Movies That Let You Down

[hermanfontenot]

Ever had a movie that you were chomping at the bit to see, it had actors you like, a director you liked, what looked like a great story, whatever... and then you saw it and were very disappointed?

For me, the biggest disappointment was Copland. I was jacked to see that movie when it came out. It had DeNiro, Liotta, comeback role for Sly Stallone, etc etc etc... and it just wasn't very good at all. Matter of fact, the best part about Copland was DeNiro's mustache.



Thoughts?

[Guest]

I actually liked Copland.

But that's not your topic.

Best example to me was last year's "Body of Lies". Ridley Scott, Leonardo DiCaprio and Russel Crowe? How could it miss?

But it did. Badly.

"The International" with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts was also flat out horrible.

Others in this category over the past few years.

The Other Bolelyn Girl
Beowulf
The Prestige (I'm hearing the keyboards springing to life now...sorry...hated it).
Righteous Kill
Atonement.

[hermanfontenot]

I spent a lot of time laughing at "The Prestige," Mitch. I'm not sure that's what they were going for.

That is, when I wasn't completely baffled at what the **** was going on.

[jack_tors]

I spent a lot of time laughing at "The Prestige," Mitch. I'm not sure that's what they were going for.

That is, when I wasn't completely baffled at what the **** was going on.

Count me in on this one. I was totally psyched for Prestige, ended up being quite bored with it. I have come to learn that Dr. Cox's hatred of all things Hugh Jackman is quite valid. I am quickly getting to that point.

On the flip side, didnt want to see The Illusionist and ended up loving it. Go figure.

Also felt the following were let downs:
Burn After Reading- (didnt hate it but it didnt live up to the hype)
Atonement
Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist -(wasnt psyched to see it but it was so bad I couldnt finish it)
Eyes Wide Shut

[Kingpin74]

Funny People, the last half was a total trainwreck

[swerb]

I gotta echo Body of Lies and The Prestige. Fired up for both. Both sucked badly.

Everything M Knight has done since "I see dead people". Same with Will Smith since "Independence Day".

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Vannilla Sky
Pineapple Express
The Hangover (still a funny movie, just didn't live up to the hype)
Batman Begins
Juno


I'll probably think of a few more.........

[Triple-S]

Superbad.

I rented this really excited because I auctually liked p;arts of what Jonah Hill did in "Accepted" and am a really big fan of Seth Rogen

One of the few movies I actually turned off within 20 minutes of watching. Just came off as really unfunny and trying to hard, like seriously, cussing can be funny as hell, but when it's done every 10 secs, by a character it sort of ruins the effect and that's the impression I got from that movie.

Also, anything from Roland Emmerich post-Independence Day minus "The Patriot" has been pretty unwatchable. 2012 just seems pretty insulting plot wise and seems like it was just made solely for CGI/special effects.

[justmebd]

I don't care if I get flamed for this.

Forrest Gump

When I finally saw that movie, I couldn't believe the amount of hype it got. It's literally one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It's so tackily cliched and sappy that I spent half the film choking down vomit. I would actually rather watch Titanic than Forrest Gump, and I HATE Titanic. Best part about Titanic was the ship sinking and Pretty Boy freezing to death.

Oh yeah, and Kate Winslett naked was pretty good, too.

[metalhead9x9]

Into the Wild.

Heard good things about it, but for me, it was a stinker. The visuals were beautiful, but the acting wasn't that great (with the exception of Hal Holbrook) and the story (especially the backstory with the parents) was meh. I was very annoyed by the McCandless character. His philosophical outlook as depicted in the movie was very juvenile and kinda shallow. The premise of escaping materialism is interesting in the beginning, but this obsession of carpe diem and being one with nature becomes cliched and cringe-worthy. I'm sure McCandless in real life was a compelling person, but I didn't understand why everyone in the movie was so drawn to him. The whole thing just seemed to be a lot of sentimentality without a lotta heart.

[hermanfontenot]

Vannilla Sky

I watched this with my ex, who is my ex because I treated her like utter crap for seven years. Sitting next to her watching that scene where Cameron Diaz tells Tom Cruise "I swallowed your cum! That means something!" and then drives him off the overpass was... well, let's just say it was an uncomfortable viewing experience.

On the flip side, the bathroom scene where the guys in the band tell Tom Cruise to "fix your fuckin' face" was a real winner.

[jack_tors]

Into the Wild.

