Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
I enjoyed Bowfinger a good deal for what it was, I didn't think the plot was great personally.
I liked the ideas in The Box more than the movie itself (which was pretty terrible).
Repo: The Genetic Opera had an entertaining/interesting plotline in spots but was also a pretty bad movie.
Similarly, I always liked Clonus / The Island but neither was very good (I prefer the Island but hate the 2nd half).
I liked the setup of House on Haunted Hill remake with the suggestion it was a husband / wife trying to kill each other with witnesses around, but that devolved very quickly.
Quantum of Solace had some interesting ideas but was poorly executed and the ending was an absolute joke.
I liked the ideas in The Box more than the movie itself (which was pretty terrible).
Repo: The Genetic Opera had an entertaining/interesting plotline in spots but was also a pretty bad movie.
Similarly, I always liked Clonus / The Island but neither was very good (I prefer the Island but hate the 2nd half).
I liked the setup of House on Haunted Hill remake with the suggestion it was a husband / wife trying to kill each other with witnesses around, but that devolved very quickly.
Quantum of Solace had some interesting ideas but was poorly executed and the ending was an absolute joke.
Last edited by RichC2; 01-08-10 at 01:05 PM.
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
What are you referring to, a movie that was well structured, internally consistent, and tightly paced with a focus on storytelling, but had shitty dialog, crappy production values, and/or poor acting?
Hmm... the first one that comes to mind is The Blair Witch Project.
Hmm... the first one that comes to mind is The Blair Witch Project.
#4
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
I agree with Quantum of Solace. It had so much going for it, but the director and writer ruined it.
Sound of Thunder: time travel movies in which you mess shit up in the past and everything changes in the future is always a fun plot, but this movie is the worst movie I've ever seen. Even worse than Wong Kar Wai movies.
Sound of Thunder: time travel movies in which you mess shit up in the past and everything changes in the future is always a fun plot, but this movie is the worst movie I've ever seen. Even worse than Wong Kar Wai movies.
#7
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino had a chance to make a fun war movie, but instead we are given some "movies saved the world" bullshit.
Tarantino had a chance to make a fun war movie, but instead we are given some "movies saved the world" bullshit.
#8
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
I thought The Departed had a great, original premise, but was only an average movie (sorry, Scorsese fans). Same with The Ring.
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Behind the Orange Curtain
Posts: 20,085
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
Lifeforce.
Fucking space vampires, man! But leave it up to Tobe Hooper to make it mediocre. It's def not bad, but it could have been so much cooler in the hands of, say, John Carpenter.
Fucking space vampires, man! But leave it up to Tobe Hooper to make it mediocre. It's def not bad, but it could have been so much cooler in the hands of, say, John Carpenter.
#11
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: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
Not so original considering that both were remakes. I did really enjoy The Departed though.
#12
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
Exorcist II
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076009/plotsummary
Dr. Gene Tuskin works with troubled children, perhaps none more troubled than Regan MacNeil, who suffers from bad dreams and repressed memories. The memories she represses are of the time she was possessed by a demon. Dr. Tuskin's invention, a device that hypnotizes two persons and links their minds together, reveals that the demon, named Pazuzu, still lurks within her. Meanwhile, Father Philip Lamont is ordered by his cardinal to investigate the death of Father Merrin, the priest who died while performing an exorcism on Regan. Father Lamont undertakes his task reluctantly. He feels unworthy of his assignment. He also feels that Evil is literally an entity and that this entity is winning the battle over Good. His investigation takes him to Africa where he locates another recipient of Merrin's exorcising and learns something fascinating and terrible about locusts.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076009/plotsummary
Dr. Gene Tuskin works with troubled children, perhaps none more troubled than Regan MacNeil, who suffers from bad dreams and repressed memories. The memories she represses are of the time she was possessed by a demon. Dr. Tuskin's invention, a device that hypnotizes two persons and links their minds together, reveals that the demon, named Pazuzu, still lurks within her. Meanwhile, Father Philip Lamont is ordered by his cardinal to investigate the death of Father Merrin, the priest who died while performing an exorcism on Regan. Father Lamont undertakes his task reluctantly. He feels unworthy of his assignment. He also feels that Evil is literally an entity and that this entity is winning the battle over Good. His investigation takes him to Africa where he locates another recipient of Merrin's exorcising and learns something fascinating and terrible about locusts.
#14
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
I don't quite understand the thread topic, but two films that started out fantastic then downward spiral... Stargate and From Dusk Til Dawn.
#15
DVD Talk Hero
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Not necessarily Formerly known as Solid Snake
Posts: 28,054
Received 1,016 Likes
on
706 Posts
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
The premise for Kill Bill had so much potential ... and maybe it did live up to it ... I couldn't get past all the cheesy blood-letting.
Inglorious Basterds, IMO, was a time when he finally showed self-restraint and let the story tell itself ... it is the first Tarantino written and directed movie that I can say that I liked! (Jackie Brown was based on an Elmore Leonard novel.)
#17
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
#18
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
I thought Kill Bill didn't have much of a plot. Basic revenge... It was everything else that made the movie the way it was. Now that I think about it... I don't think any of Tarantino's movies have plots.
#19
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
The plot is right out of the introduction to the novelization of A New Hope and has been available for over 30 years. It's a great plot, but as Lucas himself admitted, it's not totally conducive to an action/space opera/fantasy type movie.
#20
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: So Cal
Posts: 7,071
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
It was much better executed than "Billy and the Clone-a-saurus"
<object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/pa31z5bkfUeWoD6tQfzMYw"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/pa31z5bkfUeWoD6tQfzMYw"
<object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/pa31z5bkfUeWoD6tQfzMYw"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/pa31z5bkfUeWoD6tQfzMYw"
#21
DVD Talk Legend & 2019 TOTY Winner
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
Superman III it had a chance to be as good as the original but Richard Lester couldn't direct traffic and it was more uneven than II
#22
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: So Cal
Posts: 7,071
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
The Star Wars prequels had a pretty good overall plot, but the movies were horrible.
#24
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
Another is Anger Management. Should've been one of the best comedies of the decade, but is only pretty good.
#25
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies with great plots, but turn out to be only pretty good, or even bad?
First one to pop into my mind is The DaVinci Code. I don't necessarily think it's a bad movie but it could have been so much better. I haven't seen the extended cut yet, perhaps it's an improvement?