Hated For: The Wachowskis could do no right after The Matrix and the public raged at them "wasting" their potential on fluff like Speed Racer.

Reason I Loved It: Its fierce loyalty to the material, coupled with bonkers effects, and a legit feeling of family friendly fun. Just a wholesome fun time.

Often Hated For: Its focus on psychological horror instead of visceral horror, the "annoying kid", and being called the best horror movie (instant way to get people to oppose a movie).

Reason I Love It: The movie is legitimate psychological horror masterpiece that actually introduces a monster of that ilk that is not solely restricted to the realm of thought. I loved this aspect of the movie and it explained away all the issues people had with the kid and mother's behavior. Their terrible coping with loss is the very source of everything, for crying out loud. Extra points for a gloomy ambiance, some genuinely eerie horror set pieces, and great creature design.

Often Hated For: It's premise which many found laughable. Also, being called one of the best by critics led to many revolting against it.

Reason I Love It: The open interpretation of the the "IT" in question. It has been the subject of much discussion and deservedly so. It also provided us with a very unique way to bring horror to a jaded or spoiled audience and was home to some genuinely exciting set pieces.

Often Hated For: Having the misfortune of following its beloved predecessor, the interpretations of some characters, and some questionable plot elements.

Reason I Love It: Its ties back to the groundwork set in Batman Begins, Tom Hardy's version of Bane, its searing social commentary, some stunning action, and, lest we forget, Anne Hathaway in a catsuit.

Often Hated For: Being another film called "the scariest" and thus immediately getting push back from an audience and its seemingly disjointed plot.

Reason I Love It: Its expert use of minimal exposition to very effectively put you in the shoes of its protagonists. Any semblance of confusion is deliberate and makes for excellent fare for repeated viewings. Also, some stellar performances and a killer ending.

Often Hated For: "Not living up to the hype", its unusual structure, and its derivative nature.

Reason I Love It: It's very clear director Neill Blomkamp is keen on paying homage to films that influenced him and so what others perceived as derivative I saw as an honorific. In the end this is as if you put E.T., Short Circuit, and Robocop in a blender and came out with a hyper-kinetic lovechild. The visual panache, the dystopian edge blunted by tons of heart, a kickass score, beautiful effects, a crazy Hugh Jackman, awesome action, and Die Antwoord as a meta version of themselves...do I really have to explain why I love this?

Often Hated For: Being a religious movie that is neither entirely loyal to the biblical account, previous film versions, or history, casting controversies, and much religious community hate.

Reason I Love It: While some others focused on the changes made I was more entranced by the results of combining odes to previous adaptations, the story's biblical roots, and more grounded ways to show the influence of the Hebrew God on events that called into question the mental stability of Moses. Bale is once again a huge selling point and so is the epic nature and scale of everything. The unique but not sacrilegious portrayals of certain events just made for more entertaining viewing.

Often Hated For: Preconceived notions about the production troubles behind the scenes, its use of a female lead, it daring to give us insight into the events before a beloved movie, and its unique visual approach in a series with a very established look.

Reason I Love It: Honestly, this is the first time anything Star Wars felt real and meaningful to me and the first time anything in the series' mythos actually impressed me. The film gave gravitas to events I had little interest in previously. To top it all off, the action was intense and was gorgeously shot. A great cast, stunning visuals, and some very memorable sequences are just that cherry on the sundae.

Often Hated For: Its bloodless, whitewashed, almost superheroic portrayal of the storied literary character.

Reason I Love It: Its unique blend of fiction and fact to create a version of Dracula that, quite frankly, we had yet to see onscreen. Takes on Dracula are a dime a dozen so this was a refreshing look at the myth. Sewing the story of Dracula inspiration Vlad Tepes but keeping him in the lense of the folk hero he was to the people of Wallachia was awesome.

Dracula himself is romanticized but not in the now expected fashion but much more as a dedicated leader, husband, and father besieged by the burden of his choices...again, unique. The action sequences are a blast, the main villain leaves you wanting more (plans were for this to be the starting point to a series) in all the right ways, and enough odes and references of other Dracula incarnations are touched upon to tickle viewers.

