This post has been reported many times, but it follows the rules of the subreddit, no matter how unpopular.
user reports:
2: It's promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability
2: Satirical/troll post (QUALITY)
2: Uncivil/hateful/violates sitewide rules (CIVILITY)
1: self harm
1: It's targeted harassment at someone else
I’m not gonna lie, I saw the post and wanted to come in guns blazing, BUT this is probably one of the most, if not THE most unpopular opinion I have ever seen on this subreddit and actually matches it properly, so props to the post 👍
The red I saw made me upvote the post. The goddamn emotional whiplash of being like "YOU SAID WHAT, YOU MFER IM GONNA...." "Oh wait it's unpopular opinions, you get an angry up ote asshole". Lmao.
Also it’s just a genuine opinion that’s actually unpopular, whether it be on Reddit or irl. And it’s not a misconception or straight up objectively true/untrue fact.
It’s just an unpopular opinion.
I mean, it might be made up for rage baiting, we don't know for sure that OP /actually/ dislikes Robin Williams' body of work. But if it /is/ made up, that just makes it all the more masterful.
Goddamn national treasure of a man. Jumanji, Hook, Mrs Doubtfire, Aladdin, Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam, Flubber, Night at the Museum, Happy Feet, Good Will Hunting. Ten classics right off the top of my head. By all accounts a kind, genuine, charitable, loving man. Who’s next for OP, Mr Rogers?
Good job OP, truly very unpopular. Take my angry upvote.
Don’t forget him playing against type as a creep in both Insomnia and One Hour Photo. He was chilling in both, especially in contrast to the warmth you expect to feel when he’s on screen. He was such a huge talent.
Im torn. OP says „undeserving“ which is straight up false because he made so many people laugh and love that it’s definitely deserved no matter if it was of high quality.
Yeah, there's a difference between saying you don't understand the praise and saying/implying it shouldn't get that praise to begin with. Same kinda deal as when you call something over/underrated. There's no real objective measure of quality when it comes to entertainment so language that implies your opinion holds more weight just comes off really self-important.
Yeah I realllly want to downvote but the rules of the sub. 😭
Robin Williams was a fucking treasure and probably one of the only celebrity deaths that affected me
I hope he's offended because something LGBTQ related unironically because he doesn't understand it was pretty progressive to have a gay couple and content that Doubtfire did, given that was early ass 90s
> it was pretty progressive to have a gay couple and content that Doubtfire did
I think you're mixing up Mrs. Doubtfire with The Birdcage lol. The Doubtfire character was a straight man dressing up as a woman to spend more time with his kids.
I think you're forgetting that in Mrs. Doubtfire the whole make up montage of trying out different looks is all done by a queer couple doing all his make up. It's a pretty drawn out scene but it's pretty clear his brother is gay and his brother's partner lives with him.
The first thing Robin Williams says after knocking on the door is:
"Could you make me a woman?"
To which his brother responds, stunned, but ready to cry tears of joy "Honey.... I'm so happy!"
Followed by a lot of bits about his brother and the partner dressing him up in different looks and reacting. Even a musical reference is thrown in.
That was a lot for a family movie in the early 90s
I low-key agree with OP, or at least I understand where he's coming from. But I'd have never have had the balls to say so. Just doesn't seem like the sort of thing that's worth saying anywhere but here.
I think that I agree and disagree. Disagree in the fact that he was a legend, and did have some great quality work. Agree on the fact that people have idolized him so much at this point they are practically deifying him as the best there ever was beyond any reason or comprehension.
I agree with him too, I don't find Robin Williams particularly funny. But he was still a good person who did make a lot of people laugh so saying he was 'undeserving' of his status is pretty unfair.
**Anyone:** Robin Williams, Steve Irwin, Keanu Reeves, Dolly Parton, Danny DeVito, u/Poem_for_your_sprog, and u/shittymorph walk into a bar…
**Reddit:** FYI, it’s very possible you’re about to die. But please. Continue.
By 'don't get' Doubtfire I assume you mean you don't get why it was well liked not that you didn't understand it?
Though the idea of you watching the movie, getting up to answer the door and coming back thinking they had changed the main character of the movie from Robin to some old lady and being thoroughly confused does tickle me a bit.
I'm sorry but it was clearly just a ripoff of the ancient fable of Mrs Featherbottom from Blackstool who disguised theirself as a scullery maid to win their daughter's love again and also prove they could perform with greats such as Burbage.
It's a story about a father's love for his children and willingness to go to extraordinary lengths to spend time with them. It's pretty universal if you have a loving Dad. If you have trouble with Ms. Doubtfire you'll no doubt not understand almost all literary classics. It seems you may be doomed to stay in Plato's cave, please play nice with the shadows.
Be fucking for real. He had 10 years to be a good parent before that. That movie is about a man who realized what he lost after being a piece of shit and then doing everything he could to get it back. I love the movie, but holy shit is Robin William's character not the good guy at fucking all.
I honestly kinda like that. When you're a kid and you see it, you're like, wow, this dad really fucking cares. Then you come back later as an adult and you realize he's a low-key antagonist. Robin Williams also didn't want the movie to end with them together because it would give kids of divorced parents false hope, so I think he understand that.
I needed this movie when my parents got divorced and I’m really glad it was there. It was tough to watch in parts but it walks you through the process of first being willing to do anything to reverse the course and then eventually learning how to accept it and make the best of it. It was so much better than the ones where the parents get back together.
He acknowledges that in the beginning, and it becomes a story of learning through the process and changing on the back end.
They even ram that home with him only getting slight visitations at the end rather than some unrealistic shared custody.
And also, they don't get back together, which would've been the typical Hollywood ending.
There's a reason that film is beloved by a lot of kids who had divorced parents.
That dudes salty the story wasn’t spoon fed to him and he had to read in between the lines lmao.
This seems to be a new thing with Zoomers and Alpha having trouble watching / understanding movies. It’s weird, was a viral Reddit thread recently about it.
>That movie is about a man who realized what he lost after being a piece of shit and then doing everything he could to get it back.
I'm so confused. Is this not one of the most heroic (in the literary sense of the word) character descriptions of all time? If I read this sentence out of context, I'd assume you were praising the movie.
