To cite a random example: Lost In Translation isn't on the IMDb Top 250. A quiet, beautiful, mediative film about loneliness, friendship and the human spirit - arguably perfect, with powerful performances from Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson. The Dark Knight Rises, on the other hand - an overly long, messy, plot hole-ridden blockbuster that doesn't really know what to do with itself - comes in at number 52. Where's the sense in that? Okay, so The Dark Knight Rises has succumb to so much criticism over the years that it's hard to remember that it's just an action movie, and was never really trying to be anything more than a "cool Batman movie." But the IMDb is supposed to celebrate the best of cinema, and The Dark Knight Rises probably isn't even as good a blockbuster as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which - at least - doesn't take itself so darn seriously.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
