While there were huge hits, 2017 also gave us big gambles that didn’t pay off, franchise films that look like they have diminishing returns, and would-be franchises that are unlikely to see a sequel. Here are the 20 biggest movie letdowns of the year.
“The Dark Tower”:
Stephen King Fans waited for a decade to see the theatrical adaptation of his most popular non-horror property and instead got a 90 minute incomprehensible mess that didn’t do the original novels justice.
“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Filmmaker”:
Luc Besson waited 20 years to finally make his favorite comic. The film is sincere but overstuffed, visually gorgeous but dramatically clunky, and it represents a singular vision while simultaneously featuring two wildly miscast actors in the lead roles.
“The Great Wall”:
USA Today referred to the film as “a complete trainwreck.” An attempt to please both sides of the Pacific missed the mark with a weak plot and underdeveloped characters. The whitewashing controversy with star Matt Damon didn’t help either.
“Cars 3”:
The animated Pixar film never quite lived up to what came before it and the script tended to be fairly unremarkable, with lots of by-the-numbers character development and more awful jokes for Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy).
“Geostorm”:
The film is the second biggest flop for Warner Bros. this year, after “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” failed to recoup its $175 million budget back in May.
“Transformers: The Last Knight”:
Michael Bay’s fifth installment of the “Transformers” series allows Mark Wahlberg to play yet another character who’s both the Chosen One and always right about everything — resulting in a film that is loud, disjointed, and confusing.
“Baywatch”:
Torn between being a hard-R comedy, a coming-of-age story or a straight-up reboot, this film fails at all three. Turning a dopey old TV action show into a comedy is much easier said than done. Even if you put Dwayne Johnson in trunks.
“Power Rangers”:
The film based on the kids’ TV show failed to be the “Power Rangers” movie fans clamored for, and the poor box office and mixed critical reaction means fans won’t get a sequel featuring the Green Ranger.
“Ghost in the Shell”:
American adaptations of Japanese manga and anime simply don’t work, especially when the main roles are whitewashed by non-Asian actors. Along with not respecting the source material, a convoluted plot doesn’t help either.
“King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword:”
A movie made up of three different “King Arthur” screenplays that Warner Bros. bought mashed into one is probably not a good way to spend $175 million.
“Alien Covenant”:
Director Ridley Scott made an interstellar version of “Friday the 13th,” with a respectable ensemble of actors as the camp counselors and various fanged slimeballs filling in for Jason Voorhees. Audiences were not having any of it.
“The Mummy”:
The inaugural entry in Universal’s multi-film gamble that will turn their legendary horror characters (Frankenstein, Dracula, et. al.) into an “Avengers”-like cross-pollinated saga called Dark Universe, is an out-of-the-gate stumble that doesn’t even have the sense to sport its own so-bad-it’s-fun personality.
“mother!”:
Darren Aronofsky’s divisive gonzo movie is the lowest wide-release opening of star Jennifer Lawrence’s career, and the film was punished with an “F” CinemaScore score from exiting audience members.
“Suburbicon”:
Matt Damon did not have a good 2017 at movie theaters. Even with George Clooney directing, and a script by the Coen Bros., the film was a huge bust at the box office making only $9 million off a $25 million budget.
“Life”:
Despite killing off Ryan Reynolds in the first 30 minutes, the film was too much of an “Alien” clone that didn’t bring anything new to table. The C+ CinemaScore from audiences didn’t help either.
“Fifty Shades Darker”:
Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey came back in a movie that resembles an un-asked-for collaboration between the Hallmark and Playboy Channels.
“The Circle”:
Tom Hanks and Emma Watson are stuck in a Dave Eggers adaptation striving for relevance but never finding realism. An over-the-top and implausible story that tries to be “timely” and “relevant” but mainly hits us over the head with absurd situations.
“The Emoji Movie”:
OMG, this animated feature is a POS with no LOLs. It is a soul-crushing disaster because it lacks humor, wit, ideas, visual style, compelling performances, a point of view or any other distinguishing characteristic that would make it anything but a complete waste of your time, not to mention that of the diligent animators who brought this catastrophe into being.
“The House”:
This suburbanite casino comedy flirts with relevance and wit but mostly spins its (roulette) wheels. The dull and unfunny comedy became Will Ferrell’s worst box-office opening in 18 years.
“Justice League”:
The biggest letdown of 2017 is DC’s attempt at a Marvel style “Avengers” movie with all the DC heroes which under-delivered and had a lackluster villain. Box office wise, “Justice League” won’t even outgross the first entry in series, 2013’s “Man of Steel.”