Heard good things about it, but for me, it was a stinker. The visuals were beautiful, but the acting wasn't that great (with the exception of Hal Holbrook) and the story (especially the backstory with the parents) was meh. I was very annoyed by the McCandless character. His philosophical outlook as depicted in the movie was very juvenile and kinda shallow. The premise of escaping materialism is interesting in the beginning, but this obsession of carpe diem and being one with nature becomes cliched and cringe-worthy. I'm sure McCandless in real life was a compelling person, but I didn't understand why everyone in the movie was so drawn to him. The whole thing just seemed to be a lot of sentimentality without a lotta heart.

Better not read about the real Chris McCandless then.. I liked Into the Wild as a story but was skeptical as I always am about supposed "true stories". I just got done watching a documentary about him and I came away with less respect. It showed the real story and you could see where Sean Penn either changed what happened or altered slightly to fit his view. In real life, he was much more a moody, unapproachable, loner.

You are right on the Hal Holbrook take, that guy can act and his role was just awesome.

[jb]

The Basketball Diaries. Amazing book. Shitty movie, even with Leo.

To some degree, Burn After Reading. I was so excited to see that.

There will be blood disappointed me as well. All I could think of was how hokey the evangelical charismatic kid was and how he reminded me of the stupid plot in Children of the Corn.

Almost every Oliver Stone movie after Platoon.

Most of the time my expectations were too high.

[jb]

Superbad.

I rented this really excited because I auctually liked p;arts of what Jonah Hill did in "Accepted" and am a really big fan of Seth Rogen

One of the few movies I actually turned off within 20 minutes of watching. Just came off as really unfunny and trying to hard, like seriously, cussing can be funny as hell, but when it's done every 10 secs, by a character it sort of ruins the effect and that's the impression I got from that movie.

I never ever agreed with one of your posts more, SSS .

But yo, I actually liked Body of Lies.



Not as an all time classic or anything, not up to the hype of the two actors, but I dug it for what it was.

[Ziner]

Napoleon Dynamite.

[jfiling]

The Constant Gardener was a huge disappointment after Cidade de Deus.

Also, I thought The Fountain would be a cant-miss awesome movie, but I couldn't even sit through it all.

[Guest]

The Matrix.

[Orenthal]

Recently, Gran Torino. Another movie that I thought was contrived and unrealistic. Trying wayyyyy too hard. Probably a shit ton more, but I'm not a big movie guy and almost always shy away from things that have massive buildups.

[pup]

The Notebook

Regards,
JB

[Bill the Butcher]

The only one I can only really agree with is The Fountain. Everything else mentioned either I did like or I've never seen.

Movies don't really let me down much because I go into them with bad or no expectations at all. Last one I can really say let me down was Revenge of the Fallen. Sucked. Except for the 20-30 min of Optimus bad ass-ery.

The #1 movie I'll always bash forever and ever is... Alexander.

EDIT: I'll add Chronicles of Riddick on there. Maybe I have to see Pitch Black first? idk.

[hermanfontenot]

I'll add another: Layer Cake. All style, no substance.

It didn't help that I watched it right after I re-watched Extreme Prejudice, a movie with both style and substance.

[aoxo1]

All the new Star Wars.

Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions.

Grind House (I liked it, but I thought I would absolutely love it)

Aqua Teen Hungerforce (one of the worst movies I've ever seen)

Pretty much any Will Ferrell movie after Anchorman.

Fletch Lives

Predator 2

[Bill the Butcher]

It seems I'm coming up with more and more as time goes by...

Quantum of Solace.

[jb]

Recently, Gran Torino. Another movie that I thought was contrived and unrealistic. Trying wayyyyy too hard. Probably a shit ton more, but I'm not a big movie guy and almost always shy away from things that have massive buildups.

A Clint eastwood flick contrived and unrealistic?

NFW !

Pun intended, great vehical for Clint.

Like Clint and it's one of his best.

Thinks he's a schtick for suburbanites to live out fantasy and it's a bad flick.

' sayin'.

[jb]

The Notebook

Regards,
JB

Just so yah know, I got out of The Time Travellers' Roman Ploanski Date. Still haven't seen it and The Wrestler is up next.

Now the fact that Julie Roberst is filming "Eat, Love, Pray" has me doing some advanced schemeing.

[pup]

The Notebook

Regards,
JB

Just so yah know, I got out of The Time Travellers' Roman Ploanski Date. Still haven't seen it and The Wrestler is up next.