I will admit some more authentic casting and blood would of improved the product but it certainly didn't deter me from absolutely loving it.

Often Hated For: Not being a Michael Myers movie, its b-movie sensibilities, and over the top premise.

Reasons I Love It: Its atmospheric Nigel Kneale-like vibe, great synth score, Tom Atkins as a lead (always a good choice if you want mustachioed macho bravado), bonkers effects, apocalyptic ending, unique plot, and that it not only is a b-movie but it revels in that status. Also, was glad to see Myers gone and wish it would of stayed that way. The first one was great and the second one was fine enough but did we really need a thousand more of them? No, we needed more original stuff like this crazy flick.

Often Hated For: Being a remake of a beloved classic, its PG-13 rating, its somber tone and slower pace, and its lack of over the top satirical elements and physical effects.

Reason I Love It: The movie maintained the most important aspects of the Robocop story (satirical/cynical view of business, media, government, and homeland security; a core framework of a revenge story; psuedo-dystopian sci-fi action; a stinkin' cyborg cop)and approached them in its own particular way while never straying so far from the concept that it became alien.

I really appreciated the change of approach to Murphy's character as it made him a tad more empathetic to be a man losing his humanity rather than one we empathize with by sheer circumstance of the brutality of his death and the immediate theft of his self-identity. I also really enjoyed how much more bitterly cynical of the media (and how that was integrated into the plot) this movie had than its predecessor.

While the sci-fi action elements remained (tamer, mind you) they were still extremely entertaining and stood on on their own merits without a need to resort to ultraviolence for satirical, comedic, or visceral effect. This made the movie jive a bit more with our current reality. Also, really enjoyed the almost body horror element introduced when Murphy has to deal with the scope of his trauma and his new body.

All this plus some great effects, a nice score, a great cast, and a pace that allowed the movie's story to breath a lot more than the original did made it a movie I can hold on par with the first for its own unique reasons.

Often Hated For: Daring to "change" fan's expectations of Superman, daring to be directed by Zack Snyder, daring to not be a Marvel movie, its somber tone, and what fans perceived as a violation of the character on various fronts.

Why I Love It: Frankly, the best Superman movie ever made. Yes, I'm including the Donner classic. Any cries of sacrilege are preposterous given that the movie is basically Superman II and J. Michael Straczynski's initial Earth One Superman storyline. Superman having to kill was not some willy nilly choice, it was a painful act for him and I loved every moment of it.

Cavill looks the part and gives Clark Kent humanity by making him a man trying to find his way in a world where he is above men and rejected and misunderstood by them. Michael Shannon is one imposing villain as Zod, finally giving us something that doesn't come off as goofy.

Snyder's keen eye for visuals and action make entire scenes into living paintings and pulse-pounding exchanges. The rest of the cast is as stellar as its leads, the score is inspiring, and the effects top notch. I can't side with the haters, there's not much I dislike about this movie.

Often Hated For: Being a religious movie that takes big creative liberties with the source material or just plain ol' being a film that was neither going to please pious crowds or mostly agnostic ones.

Reason I Love It: Its blend of the biblical, extrabiblical, apocryphal, and traditional to form a story that, ultimately, does its all to keep itself on message despite the changes.

Entire sequences in this film are jaw-droppingly gorgeous (the passage of time from creation to the days of Noah, the wickedness of men, the coming of the flood, etc), the score is one of the best I've ever heard, and seeing passages and ideas I had only been privy to by reading sources outside the bible to flesh out the events was an absolute delight. Russell Crowe is a commanding presence as Noah and the concept of God's will reverberates throughout in a film where the deity is shown as we most often "see" him...in visual and aural absence.

Often Hated For: Being a post-Ed Wood Tim Burton movie that no longer depends on physical effects and original concepts, being a live-action "remake" of what many see as a Disney movie, being yet another Johnny Depp in makeup movie, and having an uneven balance between whimsy and darkness.

