#5- “American Hustle” %93 Rotten Tomatoes
It’s hard to label a movie with top notch performances by masterful actors overrated, but “American Hustle” just didn’t have a a good enough story behind it to make it a classic. It was like drawing a masterpiece on a napkin.
Christian Bale and Amy Adams respectively deserve best actor awards for knocking this mediocre story out of the park.
The plot was unclear at times, and some exchanges were so quick and filled with jargon that the viewer is forced simply to take their word for it and marvel at the chemistry and passion between the characters.

#4- “Elysium” %68 Rotten Tomatoes

Somehow, this film led by Matt Damon, filled with social conscious themes and awesome imagery, was completely forgettable. It attempted to juxtapose a fantastical future with concerns based in real life, but ultimately the futuristic aspects disconnected viewers.
Healthcare and the gap between rich and poor were the issues addressed in the movie – themes that are currently affecting every American. The power of these issues was ultimately taken away by extreme graphics and CGI. It left the movie in a no man’s land.

#3- “The Grandmaster” %75 Rotten Tomatoes

Wong Kar Wai is supposed to be one of the best Chinese directors out there. He is obviously a talented artist, but kung fu isn’t about good directing.
Kung fu is supposed to be rugged and raw. This movie had really nice slow motion landscape scenes of falling snowflakes and other pretty things, but skimmed on the martial arts.
The story was supposed to be about Bruce Lee’s master, the legendary Ip Man, even though there had already been two previous Ip Man films by another director. Ip Man was only featured in about half of the film, which got off track the other half.

#2 – “Man of Steel” %55 Rotten Tomatoes

Superman is an American icon, maybe that’s why so many people went to see “Man of Steel.” This film didn’t do much to add to the Superman legacy.
The film started off great, showing Superman’s back-story, and featuring Russell Crowe as his father, but problems started soon after.
The film didn’t inspire an emotional connection like “The Dark Knight” series. It says a lot when people can relate more to a billionaire playboy who dresses up like a bat at night.

Superman had no charm or swagger. He didn’t have any funny lines or catchphrases. They tried to get way too serious, while still having over the top action. Superman destroyed a whole city and town on his way to victory, which makes you wonder how many people he killed along the way.

#1 – “Captain Phillips” %94 Rotten Tomatoes

The whole advertisement campaign for this movie was based off the interaction between Captain Philips (Tom Hanks) and his abductor (Barkhad Abdi). They share equal space on one of the movie posters, and Abdi was even nominated for best supporting actor for the 2014 Academy Awards.

That was false advertisement. The writers failed to give Abdi’s character any depth. He instead ended up looking like just another dumb criminal. They touched on the reasons for what Abdi’s character was doing, but ultimately, Tom Hanks and the Navy overshadowed everything.