As 2019 draws to a close we reflect on a year of ups and downs at the movies, both critically and financially. There were some surprises in regards to which highly anticipated movies lived up to their trailers and marketing as well as some dark horses that came out of nowhere to really steal the show. But, if there is one thing for certain, there are always movies that are highly overrated and underrated by critics and fans alike. As the UnPopular Opinion Guy, I felt it was only fitting to issue my list of the movies I felt that the masses got wrong. Some of these may shock you and some may just piss you off, but these are my honest to goodness perspective of the movies of 2019. If you disagree with any of the choices, please voice your own opinion in the talkback below. After all, the only opinion that really matters is yours, I am just here to share mine.
5 – SERENITY
Steven Knight's noir thriller is not the movie the trailers promised. SERENITY is barely even a noir and serves more as a science fiction cautionary tale wrapped up in a dark family drama. The twist that is revealed halfway through the film turned off many audience members and critics but is actually a rather ingenious way of telling a difficult story. Matthew McConaughey, Jeremy Clarke, Anne Hathaway, and the rest of the cast are all in on the twist which informs their take on how they played their characters. Whether you have seen it once or skipped it when you heard the twist, I think you should give this movie another look to see just how well it actually comes together.
4 – HELLBOY
Fans of Guillermo Del Toro and Ron Perlman's HELLBOY duology will never forget the fact that a third movie never came to fruition. Fan favorite Davd Harbour stepped in for an R-rated take on Mike Mignola's comic book anti-hero and the results were critically and financially dismal. But, HELLBOY is not nearly that bad. Sure, Neil Marshall's film probably could have used some additional fine-tuning, but the hardcore elements make it a lot of fun. I would be willing to wager that in the future, people will look back on this HELLBOY more fondly. Is it as good as the Del Toro films? No, but it is also a very different movie.
3 – SHAFT
The original 1971 SHAFT starring Richard Roundtree was a product of the decade it was released in. John Singleton's 2000 sequel/reboot starring Samuel L. Jackson in the lead updated the suave detective for a new generation and this year's Tim Story follow-up does the same thing for the Millennial age. Taking a much funnier approach, this SHAFT if crass, violent, and a lot more enjoyable than it should have been. Skewering all three generations of the Shaft family, this movie is light, breezy, and a pleasure to watch despite the critical bashing it took when it hit theaters. Jackson and Roundtree fully inhabit their versions of John Shaft while Jesse T. Usher does a nice job of balancing old school with the new.
2 – BRIGHTBURN
My expectations for BRIGHTBURN were very low. While James Gunn's involvement was limited to producing the film, his cousin Mark and brother Brian wrote this dark take on a Superman like character who chooses the side of evil rather than the side of good. While this year's GLASS attempted to give us a look at superheroes in a more realistic setting, BRIGHTBURN pulls no punches in giving us a true comic book inspired horror movie. Violent and gory, this is a movie that could easily kick off a franchise of dark superhero tales and I for one would love to see more about Brandon Breyer and the other characters teased during the credit sequence.
1 – ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL
Despite grossing $400 million worldwide, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL is looked at as a failure by many. But, James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez managed to realize the first live action adaptation of a manga that does justice to the source material while also being consumable by audiences unfamiliar with the story. Setting up several sequels, ALITA should have been an even bigger hit than it was. Chock full of pulse-pounding action and great performances from Rosa Salazar and Christoph Waltz, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL is as much fun to watch as any movie released in 2019.
