Films that have aged well and aged horribly

[Monterey Jack]

Iron Man was "serious"?

[JavaJulien]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Iron Man was "serious"?

Or more specific, not hammy.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by X12Celtics3

I saw Rosemary's Baby for the first time earlier this year and I loved it... I didn't like it quite as much as Chinatown or Repulsion, the only other Polanski films that I've seen, but I thought all three were great. Considering that it came out nearly 25 years before I was born, I'd say I'd have to strongly disagree with it being dated. For comparison, I watched The Exorcist a couple of months before Rosemary's Baby, and THAT is a movie that doesn't seem to have aged very well. I enjoyed watching it, and I'll probably go back and watch the director's cut at some point, but I don't think that it would be considered the classic that it is without taking into account its historical context (how shocking it was at the time compared to other films, how many people it terrified, etc).

Speaking of Chinatown, that movie aged incredibly well.

Chinatown looks like it could of been filmed earlier this year, it's damn impressive how that film has stood the test of time.

[The Great Owl]

For the purposes of this thread, I'm going to go with movies that have been released during the last three decades, because it's easier for me to ascertain what has fallen in and out of fashion with movies that I saw when they were actually released.

Movies that have aged well...

The Living Daylights
Licence to Kill
Heat
City Slickers
Point Break
Dazed and Confused
The Game
The Thin Red Line

Movies that have not aged well...

A Nightmare on Elm Street (and all of its sequels)
Die Another Day
The Mask (Jim Carey film)
The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions (oddly, the first movie holds up better than these two sequels)
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies.
Most 1990s movies that relied heavily on bad CGI (Spawn, Sleepwalkers, etc.).

[MifuneFan]

I actually saw Shakespeare in Love for the first time a few months ago, and while it was an enjoyable movie, I thought it felt very dated in terms of some the sets, sound, design, and just the overall feel of it. Some of the acting was a little hammy too, which adds to the dated feel. It kind of felt like a TV produced movie at times.

[jamesdevil]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

1) Legend - it was cheesey when it came out but is borderline ghey now. The devil guy is cool but the movie is so small scale, and so low-rent that its laughable now. Plus, its got that irritating 80's synthesizer soundtrack which is the defitintion of dated IMO.

I'm biased but even I'll admit you're right on that one.

[NYGiants Fan]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

1) Legend - it was cheesey when it came out but is borderline ghey now. The devil guy is cool but the movie is so small scale, and so low-rent that its laughable now. Plus, its got that irritating 80's synthesizer soundtrack which is the defitintion of dated IMO.

Tangerine Dream did the soundtrack/score for Legend, and they were "riding a wave" in the '80s. I think the issue with that score is that it was made SO MUCH a part of the movie, and was so in the forefront, that the viewer focused on it more (especially in scenes with all the unicorn crap going on).

However, in films like "Thief" (an all time favorite), the music is definitely much more ambient/background. That soundtrack still holds up today (as does the movie). The only thing dated about "Thief" is dollar amounts. Sounds kind of funny listening to the mob kingpin (Robert Prosky) talking about how big future scores are going to be and he replies "Boxcar. Nothing under 6 figures." These days, when a lottery win will score you 8 figures, what self-respecting thief is going to work for 100K?

[Nishiokasmith]

Gladiator and shakespeare in love have been the best of all..

[jamesdevil]

Originally Posted by NYGiants Fan

Tangerine Dream did the soundtrack/score for Legend, and they were "riding a wave" in the '80s. I think the issue with that score is that it was made SO MUCH a part of the movie, and was so in the forefront, that the viewer focused on it more (especially in scenes with all the unicorn crap going on).

However, in films like "Thief" (an all time favorite), the music is definitely much more ambient/background. That soundtrack still holds up today (as does the movie). The only thing dated about "Thief" is dollar amounts. Sounds kind of funny listening to the mob kingpin (Robert Prosky) talking about how big future scores are going to be and he replies "Boxcar. Nothing under 6 figures." These days, when a lottery win will score you 8 figures, what self-respecting thief is going to work for 100K?

Good post. Same with Risky Business for me. Integral part of the film and it doesn't come off dated like it does with Legend.

Love On A Real Train (Risky Business) Tangerine Dream 1983 - YouTube

[RyanPom]

The original Tron movie is great, but man is it ever dated.

[jamesdevil]

Originally Posted by RyanPom

The original Tron movie is great, but man is it ever dated.

Yeah.

[MarkJ801]

Originally Posted by jamesdevil

Poorly:

Donnie Darko

You realize that movie is supposed to have an 80's feel, right? I don't really understand how you think it's aged poorly at all.

[psychomugs]

Well/probably will:
2001
Alien
Pulp Fiction
Fight Club
The Social Network
Drive

Horribly/probably won't:
All of the Raimi Spider-Mans
All of the Transformers
X-Men trilogy (especially 1 and 3)
I like the Die Hards but the ones where Willis has hair just feels like being thrown into the 80s/90s

I feel like the nature of sci-fi movies make them much more susceptible to aging, movies set so far into the future like the Alien movies avoid it

[bluearth]

Aged Well
Batman Returns (1992)
Dumb & Dumber (!994)
Gone with the Wind (1940)
Jurassic Park (1993)
King Kong (1933) - The effects may be somewhat bad, but they're still shocking to look at
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship (2001)
Rambo: First Blood (1982)
Wizard of Oz (1939)

Aged Poorly (Not saying they're bad but they look or feel dated)
Alien (1979) - The old school looking computer tech makes the movie feel more alive but also makes it look dated at the same time
Batman (1989)
Die Hard (1988) (Several 80s stereotypes are in this film)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Superman Returns (2006) - Was outdated on release
The Other Guys (2010) (Its bound to happen when you make a film about time period issues)

thats all for now

[AndyD]

Aged Poorly:

Labyrinth
Mortal Kombat
Bloodsport
The Godfather
The Dark Crystal
Masters of the Universe
Tango & Cash

[Saccharin]

[B]Montery Jack [/B]
You are right you must see them in the context when the movies are made


How Robocop is dated? It's better than what comes when I saw a picture of the new.Don't mess with our best Dutch director Paul Verhoeven it's a gritty movie like the second one.

Scarface? how the hell that one. It is cult classic
Seen all over the world a inspirattion for many(Bad or Good).

Vietnam Movies are you in denial? sum are history told how it was over there, glimps,a taste,feeling: Platoon, Casualties of War, Born on the Fourth of July, the Deerhunter, Apocalypse Now ect...

And now a movie that is already horribly aged!
Transformers and sequals
I know it is entertaiment, but I've see the movie once and will again
1. Director who gives him this budget and let him direct the others
2. I looks worser when next came out
3. The feeling Igot is when you see it, straight to DVD, but almost everyone went including me

The only light that shine on that movie was MEGAN FOX

[Trigger89]

Originally Posted by SpartanX

Aged horribly:

-Shakespere in Love (Good film,has aged terribly)
-The Terminator (Again, good film but looks so 80's it's not even funny)
-Gladiator (Definitely feels dated)

I agree. The synthesizer soundtrack doesn't help either.

[SlayersCouncil]

Young Guns would have aged well if not for the hair band soundtrack.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by MarkJ801

You realize that movie is supposed to have an 80's feel, right? I don't really understand how you think it's aged poorly at all.

This is true - James Cameron stated that films are a product of their time and hes right. We cant expect a film that was made in the 80's to feel like its from the 2000's. But, its hard to avoid some datedness. hence, this thread.

[majorkonig41]

Mission Impossible and Goldeneye have aged poorly in terms of the technology used in them. Both, however, still kick ass.