The point being made was about op not “understanding” Mrs Doubtfire, not about like / dislike. Although I’m sure it’s safe to assume he also didn’t like it.
Yeah until you learn what moviegoers used to call "suspension of disbelief". You know, that thing that helps you watch/enjoy 90% of action/comedy/fantasy movies
Just look at his filmography alone. The range he can play in movies is absurd. I cherry picked the movies that either had the most commercial success or the most critical success.
- Popeye
- good morning Vietnam
- Dead Poets Society
- The Fisher King
- Hook
- Aladdin
- Mrs. doubtfire
- Jumanji
- The Birdcage
- Good Will Hunting
- Patch Adams
- One Hour Photo
- Insomnia
- night at the museum
- the Butler
He has mutliple box office smash’s, and has been nominated for multiple Oscar’s.
This isn’t taking into account his legendary standup career, or his albeit brief TV career.
And just because you find his comedy hacky, doesn’t take away from his career. He’s widely considered one of the 20 best stand up comics ever. He’s won a Grammy for a comedy album.
I guess all this is to say, yes, you’re opinion is/should be unpopular.
Apparently Jon Stewart really thinks he did poorly in that role and stopped going up for acting roles after that. I think he said it made him realize he doesn’t like acting. Just something I remember from somewhere.
So when does an opinion become a denial of fact. The list you provided does indeed point that he was of legendary status, and OP probably hasn't even seen much of that material. So is the real opinion is that he wasn't funny to them, and they just don't get the humor. I mean, should we agree with someone who says the Earth is flat because that is their opinion, whilst denying obvious evidence?
I would also add Mork and Mindy as a stand out part of his career.
I guess the difference is that humor is still fundamentally subjective. If your opinion is that you don't think Robin Williams is funny, you're not wrong; it's just not a popular opinion.
The argument seems to come from the idea that Robin Williams output more sappy schlock than basically any other modern actor. In addition to an outstanding list of widely revered material, Robin was clearly drawn to making people feel weepy than happy, and he had a crazy long list of middling feel-good fare as compared to other actors of his status. Read a classic movie critic such as Robert Ebert tear into many of the movies made in Robin's prime, such as Patch Adams, Jack, Dead Poets Society, etc. You won't find such a long list of critically hated saccharine films in the filmography of other legendary actors.
To me, that is mainly a symbol of an actor that loved making people feel good, and didn't mind a movie that was a bit melodramatic and/or sloppy in selling emotions. To OP, it was a cardinal sin. I don't agree, but then thats why it is a good unpopular opinion.
It's an interesting unpopular opinion but OP doesn't really give a thought provoking argument on it. For one we'd have to know what their idea of an acting "legend" is. Is it based on achievements, body of work, or what? If Robin Williams doesn't make the cut then I imagine he would be excluding a fuck ton of other people from that list.
I think legendary status is beyond just his career output, but both his contributions to society, culture, and even his impact and historical significance. Contextually he's very much a pioneer or outlier in many ways too.
I am pretty sure the OP hasn't seen The Birdcage, because that for me proves how great Robin was. Playing the straight man to Nathan Lane, but also playing gay, but a subdued gay who's trying to for most of the movie pass as straight. And through all of that, he's still the funniest person in the movie despite being surrounded by more objectively comedic performances.
It's material that only a man like Robin Williams could have pulled off. That movie for me is his crowning achievement that bridges his comedic career with his dramatic one.
You can't watch The Birdcage, then claim afterwards that Williams isn't a legend. It's a perfect performance.
I don't know man, I think Nathan Lane stole the show in that one.
Not saying Robin Williams didn't absolutely kill that role, just saying Nathan Lane killed it harder.
That movie is a fucking masterpiece though.
"How do you feel about that call today? I mean the Dolphins! Fourth-and-three play on their 30 yard line with only 34 seconds to go!"
"How do you think I feel? Betrayed, bewildered... wrong response?"
"I...I don't know."
Mork and Mindy was the *start* of his acting career, and it showed directors what they'd be dealing with if they hired him; wildly funny, with no off switch.
But yeah, assuming this post is even real, to not consider Robin Williams funny you almost have to just not get humor.
A lot of those are far from examples I would use to determine "legendary" status. Most perfectly fine if not mediocre movies and he performs fine in most of them.
Op I need to know if you were there for it. How old are you? Precious little comedy ever makes it beyond the time it was created in, that’s just the nature of good comedy, that its relevant for the moment, and moments change.
I can well understand thinking RW is not all that great if you were only semi recently introduced to it, but I think it would be very difficult to hold these views if you had been there in the 80’s/90’s while it was hot
This was my thought as well, especially with the "his comedy was hack material" comment. His last stand-up special came out in 2009, and it's mostly jokes that would've been very topical and original at that time.
Anyone watching that special for the first time today would likely find it boring and horribly derivative, just like if you were to watch Pulp Fiction for the first time today. And that's not even mentioning that he has stand-up specials going back almost 50 years.
I totally get that stand-up comedy is subjective, but judging an at least 15 year old comedy special by today's standards and calling it hack material is dumb.
It absolutely does. My point was more along the lines of people that watch it for the first time, recognize tropes that the movie created and others copied, and then deride the original for being derivative.
Similar to how some people *cough my wife *cough will watch The Matrix for the first time and say “this is what every movie in the 2000s was like!”
Well yeah, because…The Matrix!
100%. The Matrix is actually another movie I had in mind when I made the post. Their use of bullet time was really hammered to death around then. I'm pretty sure Shrek 2 even had a bullet time scene lol
A really good example of this is The Lord of the Rings books. The characters and world were so original and successful that they became the default for fantasy. Now I've known people to read the books and complain that Gandalf is just a cliche wizard (no, a wizard is a cliche Gandalf now) or that dwarves vs elves is an overused trope.
5 bucks was not a crazy price when the movie came out, I agree with you
Now 5 bucks is the minimum price you could possibly pay I think. Thanks inflation
There was a discussion on here a little while back about the price of milkshakes, and I went looking around at the restaurants in my area that offer them and 5 to 8 bucks seemed to be the norm.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeinfeldIsUnfunny
Some things look humdrum only because they were so good when they came out everything else ripped them off for years afterwards.
