Top 20 Anticipated But Disappointing Movies
#20: “The Lion King” (2019)
Top 10 Anticipated But Disappointing Movies
However you may feel about Disney’s string of live-action remakes, 2019’s “The Lion King” really does stretch the term “live-action” to its limit. Featuring animal graphics that are at once stunningly detailed and completely devoid of any distinctive character or emotion, the movie was a big letdown for fans and critics. Still, you wouldn’t know it from the box office. “The Lion King” went on to gross over $1.6 billion worldwide, despite having only a 52% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Even original composer Elton John was left wanting more, saying “the magic and joy were lost” in the retelling. At least we got a Beyoncé album out of it.
#19: “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (2014)
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Peter Jackson’s announcement that he would be following up his acclaimed “Lord of the Rings” Trilogy with an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” was massive news for fans. His decision to split the relatively small book into three separate, nearly three-hour epics was a head-scratcher, but still, anticipation for a return to Middle-earth was high. While none of “The Hobbit” movies bombed, “Five Armies” was described by critics as an over-long battle scene that was thin on plot, character, and style and heavy on less-than-convincing CGI effects. It was such a step down in quality from “The Lord of the Rings” that it’s hard to believe that much of the same creative team was behind it.
#18: “Tron: Legacy” (2010)
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The 1982 sci-fi adventure cult classic was renowned for its groundbreaking visual effects. When the trailer dropped for “Tron: Legacy” nearly 30 years later, it promised even more jaw-dropping sights and sounds. Although no one can deny the movie looks amazing, it received a lukewarm response. While the original managed to give as much attention to its human elements as its innovative special effects, “Legacy” was maligned for its unconvincing performances. That’s not to say “Tron: Legacy” doesn’t have passionate fans of its own. Maybe the “Tron” franchise is just destined to be a cult phenomenon.
#17: “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022)
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Marvel’s Phase Four has been hit or miss with a lot of fans. In 2022, “Thor: Love and Thunder” joined the underwhelming “Eternals” as one of the lowest-scoring Marvel movies on Rotten Tomatoes. While “Love and Thunder “ was funny enough, it failed to soar to the heights of the Nordic god’s previous outing, “Thor: Ragnarok.” Critics were quick to praise its ensemble of performers, but cited an underwritten screenplay, bizarre tone shifts, and lackluster visual effects as its weak points. Needless to say, Marvel fans and casual audiences alike expected a lot more from this one.
#16: “Godzilla” (1998)
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It took over forty years for the iconic screen monster to make the voyage from Japan to Hollywood. Judging by what they got, fans probably would have waited a little longer. The 1998 “Godzilla” movie upset longtime fans before it was even released. When news leaked that director and co-writer Roland Emmerich had scrapped the title monster’s fire breath, fans were outraged. Things only got worse when they saw the finished product. Critics and audiences alike hated the movie. Although the effects were not necessarily bad, the design of the monster was considered one of the movie’s greatest sins, eschewing the original design and intentions of the monster for something way less interesting or scary.
#15: “Spider-Man 3” (2007)
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Legendary in its badness, Sam Raimi’s inexplicable follow-up to his first two stellar movies in the series finds Spider-Man infected by an extraterrestrial creature that effectively turns him into… Bad Spider-Man. There’s a lot more to the movie than that, but… that’s what everyone remembers. And with good reason. Needless to say, the world just wasn’t ready for Tobey Maguire’s emo-fied Peter Parker strutting down the street and dancing across a stunned jazz club. Director Sam Raimi would go on record as saying it was an awful movie. It’s not all bad, though. “Spider-Man 3” memes still keep us laughing to this day.
#14: “The Matrix Revolutions” (2003)
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The Wachowskis’ philosophically-minded sci-fi fantasy series is hit or miss for a lot of people. It’s the kind of thing where, if you get it, you get it. But even the ones who get it found “The Matrix Revolutions” a little lacking. The third “Matrix” installment is often called the worst in the series. Without a satisfying resolution to what was then a trilogy, many critics and fans found it failed to close its myriad plot holes, offered nothing new or innovative in special effects, and that its screenplay and performances were not nearly as good as they had been in the previous installments.
#13: “Hellboy” (2019)
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Guillermo del Toro’s 2004 film version of the Dark Horse Comic character has since become a classic of the genre. This 2019 reboot makes it look like a veritable masterpiece. High on violence and low on virtually everything else, “Hellboy” suffers from a serious lack of imagination. Although “Stranger Things” star David Harbour received some good notices for his performance as the titular half-demon superhero, it just goes to show that given similar material, two different filmmakers can create two wildly different movies. This one was so bad, that in February 2023, Millennium Media announced that they were rebooting their own reboot.
#12: “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008)
Look, we love evil Cate Blanchett as much as anyone else, but when audiences heard that Indiana Jones was getting another sequel, we didn’t expect flying saucers. Even the attempt to infuse a modern-day star into the mix felt rote, with Shia LaBeouf coming onboard as Jones’ long-lost son. This twist was a bomb that not even a fridge could save. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” may be way more entertaining than it has any right to be, but it still serves up multiple “jumping the shark” moments–or should we say, “nuking the fridge” moments?
#11: “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009)
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While the role made Hugh Jackman a household name, his fourth appearance as the clawed mutant superhero leaves him adrift in a sea of cliches, plot holes, and uninspired visual design. After the lackluster offering that was “The Last Stand,” “X-Men” fans were ready to be wowed by the first solo Wolverine adventure. Leaked workprints and an extensive marketing ramp-up to the premiere only added to the hype. However, fans were deeply disappointed by the movie’s all-encompassing mediocrity. “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds saw early on that the writing was on the wall, as he was not a fan of how the script treated his character. Even Jackman himself thought his first solo outing as the character was not what he hoped.
