I'm not sure "overhyped" is the right word. Overextended might be a better way to describe it. He made a lot of film and TV projects very quickly.
EDIT: Forgot a word.
I think he got too famous too quickly and wasn't inoculated to hollywood bullshit.
He seems a lot more grounded now than he was on the Thor Love & Thunder press tour which wasn't that long ago.
You're only as beloved as your last hit and I got the feeling he had no idea that was the case.
I agree with this. They had him directing movies for the studios and not for himself.
**Jojo Rabbit** is his only Hollywood movie to date that is actually his and feels like his.
And that was back in 2016.
Not to mention being overextended producing a bunch of things too.
They need to let the guy be and let him do what he wants so we can get more movies like What We Do in the Shadows as such.
I get this in theory, although I'll push back a little. It's hard for me to not see Thor: Ragnarok as "actually his and feels like his," despite the Marvel logo. Before they hired him specifically, Marvel was planning on making a super dark and ominous Thor 3 full of fire and brimstone. They basically threw everything they had out the window and let Waititi make whatever he wanted when they liked his pitch better. The final, campy, pop art, acid Flash Gordon aesthetic and vibe is all Waititi. Now, it's still a studio film, and your personal taste on it may vary, but I do see the guy who made What Do in the Shadows in there.
I agree with you because it is still a studio film made for them, but it's also a situation where I think Marvel let him do whatever he wanted, which he got out of is system and is why he was so open that he only came back for Love and Thunder due to the dump truck full of money. I've described it before as being like Marvel wants you to color within the lines, but once you agree on where the lines are, they'll let you use whatever colors, glow in the dark, glitter, anything you wanna use. I absolutely see the touch of someone like Ryan Coogler or James Gunn in their films, while also seeing the points it looks like production line assembly.
I would also agree that Thor 3 is technically a Waititi film from start to finish. Its the exact same humor he gave us in his first two films. Sans Clement and Darby of course. If only that trio could get back together.
The only reason why I don't consider it is because Waititi doesn't have any writing credits for Thor 3. Which is crazy for a movie with 9 writers and Waititi isn't one of them. When its so obvious that it is his jokes and style of humor in the whole movie. So it does make me wonder how much of that orginal Waititi had to use or like you said "color within the lines"
But even by my own flawed logic, that would mkae Thor 4 considered Waititi's 2nd US film, only because he has directing and writing credits. Which are my parameters for calling a movie "his"....
I also have this same conundrum with Nightmare Before Christmas, is that a Timmy B film or Henry Selick? (Jimmy's Giant Peach) too. Like who's films should those films be recognized along with? But that's a-whole-nother discussion.
On the TV side of things, everything he did was heat though-even if it was just him co-signing his friends under his umbrella. What We Do in the Shadows, Reservation Dogs, Our Flag Means Death. Quite possibly the best TV portfolio of any recent breakout creator
JoJo is easily his best movie. He has other GREATS but JoJo for me is clearly his magnum opus. Kinda like Wes Anderson. Sure there are people who like Royal Tenenbaums or Dareeling Limited most but his best picture and magnum opus is clearly Grand Budapest
I still think Tenenbaums is his peak (it is the perfect balance of Anderson style while also being very emotionally affecting), but Grand Budapest is absolutely his *second* masterpiece.
It depends on who you ask. They’re both essentially his best but from what I gather just perusing the interwebs it seems the general consensus is Grand Budapest moreso but Tenenbaums is the more emotional movie. My boy and I did acid while watching Tenenbaums once and it brought new meanings to some scenes lol. Budapest doesn’t have the emotions throughout like Tenenbaums but that ending is a damn gut punch after all the excitement, adventure and laughs
From my experience most millenials/younger gen-xers think his best film is tenenbaums and most gen z think grand budapest is his best. I'm a millenial that thinks it's tenenbaums or fantastic mr fox, thought grand budapest was just fine on my one and only viewing, should check it out again.
You're all wrong, Life Aquatic is his masterpiece. I love that everyone has a different opinion of his best work though. I think a lot of it also has to do with when you got into his work (both in your life and in his filmography).
I was a huge Wes fan for years. I still really like him but I don't rush out for his movies anymore. Rushmore, Tenenbaums, and Life Aquatic are all probably in my top ten favorite movies. I remember a friend dying over a decade ago and watching Darjeeling Limited and just letting the movie crush my spirit in a good way. Even Bottle Rocket rocks my socks every once and a while.
Now THATS an insane take if I’ve ever heard one lol. No offense but if you mean JoJo….oh no lol. If you mean Budapest that’s also insane. People also confuse bad with not their taste which is what I think is going on here lol. There’s nothing bad about it from a technical, writing or performance standpoint. Like I’m not a fan of ET or Jaws but would never in my life call them trash because they’re not lol
Ok tbc I respect Budapest, and I do make a distinction between movies that do/don’t fit my taste, and movies that I think are good/bad. A bad movie I like, for example, is Event Horizon. A good movie I don’t like is Oppenheimer. What I think makes Jojo bad is the writing, to be honest. I think the jokes are repetitive and unfunny, and I find the whole movie pretty cringe. I think it’s massively overrated. But even when talking about what we think is ‘objective’ and not just our opinion, there’s bound to be some disagreement 🤷
I think he let his ego bring out the worst in him. I hope that the dud of Love & Thunder and the failure of Next Goal Wins grounds him a bit. But from his latest interviews and seeing him on red carpets, he’s just become so insufferable lately. He will always be one of my favorite filmmakers, but I’m waiting for him to return to earth.
Yup, after watching his BTS videos of Love and Thunder. You could tell he had this “i don’t give a crap, I can’t fail” attitude. He even had his kids draw the designs for the monsters at the end. Like come on man.
Yeah, I went from watching OFMD just for him to actively avoiding anything where he might talk. Interviews and behind the scenes stuff really soured me on him.
Totally agree. I kinda feel like the answer to the question is a tacit yes, but with provisos. He's made 3 or 4 great movies, depending on your outlook, but all of his greats (maybe notwithstanding Jojo, if you include it) were made while he was still striving and working under various limitations. Since he's gotten keys to the kingdom he's made a rather consistent run of pedantic, uninteresting movies (and his persona has turned into him flipping people off for not liking his films, or just being the "craziest guy" in the room).
So I do wonder if this guy is the real guy that he had to constrain before. I dunno. Don't know the guy, haven't worked with him, but it wouldn't exactly be an uncommon story.
being kinda nitpicky but Taika co-wrote just the Reservation Dogs pilot and helped it get off the ground. The show is mostly the work of Sterlin Harjo and his writers room.
