I think that they're probably more examples of GOOD VO, than BAD VO.

Although I don't understand Cantonese, Wong Kar Wai seems to use it to good effect (most of his films have featured VO narration. Its almost one of his trademarks).

Just going from memory (so I’m sure I missed some), at least 10 movies on the AFI’s 100 Greatest American Films list feature VO. To me VO is like any other technique or narrative device; it can be used effectively or poorly.

In actual produced films, perhaps. But go read some amateur scripts and you'll find that a majority of the unexperienced writers use VO sloppily.

One of my favorites with IMHO a good example of V.O. is Silver Bullet. And I like hearing Ray Bradbury's voice narrating Something Wicked This Way Comes.

My favorite examples of great V.O. narration: Fight Club, which has been mentioned already, and American History X, which hasn't. In the latter, the V.O. is essential. If you've seen it, you know why.

K

Apocalypse Now is another great example of good narration... what would the movie be without Martin Sheen's story?

^^
This is one the many interesting aspects of Apocalypse Now, but it wasn't Martin Sheen's V.O. They realized after the movie that they needed some narration so they hired someone related to Marty (I forget who) that sounded just like him to do it.

another great example imho is Election - with the stills incorporated at the moments of voiceover it was pure genius. A great great film fully enhanced by a clever use of stills and voiceover.

And i'd have to agree that American Beauty, Adaptation, and i'd add About Schmidt to those listed were also very well done and wouldn't be the same great films they are without it. I tried to think of some bad examples, but I think the reason I can't is because any film that does it poorly is ultimately entirely forgetable.

one of my favorite movies from childhood and still today used VO very effectively, Stand By Me

I like most of the VOs mentioned so far. I also thought it was well done in Amelie.

"Choose life, choose a job, choose a family..."

i agree with most of our friends about the fight club V.O. being one of the best examples.
also, I was thinking about this the other day how david duchovny does so many of them, i mean kalifornia,playing god,red shoe diaries and most episodes of x-files, surely he must get some sort of medal for this.

VO Narration is also a great way to give a kind of fairy tale mood to a film. I think mainly of films like "Amelie" where we forgive the improbabilities and the absurd parts of the story as we would do in a fairy tale. I think it goes straight to our visceral child need to have someone telling us stories.

But in most cases, I think that the use of a VO narration should be avoided whenever possible.

Don't overuse it and it's fine. I usually prefer visual storytelling over narration, but if done correctly, voice over can be very effective.