No discourse on cinema is complete without hot takes. The more scandalizing and more apparently indefensible an opinion, the more entertaining it is. One of the best feelings in the world of film discussions is the realization that a radical claim becomes meaningful upon hearing the evidence, which is, quite often, substantial. For example, establishing that Janice deserves empathy and isn't as annoying as people claim is one of the better unpopular opinions about Friends.

Without strong arguments that would actually change someone's mind, listening to hot takes is dull. They're just remixes of others; opinions embellished with personalized effects and have as much substance as a meaningless vanity project. unpopular opinions about famous movies like Barbie are truly unpopular because there's a significant popular take to oppose in such cases.

10 The Central Romance Of The Notebook Is Toxic

It Shouldn't Be Celebrated As A Generational Story Of True Love

Rightfully given a low score by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, The Notebook is an inexplicably beloved "romance" film based on Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name. While there's undoubtedly good chemistry between the lead pair of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, and the film ends on a bittersweet moment of pure, long-lasting romantic love, the central couple for most of the film is simply toxic. Gosling's Noah practically threatens McAdams' Allie with suicide in the name of asking her out, which is a significant red flag.

The premise of the film is that they're meant for each other, so no matter where they are in their lives, they'll always try to choose each other if possible. But if that comes at the cost of treating other partners like they're disposable, or cheating on a current partner, then it's an excuse for being a bad person. And in case Sparks fans forget, Allie slaps Noah for breaking up with her. This romance is anything but idyllic. The two are horrible people who only bring out the worst in each other.

9 TRON: Legacy Deserves More Recognition

It Builds The Perfect World For More Stories To Be Told

With TRON: Ares set to be released next year, the franchise is finally being talked about again, but barring a cult following, TRON is largely underrated. While TRON: Legacy has some pacing issues that make the climax rushed, there are not enough flaws in the film to explain why it's slept on. The greatest thing about the film is undoubtedly Daft Punk's score, whose electronic notes complement the futuristic, techno-visual aesthetic of the world.

TRON: Legacy also features a talented cast who are more than up for the task of picking up the emotional thread of the narrative whenever the showing off of cool stunts and visual design takes a back seat for the plot to progress. While there's somewhat of an exposition dump in the middle of the film, TRON: Legacy's lore is solid and makes the world feel habitable and complex with politics and genuine stakes involved. The father-son relationship could be better developed, but as far as sci-fi films go, TRON: Legacy isn't flawed enough to be ignored the way it is.

8 Tokyo Drift Is The Best Fast & Furious Movie

It Is A Refreshing Break From The Usual Over-The-Top Shenanigans

One of the coolest things a car can do is drift. So, it's not a surprise that there's a Fast & Furious movie that's entirely focused on drifting, given that the franchise's primary focus is vehicular stuntwork. Or rather, was, before a comically overdone emphasis on family and ignorance of the laws of physics became the franchise's selling points. Shifting to a different location and focusing on different characters from the usual suspects of a Fast & Furious movie is apparently the best thing for the franchise, because Tokyo Drift has the most coherent storyline with real heart in it.

Tokyo Drift is the only grounded film in the franchise.

With cars not flying, and people having regular concerns like impressing their crush and making enough money to fund their lifestyles, Tokyo Drift is the only grounded film in the franchise. The stunts are still thrilling and visually appealing because cars drifting around each other while spiraling through tight tracks is anything but boring. It might be the lowest-grossing film, but Tokyo Drift introduces Fast & Furious' best character in Han. His nonchalant demeanor and suave style of speech make him the perfect ing character for the story of Tokyo Drift, which moves faster than the cars featured in it.

7 Kristen Stewart Did A Good Acting Job In Twilight

The Source Material Is To Blame For The Bland Characterization

When Twilight first came out, it garnered a cult following, but it became one of the most popular book-adaptation movie franchises. However, most viewers had two opinions: the story is dumb, and Kristen Stewart can't act. People still make the wrong criticism of Stewart's career due to Twilight, but she didn't even do that bad of a job. Bella Swan is a famously one-dimensional character who has next to no personality development in the four Twilight books that were adapted into movies. Stewart is appropriately uninteresting in her portrayal of the character.

Every character in Twilight has something of a backstory and goes through a challenging experience that fundamentally impacts who they are as a person. Bella goes through some traumatizing experiences too, but her entire personality is based on being obsessed with Robert Pattinson's Edward or leaning on Taylor Lautner's Jacob. The feminist interpretations of the film are justified by reading it as a form of reversal of gaze and a campy reinterpretation of the sexy vampire trope. Twilight isn't boring, Bella is, and Stewart ensures viewers know that.

6 Jack Sparrow Is Just As Entertaining In On Stranger Tides As In The Main Trilogy

He Still Pulls Off Unbelievable Escapades & Can Get Out Of Any Trouble

While the first three films in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise are no doubt the best and make a solid trilogy, On Stranger Tides is unfairly dismissed as being a weaker entry. Orlando Bloom's Will and Keira Knightley's Elizabeth are absolutely part of the charm because, providing the emotional hooks for most of the storylines. However, the real MVP of the franchise will always be Johnny Depp's "Captain" Jack Sparrow, who is in On Stranger Tides and entertaining as ever. The very first scene features one of his most elaborate escape sequences.

Sparrow's style of combat, using his surroundings to get unfair advantages, his reliance on fortune to survive the day, and his quintessential charismatic persona that's simultaneously repulsive and captivating, are all present, and less filtered than ever. Without the usual ing characters, the focus is almost entirely on Jack, and he continues to manipulate people, somehow still doing the right thing, and eventually rejects the feisty heroine, played by Penélope Cruz, on his way to drunkenly get lost in search of his next adventure.

