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Movies (and TV shows) that "blew it"
We all see films that somehow fail to take advantage of a good premise and devolve into some hogwash. Ranging from Bond to other films we see it happening at an alarming rate. Here's a few to mention.
All of Brosnan's Bonds after GoldenEye
No Country for Old Men I never 'got it". I even read the book and was just as angry as when I saw the movie. I was anticipating this big showdown between Bardem and Brolin and ....nothing. Still can't beleive this shytt won the best picture oscar...
Final Destination The movie has a very very good premise but they got too carried away with the blood and gore. Tighter editing could have made this an outstanding horror classic.
Prison Break should have ended with the first season, show was basically a "one trick Pony"
Samatha Who? this would have made a great 90 minute romantic comedy but like Prison break, a one trick pony. Ran out of steam after the first season, ratings dropped and then the ax fell. I did enjoy the two seasons though...
Quantum of Solace back on the subject of Bonds. they should have kept the plot simple instead of running all over the map. Jeez!
Public Enemies This could have been a better movie had they stuck more to the facts and concentrated on the Dillinger/Pierpoint gang story instead of building up Dillinger. Why must Hollywood always make it out like Dillinger was the head of the gang when in fact he wasn't? Just tell a story factfully. the true actual story of the Dillinger days would make good cinema.
The Odessey For some strange reason this story has never translated to the screen (big or small) must be the large number of characters, etc. Read the book and you will see why.
Troy they should have stuck to the story as relayed in the Iliad. Basically covering a 30 day period in the Ninth year of the war. No Trojan horse, no death of Achilles, just tell the story of the Illiad. Stick to that. Please.
All of Brosnan's Bonds after GoldenEye
No Country for Old Men I never 'got it". I even read the book and was just as angry as when I saw the movie. I was anticipating this big showdown between Bardem and Brolin and ....nothing. Still can't beleive this shytt won the best picture oscar...
Final Destination The movie has a very very good premise but they got too carried away with the blood and gore. Tighter editing could have made this an outstanding horror classic.
Prison Break should have ended with the first season, show was basically a "one trick Pony"
Samatha Who? this would have made a great 90 minute romantic comedy but like Prison break, a one trick pony. Ran out of steam after the first season, ratings dropped and then the ax fell. I did enjoy the two seasons though...
Quantum of Solace back on the subject of Bonds. they should have kept the plot simple instead of running all over the map. Jeez!
Public Enemies This could have been a better movie had they stuck more to the facts and concentrated on the Dillinger/Pierpoint gang story instead of building up Dillinger. Why must Hollywood always make it out like Dillinger was the head of the gang when in fact he wasn't? Just tell a story factfully. the true actual story of the Dillinger days would make good cinema.
The Odessey For some strange reason this story has never translated to the screen (big or small) must be the large number of characters, etc. Read the book and you will see why.
Troy they should have stuck to the story as relayed in the Iliad. Basically covering a 30 day period in the Ninth year of the war. No Trojan horse, no death of Achilles, just tell the story of the Illiad. Stick to that. Please.
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Comments
(what year was that? 1999? 2000? I cannot remember)
RED (2010. Sorry, many of you probably liked this film. I thought it had good promise but, well, just petered out. Other than the one fight scene that I liked (Willis vs. Urban). I so like Helen Mirren but felt she was wasted in this, too.
The Punisher..... apparently FOX has attained the rights from Marvel, to film a pilot episode. Now... i've always maintained, that the Punisher should be easiest transition from comic book to film (or tv) - because it's a formula that works, or has worked.. people like revenge stories......
but, some genius writer has taken good ol' Frank, turned him into a a late 20s star detective for New York police department, who moon lights as "The Punisher".... ugh.... I am a long time Punisher fan - and it's f***ing killing me that NO ONE CAN GET IT RIGHT!.... christ - this TV show will make the 3 films look like The Godfather, thanks FOX for turning Frank into Dexter 2.0 (only worse).. and shame on you Marvel for allowing it to happen.
Eregon. You can't put a book that's hundreds of pages long into an hour-and-a-half long movie. You just can't.
@ haserot
Are you just talking about this possible TV pilot, or are you talking about the TV pilot and the three film adaptations? Because I thought the Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson films captured what made the Punisher great.
Inkheart - Decent idea, very badly executed.
Flahashforward (TV Series) - Good and interesting first episode, which just didn't advance at all afterwards...
