7) Death Proof (2007) (Dir. Quentin Tarantino)
What We Thought Before: Quentin Tarantino and Kurt Russell are making a car chase movie? And this one looks to be fully embracing Tarantino’s love for exploitation and slasher flicks, which means he’s making an unabashed genre movie with old-fashioned titles and everything. There’s a seemingly endless line of pretty girls starring in this one, too, which isn’t anything to complain about. I’m totally in!
What We Got: A surprisingly long-winded talkfest that perfectly showcases how Tarantino’s dialogue might actually grate on an audience’s patience. Women seem to natter on endlessly with stories that aren’t at all interesting to somebody who wasn’t there with them when they happened. I mean, there’s one story about a girl falling in a ditch, for God’s sake. And there’s not enough Kurt Russell.
What They Should Have Done: Tarantino needed to discipline himself somewhat and make this thing more plainly fun. The action scenes are fantastic, but even for somebody who loves listening to the director’s characters just talking to one another, the conversations here just aren’t that enjoyable to listen in on. Less talk, more action.
Redeeming Features: Well, arguably the best car chase of the 21st century.