Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Ruben Fleischer-whose latest project "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" releases in theaters today.
6.Uncharted (B-)
5.30 Minutes or Less (B-)
4.Venom (B)
3.Gangster Squad (B+)
2.Zombieland: Double Tap (A)
1.Zombieland (A)
Top Dog: Zombieland (2009)
Thanks to its irreverent humor and winning makeshift family dynamic that its magnetic leads (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin) provided it with, Zombieland has enjoyed an enduring power that has exceeded many of the more conventional comedies released around the same time. Bill Murray's cameo remains one of the funniest scenes I've seen on screen and Flesicher provided a nice proof-of-concept for his eventual pivot to blockbuster filmmaking with his confident handling of the film's action sequences-particularly the final showdown where hordes of zombies descend on an abandoned amusement park.
Bottom Feeder: Uncharted (2022)
Uncharted is a perfectly fine adventure movie that's just never quite able to overcome the feeling that it's a cheap-ish modern-day knockoff of Indiana Jones despite arguably being a better crafted film than either of the 21st century entries in that legendary franchise. If the sequel Sony put into development back in the spring of 2022 ever materializes, hopefully they can find a way to once again make Papa John's part of a key plot point
Most Underrated: Gangster Squad (2013)
Going to bat for Gangster Squad is something that I'm always happy to do. It's just so refreshing to watch a mob movie that excels at being cartoony and fun. Not everything can or needs to be Goodfellas or The Godfather people! Sometimes getting something cut from the same cloth as The Untouchables is great too!
Most Overrated: None
Fleischer has made precisely one acclaimed movie in his career: the original Zombieland and that's been a movie I've loved since I saw it in theaters 16 years ago. Other than that, he's been a magnet for stuff that has gotten mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. As you can see from above, I've never disliked anything he's made as I feel like he always brings enough energy to his direction to keep things relatively entertaining regardless of the quality of the script he's working with. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does with the long-brewing third installment of the preeminent magician heist franchise.
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