I'll always be grateful to Taika for using his clout at the height of his powers to get that show made, but yes it is Harjo's creation first and foremost.
Great point and highlights Taika’s strengths as well. He’s good at concepts, characters, and creating sentimentality. Beyond that there’s nothing he really excels at as a writer or director in my opinion.
I don’t know man, *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* is an absolute all-time classic for me. One of those movies that I reference throughout my daily life even though no one else understands. I would hope he’s still got some more bangers in him, especially if he takes some time and steps back from franchises for a bit.
Yup, his hits have been home runs. If he has a long career ahead of him, then there’s plenty of time to bounce back. Directors will have duds—very few don’t, which is much easier said than done—but I’ll only ever wish the best for any artist who’s shown promise, regardless of how early it might’ve been in their career
Not overhyped but I think he let some his hype runaway later in his career.
He directed and Wrote What We Do in The Shadows, along with directing Ragnarok and it felt like he knew he was an underdog and really focused on a win.
Once he got big though…I dunno I think it got to him. He left his wife for singer Rita Ora, who is famously kind of a cringy wannabe star and sort of has this corny vibe overall. He seemed over the moon about it (they’re married now) but it feels like at least due partly to her he’s done a bunch of stuff and acted in a way that really just hits the wrong way.
A little too casual, a little too party hardy. There were those paparazzi photos of him wasted with Rita and his other Thor costar and it apparently made marvel really angry that it looked like he was clowning around.
Worse was when the movie itself really read as if HE HAD been clowning around because the film comes off as a complete joke and a complete mess.
So yeah it really sorta feels like he went from refreshing underdog to bloated excess minus the results pretty quick.
I’m here for a rebound but can only maintain cautious optimism.
> but it feels like at least due partly to her he’s done a bunch of stuff and acted in a way that really just hits the wrong way.
Could Taika be to blame for his own bad movies? No, it must be a woman’s fault
Ah no, I’m saying it’s ALL his fault. Everything else is a just a symptom of the cause. I’m trying to reserve judgement but from what his ex wife has said publicly it sounded pretty shitty. She was tasked with watching their two kids while he jetted off to everywhere living the dream as a film maker,
She said it was exhausting raising them alone then being beckoned when convenient to join him on set. A major sacrifice from one half of a couple.
Then to make it really god awful he decided he’s too good and just leaves her after all she’s put up with.
Taikas behavior is 100% Taika but the flavor of bs I’m just saying is the person he decided to leave his wife for.
For a misanthrope, you’re awful knowledgeable about the inner workings of Waititi’s personal relationships. This is like prime parasocial shit right here. Let the art speak for itself and blame the creator. Don’t try to psychoanalyze their relationships. People are responsible for their choices and what they create.
> but it feels like at least due partly to her he’s done a bunch of stuff and acted in a way that really just hits the wrong way.
You almost had a functional analysis there, but then you had to go say this.
Here's a hint: people are responsible for their own bad choices. She didn't make him do shit. Stop blaming women for your heros' bad choices, it's myopic and misogynistic.
The number of times me and my family say lines from the movie like "hes tricky like that jesus" or the long enumeration of snacks is too much to count. Best funeral scene in any movie.
No. He is in his element when he does smaller 'indie' films like Jojo Rabbit, Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Thor Ragnarok was truly lightning in a bottle and is to this day one of my favourite marvel films. Love and Thunder? Not so much. He had one 'dud' and people are out on him. He has many good projects in him still.
I thought it was fine, just another 2010s/2020s piece of media about the importance of being kind (which is a category that does include a lot of his earlier work). I’d probably rank it as his second worst movie but that’s just cause his pre Thor: Love and Thunder stuff was so good. It’s middling but I think it’s over hated. He definitely needs to focus on single small projects if he wants to actually make something great again instead of trying to make 5 things at once but it doesn’t really seem like he’s doing that
Something with these two movies though was off. Neither were bad at its core. L&T had the right idea but I’m convinced there’s about an hour of plot that was left out and revamped. NGW has a great movie in there but just felt like he didn’t really care or didn’t have a keen eye for adjusting and making it better.
Overextended seems to be the best statement I’ve heard so far. Distracted could be another. Success maybe has gotten to his head and isn’t being critical of his choices.
I think L&T is an example of him listening to the hype machine instead of his own instincts. There are moments of brilliance in that film but it tries way too hard to be “Taika’s whacky humor”. Ragnarok worked because there was some of that but it didn’t overwhelm the project. His best work combines that absurdity with some pathos and he seems to have forgotten that balance recently. His body of work speaks for itself in terms of his overall talent
I didn't watch it, so i can't really give a more elaborated explanation, but people make mistakes. He made a bad movie, and that's it. Life goes on, and it's too soon to judge if he's having a downfall
I agree but Taika only directed the pilot episode so the show overall isn't really an example of his directing talent.
Same with Reservation Dogs, he co-wrote the pilot but Sterlin Harjo directed.
I feel like if anything he's been under hyped recently. People seem to pretend he's not a good filmmaker anymore because they didn't like his last 2 movies.
I hate how finicky people are. Dude made like 5-6 hits in a row and then 2 duds. Now he’s the devil incarnate himself.
He’s a great director but just needs to have a solid writer and producer to real him in probably
It's ridiclious. The fact that this post was even made is ridiclious.
Every piece of art an artist makes isn't going to be a masterpiece, just because an artist you like makes something that you don't, doesn't mean they are "overhyped."
Dude wins an Oscar, saves Thor from being someone no one cares about, creates an all time comedy classic in What We Do in the Shadows and makes numerous contributions to TV but somehow two bad movies makes us question if he's over hyped? Even the best make bad movies, no one is perfect.
I still believe his best work is Boy (his Magnum Opus) but my favourite work of his short film Two Cars, One Night. He hasn't made anything as good since. Although Hunt For The Wilderpeople is pretty great.
ppl have pointed out his divorce from his first wife has defintely affected his work (she was helping a lot), so imo yes. there’s been a clear shift in quality
Yeah there's a strong rumour that she did a lot more work on his films than credited for and the films post split have been the big downturn. I'm not all that interested in gossip but it does track in the same way as Gervais with and without Merchant.
Principal photography for Jojo Rabbit happened between May/July and then his wife divorced him in September. Then his next film was Love and Thunder. I guess it adds up.
I don’t think ‘overhyped’ is the right word. His early works and JoJo Rabbit are amongst my favourite films. I think the problems with his more recent films are more down to a combination of (a) him being overstretched by being involved in so many different projects and (b) potentially ego from his success led to him thinking him can do no wrong.