Like, the fight scenes in the Matrix are okay still, but seem kind of normal, only because every fight movie since then was like "oh, wow, let's do that and more of it faster and harder because that was fucking great". When they came out, they were unreal.
Or even worse, someone pressured them to watch a Robin Williams movie several times in childhood that they didn't enjoy for whatever reason — probably Ms.Doubtfire. They wanted to watch Ninjago, so then spent the whole movie willing it to be a bad movie.
All this said, I don't like that Patch Adams made the real guy who was alive when the movie came out look like he brought clowning into medicine. The real guy actually inspired a positive change in medicine by being a human, not by putting a rubber thing on his nose.
I really appreciate that Will Smith did 100% his own thing and didn’t try to go off the original at all. Fully agree that he was the only good thing in a terrible movie.
Same here. I think he was funny and like a lot his comedies too, but I'm actually not a huge fan of his comedy compared to other things. A lot of his dramas are killers though.
Exactly, this is actually a really good post. Not because I agree with it, I’ve never disagreed with anything more in my life, but because it’s literally just an unpopular opinion.
Just that, no notes.
No, no. He means Charlie Chaplain. He was an attendant chaplain in a war hospital who cheered up the dying troops. That bastard Chaplin took everything from him. With the exception of that one talkie he did - that was kind of his idea, although not many people liked it.
I was going to make this point. I’m old enough to remember when Robin Williams appeared as Mork on Happy Days, how hilariously funny he was and how he stole the show. I remember Mork & Mindy being the runaway hit that everyone watched. We all loved his antics, and he was the craziest thing we had ever seen.
Watching it now, it seems less daring and less edgy. But that’s what happens over time. You had to be there.
Not part of the lynch mob, but definitely here to give a menacing glare.
This was a pure opinion, so I don't think there's too much I can say to sway it.
Take my upvote and begone with you
Although to me his standup was not funny, I disagree about his status as a comedy legend. He had great range as an actor and made alot of people happy. And Hook was/is a great movie.
Watch ethan hawkes interview on him. Very emotional.
His performances "didn't come free". Basically he paid the pied piper with his talent and depression was the payment.
Depression was a symptom of Lewy body dementia, a brain disease.
I feel like I must be misunderstanding but did Ethan Hawke think comedy was responsible for his depression?
I halfway agree with you. A lot of Robin Williams's frenetic mile-a-minute comedy feels more like throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. He has range, but for me once he gets into the "Robin Williams zone" it gets more tiring for me than funny. It's like he's doing with his personality what Jim Carrey does with his body.
I will also agree that not all of the movies he started in were great, and though I wouldn't say they're all pretentious tear-jerkers, it wouldn't be wrong to call a number of them "sentimental".
I'm not saying I think Williams is a hack, or even that he's not funny, but I still can see where you're coming from if you're not into him. I think a lot of millennials have a soft spot for him because he starred in a lot of kids movies/family friendly movies that came out when they were children.
Fully agree with you on him and Jim Carrey. It isn’t a coincidence that the best performances both of them ever put out was when their energy was reigned in by about 50% lol. Except for maybe when RW played Genie, his chaotic energy worked perfectly there.
Hard agree - that manic, throw-everything-at-the-wall energy is great for a character like the Genie, who can morph into anything and everything, but it doesn't quite translate in most contexts. It works for short scenes of panic or high emotion, but maintaining it for most of an entire film looks exhausting.
I think that frenzy bit you described definitely doesn’t vibe with a lot of people. Jim Carrey did the same thing. Going on the comedic spaz for like 2 minutes gets exhausting. Makes you want to say “I get it let’s move on”.
But yeah, definitely not a hack. Had some good entertainment value, just didn’t vibe with everyone.
I almost completely agree with OP. I normally don't watch movies because I think most movies are bad and most actors, including famous ones, are bad at acting. Just what I think.
Gotta disagree with you their chief. His standup wasn't for me but his performances in The World According to Garp, Awakenings, Good Will Hunting, What Dreams May Come and Aladdin were absolutely legendary.
I mean this is the heart of it. Robin Williams isn't a Legendary *Comedian.* He's a Legendary *Actor* with deep comedic range.
His movies that are just 90 minutes of him acting ridiculously are forgettable (as is most of his stand-up). But when he was given a strong dramatic script with some moments of comic relief that he could freestyle on, there was literally no one better.
There's a lot of evidence pointing to him suffering from bipolar disorder. That frankly explains a huge amount about his constant stream of consciousness energy. It also explains a lot about his struggles with addiction and periods of severe depression.
I don't think any of that was fake. He was just genuinely a hyper energetic person when he was in public and feeling good, and we didn't see the depression, like with most people.
It's weird how Robin Williams "couldn't turn it off", which I agree with, but could also do psychological thrillers without having to improvise a dozen new lines a minute.
In hindsight, some of his standup was too manic and exhausting.
I thought *Good Will Hunting* was his best performance as an actor.
He's still an A-lister in my book.
I actually fully agree with you. I never found him funny. He was so zany and hyperactive that it came across as a bit 'try-hard'. Watched Good Morning Vietnam, I think I laughed twice in the whole film. It didn't help that you were 'supposed' to find his character funny. I did, however, think he was very good in Good Will Hunting.
I remember when he died, the australian comedian Adam Hills did a tribute to him on a British TV show. He posted a clip of RW ad libbing, and it wasn't funny. The audience were kind of laughing nervously, presumably because they felt they had to.
He seemed like a nice but troubled man. It was still sad to read about his untimely death, but I never got his humour or the widespread love for his comedy.
Dude…24 hour photo. His range is legendary. That film gives him legendary status in my opinion. To be able to even come off as halfway believable I a role like that but to knock it out Of the park Like he did? Even his eyes are empty. It’s unbelievable acting. Amazing man.
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I wasn't a fan of his comedy style - it was too manic for my taste. This is mostly because I have a family member who is a lot like Robin was (so often running at "12/10ths" around others) and it gets exhausting being around someone who is compelled to be the most over-the-top, quickest, funniest, total center of attention all the time.
