# most disappointing film **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2001, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833 "2001-02-09T20:34:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/21 "2001-02-10T23:12:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KKBattousai \* > **No, rjung, I hate to say it, but I think you’re the only person in this thread that _saw_ TAoRAB.** Oh, _sure,_ just rub some salt in the ol’ wound… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/22 "2001-02-10T23:30:27Z")
Okay, let’s see, I have to put in another Vote for the Phantom menace. I was waiting forever for his to come out and as I left the theater te only thing I could think was “How dare they put the Star Wars name on that?” I was also sorely disappointed by Blair Witch. Ick. Tat was sssooo boring. I also was disappointed by Shakespear in Love. It was okay, but I don’t think that it reall deserved all those Oscars. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/23 "2001-02-10T23:41:13Z")
**heraldgwena** that’s the coolest sig ever. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/24 "2001-02-10T23:51:37Z")
Thanks 🙂 It is actually something that my math teacher used to say. ---
**Author:** ![Jeannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@Jeannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeannie)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/25 "2001-02-11T00:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KKBattousai \* > \*\*No, **rjung** , I hate to say it, but I think you’re the only person in this thread that _saw_ TAoRAB. > > \*\* Actually, Mr. Jeannie and I saw that one. And we _loved_ it! Another vote for _Blair Witch_, _2001_, and _High Fidelity_ Out of the other films listed here that I’ve seen, I liked most of them. I loved _Shadow of the Vampire_! I thought it was hysterical! I also liked _Eyes Wide Shut_, although I know it’s widely despised. I would have been disappointed in _Bicentennial Man_ if I had expected it to be good. It sucked even worse than I thought it would. I was disappointed in _L.A. Confidential_. I know, most people loved it. I think Mr. Jeannie and I are the only two people on the planet who didn’t like it. I was also really disappointed in _Meet Joe Black_. I will never get back those hours of my life. And I hated _Grosse Point Blank_. Again, I realize I’m in the minority, but I can’t help it. I was bored silly. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/26 "2001-02-11T00:07:57Z")
**Cecil B. Demented** I’ve always been a fan of John Waters from “Hairspray” through “Cry-Baby” and “Serial Mom”, but he seems to have lost his way in this one. His forte seems to be parody rather than satire, but the point here gets confused. His idea here (on first thought, at least) seems to be that all the Hollywood studio system is capable of putting out is slick dreck. On second thinking about it, it seems to be more that not only does Hollywood out out slick dreck, but the auteurs that try to put out “revolutionary” cinema probably take it much too seriously as well. But the point still gets lost in all the forced bizarreness and sillyness. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/27 "2001-02-11T03:11:15Z")
How about “The Game”? All that buildup, and then it just turns out to be an elaborate setup. I guess they thought audiences these days wouldn’t stand for something meatier. Hitchcock would _never_ wimped out for such a weak ending. Look at Vertigo for how he was willing to leave things if it needed it to cap off the gravity of the previous 1.5+ hours. I was almost never so disappointed in the wussy ending as that. It had such potential - just sitting here, off the top of my head, I can do better: Sean Penn did buy the game for Douglas, but it was infiltrated by secret agents for whatever, and Douglas’ life has really been in danger this whole time, even though Penn doesn’t realize that he’s been playing along with people out to screw with his brother in order to get the whatever that he doesn’t even know he has. Geez! I swear, almost anything’s better than telling me that he had no real reason to be concerned, and that it didn’t matter what he did. And Conspiracy Theory. It needed something like Mel Gibson dying in the end to make it more than a largely forgettable Hollywood movie with big stars. And The Talented Mr. Ripley. It did not communicate its suspense well at all. I sat there waiting for the part where it was revealed that everything in the previous immense stretch of time was important in a way that you never imagined, but it never came. Man, that movie went on and on. And Eyes Wide Shut. I never really felt as though Cruise was in danger. And doesn’t it all just work out in the end? They try to give it this suspense with a big speech from his super-rich friend, but it got so boring I eventually started fast-forwarding. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/28 "2001-02-11T04:09:15Z")