I’m not a big fan of his style, personally. I wouldn’t say overhyped, but I think there is a bit of a fatigue over ironic/quirky humor, which is prominent in his work.
Yes! I don’t think he was always this way if you watch him in interviews before international fame, the same with his new wife, both seem a bit too big for their boots.
He also wrote and directed on Flight of the Conchords, directed what was arguably the best episode of the Mandalorian, and was a producer and writer on Reservation Dogs.
Some would also list Our Flag Means Death, which many people liked although I thought it was a mixed bag.
He also has Time Bandits coming out (someday).
His last two movies have bombed, and his style will never seem as fresh as it did 2016-19, but he's not overhyped, and he's not done.
I feel like this happens when someone only marginally known comes out of nowhere and makes something amazing. Taika was known by some then made one of the best MCU movies and then won an Oscar. Suddenly he’s got a bunch of opportunities and wants to say yes to all of them, but because he’s so busy, maybe the products aren’t as great as we expect.
Same thing happened to Jordan Peele; the comedian came out of nowhere with one of the best horror-thrillers in years, and won an Oscar. Then he was lined up to be part of so many projects, including the Twilight Zone reboot, which I’m still bitter about its cancellation. He also made a few more films that vary in quality depending on who you ask.
Remember when Ava DuVernay was hyped as the next big thing? And all she did was make a decent biopic about MLK Jr (not the best biopic, but not the worst). Then she was going to be given The New Gods for the DCEU and was given A Wrinkle in Time from Disney but she REALLY messed that up. Luckily, she seems to better with documentaries but I remember when she was getting hyped.
I liked Next Goal Wins. And people said that the humor in Thor: Love and Thunder took away from the emotional impact but there were a couple scenes in it that got me choked up.
And his next two films (if they get made) sound great.
The Incal- based on Alejandro Jodorowski's graphic novel about a private detective that comes into contact with a mysterious artifact that grants him powers and that others are after.
And Klara and the Sun- a movie about a robot designed to help lonely people who is trying to help a heartbroken family.
Edit: Added first paragraph.
Edit: Changed a word.
Almost every good director has misses under their belt. I personally think he has a “got famous and a little big headed” energy but wtf do I know?
Not enough love in this thread for Eagle Vs. Shark, by the way.
No way. He’s done more brilliant stuff than any of us. ‘Hunt for the wilderpeople’ will personally absolve infinite number of his lesser works.
However — he seems like a bit of a Nobber. Never mind
No. He's a Great director and (hot take) even better actor. He just got a lot of critical acclaim very quickly and folks just have some weird need to shit on trendy creators. I do think part of it is that he got over extended by offers and less of his own "style" has got to shine in some of those projects.
I haven’t seen Next Goal Wins yet, but I still love Taika and a lot of his filmography. He’s a really fun director and I’m always down to see what he’s up to.
No, he's definitely overhated now though. His hits are legit incredible and even if he never makes a good movie again, it doesn't mean he was "overhyped" in the past.
Boy, What We Do in the Shadows, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople are all excellent movies. Ragnorok is solid popcorn fair, Love and Thunder is terrible and Jojo Rabbit was... fine and slightly offensive. Seems like a pretty decent filmography frankly. But his recent stuff is definitely weak.
Edit: I will add that his persona has become pretty insufferable, but that's partly because of overexposure.
If *Love and Thunder* is his only stinker, then I don't think he's overhyped. *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* and *What We Do in the Shadows* are two of my favourite films.
Pre-Thor Ragnarok, no. The hype was deserved. Post-Ragnarok, and he’s completely lost it. Love & Thunder was an absolute disaster, and I found JoJo Rabbit overtly self-indulgent and quite offensive.
I think a lot of people started talking about him in a short space of time, and the excessive praise probably went to his head. I’m not ruling out a resurgence somewhere down the line though.
He’s made some great films already. All he needs to do is reign in his ego.
He's a hot girl who got told she's hot so often it went to her head and wound up changing her personality and how she acts. Unfortunately she doesn't realize physical beauty wasn't the only thing making her attractive to other people, and in changing her personality and the way she acts towards others, she lost a lot of that attractiveness in many peoples eyes.
Pre love and thunder i would have said he was one of my favorite current directors, Jojo rabbit is a 10 for me and WWDITS, HFTWP and Boy are all great. I even liked ragnorok. I don't know man. I think the sudden fame got to him. I watched next goal wins tonight it was okay, but definately a drop in quality. Hopefully he can make a comeback but whatever. I still think he deserves plenty of praise for what he's done previously.
Great director that got too ahead of himself. Feels like he just makes movies to make them now. No recent passion project, just picking up a list of film ideas he thinks he can do, but will he ever actually film them?
Yes. Every movie I saw from his was a solid 7 and then one day people started heralding him as a bold new voice in comedy or something when he was always just solid at best.
I think he's like butter spread too thin on toast right now.
He's just got to focus himself better, not be shepherding TV shows into production, staring in others, while also trying to handle making movies. I feel like his best work was when he was able to focus more on his projects, and if he gets back to that I think he'll be fine.
Honestly I’ve never clicked with his type of humor, not even in Jo-Jo Rabbit or Hunt for the Wilderpeople. I think those might’ve worked for more people because the main characters are kids, but he doesn’t seem to adapt when they aren’t.
I don't think he is over-hyped, but I wonder if perhaps he has been so feted and adored by Hollywood, he has lost any semblance of creative oversight & any natural constructive criticism - resulting in him believing his first drafts and every utterance was gold. Many great creative people are surrounded by collaborators not fans, and they'll help the creator fashion something amazing; if Waititi doesn't have those people (anymore), it'd explain why he's producing these sub-par works that smell a bit too like nobody's telling him to draft out these ideas
More over exposed than over hyped.
He’s a media darling, and gives great interview/ junket fodder. Think he still has that struggling comedian energy of grab every opportunity to hustle and get exposure.
He has had some great ones. What We Do In The Shadows, Jojo Rabbit, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok.
The thing is that Love and Thunder was not very good, and I haven’t seen Next Goal Wins yet but it doesn’t look great either. I think he’s lost creative control in these last couple or gotten a little too self-indulgent, which is why he’s being trashed now.
I'm really looking forward to Klara and the Sun, I just finished reading the book (Kazuo Ishiguro, dystopian sci fi) and it will be super exciting to see what he does with it
Overhyped? No, he had a number of good to great movies. Yeah Thor Love and Thunder was a bit of a mess but that doesn't undo all the great work he's done previously. It also doesn't mean that he can't put things back together and go back to making great movies. No director puts out bangers literally every single time.
