10 Movies With Great Premises But Terrible Execution

Summary

• Movie trailers and plot details can set high expectations for films, but many films disappoint due to poor execution.
• From lackluster science fiction epics to humorless comedies, the films often fall short of their initial promise.
• The best movies combine good ideas with strong execution, something that many movies fail to achieve.

Movies Trailers and intriguing plot details often create high expectations for a film, but the end product is extremely disappointing. Many films start with clever concepts, sometimes based on successful novels, but fail to bring their vision to life. Whether it’s due to weak dialogue, mediocre acting, shoddy direction or lazy special effects, promising movies can turn into disastrous messes. Conversely, exceptional execution can turn less-than-great concepts into excellent films.

From lackluster science fiction epics to humorless comedies, the world of cinema is filled with examples of films that fall short of their initial promise. It’s a reminder that the journey from concept to execution in filmmaking can be full of challenges, and even the most brilliant ideas can fizzle out without the right team and resources. The best movies are those that combine good ideas with strong execution, a feat that many projects fail to achieve.

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10 downsizing

In the movie downsizing, Paul Safranek, portrayed by Matt Damon, undergoes a procedure to shrink himself to a mere five inches in order to deal with overpopulation and reduce his carbon footprint. Originally, his wife intended to join him in this endeavor, motivated mostly by financial savings, but she ultimately backed out at the last moment. This leaves Paul divorced and alone, until he encounters a poor Vietnamese worker who was downsized against her will.

The film’s premise had the potential to serve as an intelligent and unique satire on global warming. It could also serve as a commentary on modern relationships in an increasingly materialistic world. However, the script falters when attempting to inject dramatic depth along with social criticism, resulting in a somewhat disjointed story.

9 America’s sweetheart

Boasting a star-studded cast including Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Cusack and Billy Crystal (who also co-wrote the film), America’s sweetheart There should have been a non-stop laugh riot. The film revolves around a former Hollywood ‘It’ couple trying to maintain civility during their last joint public appearance to promote their latest film. Additionally, one of their press agents pulls an embarrassing but effective publicity stunt, and some romantic entanglements further complicate matters. Despite the cast’s chemistry and ability for broad slapstick humor, the jokes are few and far between, preventing the film from reaching its comedic potential.

8 the last Airbender

M. Night Shyamalan likely to direct a live-action adaptation of Nickelodeon’s wildly popular animated series Avatar The Last Airbender It was exciting in the beginning. Additionally, the source material provided characters and storylines that had already worked in other media. However, the last Airbender The film could not match the quality of the original. In fact, the last Airbender It is considered one of the worst blockbuster films of all time.

The script was burdened with excessive exposition, resulting in a surprising mess of the series’ story. Shyamalan’s attempt to condense the entire season into 90 minutes sacrificed much of the character development that the animated series had excelled at. Additionally, the show was famous for turning epic action sequences into poorly directed, tension-less messes with ineffective special effects. Luckily, Netflix’s live-action Avatar show is providing a more faithful adaptation of the animated series.

7 mortal engine

Based on the young adult novel by Philip Reeve, mortal engine Set in a post-apocalyptic world where entire cities have been set up on wheels. It is the story of a trio who attempt to stop the city of London from destroying everything in its path. mortal engine The epic takes advantage of its thrilling premise for action sequences and impressive visual effects. However, it falls short in character development and fails to engage the audience emotionally. The rich post-apocalyptic setting and concept of ‘municipal Darwinism’ offer the potential for darker themes, but remain largely unknown, and the filmmakers seem to prioritize spectacle over coherent character motivations.

6 invention of lies

Written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, invention of lies Gervais is introduced as a screenwriter in a world void of lies who, as the title suggests, tells the world’s first lie. While the film highlights interesting moral quandaries regarding lying, it misses the opportunity for deeper social commentary on the role of deception in society. Instead, it relies heavily on a single-joke premise, resulting in a repetitive and predictable experience. It explores religious themes, albeit without the depth or intelligence necessary to do them justice. The addition of a romantic subplot, although giving a strong performance from Jennifer Garner, introduces a formulaic and clichéd element.

5 passengers

passengers Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are shown as two passengers on a spaceship carrying people to a colony 120 light years away from Earth. When Pratt’s character Jim is accidentally awakened from his induced hibernation 90 years in the past, out of loneliness Jim makes the controversial decision to awaken Aurora. Together they must face the prospect of spending the rest of their lives together on a ship. Although the film could have explored important themes about consent and manipulation, it largely sidesteps these discussions in favor of a more traditional romance narrative. passengers Lacks emotional depth and fails to create any kind of atmosphere in the story.

4 Tomorrow

In Tomorrow​, a struggling singer-songwriter finds himself in a world where all memories except those of The Beatles are erased due to a global power outage. Taking advantage of this unique knowledge, he gains fame by appropriating the band’s iconic songs as his own. Although the film has charm, it doesn’t fully exploit its clever premise. Instead of discussing the complexities of fame and the price of disappointment, the story relies heavily on a romance narrative. It misses opportunities for trippy, uproarious comedy, opting for a safer, less edgy approach, resulting in a film that, while sweet, doesn’t quite live up to the potential of its concept.

3 The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower An attempt has been made to adapt Stephen King’s book series, featuring the world’s last gunslinger’s fight to defend the Dark Tower, which protects the universe from the Man in Black. Starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, it failed to capitalize on its source material. The primary issues include the challenging task of condensing a series of novels into just 95 minutes, making the plot largely incomprehensible to non-book fans. It deviates from the delightfully strange tone of the books, and doesn’t offer the unique atmosphere of its source material. Its unimpressive cinematography contributes to the lack of a compelling tone and coherent story, making it one of Stephen King’s worst film adaptations.

2 in time

Set in a society where time is currency and every person has a clock counting down their remaining lifespan, in time Follows Will (played by Justin Timberlake), a man from a poor background who discovers the hoarding of time by the wealthy elite. When he gets more time and is accused of murder, he runs away with Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), a rich man’s daughter. While Will is initially depicted as an average person, his character quickly becomes incredibly skilled, straining the credibility of the plot.

in timeThe film’s interesting science-fiction concept and underlying political themes are overshadowed by clichéd action sequences like car chases. The film is hampered by clichéd action dialogues, which are filled with one-liners. Regardless of the basic premise, in timeThe increased focus on romance and action elements ultimately makes it feel generic.

1 Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Draws inspiration from a rich source material, a science fiction comic series spanning four decades. Set in the 28th century, it follows two special forces on a mission to save the universe. While the film showcases impressive world-building with visually stunning moments and locations, its characters lack depth, which is hampered by a weak script and substandard performances. Attempting to connect multiple plots and voices results in a disjointed narrative. Additionally, due to the comic’s extensive influence, the film feels somewhat derivative. Movies‘s promising premise and captivating vision of the future falls short of expectations.