Let's Be Honest: These 10 Blockbusters Are Extremely Overrated

A true 'cinematic masterpiece' is pretty rare, but the term is thrown around for a handful of movies every single year.

Here are ten of the most overrated movies ever - some of them are very good, but undeserving of the 'masterpiece' label placed on them by fans.

Crash - 2004 (IMDb Rating: 7.7)

At the 2005 Oscars, film buffs were shocked when Crash was named 2004's Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain. Looking back, the reason is simple: Crash was a far safer pick, while Brokeback dealt with issues many critics wanted to ignore.

While it can be edge-of-your-seat gripping to watch, it's often clumsy and backtracks on several characterizations. More importantly, as the Boston Globe put it, 'Its characters come straight from the assembly line of screenwriting archetypes.' Sometimes being 'safe' often translates to 'boring.'

Avatar - 2009 (IMDb Rating: 7.9)

It's pretty simple, really: This was the highest-grossing movie of all time despite being a solid movie at best.

When it was released, James Cameron's years-in-the-making epic was unlike anything we've ever seen from a CGI standpoint. Avatar was absolutely groundbreaking, but in terms of storytelling, direction, and screenwriting - not so much.

Mad Max: Fury Road - 2015 (IMDb Rating: 8.1)

Fury Road was a welcome addition to an iconic franchise, easily its highest-rated installment. It's a great action/thriller flick that's anything but predictable. It won six Oscars in addition to a Best Picture nomination.

But because of that Best Picture nomination, it was elevated to a stratosphere where it didn't belong. The 2015 film landscape was exceptionally weak, with unremarkable Spotlight coming out as Best Picture and Leonardo DiCaprio winning his first Oscar for one of his most forgettable performances. Fury Road was one of the better action movies of the era, but far from perfect.

2001: A Space Odyssey - 1968 (IMDb Rating: 8.3)

This Stanley Kubrick epic is a historically important film, probably destined to live on in Film Studies courses for eternity.

It was the second-highest-grossing film of the year, though notably snubbed at the Oscars for every category but Visual Effects. Those visual effects are what make it live on - it paved the way for Star Wars, Avatar, and even Avengers. It's a massively important film. But purely from a rewatchability standpoint? It doesn't hold up.

Gladiator - 2000 (IMDb Rating: 8.5)

The Academy isn't often kind to action films, but this one was somehow nominated for twelve Oscars, winning Best Picture among four other wins. It's filled with great action sequences and has a few great performances by Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Djimon Hounsou.

But ultimately, it's a rehash of a plotline that's been done countless times and is little more than an entertaining popcorn flick, having grossed over $500 million worldwide.

Matrix - 1999 (IMDb Rating: 8.7)

At the time, Wachowski's Matrix was groundbreaking, a mind-melting thriller in the Y2K era. Technically, it's outstanding, having won four Oscars in effects, editing, and sound categories.

But two decades later, it hasn't aged particularly well.

Maybe it's the unimpressive sequels, the dated fight scenes and music, or simply living in an era with different values and fears, but The Matrix isn't the thought-provoking masterpiece it was in the 20th century. Having grossed $467 million at the box office, it's still the 17th highest-rated movie on IMDb.

Inception - 2010 (IMDb Rating: 8.8)

Christopher Nolan is one of the greatest filmmakers of the century, but he struggles with two things: Dialogue and an over-convoluted plot. Both issues were showcased in full in Inception.

Despite Nolan's mind-blowing practical effects, far too many times, the audience was left saying, 'Wait, what just happened?' It grossed $870 million, remaining the 15th highest-rated film on IMDb. But its cult following has it remembered as Nolan's finest work, which it certainly is not.

Fight Club - 1999 (IMDb Rating: 8.8)

Much like fellow 1999 'masterpiece' Matrix, Fight Club's audience rating remains stellar (13th highest on IMDb) while not aging all that well. Unlike Matrix, Fight Club struggled at the box office, barely passing $101 million.

Depicting the struggle of a man's identity and masculinity in a hyper-masculine world, it sports an anti-establishment agenda. While those are all modern issues, it was a groundbreaking piece of storytelling for a Gen-X audience. 24 years later? Its luster is just a bit lost.

Forrest Gump - 1994 (IMDb Rating: 8.8)

According to IMDb, it's the eleventh-best movie ever. According to the Oscars, it was the best film of 1994. And according to its $678 million box office gross, it was a worldwide sensation.

Starring America's most loveable actor (Tom Hanks), it's a movie nobody can hate, and they all just ignore all of the impossibilities and inaccuracies of the story. It's a great family-friendly film for grown-ups, but its reputation severely outweighs the actual quality of Forrest Gump.

Shawshank Redemption - 1994 (IMDb Rating: 9.3)

Like Avatar, this one is only deemed 'overrated' simply because it's not deserving of its status: The highest-rated film on IMDb.

Fans love a feel-good story of redemption and vindication, and Shawshank gives that in spades. It wasn't nearly as popular upon its release, narrowly surpassing its $25 million budget at the box office. But it's a touch long, the pacing is off at points, and narration often puts a hard ceiling on how great a movie can be.

It's become overrated by one simple fact, the same fact that lifted Forrest Gump: Nobody hates this movie. It might not be the best movie ever, but everyone agrees it's very good, allowing it to maintain its high ratings.