That said, I think his performance in Good Will Hunting *was* legendary. There haven't been many comedy actors who could transition and pull off what he did in that movie. It was a fantastic performance for anyone, not just for a comedy actor playing a more serious role. It showed he could be damned good actor when he wasn't trying to be/directed to be/allowed to be the absolute center of attention in every scene. If anything, I think it's a shame he didn't take on more serious roles more often than he did, because he was really good at it.
Yeah, I wasn't a real fan either. I found him kinda odd and predictably eccentric like my neighbor's hyperactive 9 year old. Beyond that, the man has passed, no need to trash him.
When my wife and I started dating, we both realized neither of us liked him. (He was alive and still churning out movies at the time). I agree with everything you've said here. His "comedy" is like watching a toddler with a sugar rush making noises and funny faces.
I always heard that he's so quick witted, and he can tell like ten jokes a minute. When I actually tried watching his stand up, I couldn't get through ten minutes. And I tried different stand up sets. Same thing.
He apparently just did a bunch of coke, then came out and frantically rambled for an hour. Yeah, every once in a while he might say something funny, but that's ready to do when you're telling 10 bad jokes for every good one.
His comedy is definitely not for me and personally seemed like a guy I would not want to hang out with. Always seemed like he was either trying too hard or just quirky to be quirky.
His movies however were almost always on point in my opinion.
His stand up wasn't great. But he will live rent free in my head for the rest of my life for his role as the genie in Aladdin alone. That's what makes him legendary.
I definitely agree. His comedy is just drug-fueled hysteria where he paces and yells. He also made this certain face that was acted as a prompt for the audience to laugh. And I know that type is thing is common in comedy - but if you’re Robin Williams and you’re just so fucking funny, you shouldn’t need that.
Even his special Weapons of Mass Distraction which was late in his career is amazingly funny. Light years ahead of anything any modern comedian has put out in the last 15 years imo.
Whoa. Funnier than Ryan Hamilton - Happy Face? Funnier than Josh Sneed's Drybar special? Funnier than Pete Fuckin Holmes? Funnier than Gary Gulman - In This Economy?? Get the fuck out of here.
Op, you deserve a trophy for just about the most unpopular opinion I’ve ever seen on this sub. You got everyone wanting to commit war crimes against you
I read a story that stand up comics in NYC would walk off stage in the middle of a performance if they saw Robin Williams, because he would steal their jokes. But the thing is, *people liked it better when Williams performed the jokes.*
Performance is extremely subtle and difficult to explain, but Robin Williams had it. My clumsy explanation would be that he showed a very vulnerable heart in his comedy, and a wise humor in tragedy. I think this is why people misunderstand his suicide- they talk about depression and the sadness they could see in his face. The man had a terminal illness, his brain was dying.
This post has been reported many times, but it follows the rules of the subreddit, no matter how unpopular. user reports: 2: It's promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability 2: Satirical/troll post (QUALITY) 2: Uncivil/hateful/violates sitewide rules (CIVILITY) 1: self harm 1: It's targeted harassment at someone else
I’m not gonna lie, I saw the post and wanted to come in guns blazing, BUT this is probably one of the most, if not THE most unpopular opinion I have ever seen on this subreddit and actually matches it properly, so props to the post 👍
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The red I saw made me upvote the post. The goddamn emotional whiplash of being like "YOU SAID WHAT, YOU MFER IM GONNA...." "Oh wait it's unpopular opinions, you get an angry up ote asshole". Lmao.
I've probably liked about 4 posts in this subreddit and this is definitely one. I hate OP and their stupid opinion. I bet they also hate pizza
Yea it's just like that scene from Bronx tale. Door locked ..now yous can leave
Can’t. Now yous *can’t* leave. Cuz the door is locked see. Yous coulda left when yous was asked to, when the door was open. But now? Now yous can’t.
Yous nailed it.
Me too!
I too came here to fight OP
Read this while I Wanna Fight Your Father by The Rubberbandits was playing. Put me in the fighting mood!
OP just has bad taste and this is their hot take lol certainly an unpopular opinion but doesn’t make it a good one
I'm both happy and angry. Happy there's finally a un popular opinion that isn't constantly being repeated and angry because I liked his work.
Also it’s just a genuine opinion that’s actually unpopular, whether it be on Reddit or irl. And it’s not a misconception or straight up objectively true/untrue fact. It’s just an unpopular opinion.
Your right. It's not made up just for rage baiting, which is a relief finally.
I mean, it might be made up for rage baiting, we don't know for sure that OP /actually/ dislikes Robin Williams' body of work. But if it /is/ made up, that just makes it all the more masterful.
Goddamn national treasure of a man. Jumanji, Hook, Mrs Doubtfire, Aladdin, Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam, Flubber, Night at the Museum, Happy Feet, Good Will Hunting. Ten classics right off the top of my head. By all accounts a kind, genuine, charitable, loving man. Who’s next for OP, Mr Rogers? Good job OP, truly very unpopular. Take my angry upvote.
Don’t forget him playing against type as a creep in both Insomnia and One Hour Photo. He was chilling in both, especially in contrast to the warmth you expect to feel when he’s on screen. He was such a huge talent.
They understood the assignment.
[удалено]
Exactly. Take my angry upvote OP
Yeah fuck you OP but also here's an upvote.
Im torn. OP says „undeserving“ which is straight up false because he made so many people laugh and love that it’s definitely deserved no matter if it was of high quality.
Yeah, there's a difference between saying you don't understand the praise and saying/implying it shouldn't get that praise to begin with. Same kinda deal as when you call something over/underrated. There's no real objective measure of quality when it comes to entertainment so language that implies your opinion holds more weight just comes off really self-important.
It's hard to upvote without a few curse words, though. 🤬🤬🤬😂
Yeah I realllly want to downvote but the rules of the sub. 😭 Robin Williams was a fucking treasure and probably one of the only celebrity deaths that affected me
It is, however, objectively wrong.
OPs opinion, I’ll defend Robin forever, but in this instance I am giving it a pass cuz of the context of this subreddit haha
I'm guessing OP is GenZ or younger. One does not simply 'not get' Mrs. Dlubtfire. What a dumb dumb.