5 Jar Jar Binks Does Not Ruin Star Wars: A Phantom Menace

There Are Enough Good Things To Like About The Movie

While he's unanimously one of the most hated characters in movie history, and rightfully so, Jar Jar Binks simply doesn't have enough screen time in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace to completely ruin the film as some of its haters like to claim. For those who watch the franchise in chronological order, it's the first film they see. As far as introducing people to the lore of the Force, the concept of the Jedi, the politics that define Star Wars, and lightsabers go, Phantom Menace does a fantastic job.

Jar Jar Binks only appears for a total of 18 minutes in the 2 hours 16 minutes long Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Darth Maul, albeit underutilized in the film, is one of the coolest villains of all time; the duel between him and Qui-Gon Jinn is tied with the high-octane pod race featuring a young Anakin Skywalker, as the best scenes in Phantom Menace. Ahmed Best didn't deserve the unfair hurtful backlash he received for voicing Jar Jar, and more importantly, he's too insignificant to ruin an otherwise okay film. It's not the best Star Wars movie, but apart from Midichlorian tests, it doesn't misstep worse than any of the other films before the sequel trilogy.

4 Joker Is Only A Good Movie For Those Who Haven't Watched Taxi Driver

It Shamelessly Copies Almost Everything From Scorsese's Classic

Todd Phillips' filmography has the craziest twist of all time. He went from Due Date and the Hangover trilogy to making the gritty crime thriller Joker, which is a masterpiece about how society's cruelty manufactures psychopaths. At least that's what fans of Joker like to claim. He should perhaps have stuck to making comedies because all Phillips did was remake Taxi Driver, but without recontextualizing the protagonist from the 1970s. Arthur Fleck isn't the real Joker, or even interesting, but a mouthpiece for the belief that violence is the solution to privilege disparity.

Joker is a bad film because it's a poor remake.

Joker follows Taxi Driver's footsteps in introducing a protagonist with utter disdain for the very filthy behavior around him that he himself exhibits, but unlike Scorsese's film, Joker isn't self-aware. Taxi Driver works as a noir thriller because the film establishes beyond doubt that there's no reason to condone its protagonist's actions and that he deserves his judgment. Even if one were to think of it as a remake of the 1976 film and not related to the comic book character of the same name, Joker is a bad film because it's a poor remake.

3 Avengers: Endgame Became That Popular Only Because of Nostalgia

It Has A Weak Plot That Doesn't Stand The Test Of Time

Before James Cameron returned with another Avatar film, Avengers: Endgame was the highest-grossing film of all time. An impressive feat, the achievement can only be attributed to one thing — fans' nostalgia about the three-part saga comprising 23 films that ended with it. The first major flaw is the highly convenient explanation of how time travel works. Not only does the theory not survive scrutiny with imaginary scenarios, but the film decides to dismiss Back to the Future for having a weaker time travel theory, which is unnecessarily aggressive.

Neither of the character deaths get their due diligence in the film, in of representing grief. The infamous funeral scene where none of the actors look as sad as their characters should be because they didn't know what scene they were filming, is a good example of how poorly made Avengers: Endgame really is. Even as nostalgia bait, it can't provide real closure, using the other significant character's death to set up the climax, which begins by cutting short the scene where characters mourn her. In fact, it took deleted scenes to improve Avengers: Endgame.

2 The Snyder Cut Is Barely An Improvement on the Theatrical Cut of Justice League

Being Slower & Prettier Doesn't Resolve Narrative Problems

One of the most talked-about superhero films in recent years is Zack Snyder's Justice League, prompting a joke in Barbie about the director's cut. It took petitioning to convince WB to allow the release of Zack Snyder's uncut four-hour version. Snyder promised the unseen footage would solve every issue with Justice League. Instead, it's just literally slower. The camera pans slowly over beautifully framed picturesque landscapes to fill up the runtime. Instead of context and backstory, the Snyder cut just adds an avant-garde aesthetic, as if all it needed was to look artsy.

The characters still feel like they don't know why they have been chosen as the protagonists of the story, Superman's death is still mostly ceremonial with emotional tolls barely explored, the visual effects of the Flash running are still horrible, and the climax still feels rushed. The first half turns into a slow burn in Snyder's cut, but it drags in the theatrical cut too. If anything, that part should have been tighter, making time to explore the characters' individual lives and motivations. Snyder's flawed vision for the Justice League can't be fixed with two extra hours of movie.

1 Interstellar Is Poorly Written & Is Overrated Due To Visuals

Neither Of The Main Female Characters Feels Like A Real Person

It's hard to find a movie as celebrated by cinephiles as Interstellar. Nolan's film about a desolate future that can only be escaped by traveling through a black hole has stunning visuals, but that doesn't absolve it of its writing flaws. Nolan is infamous for writing one-dimensional female characters who aren't fleshed out enough. This problem is most glaring in Interstellar, where Anne Hathaway is a protagonist. Despite her significance to the storyline, the character isn't given strong motivations or even a satisfying conclusion. It's one of the harsh realities of Interstellar to reconcile with on a rewatch.

While it's celebrated for being a "smart people's movie," Interstellar uses too much armchair physics. It'd have been more immersive if Interstellar had simply committed to being fictional instead of becoming Nolan's platform to prove time travel can be done. Hans Zimmer does provide an amazing score in "Cornfield Chase," which will always live rent-free in people's heads. But the whole movie should have to pay the rent of having a coherent emotional thread that's not introduced only when there are no more cool visuals to show off. The weak script doesn't deserve the reputation it has.