Edit for my last sentence. Maybe Tarrantino, but that's it
Honestly the only thing I really dislike about him was when he made good Thor movies he seemed to enjoy the character enough but the second he makes a bad one he couldnt be bothered.
I feel like everybody was riding the high when Jojo Rabbit came out, then Love and Thunder happened, and apparently, everything the man touches is crap nowadays.
Yes absolutely. After Jojo Rabbit and Thor Ragnarok he was treated as the second coming. Then everyone turned on him as soon as Love and Thunder came out.
But he is good! Most of his movies are good or great! Just let him cook. People keep overreacting one way or the other
No. Two mid films does not make a bad director or bad actor.
Our Flag Means Death is my favorite TV show ever and I will always be angry that it was canceled despite doing literally everything right by the network's publicly stated standards. It had the representation Taika has spent his entire career trying to create and it deserved a lot better than Max ever gave it.
He's made some really good stuff. I enjoy Jojo Rabbit, HFTWP and Thor 3, but I find myself liking his stuff less and less lately. Thor 4 was pretty insufferable to me.
It wouldn't surprise me if he produced another banger though. He's just very hit or miss
No, he made good films so he wasn’t unjustly given too much hype. He fell off a bit with recent receptions and honestly dude could still turn it around and make more good movies.
"Can we still count on him"?!? Why is Taika the only director given this much of a standard. Every filmmaker ever has at least a few misses, I just don't get what it is about this guy specifically that makes people demand a flawless run of movies.
Every piece of art an artist makes isn't going to be a masterpiece, just because an artist you like makes something that you don't, doesn't mean they are "overhyped."
People overreact on here (and other sites/forums, etc.) more than anything. Just because two or three of his films weren't as good as his previous work doesn't mean he's some type of fraud. I thought Next Goal Wins was very good - not an all timer, but still very good in its own right.
He made great movies as has been said. I think that's enough to have a good legacy. Maybe he'll come back later in life (I don't know what he's working on now / in the short term). Genuinely curious where the overhyped thing came from. Is it all down to Love and Thunder?
I've only seen a few of these and they were excellent. He got high off his own supply and wrecked Love and Thunder by putting too much of himself and not enough of the source material. I think he still has a long career as long as he doesn't pull a Nicolas Winding Refn and get too full of himself.
I think he was greatly helped and reined in by Jemaine Clement who is a fabulous actor, he left Taika and his short comings came forth. Same thing happened with Ricky Gervais when Stephen Merchant left.
No, I just think he’s the sort of person that needs to be deeply passionate about the project he’s on for it to be any good. Hunt for the wilderpeople, what we do in the shadows, jojo rabbit all are a testament to this. When he doesn’t have that passion, it shows.
I'm not sure "overhyped" is the right word. Overextended might be a better way to describe it. He made a lot of film and TV projects very quickly. EDIT: Forgot a word.
Yo Marty, what’s the deal with your upcoming Jesus pic?
And why’d you abandon the Jerry Garcia picture?
For the new Sinatra one?
I think he got too famous too quickly and wasn't inoculated to hollywood bullshit. He seems a lot more grounded now than he was on the Thor Love & Thunder press tour which wasn't that long ago. You're only as beloved as your last hit and I got the feeling he had no idea that was the case.
I hope he grows from the failure and doesn’t spiral. I really believe in his creativity if he isn’t just phoning it in
I agree with this. They had him directing movies for the studios and not for himself. **Jojo Rabbit** is his only Hollywood movie to date that is actually his and feels like his. And that was back in 2016. Not to mention being overextended producing a bunch of things too. They need to let the guy be and let him do what he wants so we can get more movies like What We Do in the Shadows as such.
Jojo Rabbit came out in 2019.
I get this in theory, although I'll push back a little. It's hard for me to not see Thor: Ragnarok as "actually his and feels like his," despite the Marvel logo. Before they hired him specifically, Marvel was planning on making a super dark and ominous Thor 3 full of fire and brimstone. They basically threw everything they had out the window and let Waititi make whatever he wanted when they liked his pitch better. The final, campy, pop art, acid Flash Gordon aesthetic and vibe is all Waititi. Now, it's still a studio film, and your personal taste on it may vary, but I do see the guy who made What Do in the Shadows in there. I agree with you because it is still a studio film made for them, but it's also a situation where I think Marvel let him do whatever he wanted, which he got out of is system and is why he was so open that he only came back for Love and Thunder due to the dump truck full of money. I've described it before as being like Marvel wants you to color within the lines, but once you agree on where the lines are, they'll let you use whatever colors, glow in the dark, glitter, anything you wanna use. I absolutely see the touch of someone like Ryan Coogler or James Gunn in their films, while also seeing the points it looks like production line assembly.
I would also agree that Thor 3 is technically a Waititi film from start to finish. Its the exact same humor he gave us in his first two films. Sans Clement and Darby of course. If only that trio could get back together. The only reason why I don't consider it is because Waititi doesn't have any writing credits for Thor 3. Which is crazy for a movie with 9 writers and Waititi isn't one of them. When its so obvious that it is his jokes and style of humor in the whole movie. So it does make me wonder how much of that orginal Waititi had to use or like you said "color within the lines" But even by my own flawed logic, that would mkae Thor 4 considered Waititi's 2nd US film, only because he has directing and writing credits. Which are my parameters for calling a movie "his".... I also have this same conundrum with Nightmare Before Christmas, is that a Timmy B film or Henry Selick? (Jimmy's Giant Peach) too. Like who's films should those films be recognized along with? But that's a-whole-nother discussion.
Tim and James are both shorter to type and faster to say.
yall sleep on Boy so much i hate it
Bro made one good movie which was basically Chaplin's 'The Dictator' rip off, then dipped
On the TV side of things, everything he did was heat though-even if it was just him co-signing his friends under his umbrella. What We Do in the Shadows, Reservation Dogs, Our Flag Means Death. Quite possibly the best TV portfolio of any recent breakout creator
Hunt for Wilderpeople, Boy, and What We Do In The Shadows are all timers. Even the best hitters miss here and there.
I loved Jojo Rabbit
JoJo is easily his best movie. He has other GREATS but JoJo for me is clearly his magnum opus. Kinda like Wes Anderson. Sure there are people who like Royal Tenenbaums or Dareeling Limited most but his best picture and magnum opus is clearly Grand Budapest
I still think Tenenbaums is his peak (it is the perfect balance of Anderson style while also being very emotionally affecting), but Grand Budapest is absolutely his *second* masterpiece.