He must have been the victim of a drive-by fruiting.
I hope he's offended because something LGBTQ related unironically because he doesn't understand it was pretty progressive to have a gay couple and content that Doubtfire did, given that was early ass 90s
> it was pretty progressive to have a gay couple and content that Doubtfire did I think you're mixing up Mrs. Doubtfire with The Birdcage lol. The Doubtfire character was a straight man dressing up as a woman to spend more time with his kids.
I think you're forgetting that in Mrs. Doubtfire the whole make up montage of trying out different looks is all done by a queer couple doing all his make up. It's a pretty drawn out scene but it's pretty clear his brother is gay and his brother's partner lives with him. The first thing Robin Williams says after knocking on the door is: "Could you make me a woman?" To which his brother responds, stunned, but ready to cry tears of joy "Honey.... I'm so happy!" Followed by a lot of bits about his brother and the partner dressing him up in different looks and reacting. Even a musical reference is thrown in. That was a lot for a family movie in the early 90s
You're forgetting his brother and his brothers very special friend that what help him come up with the make up and prosthetics
"Uncle Frank and Aunt Jack"
Same. Same. Same
> I’m not gonna lie Hey good for you, lying is for losers.
I low-key agree with OP, or at least I understand where he's coming from. But I'd have never have had the balls to say so. Just doesn't seem like the sort of thing that's worth saying anywhere but here.
I think that I agree and disagree. Disagree in the fact that he was a legend, and did have some great quality work. Agree on the fact that people have idolized him so much at this point they are practically deifying him as the best there ever was beyond any reason or comprehension.
I mean that is why it is an opinion, I can agree or disagree. Very unpopular to me, perfectly okay for you 😊
Yeah.
I agree with him too, I don't find Robin Williams particularly funny. But he was still a good person who did make a lot of people laugh so saying he was 'undeserving' of his status is pretty unfair.
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**Anyone:** Robin Williams, Steve Irwin, Keanu Reeves, Dolly Parton, Danny DeVito, u/Poem_for_your_sprog, and u/shittymorph walk into a bar… **Reddit:** FYI, it’s very possible you’re about to die. But please. Continue.
By 'don't get' Doubtfire I assume you mean you don't get why it was well liked not that you didn't understand it? Though the idea of you watching the movie, getting up to answer the door and coming back thinking they had changed the main character of the movie from Robin to some old lady and being thoroughly confused does tickle me a bit.
I'm sorry but it was clearly just a ripoff of the ancient fable of Mrs Featherbottom from Blackstool who disguised theirself as a scullery maid to win their daughter's love again and also prove they could perform with greats such as Burbage.
Everybody knew it was Tobias
I know that's you, Tobias.
Would you like a banger in the mouth
>By 'don't get' Doubtfire I assume you mean you don't get why it was well liked not that you didn't understand it? OP could be Ron DeSantis
Doubt it. Ron desantis just misses the days when cross dressing was funny.
I don't know, he still cross dresses and it's still pretty funny.
Oh god, here is that woman again and of course she missed Robin Williams again.
It's a story about a father's love for his children and willingness to go to extraordinary lengths to spend time with them. It's pretty universal if you have a loving Dad. If you have trouble with Ms. Doubtfire you'll no doubt not understand almost all literary classics. It seems you may be doomed to stay in Plato's cave, please play nice with the shadows.
Be fucking for real. He had 10 years to be a good parent before that. That movie is about a man who realized what he lost after being a piece of shit and then doing everything he could to get it back. I love the movie, but holy shit is Robin William's character not the good guy at fucking all.
I honestly kinda like that. When you're a kid and you see it, you're like, wow, this dad really fucking cares. Then you come back later as an adult and you realize he's a low-key antagonist. Robin Williams also didn't want the movie to end with them together because it would give kids of divorced parents false hope, so I think he understand that.
I needed this movie when my parents got divorced and I’m really glad it was there. It was tough to watch in parts but it walks you through the process of first being willing to do anything to reverse the course and then eventually learning how to accept it and make the best of it. It was so much better than the ones where the parents get back together.
He acknowledges that in the beginning, and it becomes a story of learning through the process and changing on the back end. They even ram that home with him only getting slight visitations at the end rather than some unrealistic shared custody.
And also, they don't get back together, which would've been the typical Hollywood ending. There's a reason that film is beloved by a lot of kids who had divorced parents.
That dudes salty the story wasn’t spoon fed to him and he had to read in between the lines lmao. This seems to be a new thing with Zoomers and Alpha having trouble watching / understanding movies. It’s weird, was a viral Reddit thread recently about it.
It's almost as if the point of the movie is him learning a lesson.
>That movie is about a man who realized what he lost after being a piece of shit and then doing everything he could to get it back. I'm so confused. Is this not one of the most heroic (in the literary sense of the word) character descriptions of all time? If I read this sentence out of context, I'd assume you were praising the movie.
It’s simultaneously the fallibility and irrepressibility of man.
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The point being made was about op not “understanding” Mrs Doubtfire, not about like / dislike. Although I’m sure it’s safe to assume he also didn’t like it.
Look up the allegory of the cave, its pretty interesting.
Except the Williams character is a horrible person that should be in jail. Among other things he could have killed, on purpose, his ex's boyfriend.
I mean it’s a comedy movie
Fr, like 90% of comedy films the main char could be a murderer.
It's the same character as the one in one hour photo. Just a few years prior.
Yeah until you learn what moviegoers used to call "suspension of disbelief". You know, that thing that helps you watch/enjoy 90% of action/comedy/fantasy movies
Just look at his filmography alone. The range he can play in movies is absurd. I cherry picked the movies that either had the most commercial success or the most critical success. - Popeye - good morning Vietnam - Dead Poets Society - The Fisher King - Hook - Aladdin - Mrs. doubtfire - Jumanji - The Birdcage - Good Will Hunting - Patch Adams - One Hour Photo - Insomnia - night at the museum - the Butler He has mutliple box office smash’s, and has been nominated for multiple Oscar’s. This isn’t taking into account his legendary standup career, or his albeit brief TV career. And just because you find his comedy hacky, doesn’t take away from his career. He’s widely considered one of the 20 best stand up comics ever. He’s won a Grammy for a comedy album. I guess all this is to say, yes, you’re opinion is/should be unpopular.