Now the fact that Julie Roberst is filming "Eat, Love, Pray" has me doing some advanced schemeing.

Best of luck with that.

[RedDawg53]

Dreamcatcher, saw it in the theater was very disappointed. The Hangover… it just wasn’t what I expected it to be. It was funny, but nothing that I’ll buy on DVD.

Inglorious Basterds… I love QT films, but this one wasn’t my cup of tea. Good movie, good acting, good dialogue. However, I’m not too big on all the subtitles. There were too many IMO. (SPOILER!) And that shootout in the bars’ basement, I swear in a blink of an eye everyone was dead! Well, except 2. Lol. And what a waste of the 2 male characters who I didn’t even get to see much of.

Maybe the Director's Cut will be better.. if one comes out.

[e0y2e3]

Inglorious Basterds… I love QT films, but this one wasn’t my cup of tea. Good movie, good acting, good dialogue. However, I’m not too big on all the subtitles. There were too many IMO. (SPOILER!) And that shootout in the bars’ basement, I swear in a blink of an eye everyone was dead! Well, except 2. Lol. And what a waste of the 2 male characters who I didn’t even get to see much of.

Saying you like QT movies and then claiming these two reasons for hating the movie makes about as much sense as sticking your hand in a meat grinder because your ass itches.

Just sayin'

[Erie Warrior]

Recently, Gran Torino. Another movie that I thought was contrived and unrealistic. Trying wayyyyy too hard. Probably a shit ton more, but I'm not a big movie guy and almost always shy away from things that have massive buildups.

I'm with you, but for another reason. It just wasn't a very good movie. The plot line is akin to Titanic- the ship sank. No shit.

[RedDawg53]

Inglorious Basterds… I love QT films, but this one wasn’t my cup of tea. Good movie, good acting, good dialogue. However, I’m not too big on all the subtitles. There were too many IMO. (SPOILER!) And that shootout in the bars’ basement, I swear in a blink of an eye everyone was dead! Well, except 2. Lol. And what a waste of the 2 male characters who I didn’t even get to see much of.

Saying you like QT movies and then claiming these two reasons for hating the movie makes about as much sense as sticking your hand in a meat grinder because your ass itches.

Just sayin'

What I should had said was I love most of his films. lol. I didn't hate this movie.

Where is that meat grinder at. I have an itch.

[davemanddd]

Inglorious Basterds… I love QT films, but this one wasn’t my cup of tea. Good movie, good acting, good dialogue. However, I’m not too big on all the subtitles. There were too many IMO. (SPOILER!) And that shootout in the bars’ basement, I swear in a blink of an eye everyone was dead! Well, except 2. Lol. And what a waste of the 2 male characters who I didn’t even get to see much of.

Saying you like QT movies and then claiming these two reasons for hating the movie makes about as much sense as sticking your hand in a meat grinder because your ass itches.

Just sayin'

haven't seen the movie but your comment just made me laugh like a hyena.

[motherscratcher]

The most recent letdown was 21 - the Spacey flick about the MIT kids playing blackjack.

It could have been good. The story is interesting. It just wasn't. The characters rarely acted the way any rational humans would ever act in their situations. None of their behavior made a whole hell of a lot of sense.

I should have just read the book.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Aqua Teen Hungerforce (one of the worst movies I've ever seen)


Predator 2

ATHF was great for the first 5 minutes with the singing movie food. The rest of that movie blew goat balls. Such a let down.

Predator 2 is the best movie ever made, and speaking ill of it is Blasphemy. It has Gary Busey and Danny Glover, that's a big bowl of WIN.

[JCoz]

Agreed with the person who said every Will Farrel movie after old school (exception for the wedding crasher cameo)

Windtalkers probably got th shortest leash of any movie I've ever put on but I'm not sure I was expecting much anyways so I don't know that it applies.

Jackie Brown

Death Proof

National Treasure

[jb]

Agreed with the person who said every Will Farrel movie after old school (exception for the wedding crasher cameo)

Windtalkers probably got th shortest leash of any movie I've ever put on but I'm not sure I was expecting much anyways so I don't know that it applies.

Jackie Brown

Death Proof

National Treasure

NT ? Really ?

I went in w/ zero expectations and really dug it for what it was. Emphasis on last 4 words.

[waborat]

I don't care if I get flamed for this.

Forrest Gump

When I finally saw that movie, I couldn't believe the amount of hype it got. It's literally one of the worst movies I've ever seen.