Punisher 2004... was okay - I consider it Punisher for beginners lol... I thought in certain areas it captured the right mood.. but in others they really dropped the ball... I am not such a stickler that I can't handle a little change in the origin - but they went WAY above and beyond what they needed to do.. and honestly, the only part that felt like The Punisher to me, outside of the last 10 minutes of the film when he stormed Saints building, was the part they cut out of the film - and that was the whole sub-story between Frank and his friend Jimmy Weeks, who sold him out to Saint - when Castle forces him to commit suicide, man that was dark IMO, and should've been left in the film, because it fully captured Frank, and who he had become....
other than that, he spent half the film drinking - and drinking... I didn't like than Hensleigh had to turn him into a walking homage to Eastwood in the Leone westerns - in the commentary, it's like he couldn't shut up about it... I understand his need maybe for an influence, but it was thing after the other, Leone this and Leone that... I thought the whole "showdown and draw your guns" thing was nice - but only needed to be once.. i felt let down at the end, when he pretty took care of Saint the same way.. should've been more drawn out IMO, before strapping him to the car, which I do say was a nice touch...
War Zone... more true to form to what The Punisher and Frank Castle should be.. I thought Ray did an excellent job, even better than Jane at capturing the character... but they turned Bill Russo into a combination of like 3 different characters from the comic, and when he became Jigsaw, he reminded me of a poor man's version of Two Face from Batman Forever... he wasn't menacing or brutal enough - it's like they were channeling Caesar Romero's Joker and Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face into one character...... two much neon as well... I understand the look they were trying to capture, with the trying to mimic the look and coloring of the comics, and I admire that they tries - but too much neon lighting where there didn't need to be... it wasn't gawdy on a Shumacher level, but it was pretty close ..... in terms of the story itself - meh - I thought they did an excellent job by resetting the origin, and getting it right for once.. but the story itself needed more meat to it - it felt very hallow, and "safe"... like they didn't try and explore areas, they just left it straight forward.... Frank is a much more cerebral character than people think.. and I think there were moments where they could've explored a little of that, but didn't...
but I don't really blame the filmmakers for all the faults with War Zone, Lionsgate really rushed the crap out of it, just so they could maintain possession of the rights - and it also didn't help that the company underwent a change of CEO at the time of production, and the new guy didn't like anything the old guy had green lit, so he more or less ***** canned everything he had green lit, by either limiting the releases, or just limiting marketing (like he did with PWZ)... there was an ongoing power struggle behind the scenes between Lexi and LGF, she wanted really to thing her way, and LGF tried to interfere a lot.. it was all just a big mess, and it really shows......... it's a fun little popcorn flick - and arguably the best Punisher film to date, although thats more or less like a backhanded compliment.....
i still think one can be done much better, more true to form, and be successful at the same time... the biggest problem is filmmakers want to come in, and put their own creative license on the character, because they think he's not interesting enough so they gotta change some things around... which they really don't need to do, if they took the time to dig, a workable story is right there to be had with very little to change - but they just don't take the time..
:-D
And as far as Frank being a more rounded character, without voice-over, that's pretty difficult to do in film, and film noir died out long ago, sadly.
The Dark Knight. I don't expect much of it before i saw it. The worse things i expect to happen once but the movie biggest problem that it is boring slow. Also that movie get extra black bars on a 16:9 because the channel give it in HD and i must stand up to skip 50 minutes of comercials made it not easier. Batman sound a bit sick in his voice. The Joker whas good but stil some over hyped and that Hospital scene should be left out. The subtil reference to Batman with that 4:3 tv is my favorite scene. This also count for Gary Oldman his chacter, the best written chacter of the movie. 7/10 but very close to a 6/10, a next view going to be les i expect. Batman Begins is a better movie.
Spider-Man 2. After the first movie this one disapointed me. It can be worse, but i don't like the yuse of the villian and you can feel the changed the writers. When Dan Bradley be ask for Bond i saw a clock tower in QOS trailer i expect the worse, but because it whas short it works better then Spider-man 2. In Spider-Man 2 it should have been longer. First view i give it 8/10 later views 7.5-7.0/10
Ice Age 2. The first view of the last one who i saw this year be in general a better movie. Like Spider-Man 2 and Finding Nemo sometimes i give to quike a 8/10. 7/10 stay better on his place.
The Bourne Supremacy (6/10) & The Bourne Ultimatum (6.5) for a part it be my own fault with waiting 4-5 years to watch Supremacy til i have the final part. I think there be to short. There be things i think be better then CR but also things be worse. Stil i think for a part the movies be underrated.
National Treasure 2 Book Of Secrets. 6.5 close to 6/10. It take 4 years after i saw the first movie on dvd. I saw it on tv because Disney faild celling the 2 disc SE . I like to give it another view on dvd. The movie is more dificult then the first one and lost some of the humor. This year i watch POTC on dvd with as results my same feeling as the first National Treasure movie with 8/10. I hope POTC 2 not be like NT2 but iam afraid for it. I hope Natiol Treasure 3 is better.
Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties. There be not much times i give 5/10. I buy it in 2010 for € 3,50 but a situation made that i saw it earlier on tv before i can watch the dvd. The first Garfield be a bit underrated and get 6,5/10.