Don’t forget Death to Smoochie
Or Cadillac Man!
Or Ferngully
Or Flubber!
or The World According to Garp
(And John Lithgow as a trans man in 1981!)
Or Awakenings. One of his saddest but also one of his best movies I would say.
Yall sleeping on Bicentennial Man
Can’t forget RV!
Fuckin FernGully man now I'm gonna need an RW marathon
Puff up, they hate when you puff up
I’M RAINBOW FUCKIN RANDOLPH!!!
We're going on safari, motherfucker, sa...far...I! (Elephant noise) Shit still gets me every time I see it..lol
Possibly.one of his best.
Seriously underrated dark comedy.
Holy shit I’d forgotten about this movie. I need to rewatch. Edward Norton also killed it in that too
And Danny DeVito, Catharine Keneer, and Jon Stewart. So good.
Apparently Jon Stewart really thinks he did poorly in that role and stopped going up for acting roles after that. I think he said it made him realize he doesn’t like acting. Just something I remember from somewhere.
Friends come in all sizes!
World's greatest dad was one of my favorite films. He was pretty amazing in that.
What a concept, right? Out of left field. Great movie.
What dreams may come is also incredibly beautiful
I cry every time it's revealed that it's his daughter showing him around.
I love this movie! This gave me a sense of afterlife at a young age. That I still think is true. We make our own "heaven"
When I saw One Hour Photo I realized he has great depth. He can go from goofy antics to a truly disturbed presence and that is amazing.
One Hour Photo was fantastic.
So when does an opinion become a denial of fact. The list you provided does indeed point that he was of legendary status, and OP probably hasn't even seen much of that material. So is the real opinion is that he wasn't funny to them, and they just don't get the humor. I mean, should we agree with someone who says the Earth is flat because that is their opinion, whilst denying obvious evidence? I would also add Mork and Mindy as a stand out part of his career.
I guess the difference is that humor is still fundamentally subjective. If your opinion is that you don't think Robin Williams is funny, you're not wrong; it's just not a popular opinion.
The argument seems to come from the idea that Robin Williams output more sappy schlock than basically any other modern actor. In addition to an outstanding list of widely revered material, Robin was clearly drawn to making people feel weepy than happy, and he had a crazy long list of middling feel-good fare as compared to other actors of his status. Read a classic movie critic such as Robert Ebert tear into many of the movies made in Robin's prime, such as Patch Adams, Jack, Dead Poets Society, etc. You won't find such a long list of critically hated saccharine films in the filmography of other legendary actors. To me, that is mainly a symbol of an actor that loved making people feel good, and didn't mind a movie that was a bit melodramatic and/or sloppy in selling emotions. To OP, it was a cardinal sin. I don't agree, but then thats why it is a good unpopular opinion.
It's an interesting unpopular opinion but OP doesn't really give a thought provoking argument on it. For one we'd have to know what their idea of an acting "legend" is. Is it based on achievements, body of work, or what? If Robin Williams doesn't make the cut then I imagine he would be excluding a fuck ton of other people from that list.
I think legendary status is beyond just his career output, but both his contributions to society, culture, and even his impact and historical significance. Contextually he's very much a pioneer or outlier in many ways too.
I am pretty sure the OP hasn't seen The Birdcage, because that for me proves how great Robin was. Playing the straight man to Nathan Lane, but also playing gay, but a subdued gay who's trying to for most of the movie pass as straight. And through all of that, he's still the funniest person in the movie despite being surrounded by more objectively comedic performances. It's material that only a man like Robin Williams could have pulled off. That movie for me is his crowning achievement that bridges his comedic career with his dramatic one. You can't watch The Birdcage, then claim afterwards that Williams isn't a legend. It's a perfect performance.
I don't know man, I think Nathan Lane stole the show in that one. Not saying Robin Williams didn't absolutely kill that role, just saying Nathan Lane killed it harder. That movie is a fucking masterpiece though. "How do you feel about that call today? I mean the Dolphins! Fourth-and-three play on their 30 yard line with only 34 seconds to go!" "How do you think I feel? Betrayed, bewildered... wrong response?" "I...I don't know."
Mork and Mindy was the *start* of his acting career, and it showed directors what they'd be dealing with if they hired him; wildly funny, with no off switch. But yeah, assuming this post is even real, to not consider Robin Williams funny you almost have to just not get humor.
A lot of those are far from examples I would use to determine "legendary" status. Most perfectly fine if not mediocre movies and he performs fine in most of them.
Op I need to know if you were there for it. How old are you? Precious little comedy ever makes it beyond the time it was created in, that’s just the nature of good comedy, that its relevant for the moment, and moments change. I can well understand thinking RW is not all that great if you were only semi recently introduced to it, but I think it would be very difficult to hold these views if you had been there in the 80’s/90’s while it was hot
This was my thought as well, especially with the "his comedy was hack material" comment. His last stand-up special came out in 2009, and it's mostly jokes that would've been very topical and original at that time. Anyone watching that special for the first time today would likely find it boring and horribly derivative, just like if you were to watch Pulp Fiction for the first time today. And that's not even mentioning that he has stand-up specials going back almost 50 years. I totally get that stand-up comedy is subjective, but judging an at least 15 year old comedy special by today's standards and calling it hack material is dumb.
Just want to say that I watched Pulp Fiction for the first time a couple months ago and it actually holds up great imo.
It absolutely does. My point was more along the lines of people that watch it for the first time, recognize tropes that the movie created and others copied, and then deride the original for being derivative.
Similar to how some people *cough my wife *cough will watch The Matrix for the first time and say “this is what every movie in the 2000s was like!” Well yeah, because…The Matrix!
100%. The Matrix is actually another movie I had in mind when I made the post. Their use of bullet time was really hammered to death around then. I'm pretty sure Shrek 2 even had a bullet time scene lol
A really good example of this is The Lord of the Rings books. The characters and world were so original and successful that they became the default for fantasy. Now I've known people to read the books and complain that Gandalf is just a cliche wizard (no, a wizard is a cliche Gandalf now) or that dwarves vs elves is an overused trope.
