This film IS NOT on the list!
Every artist has ups and downs in his career, actors and filmmakers are no different. There are films that are unappreciated because of performance or execution, sometimes both. This is a list of 5 films by an actor who has seen many ups and downs. These are films that were either commercially or critically unappreciated, but not by the fault of the actors performance (In My Opinion). Here we go the Top 5 underappreciated films of DENNIS QUAID!
5. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
This film is terrible in almost every respect, I mean god-awful. Even by the cartoon/comic standard of the raw material, this is overblown. Quaid plays the true leader of the Joes, General Hawk, and he plays the character as true as anything to the source material. When Quaid says “Knowing is half the battle!” Dammit he MEANS it! Again, the film in and of itself is terrible, with few redeeming qualities, but Quaid does try to give it SOME credibility. Sloppily directed, horribly acted ( for the most part), and horribly framed fight scenes, this film is a guilty pleasure on its BEST day.
This poster is more badass than the entire film!
4. Flight of the Phoenix (2004)
Although commercially unsuccessful, this film is pretty well executed in both directing and look; the acting is a little something to be desired. Two actors that raise the film in this respect is Dennis Quaid and Hugh Laurie. Quaid’s performance is your typical tough guy who is forced to lead a group of degenerates but Quaid throughout the years have perfected this part. If you haven’t caught this film, it’s worth a rental or if you catch it on cable, it is a treat.
I think they need to clean the propellers!
3. Wyatt Earp (1994)
Critically and commercially unsuccessful (like some of Costner’s films at the time), Wyatt Earp is a pale anemic film in comparison to the much better (and successful) Tombstone (1993). The film is overlong, overacted and extremely romanticized version of the legend of Earp. The one bright spot of this film is Dennis Quaid’s performance as Doc Holliday. Now it is EXTREMELY unfair to compare the performance of Quaid and Kilmer’s “Doc” from Tombstone, but if you look at these individual performances in reference to their respective films, Quaid elevates his film while Kilmer maintains his. In my view if you can make a crap movie better, you are a better actor, not taking ANYTHING away from Kilmer (Tombstone is by far his best performance ever), but Quaid beats him here. The movie is worth Quaid’s performance if you can sit through the 212 min. running time.
Let’s see Kilmer grow THIS mustache!
2. Switchback (1997)
This film made a paltry $6 million at the box office, unfairly so I might add, when “Kiss the Girls” (released 3 weeks earlier) made triple its budget, and is an inferior film. Quaid as a FBI agent searching for the kidnapper of his son (who is a serial killer), is powerful and gripping to say the least. This film is a “diamond in the rough” and should be viewed as a “How-To” on making a dramatic chase thriller. And if you are a fan of Danny “I’m too old for this shit” Glover, you are in for a treat. The cinematography is beautiful and the story is tight (the writer also written Die Hard, The Fugitive, and the unappreciated Just Cause). If you have the opportunity to see this please do and enjoy a gripping thriller!
What???? Liam Neeson makes a kidnap thriller and it makes $100 million??? WTF???
And that leads to……
1. Pandorum (2009)
Is this because I love Sci-Fi Horror?? MAYBE…Should another film on this list be #1? POSSIBLY…Then why is THIS #1?? BECAUSE I AM THE AUTHOR AND THIS MOVIE KICKS ASS!!! Similar to Wyatt Earp, Quaid makes this badass film even more badass!!! I can’t say too much about the film because it may or may not give away significant plot points. Quaid’s performance as Payton makes this creepy film, creepier to say the least. If you liked Event Horizon, you will LOVE this film.
…..HI! I am the newest member of Blue Man Group! I differentiate myself with the beard!
I hope this was informative and shows that just because critics and/or audiences don’t like a particular film, doesn’t mean that the film is BAD or that the film is not worth viewing. Hell if trash like Titanic can make $2 billion, any film deserves at least 1 viewing.