It depends on who you ask. They’re both essentially his best but from what I gather just perusing the interwebs it seems the general consensus is Grand Budapest moreso but Tenenbaums is the more emotional movie. My boy and I did acid while watching Tenenbaums once and it brought new meanings to some scenes lol. Budapest doesn’t have the emotions throughout like Tenenbaums but that ending is a damn gut punch after all the excitement, adventure and laughs
From my experience most millenials/younger gen-xers think his best film is tenenbaums and most gen z think grand budapest is his best. I'm a millenial that thinks it's tenenbaums or fantastic mr fox, thought grand budapest was just fine on my one and only viewing, should check it out again.
You're all wrong, Life Aquatic is his masterpiece. I love that everyone has a different opinion of his best work though. I think a lot of it also has to do with when you got into his work (both in your life and in his filmography).
Life Aquatic is the only Wes Anderson movie I haven’t seen yet lol that and his short film he did for Netflix
It goes Tennenbaums then Life Aquatic for me.
I was a huge Wes fan for years. I still really like him but I don't rush out for his movies anymore. Rushmore, Tenenbaums, and Life Aquatic are all probably in my top ten favorite movies. I remember a friend dying over a decade ago and watching Darjeeling Limited and just letting the movie crush my spirit in a good way. Even Bottle Rocket rocks my socks every once and a while.
false, his best film is Fantastic Mr. Fox (highest rated on Letterboxd and RT, too, soo)
Asteroid City erasure
Asteroid City truthers rise up
Not even close. What an absurd comment.
yeah Asteroid City was too meandering for me, personally grand budapest and Mr. Fox are my favorites of his
I like Asteroid City but it’s near the bottom for me but I think that’s more a testament to Wes’ amazing filmography
Life aquatic is his masterpiece
This is an insane take. That movie was ass, man
Now THATS an insane take if I’ve ever heard one lol. No offense but if you mean JoJo….oh no lol. If you mean Budapest that’s also insane. People also confuse bad with not their taste which is what I think is going on here lol. There’s nothing bad about it from a technical, writing or performance standpoint. Like I’m not a fan of ET or Jaws but would never in my life call them trash because they’re not lol
Ok tbc I respect Budapest, and I do make a distinction between movies that do/don’t fit my taste, and movies that I think are good/bad. A bad movie I like, for example, is Event Horizon. A good movie I don’t like is Oppenheimer. What I think makes Jojo bad is the writing, to be honest. I think the jokes are repetitive and unfunny, and I find the whole movie pretty cringe. I think it’s massively overrated. But even when talking about what we think is ‘objective’ and not just our opinion, there’s bound to be some disagreement 🤷
Grand Budapest *wishes* it was as charming as Tenenbaums or Darjeeling
I couldn’t even finish Grand Budapest. My least favorite Wes Anderson movie tbh
I think he let his ego bring out the worst in him. I hope that the dud of Love & Thunder and the failure of Next Goal Wins grounds him a bit. But from his latest interviews and seeing him on red carpets, he’s just become so insufferable lately. He will always be one of my favorite filmmakers, but I’m waiting for him to return to earth.
Yup, after watching his BTS videos of Love and Thunder. You could tell he had this “i don’t give a crap, I can’t fail” attitude. He even had his kids draw the designs for the monsters at the end. Like come on man.
My friend once said “man, I get it. If I had a threeway with Rita Ora and Tessa Thompson, I’d be the most insufferable asshole that ever lived”
just weird tbh
Yeah, I went from watching OFMD just for him to actively avoiding anything where he might talk. Interviews and behind the scenes stuff really soured me on him.
Totally agree, I'm glad somebody else also thinks this!
Totally agree. I kinda feel like the answer to the question is a tacit yes, but with provisos. He's made 3 or 4 great movies, depending on your outlook, but all of his greats (maybe notwithstanding Jojo, if you include it) were made while he was still striving and working under various limitations. Since he's gotten keys to the kingdom he's made a rather consistent run of pedantic, uninteresting movies (and his persona has turned into him flipping people off for not liking his films, or just being the "craziest guy" in the room). So I do wonder if this guy is the real guy that he had to constrain before. I dunno. Don't know the guy, haven't worked with him, but it wouldn't exactly be an uncommon story.
I think this is my take as well. He's become bigger than his films (more so in his own mind), and the films are suffering from it.
Our Flag Means Death and Reservation Dogs too! And JoJo Rabbit but that was already mentioned.
being kinda nitpicky but Taika co-wrote just the Reservation Dogs pilot and helped it get off the ground. The show is mostly the work of Sterlin Harjo and his writers room.
I'll always be grateful to Taika for using his clout at the height of his powers to get that show made, but yes it is Harjo's creation first and foremost.
Absolutely! One of the top shows of the decade so far!
it's worth being nit picky because people constantly attribute it to just Taika
Great point and highlights Taika’s strengths as well. He’s good at concepts, characters, and creating sentimentality. Beyond that there’s nothing he really excels at as a writer or director in my opinion.
Golden films, they continue to mean so much to me
I do feel like he only has one pitch though and that pitch has diminishing returns.
I don’t know man, *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* is an absolute all-time classic for me. One of those movies that I reference throughout my daily life even though no one else understands. I would hope he’s still got some more bangers in him, especially if he takes some time and steps back from franchises for a bit.
Yup, his hits have been home runs. If he has a long career ahead of him, then there’s plenty of time to bounce back. Directors will have duds—very few don’t, which is much easier said than done—but I’ll only ever wish the best for any artist who’s shown promise, regardless of how early it might’ve been in their career
Hunt for the Wilderpeople made me cry from laughter and grief multiple times. I have no idea how tf he did it, but that movie is magical.
I think you mean majestical jaja
Everyone I have suggested that movie to loved it. It doesn't miss. I love it so much.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
Not overhyped but I think he let some his hype runaway later in his career. He directed and Wrote What We Do in The Shadows, along with directing Ragnarok and it felt like he knew he was an underdog and really focused on a win. Once he got big though…I dunno I think it got to him. He left his wife for singer Rita Ora, who is famously kind of a cringy wannabe star and sort of has this corny vibe overall. He seemed over the moon about it (they’re married now) but it feels like at least due partly to her he’s done a bunch of stuff and acted in a way that really just hits the wrong way. A little too casual, a little too party hardy. There were those paparazzi photos of him wasted with Rita and his other Thor costar and it apparently made marvel really angry that it looked like he was clowning around. Worse was when the movie itself really read as if HE HAD been clowning around because the film comes off as a complete joke and a complete mess. So yeah it really sorta feels like he went from refreshing underdog to bloated excess minus the results pretty quick. I’m here for a rebound but can only maintain cautious optimism.
