sherm42

Nick of Time with Johnny Depp

story

I'm sorry, but it really, really is. I like you, though.

Mabuse

True Lies is great from end to end. The middle bit is hysterical and it all gets tied together at the end with them emerging as equals. And Bill Paxton is so great.

GoldenJCJ

I would argue that it’s the other way around. The Matrix is a good action movie tied around a mostly shitty premise. It just resulted in a bunch of 20-something stoners pontificating on what a juicy steak really tastes like.

Mabuse

Yeah. It was an arrestingly different visual experience that most had never seen before. But its premise was kind of up it’s own ass. It was a stunning execution of an okay premise. It certainly could have been a lot worse.

sydonesia

Snake Eyes had a somewhat similar premise and it was a huge letdown too.

There was so many opportunities and places you could have taken a movie like Click, and they did literally almost nothing with it.

Obi-Wanma

I like you too story, and you're allowed to be wrong.

Mabuse

Click is a good one. Great premise.

tanman

The first 5 mins of the film is hilarious and a great set up for what turns out to be a mediocre film.

Rob V

Battle: Los Angeles looked amazing in concept and trailers and was a total turd.

Inhumans99

Thank you! That is the first film I thought of when it came to this thread and was wondering if someone would bring it up. To be fair, I think I have Battle: Los Angeles derangement syndrome as everyone on dvdtalk knows how let down I was by the end product after that wonderful trailer.

I caught the first 10 minutes on cable a couple nights back and its biggest sin is that it is so flat, there are no character/story beats in the beginning to draw me into the film, and while I am loathe to say this...as J Lo might say it did not give me the goosies.

Also, Nick D brought up True Lies, yes as I have seen it twice in the past 2 years and each time I fast forward through certain scenes and still enjoy the heck out of the film. In fact, the scenes with the jets taking out the bridge to impede the bad guys progress just gets better every time I watch (and even the end scene at the construction site gets a bit more appreciation from me with repeat viewings).

About The Matrix, as someone pointed out it is actually a great execution of what might be considered a mediocre concept so it does not belong in this thread which highlights films with surprisingly interesting hooks that did not execute well.

To try and add to this thread in an on-point manner, I think that Predators might qualify as it had that great hook of taking you to the Predators home planet. This is something that got a ton of folks all revved up and made it feel like this movie was going to be a critic proof home run that would be fun as hell to watch critical reception be dammed and then the film came out it and was practically the very definition of a meh action film, so frustrating that a film that takes place on the Predators planet was such a buzz kill (it harshed my mellow and I do not even light up!).

ddrknghtrtns

Xmen: DOFP

nmr1723

I always thought Reign of Fire had a cool premise and I enjoyed the beginning of the film. However, it turned out to be a complete turd by the end.

Dr. DVD

Matrix was a good premise and a great movie. The sequels took that premise and overdid it with everything that made the first one great, hence tarnishing the series.

I feel End of Days was a great premise, but once Arnold got involved it turned into just another action movie. Interestingly enough, there was also a lot of potential with Last Action Hero's premise. However, once Arnold was signed it quit being about the premise and being a star driven blockbuster with every exec trying to figure out what should be in such a movie.

Daytripper

You put it in the wrong hands. I mean, you actually have the guy who directed "Mortal Kombat" and "Resident Evil" behind the camera !?

Traxan

Big Sky. A teen girl with severe agoraphobia is left stranded in the desert and has to go for help to save her critically wounded mother. Good idea, but the execution, writing and direction, are blindingly incompetent. Bella Thorne tried her best but she was punching way above her weight class and the director was useless.