5 Movies That Lived Up to The Hype

Star Wars: The Force Awakens finally made it’s theatrical debut last night. The hype has been in full “force” since 2013 when JJ Abrams was announced as the director. Many fans are thankful that many reviews have been glowing of the seventh and latest entry, and it is expected that the positive opinions will justify the film’s insurmountable build up. There are only a few films that truly rationalize their propaganda. And rightfully made a ton of money in the process.

Here are 5 movies that lived up to up to the hype (in no particular order):

Titanic

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The classic James Cameron disaster movie domestically made approximately $660,000,000 thanks in huge part to the seemingly infinite amount of hype that surrounded the picture back in 1997. But Titanic wasn’t just a superficial story about a sinking ship! The film introduced the world to the characters of Rose and Jack, two people from two different backgrounds and cultures that defied the odds and fell in love with one another. This clever and touching approach to the cinematic portrayal of the oceanic disaster made the audience care for not just the film’s two main characters, but practically everybody who boarded the entire ship. Titanic may have a 3 hour running time but it runs smoothly, so much so that it does not feel like a few hours have passed when the end credits roll. Now, that is a sign of a well crafted epic!

Skyfall

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The naysayers may say now that the 50th anniversary celebration of the 007 franchise is what earned the film it’s billion dollars, the first entry in the series to do so. But Skyfall took charge of the entire approach that the series was heading and had been headed for twenty years. With hardly any gadgets, save for Bond’s famous DB5 Aston Martin partially aiding him, Skyfall had to rely on it’s core story and the film’s thriller like execution. This all became quickly apparent in Skyfall’s pre-credit sequence, and one knew that this was going to be a James Bond movie that was different from all that came before it. A precedent has been set that future directors and producers will need to take into account and carefully be sure of that the franchise does not backtrack into something resembling the Pierce Brosnan era.

The Dark Knight

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In retrospect, Batman Begins is probably the most superior of all of the Christopher Nolan managed Batman movies. And the tragic death of Heath Ledger, no doubt, played a sizeable part in the promotion of the sequel even if that tragic event did interrupt it. Still, the film was a lot more than just a Batman film. It’s tone is reminiscent of an epic gangster picture of yester year. And Ledger’s The Joker is a portrayal that will have fans wondering who can equal or even possibly better it. Jared Leto has, no doubt, had his hands full when filming Suicide Squad, scheduled for release in 2016. The Dark Knight is Batman Begins but on a much bigger scale. So much so, that things can end up becoming admittedly tangled. Further, it does not help that the film also starts to wear out it’s welcome toward it’s conclusion. But there is no doubt that the hype was still deserved, if not well.

It is just a shame that the quality sharply declined in Nolan’s follow up, The Dark Knight Rises. But let’s not even go there.

Mad Max: Fury Road

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It has been 30 years since the release of the uneventful Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, the last installment starring Mel Gibson. The hype train for Mad Max: Fury Road started to move around 15 years ago when George Miller tried to get Gibson on board. But after that fell through, and with 9/11 affecting the production due to the Australian dollar crashing against the American dollar, things had gone quiet for many years. But Miller eventually got the ball rolling again and the result turned out to be a spectacular, if rather emotionless thrill ride. The baton was passed over to Tom Hardy who took over the role as Max Rockatansky, the haunted man who turned from cop to wasteland avenger. Fury Road is visually stunning. Many moments are picturesque and the vehicular stunts are some of the best seen in recent years, especially considering that the movie did not rely heavily on CGI. Mad Max: Fury Road is an action movie that carries with it a large degree of authenticity. Two more sequels are in the planning although it is expected that we will not be seeing Max back on our screens again for a few years yet.

I Am Legend

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Another apocalyptic picture, I Am Legend stars Will Smith as a scientist who tries to find a cure for a plague that has mostly wiped out humanity with the exception of a few that have turned aggressive toward the living. What I Am Legend has that other films like 28 Days Later does not is the mental insight into what it could be like living in a world without companionship. Smith’s Robert Neville keeps himself company by communicating with himself, although one does not get the impression that he is doing so because he is turning crazy. Rather, he is because he wants to keep his sanity! The CGI effects are sadly average which can occasionally remove the viewer from the unfolding drama, but on the bright side the “affected” are not the film’s main focus. Smith does a great job of holding the movie together almost on his own, and proves once again that he isn’t just some former tv show actor that finds himself out of his depth when he has to swim in the deep end of the pool.

And there you have it! Our 5 movies that lived up to the hype! Do you agree with this list? Sound off in the comments below!

About Age of the Nerd

Age of the nerd was created for the same reason most entertainment sites were started. A group of disgruntled journalists got together and decided our opinion was more valuable… In a day when it’s easier to get a position as a freelance writer or just create your own job, a small group of us got together and asked the obvious question: why not us? So after a heated discussion on ideas, focus and long-term goals, we decided to just go for it. What’s the worst that can happen?

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