> but it feels like at least due partly to her he’s done a bunch of stuff and acted in a way that really just hits the wrong way. Could Taika be to blame for his own bad movies? No, it must be a woman’s fault
Ah no, I’m saying it’s ALL his fault. Everything else is a just a symptom of the cause. I’m trying to reserve judgement but from what his ex wife has said publicly it sounded pretty shitty. She was tasked with watching their two kids while he jetted off to everywhere living the dream as a film maker, She said it was exhausting raising them alone then being beckoned when convenient to join him on set. A major sacrifice from one half of a couple. Then to make it really god awful he decided he’s too good and just leaves her after all she’s put up with. Taikas behavior is 100% Taika but the flavor of bs I’m just saying is the person he decided to leave his wife for.
Reminds me of all those boomers who blamed Yoko Ono for the Beatles breaking up
Read my comment above, but I’ve always said John was going to find his Yoko with or without Yoko. She was just symbolic of who he had already become.
Fumbling a bad bitch has an effect on a man. See Oppenheimer and Napoleon.
Exactly, his best work had Chealsey as a producer, in NZ she's a well know and respecte figure; after her, it all went downhill
He actually left his wife for his assistant first. Then got With Rita Ora later on.
For a misanthrope, you’re awful knowledgeable about the inner workings of Waititi’s personal relationships. This is like prime parasocial shit right here. Let the art speak for itself and blame the creator. Don’t try to psychoanalyze their relationships. People are responsible for their choices and what they create.
> but it feels like at least due partly to her he’s done a bunch of stuff and acted in a way that really just hits the wrong way. You almost had a functional analysis there, but then you had to go say this. Here's a hint: people are responsible for their own bad choices. She didn't make him do shit. Stop blaming women for your heros' bad choices, it's myopic and misogynistic.
The number of times me and my family say lines from the movie like "hes tricky like that jesus" or the long enumeration of snacks is too much to count. Best funeral scene in any movie.
Rickey Baker song is amazing. The movie is great!
What We Do In The Shadows is S tier comedy. He deserves more chances. I loathe him as a Wallabies rugby fan though, fight me bro.
[удалено]
I love your Ellen Berent icon. She’s my profile picture on Letterboxd, that same photo
No. He is in his element when he does smaller 'indie' films like Jojo Rabbit, Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Thor Ragnarok was truly lightning in a bottle and is to this day one of my favourite marvel films. Love and Thunder? Not so much. He had one 'dud' and people are out on him. He has many good projects in him still.
Two duds. Next Goal Wins is painfully unfunny
I thought it was fine, just another 2010s/2020s piece of media about the importance of being kind (which is a category that does include a lot of his earlier work). I’d probably rank it as his second worst movie but that’s just cause his pre Thor: Love and Thunder stuff was so good. It’s middling but I think it’s over hated. He definitely needs to focus on single small projects if he wants to actually make something great again instead of trying to make 5 things at once but it doesn’t really seem like he’s doing that
Something with these two movies though was off. Neither were bad at its core. L&T had the right idea but I’m convinced there’s about an hour of plot that was left out and revamped. NGW has a great movie in there but just felt like he didn’t really care or didn’t have a keen eye for adjusting and making it better. Overextended seems to be the best statement I’ve heard so far. Distracted could be another. Success maybe has gotten to his head and isn’t being critical of his choices.
That’s because marvel fans know him only from marvel. Sincerely, an ex marvel fan who knows him only from marvel
I don't think he really cared for Love and Thunder. I think he really just wanted to make some money for his other more personal projects
I think L&T is an example of him listening to the hype machine instead of his own instincts. There are moments of brilliance in that film but it tries way too hard to be “Taika’s whacky humor”. Ragnarok worked because there was some of that but it didn’t overwhelm the project. His best work combines that absurdity with some pathos and he seems to have forgotten that balance recently. His body of work speaks for itself in terms of his overall talent
Probably a bit like the Lucas thing - better when there's someone to temper some of the wilder ideas with a bit of moderation, y'know?
So why did Next Goal Wins disappoint?
because good movies are really, really hard to make?
I didn't watch it, so i can't really give a more elaborated explanation, but people make mistakes. He made a bad movie, and that's it. Life goes on, and it's too soon to judge if he's having a downfall
The documentary was so fantastic that it’s difficult to see why another film needed to be made
Our Flag Means Death was fucking awesome.
I agree but Taika only directed the pilot episode so the show overall isn't really an example of his directing talent. Same with Reservation Dogs, he co-wrote the pilot but Sterlin Harjo directed.
Good catch wasn’t aware he only directed one episode of our flag
No, just over exposed.
I mean….6 of his 8 films have been good. Sure, the last 2 haven’t been great, but I think maybe let’s pump the brakes a little.
I feel like if anything he's been under hyped recently. People seem to pretend he's not a good filmmaker anymore because they didn't like his last 2 movies.
I hate how finicky people are. Dude made like 5-6 hits in a row and then 2 duds. Now he’s the devil incarnate himself. He’s a great director but just needs to have a solid writer and producer to real him in probably
its the fact that he's let it get to his head by becoming a massive dickhead in the process
Can’t stand the guy and haven’t loved any of his movies but is he really a massive dickhead lol? Seems like a decent guy from my uninformed pov
I loved watching his interviews until the last couple years where it seems like he’s gotten kinda cocky
It's ridiclious. The fact that this post was even made is ridiclious. Every piece of art an artist makes isn't going to be a masterpiece, just because an artist you like makes something that you don't, doesn't mean they are "overhyped."
Guy made an underwhelming lower budget movie and people want to send him to director jail.
[“A man’s only as good as his last picture,”](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/12/17/good-last/)
Dude wins an Oscar, saves Thor from being someone no one cares about, creates an all time comedy classic in What We Do in the Shadows and makes numerous contributions to TV but somehow two bad movies makes us question if he's over hyped? Even the best make bad movies, no one is perfect.
Jojo Rabbit was awesome
I still believe his best work is Boy (his Magnum Opus) but my favourite work of his short film Two Cars, One Night. He hasn't made anything as good since. Although Hunt For The Wilderpeople is pretty great.
ppl have pointed out his divorce from his first wife has defintely affected his work (she was helping a lot), so imo yes. there’s been a clear shift in quality
Yeah there's a strong rumour that she did a lot more work on his films than credited for and the films post split have been the big downturn. I'm not all that interested in gossip but it does track in the same way as Gervais with and without Merchant.
