The conflict between style and substance has existed since the birth of art—the relatively new field of cinema is no exception. In most cases, the critical value of a movie is based on a narrative that's supported, but not eclipsed, by aesthetic flair. However, this merely highlights the differences of opinion between critic and audience.

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At the same time, there are a few movies that depend so much on visual and aural extravagance that their plot/characters are either diluted or wholly obscured. This lack of substance, when set amid a profusion of cinematic splendor, becomes painfully apparent to anyone watching. That said, style-over-substance movies aren't necessarily bad, but they could have been so much more.

10 Avatar (2009) Broke New Ground But Its Story Is Overly Simplified

Avatar-James-Cameron

Avatar is universally praised for the sheer depth of its visual effects, with many critics likening the emotional heft of the movie to Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.

Roger Ebert referred to it as a "technical breakthrough" with an "anti-war message," but A.O. Scott had more reservations, claiming that "the script is a little bit... obvious." It's clear that Avatar never tries to be a movie with a complex message, but that's no reason for it to turn into Space Pocahontas.

9 John Wick (2014) Replaced Plot With Magnificently Choreographed Combat Scenes

John Wick holding up a gun

John Wick is an excellent vehicle to showcase the martial talents of Keanu Reeves, and, in that context, it is one of the most incredible movies ever made. A set of fight sequences, however thrilling, are unfortunately not an efficient substitute for an actual story, which John Wick could have benefited from.

As such, John Wick is barely in control of itself, like a car that's constantly on the verge of falling off a cliff, providing no time to breathe for the titular character or his victims. Or even the audience, for that matter.

8 Baby Driver (2017) Is A Musical Masterpiece With A Dimensionless Script

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Baby Driver's focus on practical filmmaking is responsible for a large fraction of the praise it received, as well as its so-called "audiovisual repertoire"—a series of curated songs that seamlessly blend into the narrative flow.

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The music enhances, propels, and supports the tone of the movie: an extraordinary achievement, to say the least. While the cast of Baby Driver was deservedly applauded, more than a few reviewers suggested that the plot wasn't strong enough to carry the weight of the movie.

7 300 (2006) Is A Gorgeously Designed Homage To Toxic Masculinity

Gerard Butler as Leonidas in 300

Zack Snyder's cinematic rendition of Miller's popular comic book series, 300, is an explosive homage to the concept of manhood, except with a severely limited perspective.

Historical inaccuracies in the movie aren't just limited to the over-glorification of certain "Spartan" notions but extend to its unnecessarily graphic use of violence and bigoted remarks. As Ebert put it, "300 has one-dimensional caricatures who talk like professional wrestlers plugging their next feud." It looks spectacular, though, if that counts.

6 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels' (1998) Bullet-Speed Style Comes At The Cost Of Character Development

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Guy Ritchie's Snatch (2000) is as fast-paced and electrifying as his first movie, except the former has more than a semblance of story development. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is best known for bringing global attention to the multi-talented Jason Statham, but its "characters are controlled by the demands of the clockwork plot."

Still, the movie wowed many, generating fandoms and cult followings that remain strong to this day. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a rollercoaster of style, and that's more than enough for many viewers.

5 Tron: Legacy (2010) Basks In Its Visual Grandeur Without Offering Any Narrative Meat

Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy is a masterful sequel to the groundbreaking Tron (1982), both tributing and building on its predecessor's "award-caliber" visual and sound effects.

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Other reviewers stated that the dialogue and human aspects of the sequel were not up to par, despite its massive popularity. Interestingly, Manohla Dargis of the NYT asserted that Tron: Legacy's "monotonous palette of glassy black and blue" failed to match the first movie's "vibrating kaleidoscopic colors."

4 Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) Is A Paradoxical Blend Of Incoherent Scenes & Strong Character Arcs

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Quentin Tarantino's movies are known for their maze-like plots, but at least they piece together nicely by the ending. Pulp Fiction (1994) and Reservoir Dogs (1992), for instance, prove Tarantino's mastery over both direction and screenwriting. His latest creation, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is considerably more disjointed than its predecessors—and stellar performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt aren't enough to maintain narrative coherence.

Unsurprisingly, the movie loses track of itself halfway through the second act. The New Yorker explained Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's major problem more clearly, claiming that it "celebrates white-male stardom... at the expense of everyone else."

3 Suicide Squad (2016) Raised Too Many Hopes With Its Stunning Trailer

Joker and Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad (2016)

The first trailer for Suicide Squad blew the lid off the internet, with its sharp editing, sparkling CGI, and, perhaps most importantly, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody harmonizing with scenes of awe-inspiring action.

In comparison, the movie couldn't hold a candle to the trailer, leaving critics to make comments like "In a word, Suicide Squad is trash. In two words, it's ugly trash." Complaints ranged from the Joker's forgettable role to a sluggish screenplay. Maybe The Suicide Squad (to be released on August 5th, 2021) will even out the first movie's inconsistencies.

2 Moulin Rouge! (2001) Relies Heavily On Style As A Mode Of Storytelling

Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman perform on stage in Moulin Rouge!

Moulin Rouge! is a monumental effort that eventually pays off, although some critics warily mentioned that "there is not a single moment of organic excitement," and that the movie wouldn't "be for all tastes."

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This is in part due to Moulin Rouge! relying on its stylistic elements to add nuance to the story, somewhat muddling the distinctions between design and development. That said, the movie continues to be an intricate masterclass in how to create the ideal jukebox musical.

1 Interstellar (2014) Failed To Find A Balance Between Cinematography & Exposition

Interstellar Docking Sequence

Exposition is, by far, Interstellar's biggest flaw: there is a lot that needs to be explained but isn't, and basic concepts take up big chunks of screentime. While the movie is hardly mediocre, it makes up for its lack of dramatic urgency by going overboard on the visual and auditory aspects.

Interstellar is cinematically breathtaking—the larger the viewing screen, the better—but its saccharine script leaves a lot to be desired. And then there's the whole thing about love being "an artifact of a higher dimension that we can’t consciously perceive," a notion that feels jarringly out of place in a movie that prides itself on scientific accuracy.

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