One of my favorite hobbies growing up was to snap open the newspaper with my fresh cup of coffee and not-so-fresh microwaved leftover dinner I was having for breakfast, and after reading the comics, scanning the Thursday movie reviews. Eight times out of 10 I disagreed with my compatriots at The Oregonian, but to be fair we probably had different tastes - and there's more mature than mine.
Let's face it - sometimes A-grade movies make no sense when it comes to their... A grade. As an artist, even I don't understand judging art, because it seems to me people pick the most confusing piece and go, "Ah! This made me feel something. I can't name it. So it's good!"
Whether that idea comes from watching too many bizarre scenes win state awards in my high school theatre career, or picking up random movies to watch at 3 a.m. while writing stories, I'll never know (OK, I might if I put in some effort).
I'm also quite a large fan of the fantastical story - one containing unexpected elements like superpowers but placed in contemporary settings (my personal weakness), fantasy films, or sci-fi films, I'm all in. I decided to compile a list of not-so-great movies to watch from these categories (hopefully not absolute suck) that didn't get the ratings, but still deserve some attention. When your list of A-grade movies runs out, here's a few I've found possessing awesome elements of story, film, or awesomeness...but not enough.
NOTE: I'll be looking solely at action/adventure movies with elements of either sci-fi or fantasy. I'm listing the movies I have seen. If there's one you think should be on the list it's either extraordinarily terrible in my humblest of opinions, an A-grade movie, or I haven't seen it!
#9: Push (2009)
PG-13
Who doesn't want to see a telekinetic and a clairvoyant in contemporary settings? Especially when it's Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning? This hits home as one my favorite kind of stories to watch, and it definitely plays around in the thriller category. I remember it also had some pretty great quips in dialogue, but maybe my memory is rusty.
Why you should watch it: Because it's got a grungy indie film vibe with the cinematography, because Chris Evans is actually allowed to have facial hair in one of his films (which I find amusing considering in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) he's always clean shaven but when not filming has quite the beard), and because one of my favorite lines ever is in this movie - it has to do with soy sauce.
#8: Cowboys vs. Aliens (2011)
PG-13
What! Cowboys! Aliens! Daniel Craig! Harrison Ford! Olivia Wilde! Horses! Spaceships! Oh my goodness what is happening!
Why you should watch it: The story, while missing a key element I still can't place, has cowboys/Wild West, some aliens which add suspense to the story...okay, I really enjoy this cast. I love how they work together with their character and their chemistry, and the aliens aren't too creepy and the story's not so super happy happy joy joy it breeds boredom.
#7: 47 Ronin (2013)
PG-13
Honesty is the best policy here folks, and truth be told I haven't finished this movie. That's what happens when you work in a fish cannery, get off a shift, but then the kitchen staff kick you out of the mess twenty minutes before it's over because they have to clean. But I had a pretty good time watching this with my fellow exhausted compatriots over various nuances. Also, why is Keanu Reeves in hardly any of the promo posters, but the guy with the weird tattoos WHO'S LITERALLY IN THREE MINUTES OF THIS THING everywhere?
Why you should watch it: Costumes. Pretty costumes, pretty CGI monsters, extra fun but probably horrendously offensively wrong Japanese tropes of myth and legend, Keanu Reeves in a movie I don't instinctively despise as soon as he appears on screen (at least since The Matrix) and honestly, it's a fun ride. With most of these movies, they don't proffer deep insights of life, have astoundingly complex stories, or really require investment into the character, but if you look just enough, there are nuggets of gold hidden in the acting and portrayal of people, and I really enjoyed the main character development....at least of what I saw.
#6: Timeline (2003)
PG-13
I am a fan for dual-dimensions and time travel, and this movie fit the bill. It includes swords, fun time loops, a good but potentially expected plot twist, and a nice paced (potentially predictable) movie.
Why you should watch it: Why wouldn't you want to see a bunch of modern day people thrown into a medieval European society? It added a random aspect of hilarity I couldn't keep myself from enjoying.
#5: Reign of Fire (2002)
PG-13
Who doesn't Matthew McConaughey (God bless his last name, I copied and pasted it) dressed like a crazily intense G.I. Joe fighting dragons with the scruffiest Christian Christian Bale can be? More along the lines of suspense, this was probably one of my favorite "adult" movies growing up, even if dragons were the bad guys.
Why you should watch it: For once, dragons are the bad guys! I discovered this movie around the same time I realized Dragonheart was a thing, so it was amusing to see the parallels. It's on the grittier side, more post-apocalyptic (caused by DRAGONS!) but overall a fun and slightly terrifying cool film.
#4: Dracula Untold (2014)
PG-13
As a hard-core fan of Bram Stoker's novel, I was pretty excited to see how this rendition of the movie turned out, and I wasn't terribly disappointed. My philosophy of movie-rendered books is pretty loose; if the movie was as the same as the book, we wouldn't watch it! We'd just read it instead (so dear sticklers, please take a deep breath).
Why you should watch it: Contrary to popular belief, this is more of an origin story based on the idea Dracula was based on Vlad the Impaler. Not only does it hardly touch on the traditional Dracula story, but brings a human element into understanding a classic villain...without introducing the classic. All in all, a good standalone movie, but don't expect to get more cultured into Dracula lore. And no, don't watch Van Helsing looking for it.
#3: Prince of Persia (2010)
PG-13
This is shamelessly on this list for the sole reasons of costumes and parkour. After watching the gameplay for Assassin's Creed and then watching all of those motions performed by a real person (yes, wire assists or not) the fight scenes were awesome, more PG when it came to the fight scenes (which was nice).
Why you should watch it: Not for Princess Taminah, who was another letdown in the lead female department, but because it portrays many of it's other characters as complex and worthwhile to share a journey with. It's also a classic take on the rags to riches, and watching the ripple effect as it changes the characters throughout the story is pretty cool.
#2: A Knight's Tale (2001)
PG-13
Here's a classic for you - and it's a good one.
Why you should watch it: Heath Ledger, random snippets of contemporary ideologies and music, Chaucer in his finest element, and 90s dancing! Jeez, I just love this movie. The comradery is fabulous, the villain makes the skin creep (but not overly so) the horses are beautiful (yes, I do pay attention to the conformation!) and did I mention the general strive for greatness? "You're just a silly girl with a flower!" You might proclaim as you get to the end of my article. I simply declare, "Better a silly girl with a flower, than a boy with a horse and a stick."
#1: Stardust (2007)
PG-13
Here we are, at the final movie! I love this movie. It has great lines such as;
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Why you should watch it: I will fight you for best not best movie ever. It's got pirates, falling stars who are actually human, murderous brothers, unicorns, witches, men who get turned into goats, goats who get turned into men, and men who get turned into women! Robert de Niro is a lightning pirate (who has quite the humorous twist) and...dang. It's quirky, the main characters develop into complex and enjoyable characters, and it's a movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's marvelous and quite close to my heart.
There you have it! Hope you had as much fun as I did concocting this, even if it wasn't to your taste.
Cheers!
