Open Forum Friday: What is Your Favourite Roland Emmerich Movie?

Posted by on March 7th, 2008   Filed under: Open Forum Friday, Polls

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In celebration of the release of Roland Emmerich’s latest movie, 10,000 B.C., I thought we should look back at his filmography and discuss what is his best work to date. The man certainly has his share of detractors, which I suppose is to be expected for someone who has built a career around massive special effects blockbusters and disaster movies. Still, he has also had some very successful films, and although that’s not always a good measure of quality, it does mean there is something compelling about these films that makes people want to go and experience them at the theatre.

I can understand why people would be angry with him for botching Godzilla and for giving us braindead movies like The Day After Tomorrow (10,000 B.C. doesn’t look much better) but I know a lot of people out there do enjoy at least a few of his movies. Stargate… Independence Day… Universal Soldier… many would say these are classics in their own right. Which one is your favourite? Do you think Roland Emmerich is a no talent hack, or is some of the criticism unjustified? Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday.

Opinion Polls & Market Research



  • Anyone who doesn’t answer Universal Soldier is lying.

  • I like a few of his movies but I’ve gone for Stargate.

  • theDia

    I don´t liked any of his movies after MOON44 and his best still is his first – “Das Arche Noah Prinzip” (Ark of noah principle) wich was an intelligent sci-fi-movie with no budget and impressive specialFX.

    From Day one of his hollywood-carreer he insulted his audience with no-brainers. So of course i couldn´t vote seriously, but I choose Stargate, because it at least had some ineresting characters.:)

  • I’m on the Stargate bandwagon.

  • It was a tough call for me between Stargate and Universal Soldier, but after much soul-searching on my part, Stargate came out victorious. I gotta love a good original sci-fi film. Independence Day is a close third.

  • Oi! Stargate? Man, even taking into account the coolness of Kurt Russell, Stargate was a disaster of a film. It wasn’t even fun trash, it was soulless on every level and incomprehensibly stupid to boot.

    I agree with Matt though, Universal Soldier is equally stupid and illogical, but passes into the realm of worthwhile trash, or guilty pleasure. Probably the Dolph factor. I love that guy (see Johnny Pneumonic or Red Scorpion and you will see glorious cheese!!!)

  • And Rian, you meant to say….Independence day is a coarse turd. Didn’t you? Didn’t You!

  • I didn’t think I’d would ever be more dissapointed in a film than when I first saw Independence Day. UGH! Then I saw Phantom Menace and I knew what true suffering was.

    My fav is Stargate.

  • Kurt doesn’t like trash that is popular. Unpopular trash gets a pass.

    I picked The Patriot. Best subject matter. ID4 fucking rules though, and Stargate is great as well, especially the first 30 minutes.

  • theman

    Stargate was ok But the shows are grabage. ID4 Kicks ass! I don’t know why it gets so much hate now. Because when it came out everyone loved it.

  • I picked “The Patriot” as well.

    “Stargate” had a great idea, but awfully executed.

  • Henrik:

    ‘popular’ trash that I liked:
    Apocalypto
    Hostel II
    Big Trouble in Little China
    Snatch
    Pirates of the Carribean II: Dead Man’s Chest

    Unpopular Trash I disliked:
    Lady in the Water
    Jade Warrior
    The Chrysalis
    Tideland
    Seven Swords

    Thanks for putting me in a box of your own making.

    :)

  • Primal

    I didn’t mind ID4, but I chose Stargate which I liked. I hated The Patriot even there were a few things I liked like the frenchman and people getting owned by cannonballs.

    Kurt, I never thought of Apocalyto as trash, but as long as you love the movie, as I do, then it’s all good.

  • I will continue to put you in a new box of my own making every week!

  • Bob The Slob

    henrik, what is your favorite film of all time?

  • Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. Or Amadeus.

  • Bob The Slob

    see…mine is Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo…we are so close, yet…so far.

  • We’re not that far. I just lack social skills.

  • ID4 kicks ass. One of the best expereiences I ever had in a theater. It was a big budget version of “V” with some of my favorite actors at the time – still do love me some Goldblum.

    SFX were great, it was exciting and I love Alien invasion movies that are “realisitic.” Love the bit where the dog barely escapes the explosion.

    Sure it’s full of holes, but most sci-fi films have pretty big holes if you think about it and this was supposed to be a tad on the campy side anyway.

    I also like “The Core” – not Emmerich, just saying.
    Day After Tomorrow = shite.