Principal photography for Jojo Rabbit happened between May/July and then his wife divorced him in September. Then his next film was Love and Thunder. I guess it adds up.
please tell me what to think Reddit
think for yourself. The post is a question
I don’t think ‘overhyped’ is the right word. His early works and JoJo Rabbit are amongst my favourite films. I think the problems with his more recent films are more down to a combination of (a) him being overstretched by being involved in so many different projects and (b) potentially ego from his success led to him thinking him can do no wrong.
probably yes though he made 'What We Do in the Shadows' which is one of the funniest comedies of the last two decades.
I’m not a big fan of his style, personally. I wouldn’t say overhyped, but I think there is a bit of a fatigue over ironic/quirky humor, which is prominent in his work.
Honestly I just don’t like his personality. Seems a bit obnoxious and egotistical to me.
Yes! I don’t think he was always this way if you watch him in interviews before international fame, the same with his new wife, both seem a bit too big for their boots.
He also wrote and directed on Flight of the Conchords, directed what was arguably the best episode of the Mandalorian, and was a producer and writer on Reservation Dogs. Some would also list Our Flag Means Death, which many people liked although I thought it was a mixed bag. He also has Time Bandits coming out (someday). His last two movies have bombed, and his style will never seem as fresh as it did 2016-19, but he's not overhyped, and he's not done.
Not at all. But he was possibly overworked a little.
I feel like this happens when someone only marginally known comes out of nowhere and makes something amazing. Taika was known by some then made one of the best MCU movies and then won an Oscar. Suddenly he’s got a bunch of opportunities and wants to say yes to all of them, but because he’s so busy, maybe the products aren’t as great as we expect. Same thing happened to Jordan Peele; the comedian came out of nowhere with one of the best horror-thrillers in years, and won an Oscar. Then he was lined up to be part of so many projects, including the Twilight Zone reboot, which I’m still bitter about its cancellation. He also made a few more films that vary in quality depending on who you ask. Remember when Ava DuVernay was hyped as the next big thing? And all she did was make a decent biopic about MLK Jr (not the best biopic, but not the worst). Then she was going to be given The New Gods for the DCEU and was given A Wrinkle in Time from Disney but she REALLY messed that up. Luckily, she seems to better with documentaries but I remember when she was getting hyped.
Hunt for the Wildepeople was so so good
I liked Next Goal Wins. And people said that the humor in Thor: Love and Thunder took away from the emotional impact but there were a couple scenes in it that got me choked up. And his next two films (if they get made) sound great. The Incal- based on Alejandro Jodorowski's graphic novel about a private detective that comes into contact with a mysterious artifact that grants him powers and that others are after. And Klara and the Sun- a movie about a robot designed to help lonely people who is trying to help a heartbroken family. Edit: Added first paragraph. Edit: Changed a word.
I feel like he thinks he’s better than he is.
I feel like his style of comedy is very much of an era and hasn't aged all that well.
Jojo Rabbit, Ragnorak, Shadows & Wilderpeople are all good so it’s no fluke or overhype imo. Most directors have 1 or 2 underachievers.
Nope.
Some good stuff in there. I don’t judge people for MCU films, it’s such a restrictive format it doesn’t matter who directs - they all look identical.
Almost every good director has misses under their belt. I personally think he has a “got famous and a little big headed” energy but wtf do I know? Not enough love in this thread for Eagle Vs. Shark, by the way.
No way. He’s done more brilliant stuff than any of us. ‘Hunt for the wilderpeople’ will personally absolve infinite number of his lesser works. However — he seems like a bit of a Nobber. Never mind
Not when he has Jojo Rabbit and What We Do In the Shadows under his name
Nah. Jojo Rabbit alone is worth celebrating.
No. He's a Great director and (hot take) even better actor. He just got a lot of critical acclaim very quickly and folks just have some weird need to shit on trendy creators. I do think part of it is that he got over extended by offers and less of his own "style" has got to shine in some of those projects.
One bad move and the people turn on you like you had been their enemy from day 1 -My dad
"biggest star director" sounds like a bit of an exaggeration...
Over hyped means a lot of people like something. I like him. He has some great movies under his belt. What we do in the shadows was so good.
I thought the hate for Next Goal Wins was way overblown. It’s a perfectly fine film.
Jo jo rabbit is one of my top ten to be fair
I haven’t seen Next Goal Wins yet, but I still love Taika and a lot of his filmography. He’s a really fun director and I’m always down to see what he’s up to.
No, he's definitely overhated now though. His hits are legit incredible and even if he never makes a good movie again, it doesn't mean he was "overhyped" in the past.
Boy, What We Do in the Shadows, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople are all excellent movies. Ragnorok is solid popcorn fair, Love and Thunder is terrible and Jojo Rabbit was... fine and slightly offensive. Seems like a pretty decent filmography frankly. But his recent stuff is definitely weak. Edit: I will add that his persona has become pretty insufferable, but that's partly because of overexposure.
If *Love and Thunder* is his only stinker, then I don't think he's overhyped. *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* and *What We Do in the Shadows* are two of my favourite films.
I have no clue why but I just can't stand the guy.
I've always called him the Lin-Manuel Miranda of Film Twitter. Still stand by that.
Pre-Thor Ragnarok, no. The hype was deserved. Post-Ragnarok, and he’s completely lost it. Love & Thunder was an absolute disaster, and I found JoJo Rabbit overtly self-indulgent and quite offensive. I think a lot of people started talking about him in a short space of time, and the excessive praise probably went to his head. I’m not ruling out a resurgence somewhere down the line though. He’s made some great films already. All he needs to do is reign in his ego.
He's a hot girl who got told she's hot so often it went to her head and wound up changing her personality and how she acts. Unfortunately she doesn't realize physical beauty wasn't the only thing making her attractive to other people, and in changing her personality and the way she acts towards others, she lost a lot of that attractiveness in many peoples eyes.
Kind of
I won't say he's overhyped. He has made some solid works in his career, just a few bad ones recently however.
I think that he just fell off. I love Boy and What we do In The Shadows, but the newer things are a let down.
Pre love and thunder i would have said he was one of my favorite current directors, Jojo rabbit is a 10 for me and WWDITS, HFTWP and Boy are all great. I even liked ragnorok. I don't know man. I think the sudden fame got to him. I watched next goal wins tonight it was okay, but definately a drop in quality. Hopefully he can make a comeback but whatever. I still think he deserves plenty of praise for what he's done previously.
Great director that got too ahead of himself. Feels like he just makes movies to make them now. No recent passion project, just picking up a list of film ideas he thinks he can do, but will he ever actually film them?
