Top 10 Upcoming Movies That Might Suck in 2021
#10: “The Last Duel” (2021)
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We’re beginning our list with a real coin toss. “The Last Duel” is a historical drama-thriller based on a book by Eric Jager. Inspired by a true story, it centers on Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris, two 14th century Frenchmen ordered to duel to the death. When you hear the words “written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon”, your mind instantly goes to “Good Will Hunting”. And that’s a great movie! The “The Last Duel” also benefits from having the legendary Ridley Scott in the director’s chair. Although those three household names have made substantial contributions to popular film, their efforts have been very inconsistent over the last few years. We could get another “Live by Night”, “Robin Hood” or “The Great Wall”.
#9: “The Boss Baby: Family Business”(2021)
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With 3D animated films becoming increasingly inexpensive to make, those intended for theatrical release now need to work extra hard to make an impression. And if we’re being honest, 2017’s “The Boss Baby” was pretty forgettable. Sure, it made over a half billion dollars at the box office, but critics weren’t impressed. Alec Baldwin as an intelligent infant secret agent is a fun gag, but we’re not sure it warrants a feature film—let alone a franchise. But that’s what we’ve gotten! There’s already a “Boss Baby” Netflix series, and now “Family Business” will jump forward into the future to when Baldwin’s Boss Baby is all grown up. It’s an interesting move, but we’re not convinced this sequel will find its footing.
#8: “Tom & Jerry” (2021)
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Can’t a classic animated property be left alone as just that? A classic? Apparently not. In 2021, this iconic cat and mouse pair will be making the jump to the big screen in a live-action/CGI hybrid like many of their contemporaries before them. Now don’t get us wrong, we love Tom and Jerry. But their dynamic is supposed to be a simple one fit for short films, not an existential crisis and a feature-length narrative. Furthermore, it really doesn’t inspire confidence that this project has been languishing in development hell since 2009. Good things take time, but in the movie industry, anything that spent that long in the oven was likely tweaked by way too many chefs over the years.
#7: “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” (2021)
Comparing All The Peter Pan Movies
While 2018’s “Peter Rabbit” got average reviews and took in a decent box office haul, critics complained that the titular rabbit was a bit mean-spirited. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the creative team took that feedback to heart for the sequel. Trailers for “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” show that the titular bunny gets all his friends kidnapped after encouraging them to rob a Farmer’s Market. His human friends are left to bail him out of the mess that he caused. The rabbit's bad decision making is coupled with a trailer full of tame jokes and cheap slapstick. We don't have much confidence that this sequel will be a hopping success.
#6: “Cruella” (2021)
Maleficent (2014) VS Cruella (2021)
With only a few exceptions on her resume, Emma Stone is as close to a ‘sure thing’ as you can get in Hollywood. If there’s one actor who can make us like the “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” villain, Cruella Deville, it’s her. But of all the classic characters to come out of the House of Mouse, is she really the one we want to humanize? Yes, she’s got a wicked sense of fashion, but her record on animal rights is just about as bad as it gets. And the premise isn’t trying to rewrite history. The film will follow a young Cruella as she becomes a monster driven by her fixation with dog skin. We’re just really not sure how this can possibly work.
#5: “The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard” (2021)
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Our next film falls into the category of “who asked for this?” Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson have both delivered plenty of memorable performances in recent years. But as pleasant as it is to see these two on-screen together, this collaboration deserves a better property. All the star power and comedic chemistry simply wasn’t enough to hold audience interest in this otherwise uninspired film. But it would seem that the dollars make sense, so we’re getting one anyways in 2021. When Salma Hayek’s Sonia Kincaid comes under threat, the unlikely pair of Michael Bryce and Darius Kincaid are pulled into another action-packed adventure. Here’s hoping that the filmmakers will learn from the shortcomings of the first movie.
#4: “The Tomorrow War” (2021)
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“The Tomorrow War” centers on soldiers from the past who are drafted to save humanity from alien invaders. Sounds like fun, right? And with Chris Pratt at the head of the large ensemble cast, it’s certainly got the right leading man. But something about this movie feels off. Apart from Pratt and J.K. Simmons, the sizable cast is otherwise made-up of actors best known from television or minor film roles. This is also director Chris McKay’s first foray into live action. Hollywood seems really hesitant to take risks on new properties. The best case scenario is that this does well and becomes the next “Edge of Tomorrow.” Just don’t hold your breath.
#3: “The Forever Purge” (2021)
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In this dystopian alternate version of the United States, there’s an annual event during which all crime is legal. And that includes murder! There’s no denying that this is a compelling concept for a horror franchise. The premise opens up a lot of opportunities for social commentary about a wide range of subjects, including human nature, race, class and violence in the media. But after 4 movies and a tv series, “The Purge” feels like it's running out of steam and interesting things to say. Plus, there’s rarely been a fifth instalment in any horror franchise that brought anything new and exciting to the table. This is being billed as the final instalment in the series, but really…how many horror series have honored their word?
#2: “Old” (2021)
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The only thing we’ve heard about the plot of M Night Shyamalan’s next film “Old” is that it’ll be based on the story told in the graphic novel Sandcastle. But that's more than enough to get us worried. The last time Shyamalan adapted a major property into a feature film, we got 2010’s “The Last Airbender”. This atrocious film horrified fans of the original cartoon and scored an abysmal 5% on Rotten Tomatoes. And since he’s writing, producing, and directing “Old”, he’ll have plenty of creative control over the final product. It would honestly be a major twist if this new film turns out to anywhere near as good as its source material
#1: “Chaos Walking” (2021)
When it was announced that this YA trilogy was being adapted in 2011, fans were ecstatic. If you like sci-fi with heart and a creative approach to storytelling, this Patrick Ness series is a must-read. The books are set in a strange future where women have disappeared and men hear one another’s thoughts. When Todd Hewitt meets a young woman named Viola, he’s pulled into a life changing conflict. With Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley playing the lead roles, this film seemed like a sure thing, especially with director Doug Liman at the helm. Unfortunately, the movie was described as “unreleasable”, prompting major reshoots and multiple delays. It’s finally set for release, but the short promotion window suggests it’s just getting dumped in theaters.