#10: “Red Notice” (2021)
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Billed as a marriage between “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” critics and audiences were surprised that “Red Notice” was not better. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot headline this heist comedy that sounds like the start of a bad joke: “Two agents and an art thief walk into a bar…” Unfortunately, the three stars don’t really have that much chemistry. The movie’s not incompetent, but with this much star power and money attached, it should be so much better. Then again, if star power were enough, the “Imagine” video might have gotten a warmer reception.
#9: “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)
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No matter how much money they make, DC seems to struggle to keep pace with Marvel’s blockbusting cinematic universe. Following the disappointing “Man of Steel,” director Zack Snyder’s 2016 superhero mashup “Batman v Superman” didn’t electrify the critics or audiences. Most talked-about though may have been Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Lex Luthor. Eisenberg was lambasted for his performance, particularly because fans disliked how similar it was to Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance as the Joker. “Batman v Superman” went on to gross over $800 million internationally despite the cold reception it received from fans of either hero. It couldn’t reach a billion, though, which is telling.
#8: “The Dark Tower” (2017)
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Stephen King’s series of epic fantasy-western novels have been called unfilmable. 2017’s “The Dark Tower” didn’t do much to disprove that theory. It’s unfortunate because Idris Elba is a strong choice for Roland of Gilead, but the gunslinger is left hanging by an overstuffed story that does little to appease fans of the books or gain new ones. Instead of sticking to the philosophical themes of the original Stephen King novels, the movie settles for technically impressive, but pretty standard action sequences that make it look like any other modern blockbuster. While talk of a potential sequel seems to have stalled, fans hold out hope that the Gunslinger will get another shot at the big screen.
#7: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009)
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Few movie series capture the spirit of the 2000s like “Transformers.” It catapulted its two stars, Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, to superstar status, and due to its second entry, became a symbol for everything that was wrong with the pre-Marvel blockbuster movie. Even critics like Roger Ebert, who gave the first movie a good review, trashed “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” for how long and nonsensical it was. There was also controversy about the characters of Mudflap and Skids, whom audiences and critics felt were racist caricatures. Director Michael Bay would blame the movie’s failure on the writers’ strike of 2007-08, but the script was only just one part of what made this one unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.
#6: “Alien 3” (1992)
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Directed by the soon-to-be legendary David Fincher, “Alien 3” continues the story of Lieutenant Ellen Ripley’s battle against the terrifying Xenomorph species. Taking place on a penal colony in space, the movie was considerably bleaker than the last installment. The movie lost a lot of fans right away, as it was quickly revealed that beloved characters Newt and Hicks actually did not survive long past the events of the previous movie, “Aliens.” That’s not to say that the third installment doesn’t have its share of defenders. Although it does pale in comparison to the first two, it was a tough act to follow.
#5: “Suicide Squad” (2016)
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A lot was riding on this DC offering, as it was a follow-up to the underwhelming “Batman v Superman.” The hype reached new levels as behind-the-scenes stories about Jared Leto’s interpretation of method acting grabbed headlines. Co-star Viola Davis stated that the actor had a dead pig delivered to a rehearsal and sent Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn, a live black rat. Audiences were not as shocked by Leto’s commitment to the role as they were at how little his Joker is actually featured in the movie. Some viewers thought it was a refreshing break from the standard superhero formula, and while it was a box office success, “Suicide Squad”s audience did drop off once fans realized it wasn’t what they expected.
#4: “The Godfather Part III” (1990)
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Like “Alien 3,” Francis Ford Coppola’s sequel followed two movies that are generally considered masterpieces. That it failed to live up to expectations is not so surprising, but the dropoff in quality still frustrates fans to this day. Coppola’s daughter Sofia would become an incredible director, but her performance as Mary Corleone does leave something to be desired. Critics and audiences were not exactly kind in pointing that out either. Her casting became symbolic of unchecked Hollywood nepotism. “Part III” follows Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone as a middle-aged man, far removed from the heyday of organized crime, and haunted by his past deeds. Audiences expecting the violence of the first two films were probably less than prepared for this more introspective and philosophical story.
#3: “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” (1999)
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Fans waited nearly twenty years for a follow-up to George Lucas’ legendary space opera trilogy. In comparison, “The Phantom Menace” was a bit of a letdown. Although it has a few iconic costumes and a memorable villain in Darth Maul, “Episode I” does occupy a polarizing place in the “Star Wars” franchise. Depending on who you talk to, it’s either a low point for the series or not nearly as bad as everyone says it is. Still, there’s no denying that the movie serves up some awkward performances from talented actors, wonky writing, and commits perhaps the greatest sin of all. It introduced the world to Jar Jar Binks, a character that not even “Phantom Menace” apologists seem all that eager to defend.
#2: “Fantastic Four” (2015)
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After the disastrously goofy 2005 attempt at bringing this comic book quartet to the big screen, fans were eager to see a movie that took the story seriously. As the MCU was in full swing and superhero movies were made with greater care and craft than ever before, hopes were high for this new version. Sadly, history repeated itself. The script felt more like a long buildup to a sequel than a story all its own, and its gloomy visuals were just downright depressing to look at. 2015’s “Fantastic Four” reboot made a 180 from the last version. Instead, it veered too dark, too cynical, and too serious.
#1: “The Last Airbender” (2010)
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“Avatar: The Last Airbender” is a series known for its distinctive animation, incredible story, and ability to touch on meaningful topics that are rarely given their due in TV shows aimed at young people. However, all that changed when M. Night Shyamalan attacked. By attacked, we mean directed this woeful adaptation of the beloved children’s series. And yes, to a lot of us, it did feel like a personal attack. It’s almost impressive to see so much of what makes a story great get lost in translation. If there were a special Oscar for wasting an opportunity, this movie would’ve won it.