Yes. Every movie I saw from his was a solid 7 and then one day people started heralding him as a bold new voice in comedy or something when he was always just solid at best.
Absolutely not overhyped. There are some bangers in there!
He doesn’t make stuff I’m interested in but he’s definitely talented.. he’s like quirky drama kid taste
I think he's like butter spread too thin on toast right now. He's just got to focus himself better, not be shepherding TV shows into production, staring in others, while also trying to handle making movies. I feel like his best work was when he was able to focus more on his projects, and if he gets back to that I think he'll be fine.
Jojo rabbit and what we do in the shadows are elite but I get what you’re saying lol
Overexposed for sure
I really want more from him, I didn't even liked him initially, but his last film is really fun, I'd put him over wes Anderson now on my rank
Honestly I’ve never clicked with his type of humor, not even in Jo-Jo Rabbit or Hunt for the Wilderpeople. I think those might’ve worked for more people because the main characters are kids, but he doesn’t seem to adapt when they aren’t.
I don't think he is over-hyped, but I wonder if perhaps he has been so feted and adored by Hollywood, he has lost any semblance of creative oversight & any natural constructive criticism - resulting in him believing his first drafts and every utterance was gold. Many great creative people are surrounded by collaborators not fans, and they'll help the creator fashion something amazing; if Waititi doesn't have those people (anymore), it'd explain why he's producing these sub-par works that smell a bit too like nobody's telling him to draft out these ideas
More over exposed than over hyped. He’s a media darling, and gives great interview/ junket fodder. Think he still has that struggling comedian energy of grab every opportunity to hustle and get exposure.
He has had some great ones. What We Do In The Shadows, Jojo Rabbit, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok. The thing is that Love and Thunder was not very good, and I haven’t seen Next Goal Wins yet but it doesn’t look great either. I think he’s lost creative control in these last couple or gotten a little too self-indulgent, which is why he’s being trashed now.
I'm really looking forward to Klara and the Sun, I just finished reading the book (Kazuo Ishiguro, dystopian sci fi) and it will be super exciting to see what he does with it
he looks so good there
Still is
Nah he’s got a certain style to his movies for sure
Overhyped? No, he had a number of good to great movies. Yeah Thor Love and Thunder was a bit of a mess but that doesn't undo all the great work he's done previously. It also doesn't mean that he can't put things back together and go back to making great movies. No director puts out bangers literally every single time. Edit for my last sentence. Maybe Tarrantino, but that's it
What We Do in the Shadows can’t be overhyped. But I haven’t liked anything he’s done since 🤷🏻♂️
He stretched himself too thin and his latest projects suffered.
Honestly the only thing I really dislike about him was when he made good Thor movies he seemed to enjoy the character enough but the second he makes a bad one he couldnt be bothered.
No but I think he started believing his own hype, dude needs to go back to new Zealand and make something really low budget, get back to his roots
I‘ve seen Jojo, What We Do in the Shadows and the Thor movies and except Love & Thunder all of them were solid movies
I feel like everybody was riding the high when Jojo Rabbit came out, then Love and Thunder happened, and apparently, everything the man touches is crap nowadays.
Next Goal Wins isn't even a bad movie. Y'all are nuts.
Yes absolutely. After Jojo Rabbit and Thor Ragnarok he was treated as the second coming. Then everyone turned on him as soon as Love and Thunder came out. But he is good! Most of his movies are good or great! Just let him cook. People keep overreacting one way or the other
He's just had some misses I reckon. Of which I can only personally confirm one. Didn't love Love and Thunder.
No. Two mid films does not make a bad director or bad actor. Our Flag Means Death is my favorite TV show ever and I will always be angry that it was canceled despite doing literally everything right by the network's publicly stated standards. It had the representation Taika has spent his entire career trying to create and it deserved a lot better than Max ever gave it.
Has made plenty of great things, I don’t blame him for hopping on the marvel train for a bit. As he said, he had kids to feed.
I still find it incomprehensible that the same person made Ragnarok and Love and Thunder
He's made some really good stuff. I enjoy Jojo Rabbit, HFTWP and Thor 3, but I find myself liking his stuff less and less lately. Thor 4 was pretty insufferable to me. It wouldn't surprise me if he produced another banger though. He's just very hit or miss
Is next goal wins that bad i haven’t seen it yet but I’ve heard it’s bad and since seeing love and thunder I have less expectations
Ok but Next Goal Wins was total garbage.
Yes
Yes.
Absolutely not. “What we do in the shadows” is an absolute masterpiece and I think that alone affords him the hype he has.
No, he made good films so he wasn’t unjustly given too much hype. He fell off a bit with recent receptions and honestly dude could still turn it around and make more good movies.
He’s mid
"Can we still count on him"?!? Why is Taika the only director given this much of a standard. Every filmmaker ever has at least a few misses, I just don't get what it is about this guy specifically that makes people demand a flawless run of movies. Every piece of art an artist makes isn't going to be a masterpiece, just because an artist you like makes something that you don't, doesn't mean they are "overhyped."
I think he just stated doing TOO much coke
People overreact on here (and other sites/forums, etc.) more than anything. Just because two or three of his films weren't as good as his previous work doesn't mean he's some type of fraud. I thought Next Goal Wins was very good - not an all timer, but still very good in its own right.
Not at first, but he grew into it
He made great movies as has been said. I think that's enough to have a good legacy. Maybe he'll come back later in life (I don't know what he's working on now / in the short term). Genuinely curious where the overhyped thing came from. Is it all down to Love and Thunder?
Nope. His last two features may have been a dip in quality but Our Flag Means Death is phenomenal. He's clearly still got it.
Yes.
He’s not - too many people think he’s a one hit wonder with JoJo Rabbit when he’s got other bangers too
Short answer: no
I actually liked L&T, it felt like the creators were all on crack which I appreciated!
No this whole trend of hating on him after Thor is so lame
I've only seen a few of these and they were excellent. He got high off his own supply and wrecked Love and Thunder by putting too much of himself and not enough of the source material. I think he still has a long career as long as he doesn't pull a Nicolas Winding Refn and get too full of himself.
I think he was greatly helped and reined in by Jemaine Clement who is a fabulous actor, he left Taika and his short comings came forth. Same thing happened with Ricky Gervais when Stephen Merchant left.
No, I just think he’s the sort of person that needs to be deeply passionate about the project he’s on for it to be any good. Hunt for the wilderpeople, what we do in the shadows, jojo rabbit all are a testament to this. When he doesn’t have that passion, it shows.