constantine, awesome idea , just boring. (did start out well)

underworld ( i really liked this movie but it could of been AMAZING)

SIMON BIRCH

A vapid, superficial, and schmaltzy film which was adapted from John Irving's touching and witty A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY. I don't expect films to be as good as their books (although George Roy Hill did an excellent adapatation of THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP), but this one was a waste of time and talent. (Ashley Judd was excellent in a pivotal role.)

SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE

Waited for this movie for nearly five years (after the incredibly disappointing SUPERMAN III), and I thought the idea of Superman becoming involved in the arms race would be fascinating. Instead, we get a piece of B-movie garbage straddled by a slashed budget by Cannon and an incoherent film with forty minutes hacked off the preview cut.

Bonfire of the Vanities

I don't mean to turn this into a "movies that weren't as good as the book" thread (man, what a LOOOOOONG thread that would be), but since you mention John Irving, did anyone who read the book also watch the movie The Cider House Rules? I finished the book one day and watched the movie the next day. What. The. Hell. Both entities had the same title and characters that shared the same names, but that's where the similarites stopped. The movie is so chopped up, superficial and watered down; if you didn't read the book you have no idea how much detail and background you're missing. It was like Cliff notes of Cliff notes of the book.

Van Helsing - cool premise, but terrible execution

<b>Reign of Fire</b> - This could've been an awesome film if the filmmakers had gone into more detail about how exactly the dragons had overtaken the human population and how the humans tried to fight back. Instead they show us nothing but a dreary, gray landscape with uninteresting characters. In other words, this should've been <b>Independence Day</b> with giant dragons instead of giant alien ships.

Cube - I found the premise engrossing, but the dialogue and acting are 80s syndicated tv level.

Pearl Harbor - The idea of a big-budget modern day movie based on the Pearl Harbor is great. Until you try to force in a Titanic love story, Armageddon-type leading characters, and a bunch of other crap that doesn't fit.

Underworld - Mentioned already, but I had to include it. Cool idea, with an interesting look, and a very hot Kate Beckinsale (the vamp look really fits her). Great trailer, but the actual movie was just boring.

The Game -- I like the movie quite a bit, actually, but it was nowhere near as spooky/disturbing/paranoia-inducing as it should have been.

Snake Eyes (I liked it, but I thought it could have been better)
"End of World" films...2 that come to mind are Deep Impact and Armageddon. Armageddon...was well you know. Deep Impact was easily the better of the two, but I thought it could have been better.

Yeah. I'd also add that it lost the humor found in the "Mummy" movies (especially the first).


And something i know will make people not listen to me ever again i'll add "Mission to Mars"

I really, really wanted this movie to take a very serious approach to making a trip to the red planet but i guess thats best left to Discovery Channel.

Van Helsing - Boring, couldn't wait for it to end!

Open Water - Promised more than it ever delivered.

Blair Witch Project - Can see how many found this scary when they believed it to be true. However, to me, although well acted, found it unscary and pretty empty as horror movies go.

Exorcist: The Beginning - Although I suppose the initial talk was that it was dire anyway!

Watched a couple of these on dvd recently.
Final Cut-cool idea, but the movie did not do enough with it.

Suspect Zero-this would be serious if someone killed people in this manner. I really wanted to see more of the killer and what he was doing. Thought it could have been more of a cat-and-mouse game if it would have showed more of his actions.

I'll second this one. The central concept, and connotations of how the world would work according to it, are so good -- it's disappointing how little the film actually explores things. I'd heard remake rumblings on this one. Normally I hate American remakes of recent foreign movies, but I'd welcome it for this movie.

Some other examples that come to mind:

2009: Lost Memories -- A pretty good movie, but disappointing how it took its great concept (an alternate timeline in which Japan won WWII, and Korea is a subjugated state) and made it into a routine American-style action/sci-fi/thriller.

Battle Royale 2 -- I loved the first movie ... I HATED this one. But it actually tried to do something different and ambitious, using the BR world for an exploration of the ideals of terrorism.

Club Extinction -- A largely forgotten 1990 movie that seemed "can't miss" -- a modern update of the classic "Dr. Mabuse" character, directed by French thriller maestro Claude Chabrol. It also gets into sci-fi territory, and tackles issues of media control. Unfortunately its rather non-descript and forgettable.

Even Dwarves Started Small -- it also sounded "can't miss". The great German director Werner Herzog does a modern update on "Freaks", and provides a commentary on modern society, when the deformed inmates of a strange asylum rebel. There are many who call this a masterpiece (it has a 7.3 on imdb). It's not that I don't get it. I was just hoping for more than 90 minutes of dwarves running around, smashing stuff, and giggling.

Parts: The Clonus Horror -- really good concept, that's just as relevant today as ever. It's too bad there wasn't a better movie to come out of it.

Shatter Dead -- It doesn't seem fair to pick on indie movies, but they ask for it when the movie suffers because of overambition. It's another "living dead come back to life" movie with a big difference. The dead are not mindless zombies, craving human flesh. They seem completely normal (except for being dead). I know that may sound boring, but there are fascinating implications. The world is struck by housing and job shortages, there are cults who believe that its the "End of Days" and its their job to usher in God's coming by killing all the living, and people are faced with the ethical dilemma of killing themselves to stay eternally young. Sounds interesting, huh? Well, not quite when filmed on a budget of $100 and featuring acting so bad it would embarrass porn stars.

Six-String Samurai -- I love cult movies, and this one sounded great: in an alternate reality, America is mostly a nuclear wasteland conquered by the Soviet Union. The last bastion of freedom is the Kingdom of Las Vegas. But King Elvis has died, and there's going to be a "rock and roll" contest to chose his successor. So our hero Buddy, armed with a samurai sword and guitar, travels the countryside battling evil Russians and Death incarnate to fulfill this quest. Only succeeds in spurts (the guitar challenge with Death was actually pretty good), and is seriously hampered by one of the most annoying child characters of all time.

Saw -- I'm sure you know this one. Great concept, terrible acting, annoying editing, and ludicrous ending.

Agree with primer and the final cut. So much potential but just didnt do it well.

I wouldn't say they were poorly executed, but The Village and The Life Aquatic both seemed like great ideas that didn't quite meet their potential.

Are you serious? I feel the same way about Mission to Mars, so much potential....

GODZILLA. If Emmerich wasn't involved, this could've been a great action movie.

Well the last time i brought this movie up the thread just died :rip:

The movie really needed to either be an accurate account of how to go to Mars, or even with some Hollywood liberties (set 50 years later or some technology we don't have yet) it should have been a serious look at a trip there.


If the name "Godzilla" wasn't involved, this could've been a great action movie. I'd have loved this movie that much more if it was just some silly Godzilla wannabe monster movie....when you add the name "Godzilla"....there are some expectations involved.

This movie needs a "Renegade Edition" where all references to "Godzilla" are cut out and the movie is re-named "New York vs. The Giant Iguana".

Is the title cheesy? Yes, but then so was the movie.

Definitely Van Helsing.

The designs and concepts were just so damn cool. Turning it into a kid's movie killed it for me. I mean, here you have millions of dollars at your disposal to make an action/horror movie and you decide to make it PG-13? What a waste. Same goes for AvP.