Paul Giamatti Ranked

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 Paul Giamatti-whose latest project "The Holdovers" is in select theaters now and opens nationwide on November 10th. 

Paul Giamatti's Filmography Ranked:

25.Planet of the Apes (D)

24.Big Momma's House (D+)

23.San Andreas (D+)

22.The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (C-)

21.Confidence (C)

20.Parkland (C)

19.Dr. Doolittle (C)

18.Love & Mercy (C)

17.Robots (C+)

16.Big Fat Liar (C+)

15.Lady in the Water (C+)

14.Jungle Cruise (B-)

13.The Hangover Part II (B-)

12.Private Life (B)

11.12 Years a Slave (B)

10.Win Win (B)

9.The Ides of March (B)

8.Gunpowder Milkshake (B)

7.The Truman Show (B)

6.Donnie Brasco (B)

5.Sideways (B)

4.John Dies at the End (B+)

3.Shoot 'Em Up (B+)

2.Straight Outta Compton (A)

1.Saving Private Ryan (A)

Top Dog: Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Emotional, brutal and breathtaking from a technical filmmaking standpoint, Saving Private Ryan is an essential war film that ranks among the biggest triumphs of Steven Spielberg's storied career. 

Bottom Feeder: Planet of the Apes (2001)

I'm not overly romantic about the original Planet of the Apes or anything, but good lord did Tim Burton's remake provide a massive stain on its legacy. This aloof, boring mess is a completely irredeemable movie that emits a potent stink which has only become more pronounced since the trilogy helmed by Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves in the 2010's came out and proved that this franchise still has some juice left.

Most Underrated: Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

Outside of Crank and possibly Hardcore Henry, Shoot 'Em Up is the closest anyone has come to making a hard-R, 100% live action Looney Tunes feature. The way this shit just explodes onto the scene armed with a company of actors (Clive Owen, Monica Bellucci, Giamatti, Stephen McHattie) ready to put on an absolute clinic in zany overacting, truckloads of bullets and enough caffeine to power a zillion all-nighters is just magnificent to behold and that remarkable commitment to the beautifully demented art that is over-the-top B-action filmmaking is exactly why it's such an exhilarating piece of work.  

Most Overrated: Love & Mercy (2015)

Count me as one of the miserable few who wasn't in awe of Love & Mercy. While the performances from both John Cusack and Paul Dano as Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson are pretty great, the film is too sluggishly-paced and clunky with its time jumps to paint the sensitive, lyrical portrait of Wilson's life it aims to create.