Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Movie Talk
Reload this Page >

bad scripts, good movies

Movie Talk A Discussion area for everything movie related including films In The Theaters

bad scripts, good movies

Old 04-28-11, 08:07 PM
  #1  
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,923
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
bad scripts, good movies

name some flicks with bad scripts / writing, but are overall good movies.
some i can think of-

anything by sofia coppola, not very eventful or particularly clever writing, yet I can watch and still find them great.

the way back - I wanted to cringe any time a character said something, one cliche after another. but overall, the movie was good.

just saw HANNA, that had half an hour of story stretched out into two hours, yet it was so visual I could've watched it for another hour
Old 04-28-11, 08:30 PM
  #2  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
William Fuld's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,072
Received 135 Likes on 80 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Juno
Old 04-28-11, 08:36 PM
  #3  
Moderator
 
Groucho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 71,383
Received 122 Likes on 84 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Out of Sight
Old 04-28-11, 08:53 PM
  #4  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Norm de Plume's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Toronto
Posts: 20,047
Received 798 Likes on 566 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

In my view, no such beast is possible. A bad script cannot result in a good movie, whereas a good script can result in a bad movie.
Old 04-28-11, 09:25 PM
  #5  
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Formerly known as "Solid Snake PAC"/Denton, Tx
Posts: 39,239
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

The Rock? The dialogue and story element for Cage & Connery (that sounds like a TV show) are pretty bad...solid actioner though.

Jason and The Argonauts (Listen to it sometime...horrid dialogue)
Old 04-28-11, 09:27 PM
  #6  
DVD Talk Hero
 
PopcornTreeCt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 25,913
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Originally Posted by Norm de Plume
In my view, no such beast is possible. A bad script cannot result in a good movie, whereas a good script can result in a bad movie.
Old 04-28-11, 09:32 PM
  #7  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Orange County
Posts: 4,915
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

I enjoyed the hell out of Armeggedon, but the dialogue is hammy and the story cliched.

Ditto for Point Break.
Old 04-28-11, 09:46 PM
  #8  
Premium Member
 
The Cow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Grazing in a field somewhere...
Posts: 23,602
Received 690 Likes on 462 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Tremors
Old 04-28-11, 09:53 PM
  #9  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 39,330
Received 622 Likes on 480 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Clash of the Titans (the original) has a pretty pisspoor script and terrible dialogue (so bad that the bigger name actors in it just phoned in all their lines) but it's still a fun film.
Old 04-28-11, 10:04 PM
  #10  
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Formerly known as "Solid Snake PAC"/Denton, Tx
Posts: 39,239
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Originally Posted by RocShemp
Clash of the Titans (the original) has a pretty pisspoor script and terrible dialogue (so bad that the bigger name actors in it just phoned in all their lines) but it's still a fun film.
can we just agree that most of Harryhausen films are like that?
Old 04-28-11, 10:04 PM
  #11  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 39,330
Received 622 Likes on 480 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Originally Posted by Solid Snake PAC
can we just agree that most of Harryhausen films are like that?
Pretty much.
Old 04-28-11, 10:14 PM
  #12  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
inri222's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 50,673
Received 182 Likes on 120 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Originally Posted by Norm de Plume
In my view, no such beast is possible. A bad script cannot result in a good movie, whereas a good script can result in a bad movie.


This is so true.
Old 04-28-11, 10:26 PM
  #13  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Troy Stiffler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Under an I-10 Overpass
Posts: 25,806
Received 366 Likes on 266 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Bad Boys (the Michael Bay one)
Old 04-28-11, 10:35 PM
  #14  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
SethDLH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Maryland
Posts: 5,729
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 3 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Originally Posted by The Cow
Tremors
What the hell are you talking about right here!? I mean what the hell are you talking about!?

I love Tremors and all of its cheese.
Old 04-28-11, 11:09 PM
  #15  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Goat3001's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 17,116
Received 23 Likes on 11 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

I just watched Faster starring Dwayne Johnson about a week or so ago. That kind of fits here. I saw potential for a good, action packed, gritty movie but the script just killed it.
Old 04-28-11, 11:28 PM
  #16  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,258
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Most martial arts movies.
Old 04-28-11, 11:33 PM
  #17  
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Formerly known as "Solid Snake PAC"/Denton, Tx
Posts: 39,239
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Originally Posted by Goat3001
I just watched Faster starring Dwayne Johnson about a week or so ago. That kind of fits here. I saw potential for a good, action packed, gritty movie but the script just killed it.
....i'm not sure you get it. we're talking about movies that have bad scripts but turn out to be good movies.

greatest example is this:
Originally Posted by dugan
Most martial arts movies.
well...I dunno about most..but..there's a shit ton of them...I don't know how I totally forgot about those flicks.
Old 04-29-11, 03:00 PM
  #18  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Ash Ketchum's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 12,627
Received 277 Likes on 212 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Originally Posted by dugan
Most martial arts movies.
I'm not sure that the average kung fu movie from Hong Kong/Taiwan 30-odd years ago even had scripts. Just hire a fight choreographer, assemble the right combo of fight performers in front of a camera, work out which one's the hero and which the villain and figure out a motivation ("You killed my teacher!"), and you've got a movie! And, more often than not, pretty entertaining ones, too!
Old 04-29-11, 03:08 PM
  #19  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,080
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

I'd put "Hannibal" and "Hannibal Rising" on the list but even the scripts are fine, the problem is horrible source material which are novels in this case, though the case could be made that the "Hannibal Rising" book is a novelization based on the screenplay. I also wouldn't call them good movies. "Hannibal" and "Hannibal Rising" both have above-average direction, great production value and good/great actors and writers doing the best they can with the garbage they were given.
Old 04-29-11, 04:27 PM
  #20  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
William Fuld's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,072
Received 135 Likes on 80 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Titanic
Old 04-29-11, 05:24 PM
  #21  
DVD Talk Legend
 
islandclaws's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Behind the Orange Curtain
Posts: 20,085
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes on 7 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Originally Posted by Norm de Plume
In my view, no such beast is possible. A bad script cannot result in a good movie, whereas a good script can result in a bad movie.
I've gotta defer to Norm on this one, although I'd say Terminator Salvation is a good candidate. Stupid-as-shit writing, but it's pretty to look at.
Old 04-29-11, 06:24 PM
  #22  
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Conducting miss-aisle drills and listening to their rock n roll
Posts: 20,052
Received 168 Likes on 126 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

The Rock is a great example. Great actors, perfectly cast, giving performances that are fun to watch, combined with a great location make a script that has horrible dialogue and a preposterous plot highly watchable.

Recently, The Tourist. Glamorous leads. Brilliant character actors. Beautiful locations. Great, playfull decisions made by the director and cast. All of it makes a literally off the shelf script filled with cliches very pleasurable.

In a more artsy sense, some of Godard's early films aren't good because of the script. It's the actors, photography, editing, and sound mix that makes them interesting.
Old 04-29-11, 07:10 PM
  #23  
DVD Talk Hero - 2023 TOTY Award Winner
 
jfoobar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 46,589
Received 2,171 Likes on 1,222 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Originally Posted by Norm de Plume
In my view, no such beast is possible. A bad script cannot result in a good movie, whereas a good script can result in a bad movie.
Pretty much have to agree also.
Old 04-29-11, 07:16 PM
  #24  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
MrSmearkase's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ayer, MA
Posts: 5,259
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

I see The Rock, and I raise Con Air.
Old 04-29-11, 07:29 PM
  #25  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: bad scripts, good movies

Fifth Element

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.