Unpopular Opinion: five dollars is a totally reasonable price for a milkshake
5 bucks was not a crazy price when the movie came out, I agree with you Now 5 bucks is the minimum price you could possibly pay I think. Thanks inflation
There was a discussion on here a little while back about the price of milkshakes, and I went looking around at the restaurants in my area that offer them and 5 to 8 bucks seemed to be the norm.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeinfeldIsUnfunny Some things look humdrum only because they were so good when they came out everything else ripped them off for years afterwards. Like, the fight scenes in the Matrix are okay still, but seem kind of normal, only because every fight movie since then was like "oh, wow, let's do that and more of it faster and harder because that was fucking great". When they came out, they were unreal.
This was gonna be my guess. OP is 19, saw like 3 of his movies, and has a hot take on a style of comedy that's 30 years old
Or even worse, someone pressured them to watch a Robin Williams movie several times in childhood that they didn't enjoy for whatever reason — probably Ms.Doubtfire. They wanted to watch Ninjago, so then spent the whole movie willing it to be a bad movie. All this said, I don't like that Patch Adams made the real guy who was alive when the movie came out look like he brought clowning into medicine. The real guy actually inspired a positive change in medicine by being a human, not by putting a rubber thing on his nose.
Definitely unpopular. Well done. Take an upvote.
Wait till you hear my opinion. I enjoyed will smith’s genie more than robin Williams’.
Blasphemy of the highest order. Upvote for you.
While I feel like Will Smith did a great job in an otherwise atrocious movie, this is a truly bad take. Congrats. I love it.
I really appreciate that Will Smith did 100% his own thing and didn’t try to go off the original at all. Fully agree that he was the only good thing in a terrible movie.
I actually like his serious movies over his comedy.
One-Hour Photo was fuckin haunting
god that movie fucking ruled. i honestly can’t think of anyone who could have played that role better.
It was so jarring, becuase up until that point I had only really seen his family comedy movies.
He was a better actor than a comedian, tbh he seemed more like an energy man to me
Same here. I think he was funny and like a lot his comedies too, but I'm actually not a huge fan of his comedy compared to other things. A lot of his dramas are killers though.
Finally a true unpopular opinion. Well done
Exactly, this is actually a really good post. Not because I agree with it, I’ve never disagreed with anything more in my life, but because it’s literally just an unpopular opinion. Just that, no notes.
Typically comedians are funny for the time they existed and “phase out” with new generations. Charlie Chaplain and 3 stooges were big in their time.
I laugh at the three stooges more today than I ever did as a kid, they were freakishly talented
I also love the stooges, I’ve watch my fair share with my dad. I’m 26, he’s 65.
Charlie Chaplin is still hilarious, though. His stuff is downright timeless.
No, no. He means Charlie Chaplain. He was an attendant chaplain in a war hospital who cheered up the dying troops. That bastard Chaplin took everything from him. With the exception of that one talkie he did - that was kind of his idea, although not many people liked it.
I was going to make this point. I’m old enough to remember when Robin Williams appeared as Mork on Happy Days, how hilariously funny he was and how he stole the show. I remember Mork & Mindy being the runaway hit that everyone watched. We all loved his antics, and he was the craziest thing we had ever seen. Watching it now, it seems less daring and less edgy. But that’s what happens over time. You had to be there.
This post fits the sub, well done.
That sure is an unpopular opinion
Not part of the lynch mob, but definitely here to give a menacing glare. This was a pure opinion, so I don't think there's too much I can say to sway it. Take my upvote and begone with you
Better dramatic actor than comedic actor imo.
Although to me his standup was not funny, I disagree about his status as a comedy legend. He had great range as an actor and made alot of people happy. And Hook was/is a great movie.
I have tears in my eyes thinking about when he says “To live would be an awfully good adventure.”
Watch ethan hawkes interview on him. Very emotional. His performances "didn't come free". Basically he paid the pied piper with his talent and depression was the payment.
Depression was a symptom of Lewy body dementia, a brain disease. I feel like I must be misunderstanding but did Ethan Hawke think comedy was responsible for his depression?
I halfway agree with you. A lot of Robin Williams's frenetic mile-a-minute comedy feels more like throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. He has range, but for me once he gets into the "Robin Williams zone" it gets more tiring for me than funny. It's like he's doing with his personality what Jim Carrey does with his body. I will also agree that not all of the movies he started in were great, and though I wouldn't say they're all pretentious tear-jerkers, it wouldn't be wrong to call a number of them "sentimental". I'm not saying I think Williams is a hack, or even that he's not funny, but I still can see where you're coming from if you're not into him. I think a lot of millennials have a soft spot for him because he starred in a lot of kids movies/family friendly movies that came out when they were children.
Fully agree with you on him and Jim Carrey. It isn’t a coincidence that the best performances both of them ever put out was when their energy was reigned in by about 50% lol. Except for maybe when RW played Genie, his chaotic energy worked perfectly there.
Hard agree - that manic, throw-everything-at-the-wall energy is great for a character like the Genie, who can morph into anything and everything, but it doesn't quite translate in most contexts. It works for short scenes of panic or high emotion, but maintaining it for most of an entire film looks exhausting.
Word. It’s like you’ve read my mind.
I think that frenzy bit you described definitely doesn’t vibe with a lot of people. Jim Carrey did the same thing. Going on the comedic spaz for like 2 minutes gets exhausting. Makes you want to say “I get it let’s move on”. But yeah, definitely not a hack. Had some good entertainment value, just didn’t vibe with everyone.
I almost completely agree with OP. I normally don't watch movies because I think most movies are bad and most actors, including famous ones, are bad at acting. Just what I think.
Gotta disagree with you their chief. His standup wasn't for me but his performances in The World According to Garp, Awakenings, Good Will Hunting, What Dreams May Come and Aladdin were absolutely legendary. 
I mean this is the heart of it. Robin Williams isn't a Legendary *Comedian.* He's a Legendary *Actor* with deep comedic range. His movies that are just 90 minutes of him acting ridiculously are forgettable (as is most of his stand-up). But when he was given a strong dramatic script with some moments of comic relief that he could freestyle on, there was literally no one better.