Why I Love It: The movie chimes with an old school Tim Burton standard, namely "the odd duck that finds their way but never loses their personality" and, in the end, I think this gave the movie a spirit that some of the films in his latter career lack. The visuals, though more dependent on CGI to have a particular unique vibe that makes them memorable not only as Burton-esque but fantastically otherworldy. The darker elements also ensured that the whole affair had a different tone which, personally, I enjoyed far more than previous adaptations.

Other elements of note: The fantastic casting, more of a structured story arc approach to the events (while never really sacrificing the madness of it all), and the plain visual feast it can be.

Often Hated For: Being a prequel to generally disliked remake of a horror classic, its young cast, its violence, and its bleak ending.

Reason I Love It: For being exactly what a movie with that title should be. Look the original is untouched and still the best BUT it can't ever be duplicated. The obvious answer would be to make something that embodies the oppressive, hopeless brutality of the scenario and just runs with that angle. Boy howdy, does this one do it. You know no one is going to live, you know things are going to get ugly, and you know it must make its mark.

This is a brutal, nasty movie. It really benefits from the family that raised Leatherface and their deep depravity. It's relentless, it's gruesome, it's a massacre.

Often Hated For: Being directed by Zack Snyder, its purported objectification of women, its nonsensical story, and its visual flashiness.

Reason I Love It: I'm just not on that Snyder hate train. The movie makes perfect sense even as it interweaves between reality and fantasy. I also found the movie to be empowering for women versus the criticisms it got. Sucker Punch is ultimately a tragic story of an oppressed woman fighting back to the best of her abilities under the circumstances. Her real world struggle and influence is represented in these massive, breathtaking scenes of spectacle where her nature is imbued with abilities and confidence to the max.

I also love the almost music video-like storytelling, the extremely talented cast, the always exciting scenarios that are concocted, the lush photography, the awesome action, and the sheer spectacle of it all.

Often Hated For: Being a Zack Snyder film (this is becoming a theme), purportedly missing the point of the graphic novel, its stylized and graphic violence, the altered ending, and for daring to adapt a beloved graphic novel.

Reason I Love It: Visual loyalty to s visual medium doesn't mean the substance of the material has been overlooked and such is the case here. In fact, Synder went out of his way with three different cuts to keep to the structure, symbolism, and satire of the comic. All three cuts are great for a variety of reasons.

I'm also a fan of the altered ending as it ties things together in a far better fashion AND translates much more credibly to screen. As always, the lush visuals of a Snyder flick are in full effect here and impress at their slavish loyalty to the source material, effects are top level, and it sports some stunning sequences that even the most vocal detractors applaud (the credits laying the back story of the Minutemen down concisely being an outstanding example).

Most notable are how idea of superheros in a real world would be as flawed as us, prone to insecurity, abuse of power, and psychological issues is maintained and calls into question our tendency to place trust in leaders and men of renown who are all servants to their own whims and motivations.

Often Hated For: Being another Snyder flick (geez), being "too serious", "too long", and convoluted. Also, for disrespecting the source material. Oh, and how dare I forget the "Martha" scene. Oh boy.

Reason I Love It: Well, it's obvious that Snyder loves the source material as he combines elements of several notable stories and well-known character/plot points to create this opus. Again, i just can't agree with the fan uproar when the results speak to something different. I will, however, grant them that the theatrical cut was far from ideal. The director's cut is the way to watch this film.

Cavill continues to impress as Superman/Kent but changing the POV from him to Affleck's Batman is a refreshing move and a great one. Affleck's Batman is very much like one of the most favored iterations of the character. Another big plus for me, Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Though people complained about his whiny, tech-entrepreneur portrayal the man behind that facade was all Luthor, conniving, egotistical, and manipulative.

In fact, all characters were given ample reason to behave as they did given what the film informs us in regards to passage of time, reactions to each other's existences, etc. Even the kinda shoe-horned in (for the sake of establishing the planned arcing story of the film universe) Wonder Woman stuff wasn't cloying but awesome.

