Most overrated film ever? Or just in the last decade?

Yeah, I know we "have to" like this film simply because it's Paul Haggis, but really, come on.

One day Russell is a mild-mannered community college professor, and within a short time, he's not only an expert marksman, but a marksman who can go into a drug dealer's home and kill a bunch of bad guys. He's also become a master thief and locksmith. Automobile or office building...you name it, and Russell can break in. Oh, and how easily he got a fake passport and other IDs. Not to mention his driving skills to outshine a thousand trained officers of the Pitt P.D. Need money to live off of in South American the rest of your life? Why, simply go out and rob your local drug dealer, his gang, and his guard dog! In addition, don't forget to learn how to forge medical records to fool a competent doctor.

Oh, and the best part? He got the plan to acquire all these skills after a 4-minute discussion with an ex-con in a bar. Talk to a total stranger for 4 minutes, and you know all you need to know.

This was among the most unrealistic movies of all time.


It's hard to get into it from the beginning. You can't start the film with Banks getting arrested, with no back story, us not seeing the crime, no knowledge about her life with Russell, etc.

Why did Russell try so hard to free her? It because he loves her of course, but we have to guess this. There's nothing to establish this. We don't know if she's a murderer, a good mom, a terrible wife, etc.

I guess we're also supposed to think that Russell is a great dad, but all he ever does is drop the kid off at someone else's house (his parents, Olivia Wilde's, etc.) while he commits his various felonies....including letting his son watch him break into a medical van. Great dad.