Movies That Could Have Been Great But Failed

[Gooch1034]

What I often ask the wife when we stumble across movies that fit the topic is "Dont they actually watch these fucking movies before they release them in theaters?" I really don't understand how some movies make it through so many people after spending millions making it and it turns out to be such shit?

I think 3 obvious movies that would surely be mentioned are the Prequel Star Wars movies.
Wanted to get those out of the way quick. No bigger opportunity than those movies and it still pisses me off.


DOOM-Was just awful in every way.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull- Monkeys and Shia swinging on the vines.............

Clash of the Titans remake-Some parts were pretty good but not good enough to carry that movie to being as good as it could have been.

Rocky V- It could have been so damn great...............had they not made it at all.

Blair Witch Project- Started the "found footage" trend but the only thing that happens is they lose the map and the girl showed us her snot running down her face. But they did do a good job of making me want to punch all 3 of them.

 

[outofyourmind]

I'll go with some recent movies.
1) Monuments Men. When I saw it in the theater I was really disappointed in it because I thought it could have been a much better movie. I've watched it a couple of times since and like it better now than I did then. However, it had the story and cast to be a much better film, a great film, but wasn't.


2) Enders Game. Never read the book, but liked the movie. Harrison Ford just made this movie awful. And I couldn't get past that. Could have been better all the way around, but a good movie.


3) Fury. This movie had absolutely no direction to it at all. By direction I don't mean the Director, but rather the story line. Was a decent movie that kept going good for 2hrs, but WTF was the purpose. It was like an old Audie Murphy movie, not a bad movie, but not much to it other than blowing shit up. Could have been a much better movie.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

The Missouri Breaks

 

[Gooch1034]

I'll go with some recent movies.
1) Monuments Men. When I saw it in the theater I was really disappointed in it because I thought it could have been a much better movie. I've watched it a couple of times since and like it better now than I did then. However, it had the story and cast to be a much better film, a great film, but wasn't.


2) Enders Game. Never read the book, but liked the movie. Harrison Ford just made this movie awful. And I couldn't get past that. Could have been better all the way around, but a good movie.


3) Fury. This movie had absolutely no direction to it at all. By direction I don't mean the Director, but rather the story line. Was a decent movie that kept going good for 2hrs, but WTF was the purpose. It was like an old Audie Murphy movie, not a bad movie, but not much to it other than blowing shit up. Could have been a much better movie.

Enders Game is a good one! I liked that movie but you are right that it could have been better if Harrison Ford wasn't in it.

 

[outofyourmind]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
I love the Ape movies. Have seen every one of them. This one was just really bad. Plot moved slow, was predictable, and I just didn't care which side won, which is the kiss of death for this kind of movie.
I don't know how they could have made it a great movie except for a complete rewrite of the script.


A Million Ways to Die in the West
This could have been a really good comedy. It was a spoof plain and simple, but half way thru the movie they decided to try and make it a real movie and couldn't find an ending for it. If they had just ended it as a spoof and gone from 2hrs to 90minutes, it might have been a great comedy. But it wasn't.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

I'll go with some recent movies.

2) Enders Game. Never read the book, but liked the movie. Harrison Ford just made this movie awful. And I couldn't get past that. Could have been better all the way around, but a good movie.

Enders Game is a good one! I liked that movie but you are right that it could have been better if Harrison Ford wasn't in it.

Ender's Game should have been SO much better. I'll go ahead and be "the book guy" who says that the book is way better than the movie. Ender's Game (and that whole series) is one of my favorite books of all time, and they just didn't capture the feel of it at all in the movie. I didn't notice Harrison Ford being particularly bad, but to me the whole thing wasn't great.

 

[calsnowskier]

Ender's Game should have been SO much better. I'll go ahead and be "the book guy" who says that the book is way better than the movie. Ender's Game (and that whole series) is one of my favorite books of all time, and they just didn't capture the feel of it at all in the movie. I didn't notice Harrison Ford being particularly bad, but to me the whole thing wasn't great.

I read the book about 20 years ago, and LOVED it. I have read all the Enders books, and I think all the Bean books, and the whole universe is so rich.

The movie was good, but it didn't hold the same awe that the book had. I also will never forgive them for not casting Pierce Gagnon as Bean. After seeing him in Looper, he was a no-brainer for the role.

 

[Clayton]

There was no correct way to do Ender's Game as a movie. The people I saw it with thought it was too long and too slow (which is ridiculous if you've read the book)

I'm going to throw out 2 Nolan movies: Dark Knight Rises and Inception. I think both scripts could have been better given their budgets, actors and certainly special effects if we are talking Inception. The third Matrix movie is also in the same category.

 

[williewilliejuan]

I'll probably get crucified for this, but Titanic.

I remember seeing the trailers for it and thinking it was going to be really cool, but then they went and buried a really compelling story inside a lame ass chick flick. Total bait and switch.

 

[Clayton]

Prometheus is another good movie for this category.

 

[outofyourmind]

Prometheus is another good movie for this category.

Oh Shit.
I am so with you on this.
The story was right there for the taking and somehow they completely fucked it up.
Not a terrible movie, but could have been great.

 

[BeaverShaver]

the fog

war of the worlds

boondock saints part 2

any Spider-Man movie ever made, ever. and ever

 

[BeaverShaver]

Oh Shit.
I am so with you on this.
The story was right there for the taking and somehow they completely fucked it up.
Not a terrible movie, but could have been great.

agreed. I was pumped. what a let down

 

[RegentDenali]

Prometheus is another good movie for this category.

Outstanding direction by Ridley Scott. Unfortunately, they put the retard who wrote the TV show Lost in charge of the script and it became "Lost" in space.

 

[TDs3nOut]

Donnie Brasco is a movie that I like. Would have been much better in my opinion, however, had it cut the scene where the wise guys rollick on the beach like little girls. Can't think of a movie I like that includes a more out of place scene.

 

[cezero]

star wars eps 1-3

all of them could have been good if they had a professional writing the actual scripts

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

* the fog

*war of the worlds

boondock saints part 2

any Spider-Man movie ever made, ever. and ever

* I hope you're referring to the remakes.....because the originals are bonafide classics.

(But such is the case with basically all remakes)

 

[TheDayMan]

I am Legend

Whenever I think of movies that could have been awesome but blew it I think of it. The novel is awesome. There have been a handful of movies that are supposed to be based on the book, none of which do it justice. The Will Smith movie shouldn't have even used the title.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

I am Legend

Whenever I think of movies that could have been awesome but blew it I think of it. The novel is awesome. There have been a handful of movies that are supposed to be based on the book, none of which do it justice. The Will Smith movie shouldn't have even used the title.

Wasn't that based on The Omega Man? I think they chose the "I Am Legend" title to tie it all together for Will Smith and his love of Bob Marley.

 

[TheDayMan]

Wasn't that based on The Omega Man? I think they chose the "I Am Legend" title to tie it all together for Will Smith and his love of Bob Marley.

I am Legend is a novel by Richard Matheson, published in 1954. Omega Man is one of the other movies I referred to that was based on the book. I highly recommend the novel, it's a pretty quick read.