Couldn't agree more, most overrated movie of all-time IMO...

Also, in no particuliar order:

Juno (guess I'm gettin old?)
Superbad (sure was!)
Star Wars- The Phantom Menace (I'm still yawning)
Eyes Wide Shut (even killed Kubrick)
Mars Attacks (great cast/shitty movie)
Da Vinci Code (loved the book)
Righteous Kill (2 great actors who failed to show up)
There Will Be Blood (great reference to COTC, JB)
Wedding Crashers (honestly never even chuckled)

[Cease]

A Mighty Wind let me down
I'll second 21. That could have been so much better.
Toss in Hustle and Flow
What the heck- House Party 3

[JCoz]

Another post reminded me of some others that probably fit the catagory a lot better than my other post:

Mars Attacks - completely forgot about that one

There will be blood

And this one is probably the most dissappointing:

No country for old men - Massive amount of hype for the movie, and I spent the movie waiting for the punchline. Never came. I'm sure this wont be a popular choice in the thread.

I thought the villian was cool, thought the air gun was cool. It wasn't a SHITTY movie, but people talked it up so much I don't know if it really could have lived up to the hype.

[JCoz]

Agreed with the person who said every Will Farrel movie after old school (exception for the wedding crasher cameo)

Windtalkers probably got th shortest leash of any movie I've ever put on but I'm not sure I was expecting much anyways so I don't know that it applies.

Jackie Brown

Death Proof

National Treasure

NT ? Really ?

I went in w/ zero expectations and really dug it for what it was. Emphasis on last 4 words.

Cage is such a horrifiic actor that it had to play into my opinion. What got me was how they were some dorky archeologists and then they just bust out the mad thieving skillz. Thought is was about as cheesy as it gets.

I think the only Cage movies I liked were Matchstick men and Adaptation. Maybe Face-off

[jb]

Agreed with the person who said every Will Farrel movie after old school (exception for the wedding crasher cameo)

Windtalkers probably got th shortest leash of any movie I've ever put on but I'm not sure I was expecting much anyways so I don't know that it applies.

Jackie Brown

Death Proof

National Treasure

NT ? Really ?

I went in w/ zero expectations and really dug it for what it was. Emphasis on last 4 words.

Cage is such a horrifiic actor that it had to play into my opinion. What got me was how they were some dorky archeologists and then they just bust out the mad thieving skillz. Thought is was about as cheesy as it gets.

Well, isn't that Indiana Jones, too?

OTOH, Cage is alike a lot of actors. He's not a character actor like a Johnny Depp. Many actors that range from Al Pacino to Harrison Ford to Joe Pesci, to funny men Will Farrell, Adam Sandler and Vince Vaughn, are the same person in every movie. They just have different characters on the surface. From there, it is subjective. I like Nick Coppola, myself. He's quirky. Been a fan since Wild at Heart and Red Rock West. I get that YMMV. No big.

[davemanddd]

the remake of "the poseidon adventure".

the original was the first movie i had ever saw at a movie theater when i was just a wee little boy. i was on christmas break in my 3rd grade year (1972-73) of school and for christmas i got 2 tickets to a movie of my choice at the local theater in little old loudonville, ohio. you need to realize this was a big deal for me, growing up on a farm in which we still went to the bathroom in an outhouse and our tv was black & white and only got 3 channels - 3, 5 & 8.

i take that back. we could also get channel 43 & channel 61 on uhf, but who's counting???

anyway, they actually only had 1 movie screen at the theater, but they would alternate the show times between the 2 movies. i don't even remember what the other movie was. no big deal.

well my dad went with me because my mom was sick & dying of cancer & this was my first real movie other than seeing some kids cartoons like "aristocats" & "lady & the tramp" and the like for several years. i really liked watching horror movies & disaster movies on tv, being a huge fan of "hoolihan & big chuck" on friday nights & "super-host" on saturday afternoons.

yeah, yeah, my parents were heathens for letting me stay up late on friday. i actually had to take a nap after we ate supper on friday nights and then my dad would wake me up after the 11:00 news was over and we would pop some popcorn & watch the horror movies together. initially i just liked the corny skits hoolihan & big chuck would come up with, but then i really got hooked when they showed "war of the worlds" one night.

some would say it's been downhill ever since. hee-hee!!!

