8. Ridley Scott
The Good: The Duellists, Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Matchstick Men, American GangsterThe Bad: Legend, Black Rain, White Squall, 1942: Conquest of Paradise, G.I. Jane, Hannibal, A Good Year, Body Of Lies, Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood Whenever I hear the name Ridley Scott or I find out that he's making a new movie, my natural reaction is to get super excited: "Yes! A new picture by master filmmaker Ridley Scott! Woo!" I mean, c'mon, this guy directed
Blade Runner and
Alien and, uh,
Gladiator and... well,
Thelma & Louise, I suppose, and then... well, other great movies that I'm forgetting about, I'm sure. But what if I'm not forgetting about them? What if I'm wrong? I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I appreciate all the great movies that Ridley Scott has made, many of which are some of my all-time favourites. But look at Scott's filmography as a whole and you'll see how horribly inconsistent it is for a man of his esteemed reputation. Would a truly great filmmaker have made
A Good Year? Hannibal? G.I. Jane? Granted, the man knows how to make every movie look good, but he often comes up short on the story aspects.