Mostly, I love how regardless of the fact that the film is very much influenced by several comic book sources (some images being brought to life directly from the pages), its story is structured around an allegorical framework. From Superman as a messianic figure, to Batman as a stand in for men of the world, and Luthor as the devious Luciferian tempter and adversary that literally births a Doomsday from his own blood to take "god" down a few pegs, the film is brimming with parallels that enrich the fabric of the tale and make it bigger than life.

Beautifully shot, fantastically cast, and loaded with excitement that builds up by the passing minute, BVS in its intended form is quite the spectacle for a comic fan like me.

Often Hated For: Being an "Alien" movie without xenomorphs, daring to change the mythos, character actions, and story choices.

Why I Love It: The spectacle of large scale sci-fi, the excitement of discovery, its roots in many cultural creation stories, its allegorical structure, the Luciferian parallel with David, and how much it gets your mind going with possibilities. Also, its Lovecraftian overtones of careless cosmic nihilism even in the face of creation. Gorgeous shots, effects, and air of grandiosity just make it all the better. Honestly, there is nothing I dislike about it except that fan's response to it caused its follow-up (Alien: Covenant) to be a compromised piece of crap that pleased no one and skipped over relevant developments and ideas that Prometheus set up.

Often Hated For: Being the one millionth installment in a series of direct to video sequels churned out by a studio just wanting to keep the rights to the property, being yet another installment to not have Doug Bradley as villain Pinhead, lacking the involvement of certain parties, and having a low budget.

Reason I Love It: For those actually familiar with Clive Barker's fiction outside of the realm of Hellraiser (The Hellbound Heart)this movie is the MOST Barker-like Hellraiser movie since the first one. Most notably it blends the legendary writer's penchant to weave in the bureaucracy of heaven and hell into his gruesome and darkly fantastical tales. Gary J. Tunnicliffe (longtime makeup artist for the series and this installment's writer/director) clearly has a love for a material that makes this one stand out from the rest.

Besides the elements that hearken Barker's work, the film manages to pack quite a visual punch with an impressive array of effects that bring life to the vision,especially given this was an incredibly low budget affair. Minor flaws and production pitfalls are forgivable in light of a Hellraiser story with ambition to expand the mythos and a legitimate creative energy.

Often Hated For: The recasting of Jodie Foster, the liberties taken with the source material, its tone and departure from its predecessor's approach, and its over the top gore.

Reason I Love It: There's almost a gleefully grand guignol approach to this film that I can't help but enjoy. It's big, it's lavish, it's insane at times, but it's also very tongue in cheek and darkly comical at others. It walks a tightrope between gruesome and silly every step of the way and seeing that balancing act is pretty entertaining.

Hopkins is always a delight in the role and he revels in the gonzo madness of it all here. Julianne Moore is one of my favorite actresses so I had very little problem with her portrayal of Clarice. Gary Oldman in his uncredited role as Mason Verger is pure disgusting menace. In short, the cast is a hoot.

Hannibal is not for everyone, especially those expecting more of Silence of the Lambs, but it certainly has a language and presence of its own and I can very much vibe with that.

Often Hated For: Being a Netflix big-budget movie with buzz, who wrote and directed it, the metaphor heavy premise, its star, and its depiction of certain people in society.

Reason I Love It: Urban fantasy brought to life, plain and simple. The primarily literary sub-genre has never been as fully realized as in this movie and that alone is a win. I also love that it provided David Ayer a new way to tell a familiar story he's been telling for years now.

Though thinly-veiled, the metaphor is worthy of addressing and why not in a crazy form as this? Also worthy, that its intentions don't drag down the escapism factor. Ever wondered what would happen if time passed in a post-Defeat of Sauron Middle Earth and all these races and creatures had to work with each other in spite of all the bad blood between them? No? I did and this is as close as we'll get to an answer.

Often Hated For: Having the misfortune of being renown writer David Ayer's first directorial outing after some critically praised scripts, its overly bleak world view, and it's unlikable characters.

Reason I Love It: Christian Bale MADE this movie. Yes, his character is inherently unlikable BUT that is minimizing his stellar portrayal.