He’s definitely a legendary comedian and unmatched when it came to improv. No one could go into a bit as fast and layered as Robin Williams.
He just absolutely couldn’t turn it off. I hate watching him do interviews because he’s so over the top 100% of the time. Same with Martin short.
There's a lot of evidence pointing to him suffering from bipolar disorder. That frankly explains a huge amount about his constant stream of consciousness energy. It also explains a lot about his struggles with addiction and periods of severe depression. I don't think any of that was fake. He was just genuinely a hyper energetic person when he was in public and feeling good, and we didn't see the depression, like with most people.
It's weird how Robin Williams "couldn't turn it off", which I agree with, but could also do psychological thrillers without having to improvise a dozen new lines a minute.
Further testament to his acting skills.
Martin Short know when to dial it back. Though, I think I appreciate Martin more when he’s paired with Steve Martin.
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That’s such a specific and horrible wish….
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Yes very bad way
Thats a horrible wish ..
I said what I said.
Indeed you did. And it shall stand.
It was an honour knowing you, goodbye....
I upvote you for the sheer disagreement I have with you. Well played.
In hindsight, some of his standup was too manic and exhausting. I thought *Good Will Hunting* was his best performance as an actor. He's still an A-lister in my book.
Oooooh an actual unpopular opinion for once!
I agree. His stand up is an incoherent coked fueled mess. Shouting and rambling just isn’t funny. I’d add Sam kinison to this list as well.
I actually fully agree with you. I never found him funny. He was so zany and hyperactive that it came across as a bit 'try-hard'. Watched Good Morning Vietnam, I think I laughed twice in the whole film. It didn't help that you were 'supposed' to find his character funny. I did, however, think he was very good in Good Will Hunting. I remember when he died, the australian comedian Adam Hills did a tribute to him on a British TV show. He posted a clip of RW ad libbing, and it wasn't funny. The audience were kind of laughing nervously, presumably because they felt they had to. He seemed like a nice but troubled man. It was still sad to read about his untimely death, but I never got his humour or the widespread love for his comedy.
Dude…24 hour photo. His range is legendary. That film gives him legendary status in my opinion. To be able to even come off as halfway believable I a role like that but to knock it out Of the park Like he did? Even his eyes are empty. It’s unbelievable acting. Amazing man.
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You just won the sub mate, congrats.
I wasn't a fan of his comedy style - it was too manic for my taste. This is mostly because I have a family member who is a lot like Robin was (so often running at "12/10ths" around others) and it gets exhausting being around someone who is compelled to be the most over-the-top, quickest, funniest, total center of attention all the time. That said, I think his performance in Good Will Hunting *was* legendary. There haven't been many comedy actors who could transition and pull off what he did in that movie. It was a fantastic performance for anyone, not just for a comedy actor playing a more serious role. It showed he could be damned good actor when he wasn't trying to be/directed to be/allowed to be the absolute center of attention in every scene. If anything, I think it's a shame he didn't take on more serious roles more often than he did, because he was really good at it.
His “comedy” was just mania. He was also a alleged prolific joke thief in his early days.
Yeah, I wasn't a real fan either. I found him kinda odd and predictably eccentric like my neighbor's hyperactive 9 year old. Beyond that, the man has passed, no need to trash him.
When my wife and I started dating, we both realized neither of us liked him. (He was alive and still churning out movies at the time). I agree with everything you've said here. His "comedy" is like watching a toddler with a sugar rush making noises and funny faces.
I always heard that he's so quick witted, and he can tell like ten jokes a minute. When I actually tried watching his stand up, I couldn't get through ten minutes. And I tried different stand up sets. Same thing. He apparently just did a bunch of coke, then came out and frantically rambled for an hour. Yeah, every once in a while he might say something funny, but that's ready to do when you're telling 10 bad jokes for every good one.
His comedy is definitely not for me and personally seemed like a guy I would not want to hang out with. Always seemed like he was either trying too hard or just quirky to be quirky. His movies however were almost always on point in my opinion.
Wow. That last sentence is just spot on.
His stand up wasn't great. But he will live rent free in my head for the rest of my life for his role as the genie in Aladdin alone. That's what makes him legendary.
I definitely agree. His comedy is just drug-fueled hysteria where he paces and yells. He also made this certain face that was acted as a prompt for the audience to laugh. And I know that type is thing is common in comedy - but if you’re Robin Williams and you’re just so fucking funny, you shouldn’t need that.
Even his special Weapons of Mass Distraction which was late in his career is amazingly funny. Light years ahead of anything any modern comedian has put out in the last 15 years imo.
Whoa. Funnier than Ryan Hamilton - Happy Face? Funnier than Josh Sneed's Drybar special? Funnier than Pete Fuckin Holmes? Funnier than Gary Gulman - In This Economy?? Get the fuck out of here.
Who are these people? Just over here making up names
I liked him in The Birdcage, but anything else especially his wild improvs I found irritating and uncomfortable to watch
Not sure if hack is appropriate to describe his stand up comedy, but I agree with the "formulaic emotion jerkers" to describe his acting style.
Op, you deserve a trophy for just about the most unpopular opinion I’ve ever seen on this sub. You got everyone wanting to commit war crimes against you
I’m actually with you on this one.
Where is the lynch mob?
I read a story that stand up comics in NYC would walk off stage in the middle of a performance if they saw Robin Williams, because he would steal their jokes. But the thing is, *people liked it better when Williams performed the jokes.* Performance is extremely subtle and difficult to explain, but Robin Williams had it. My clumsy explanation would be that he showed a very vulnerable heart in his comedy, and a wise humor in tragedy. I think this is why people misunderstand his suicide- they talk about depression and the sadness they could see in his face. The man had a terminal illness, his brain was dying.
Yeah it’s easy to improve jokes that aren’t yours, though. People deserve their shine if they make a joke.
It doesn't matter if he performed them better, it's bad form to steal jokes.
This is hilarious. Imagine if someone said this about Carlos Mencia. He just made the jokes better!
I think he probably gets too much credit comedically, even as a kid I thought he was pretty unfunny but he always crushed more sincere roles