Did you ever see a movie as a kid you were super impressed with, then on viewing it as an adult, it sucks?

When I was about 7 or 8, my dad took me and some friends to see King Kong vs. Godzilla, one of those cheapo B movies from the early 60s. At the time I thought it was the coolest movie I ever saw, but on viewing an old VHS version a while back with my youngest grandson, I was thinking this movie sucks, when will it end? Needless to say, my 7 year old grand son really enjoyed it, andd now every time he comes over, one of his first questions is, “Can we watch King Kong tonight pawpaw?” Damn talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

The original Independence Day.

Is it that the movie sucks, or you got older and your tastes changed? You got more mature.

I see the question also ranging to TV shows. When I was a kid I loved The Man From UNCLE and I spy and Lost in Space and stuff like that.

Now they’re so simplistic and formulaic. I think I got smarter and my tastes changed.

More with TV shows than movies. Hmm. Well I remember I liked The Muppet Movie (first one) when it came out, but I expect I wouldn’t be amused now. There’s also the “just saw the movie glow” effect – someone asked me how I like Star Trek III: The Search For Spock right after I walked out of the theater, and I said “it was great!” but it wasn’t long before I realized I didn’t really think it was so great, except for a few parts I enjoyed.

Hmm, what else… well when I was really young, I saw and liked Peter Pan and Snow White, which I haven’t felt like seeing since, but I wouldn’t say they suck, they’re just kid’s films.

Oh, well there’s Octopussy. I thought that was good when I saw it in the theater. Then a few years later and older, I saw many disappointing things about it that i hadn’t noticed, and I’ve not really wanted to watch it since.

I think that’s about it. No others come to mind, and I skimmed the top 500 films from my childhood on IMDB without seeing or thinking of any others.

The Amazing Colossal Man, and the sequel Colossal Beast.

I don’t think I watch the movies which I saw as kid anymore!!

Lost Boys, Red Dawn

@elbanditoroso “Is it that the movie sucks, or you got older and your tastes changed?”

It can be either or a combination of both. Some films age badly and don’t stand the test of time. But, even something more timeless can be very different when viewed through mature eyes.

Avatar used to be the best thing ever. But then again I watched it when I was a kid that liked anything flashy.

It also happens a lot with books. There is a book series about a group of friends who engages in crazy adventure. They use their “wit” to survive. Each time one of them get themselves out of a dangerous situation their friends will ask how they could do that, and then a lengthy scientific explanation begins. I used to think the series was clever and intense. As I revisit it as an adult I realize how lame it is to stuff science into every situation possible. It makes them look like they just ate an encyclopedia. Not to mention they sometimes get themselves in dangerous situation because of their own stupidity too.

Oh sure. I can’t think of anything in particular, but the technology is so much more advanced today. And the acting styles have changed.