8 Movie Moments That Were “Questionable” At The Time But I Think Aged Like Fine Wine
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8 Movie Moments That Were “Questionable” At The Time But I Think Aged Like Fine Wine
Some movie moments make or break the entire film, but we can all agree, the internet tends to nitpick a single moment and beat it to death with criticism, right? We can step back and say that we were a little harsh, yeah? Or, have movie opinions dissolved into watching an hour-long YouTube essay rant, agreeing with it, and claiming that as the final word?
Here are eight movie moments that audiences thought were “questionable,” but I say have aged well:
1. The Man of Steel kills that add a new element to an overdone character.
Warner Bros.I’ve long said that Superman is the most white bread of all the superheroes.I thought Man of Steel, although it tried too hard to recapture the dark tones of The Dark Knight, was a great portrayal of Superman by Henry Cavill. The moment he snapped Zod’s neck to save a family made his character way more layered and interesting than ever before. This was the first Superman that felt like “winning the day” was an obstacle that required sacrifices.
It also set up a potential subplot for the sequel, but unfortunately, we never got a true sequel that could have explored Clark’s character on a deeper level and what it means to be human.
I think audiences have attachments to “strong” characters, so when a new vision offers a more vulnerable version of that character, fans reject it instantly…which reminds me…
Warner Bros.2. Luke Skywalker regresses as a character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi to show there is no perfect character…no matter how much you love them.
Disney / LucasfilmThis film really leaned into the “don’t meet your heroes” trope.
Like in real life, people progress and regress. The Last Jedi acknowledges that Luke made a selfish decision (he saw a vision of his nephew murdering the same friends Vader threatened in Return of the Jedi, and almost killed them, but caught himself before he went to the dark). Because at the end of the day, the light and dark is a choice, and he almost went to that bad place despite everything he had learned.
His self-exile had good intentions, but he abandoned his own principles; thus, allowing his mind to rot away and make him resent his responsibilities (and the literal Force).
I also feel like people forget the ending of the movie because they hated the direction of this beloved character, but people think the following movie “retcons” him. It doesn’t. In Rise of Skywalker, he tells Rey what we already knew from the finale in Episode VIII…because he literally confesses his mistakes to the camera.
Disney / Lucasfilm3. The “cringe” of Halloween Kills reflects us…a “cringe” society.
Universal Pictures“Evil dies tonight” is as cringe as a chant can get. When people make fun of this part of the movie, I feel like people haven’t actually watched videos of angry mobs. When people are irrational and angry, they don’t start acting like badasses. In their heads? Sure. But in real life? Not even a little.
The townspeople acted appropriately to the boogeyman of their town. For a lot of fans, they claimed this portion “ruined” the movie for them, but I found it to be the most realistic. Sure, it’s a bit ham-fisted in its delivery, but the series as a whole has always been that way.
I mean, seriously, every viewer thinks they can take on Michael Myers, but you can’t kill the boogeyman, and I think Halloween Kills showcased what happens when an average joe thinks they can play the hero.
Universal Pictures4. The Thing ends flawlessly despite initial criticism.
Universal PicturesThe movie ends with MacReady and Childs as the last two men standing, and we are left wondering what will happen next as the film ends with them both sitting there. I feel like this ending is almost universally loved now, but I was shocked to learn that people hated it. MacReady is ready to die in the cold in order to defeat the thing, and we, as an audience, are left unsure if Childs is even Childs. It fits the tone of paranoia that is so well executed throughout the film.
That gorgeous final shot of everything burning in the middle of nowhere is my brand of isolation horror.
Universal Pictures5. The twist in The Village isn’t a “gotcha” moment, but a perfect representation of society’s insecurities about safety within their own communities.
Touchstone PicturesI’ve learned something over time: People hate being fooled. The only thing worse is if people think the curveball is terrible. The masses hated the twist in The Village, but I thought it was a stroke of genius and LIGHTYEARS ahead of its time.
The talking points of this movie are fascinating, and it does a wonderful job asking: What would people do to feel safe? It’s a story that follows a woman driven by love and fearlessness on the backdrop of a village plagued by the hate and fears of elders. It’s my favorite M. Night Shyamalan film.
The most disturbing part of the movie has nothing to do with monsters but with the elders willing to live with the lie despite everything that happened over the span of the film. Their little fake paradise won’t stop crime, but they still think they can play God.
Touchstone Pictures6. Spider-Man 3 gifts us with dancing “Bully Maguire,” and it is a reminder to have a little fun with campy movies.
Sony Pictures ReleasingWith all the comedic Marvel movies that get released what feels like every other month, I can’t believe how many people rage-quit over Peter Parker dancing in the streets.
Memes aside, the trilogy as a whole was a bit goofy, but hardcore fans really hated this moment. I say it fits well with the overall ridiculous nature of a Sam Raimi film.
I couldn’t imagine watching the three Maguire-led films, where he wrestles the Macho Man and pratfalls off of buildings, and this moment is the point I’d say, “I don’t think this film is taking itself seriously”:
7. A Spinosaurus kills a T-Rex to show fans there is a new “big bad” in Jurassic Park III.
Universal PicturesFor some weird reasons, this one stuck with me, because when I was a kid, I recall grown men being upset that the “new” dinosaur killed the classic T-Rex. It seemed like such a petty reason to hate on a movie, especially when there are bigger fish to fry as far as problems, and the complaint makes no sense.
It was meant to show the Spinosaurus was a bigger threat to them, upping the stakes as any sequel should. I think this movie did a better job than the Jurassic World trilogy at giving it the original techno-thriller/horror vibes and focused less on “dinos fighting.”
The third Jurassic installment has plenty of problems as a movie, but complaints turned into a weird “my-dino-dad-can-beat-your-dino-dad” love affair with the T-Rex. I mean, the movie literally has a talking raptor dream sequence in it, and hardcore fans were mad their favorite dino died!
Universal Pictures8. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King closes out the epic adventure with final chapters…several final chapters. (But it’s needed.)
New Line Cinema
Like a long walk, the final mile only feels long because your legs are so tired. This is the case in the final scenes of The Return of the King.
A movie about the journey needed to wrap up the story by showing us what they fought for. It’s one of the best trilogies ever, and I’m thankful the editor stayed away from the trim tool. It also shows that Frodo was a selfless character putting himself through all that, knowing saving the world wasn’t for him.
I saw this when I was a kid, so I get sitting in a theater for three hours and having this feeling once the credits rolled:
BONUS:10 Cloverfield Lane had no “right” ending, and the structure itself paints the film into a corner.
Paramount PicturesI say bonus because I don’t necessarily think this aged well, but 10 Cloverfield Lane is flawed because it sets itself up for a “this or that” ending. EVERYONE predicted the movie’s twist would be that there was no danger outside, but then, it turned out there were really aliens…equally as predictable.
Of course, it was a Cloverfield movie. It’s literally in the name! I think it’s wild that people think the ending is bad because there are aliens in Cloverfield. If the ending went the other direction, that would be even more predictable.
What are movie moments that seemed questionable when you first saw it but you think have aged well? Comment below! (Also, feel free to disagree with the moments I picked, just share your opinion why.)
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