Top 10 Scenes That Almost Ruined Good Movies
These movies would've been better off without these scenes. From American Sniper, to The Dark Knight Rises, and even Breakfast at Tiffany's, these movies have at least one scene that should've been left on the cutting room floor. WatchMojo counts down the top scenes that almost ruined good movies.
Special thanks to our user Isaac Bauman for suggesting this idea! Check out the voting page at WatchMojo.comsuggest/Top+individual+scenes+that+ruined+good+movies
Top 10 Scenes That Almost Ruined Good Movies
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Why? Why did they have to do that? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Scenes That Almost Ruined Good Movies. For this list, we’ll be looking at those scenes which were so bafflingly terrible that they almost ruined an otherwise perfectly fine movie. This can be due to a variety of factors, including laughably bad plot decisions, bad special effects, or disappointing character deaths, among others.
#10: The Mandarin Reveal
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“Iron Man 3” (2013) “Iron Man 3” may not have been the greatest superhero movie of all time, but it was still solid entertainment. Robert Downey Jr was his typically charismatic self, the special effects were fantastic, and The Mandarin was menacing, badass and rather unique. Until he wasn’t. The Mandarin, who is arguably Iron Man’s greatest enemy, was first portrayed as a terrifying and psychopathic man, complete with an intimidating voice and a threatening demeanor. And then we find out that he’s just a goofy, bumbling idiot and a washed-up drunk of an actor. To make matters worse, Killian ends up being the big bad, and he’s as cliché as they come.
#9: Bond Surfs a Tidal Wave
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“Die Another Day” (2002) We’re pretty sure that it was this scene alone which spurred on the producers to reboot the franchise. It’s just so…awful. “Die Another Day” was certainly no masterpiece, but it was a fairly enjoyable and campy romp. And then there’s this scene, which sees Bond surfing a massive tidal wave which is the result of an orbital satellite shooting solar energy at a bunch of ice. We can hardly say that without laughing. It also looked horrendous; even for 2002, this CGI was laughable. A series known for its practical stunt work was now resorting to CGI, and it all but ruined the series.
#8: CGI-Filled Burly Brawl
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“The Matrix Reloaded” (2003) It’s baffling to us how a movie with such an amazing action scene as the freeway chase can also contain…whatever this is. The original “Matrix” was renowned for its mix of practical and special effects, as it managed to seamlessly blend the two into movie magic. And then there’s the “Burly Brawl”, which looks like it was ripped straight from a bad video game. Hell, we’re pretty sure even bad video games looked better than this in 2003. The scene has a good premise, but it’s totally ruined by the bad CGI, bowling pin sound effects, and obvious stunt doubles. We’ll just chalk it up to a glitch in the matrix.
#7: Fake Baby
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“American Sniper” (2014) Who knew that a simple prop could cause so much laughter? During the scene where Chris Kyle holds his baby in the house’s nursery, viewers couldn’t help but notice that the baby looked particularly fake and ridiculous. The prop baby was so painfully obvious that it immediately took audience members out of the movie, prompting viewers to gather online to poke fun at the doll and the scene. The fake baby was a huge misstep for such a dramatic and important scene, and it almost turned the war drama into an unintentional comedy. We expect better from you, Mr. Eastwood.
#6: NOOOO!!!
“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” (2005) Damn it, “Revenge of the Sith,” you were actually a good movie, so why did you have to go and do that!? This final installment of the prequel trilogy was easily the best of the three, providing audiences with both thrills and poignancy. It was tragic to see Anakin turn to the dark side, and his burning in the lava was both horrifying and sad. His awakening in the vader suit should’ve been iconic, but then his extremely corny yell of anguish ruined the mood, turning the beautifully tragic scene into a farce. We were waiting decades for this moment, and this really tarnished the experience.
#5: The Goofy Reunion
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“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) “The Return of the King” is about as close to movie perfection as you can get. It is epic, sad, touching, and inspiring. And then this scene had to throw a big ol’ monkey wrench into the proceedings and almost ruin everything. We get it, the reunion of the fellowship is a touching and beautiful moment, but did it have to be filmed so saccharinely sweet? The combination of the retina-burning lighting and the goofy slow motion just screams corny. Subtlety went out the window, and what we were left with was more cheese than anyone should have to swallow. We don’t blame you if you still cried, though.
#4: Bane’s Death
“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) While “The Dark Knight Rises” may not have lived up to the wild expectations set by its predecessor, it was still a fun journey, in no small part thanks to Tom Hardy’s brutal and terrifying performance as Bane. He tests Batman both physically and mentally, and seriously, he’s got the most memorable villain voice since Vader. And then he is given perhaps the most anticlimactic death in the history of cinema. OK, maybe not, but it was still bad. Right as Bane is about to shoot Batman, Catwoman enters the scene and blasts the villain away with the Batpod’s cannons. What a disappointing way to say goodbye.
#3: Yellow Face
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) Unfortunately, Hollywood has a long and storied history of using both yellow and blackface in movies and television. Case in point, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” which contains one of the most racist characters you’ll ever see. Mickey Rooney portrays I. Y. Yunioshi, complete with goofy buck teeth, glasses, and a horribly stereotypical Asian accent. Seriously, it is one of the most racist and things ever commited to celluloid. We suppose that it was a different time in Hollywood, but watching it today, the character is a painfully damaging blemish on an otherwise fantastic piece of film.
#2: Rewinding Time
“Superman” (1978) While “Superman” may feel somewhat dated today, it is nevertheless a classic - the first great superhero film. That said, the famous (or perhaps infamous) scene in which Superman turns back time seriously hurts the film. While it may look impressive, it feels both lazy and confusing. Is it just a visual cue for the audience, or is Superman literally spinning the Earth backwards? If he is, how exactly does that turn back time? It makes no sense! Yes, we understand that this is a movie about a flying humanoid alien, but it still needs to adhere to the rules of our planet! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Ice Skating “King Kong” (2005) The Awkward Dance “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” (2010)
#1: Pinbacker
“Sunshine” (2007) How do you ruin your ambitious movie about a group of astronauts reigniting the dying sun? You turn it into a derivative slasher movie, of course! “Sunshine” was brilliantly directed by Danny Boyle, and for 75% of its runtime, it is a great and ambitious science fiction experience. And then the crew discovers Pinbacker, a horrifically burned and disfigured psychopath, and the movie heel turns into horror territory as he stalks and kills the crew. It doesn’t completely ruin the movie, as it’s still good genre fun, but it comes pretty damn close.