anyway, what really got my attention with the original "poseidon adventure" was the characters and how they really made it a point to develop them so that you would make some sort of an emotional investment in each of them and boy did i, especially in roddy mcdowall's character as i was a huge fan of the "planet of the apes" movies.

the ever increasing suspense and danger that all of the characters had to face trying to get out of the overturned/sinking ship and the various personality traits (hero, villian, coward, leader, follower) that each character exhibited, from gene hackman's flawed preacher who is a very strong willed man who leads them out but sacrifices himself in the end so that the rest of them may live to shelly winters recalling her younger days as a champion swimmer only to pay the ultimate price for the greater good as well.

i lived & died with each of those characters as they went through all their various trials & tribulations, especially ernest borgnine & stella stevens, pamela sue anderson, red buttons, caroly linley, et al.

just an awesome, awesome movie!!!

the remake??? not so much.

i just couldn't bring myself to emotionally invest in any of the characters. josh lucas as the leading man being a womanizing gambler as opposed to the conflicted preacher role that hackman played just didn't do it for me. kurt russell being a pain in the a$$ the whole movie only to sacrifice himself in the end as he pushed "the remaining cast-saving button" at his exact dying moment was just so contrived, i laughed at the absurdity of it all. former mtv "real world - london" castmate jacinda barrett as the requisite love interest was about as believable as her real life "performance" on the former mtv series. i could go on, but i don't want to waste my breath.

needless to say, the "poseidon" remake really let me down.

[JCoz]

Well, isn't that Indiana Jones, too?

I could buy an archeologist having some skill with a whip and gun.

Cage having "rippoff-fort knox-type" high tech thieving skills - NMFW.

His shit was a page right out of the mission impossible series. Only Cheesier.

No matter.

[Guest]

Into the Wild.

Heard good things about it, but for me, it was a stinker. The visuals were beautiful, but the acting wasn't that great (with the exception of Hal Holbrook) and the story (especially the backstory with the parents) was meh. I was very annoyed by the McCandless character. His philosophical outlook as depicted in the movie was very juvenile and kinda shallow. The premise of escaping materialism is interesting in the beginning, but this obsession of carpe diem and being one with nature becomes cliched and cringe-worthy. I'm sure McCandless in real life was a compelling person, but I didn't understand why everyone in the movie was so drawn to him. The whole thing just seemed to be a lot of sentimentality without a lotta heart.

Better not read about the real Chris McCandless then.. I liked Into the Wild as a story but was skeptical as I always am about supposed "true stories". I just got done watching a documentary about him and I came away with less respect. It showed the real story and you could see where Sean Penn either changed what happened or altered slightly to fit his view. In real life, he was much more a moody, unapproachable, loner.

You are right on the Hal Holbrook take, that guy can act and his role was just awesome.

Agree 100%. I liked the book a lot, but McCandless seemed like much more of a tool there than in the movie, which glossed over his flaws to make him a more sympathetic character.

[motherscratcher]

Agreed with the person who said every Will Farrel movie after old school (exception for the wedding crasher cameo)

Windtalkers probably got th shortest leash of any movie I've ever put on but I'm not sure I was expecting much anyways so I don't know that it applies.

Jackie Brown

Death Proof

National Treasure

NT ? Really ?

I went in w/ zero expectations and really dug it for what it was. Emphasis on last 4 words.

Cage is such a horrifiic actor that it had to play into my opinion. What got me was how they were some dorky archeologists and then they just bust out the mad thieving skillz. Thought is was about as cheesy as it gets.

I think the only Cage movies I liked were Matchstick men and Adaptation. Maybe Face-off

H.I. McDonnough will always have a special place in my heart, but it is sad to see what Cage has become. I think I still tried to like him all the way up to Coln. Crappeli's Crapolin, but that one finally did it (and I never even saw it. I'm just assuming it sucked.)

But then he goes out every once in a while and pulls off something like Adaptation just to remind you of what he once was and still could be...and I get sad all over again.

God help me, if I ever met him I don't know whether I'd hug him for Raising Arizona...or kick him square in the nuts for unleashing that piece of shit Goo Goo Dolls song on the world that I had to listen to every hour for a whole summer while painting houses.

[OldDawg]

I thought Mars Attacks was kinda funny. Just stumbled on it during a channel check a while back, so had no expectations. Just thought it had some humor to it. Not calling it a classic, mind you. But it would be FAR from the bottom of my list.

"Do not run. We come in peace." As they blast away.
A ton of cops running out of the donut shop as it blows up.