_Mars Attacks!_. Months before it opened, somebody at work brought in a sketchbook showing some of the concept drawings for the movie, and some of the gags, and I really thought it was going to be one of the funniest sci-fi spoofs in a long time. No, it was just dumb, boring, kinda gross, and rarely funny. [sub]Then again, I _loved_ _High Fidelity_…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/29 "2001-02-11T04:57:43Z")
Probably long before anyone here’s time, from the movies you’ve posted. “Ishtar” Neither Beatty nor Hoffman had had a losser film leading up to it. Concept was great, buddy pic meets spy thriller. Sounded like a fun flick. Truly painful viewing experience. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/30 "2001-02-11T05:50:28Z")
I also was disappointed in “The Blair Witch Project.” I was so down on the movie that I gave away its ending in the SPOILERS thread. This may not count, since I only saw the home video version. “From Here to Eternity” was nowhere near as good as the book. That seems to happen often – maybe because books can venture inside the minds of its characters, while movies can’t. But I HAVE seen good film/TV versions of other books – like “Turn of the Screw” and “The Age of Innocence” and “A Room With a View.” Hmmm. Time to start another thread… ---
**Author:** ![King\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7bcc69/32.png) [@King\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/31 "2001-02-11T06:07:06Z")
I’m not saying that the following movies suck, just that they were disappointments as they did not live up to expectations: The Color Purple The Crying Game E.T. The Usual Suspects ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/32 "2001-02-11T06:19:51Z")
I liked _Quest for Fire, 2001, Shakespeare in Love, Conspiracy Theory,_ and _Scent of a Woman._ Why such a bitter condemnation of _Quest for Fire_? What’s not to like? I was initially drawn to it by an article in the _New York Times Magazine_ by the great Anthony Burgess explaining how he invented a language for the cavemen. It was based on sound linguistic science. But once I saw it, I was quite taken with Rae Dawn nude! Here’s another unpleasant disappointment I had once: _The Vanishing_, with Kiefer Sutherland (and Nancy Travis, who can’t act). Dull, pointless, poorly directed, miserable, and a big waste of time & money and insulting to the audience. Jeff Bridges was the worst thing about it with his fake Dutch accent. Yekhkh. I saw _Malèna_ today, and while it didn’t rock my world as I had hoped, it wasn’t bad. I guess I felt a little let down, but on the whole it was fairly good. I was not disappointed with _Kull the Conqueror_ only because I knew it would be piss-awful cheeze even before I rented the video. I was not disappointed! I was slumming that day. The Ralph Bakshi _“Bored” of the Rings_ could not have been other than disappointing. They never should have let him get within a million miles of that story. And he quit halfway through! Shmendrick. ---
**Author:** ![cerebrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@cerebrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerebrum)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/33 "2001-02-11T10:08:30Z")
Kingrat: You thought The Usual Suspects was disappointing? Did u even SEE the ending? IMHO It was phenomenal. One of those movies that left me with a feeling of being kicked in the nuts…not knowing what just happened to me. ---
**Author:** ![handandahalf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@handandahalf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handandahalf)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/34 "2001-02-11T11:05:18Z")
The two that tie are: Mission to Mars and Battlefield Earth (yes, I’m a scifi junkie) I hated MtM because it was billed for weeks as a hard science fiction movie (finally) instead of an action flick with neato special effects. Instead it was wretchedly unwatchable, the “science” presented was pure junk, and the “NASA-consulted” special effects were awful! Who’d they consult with at NASA, Lyle the urinal scrubber? For being so devoted to the works of L.Ron Hubbard, John Travolta seems never to have read Battlefield Earth. I mean, come on, the humans went from going “oo-oo” at each other to piloting jump-jets in a couple of days. Yes, I know they showed a session with the machine forcing knowledge into Johnny Goodboy’s brain, but that does not a pilot make. Besides, how did the jets and munitions survive the 5000 years without maintenance? The worst part is that they’ll be making a second one-- it’s in the contract! ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/35 "2001-02-11T11:35:32Z")
I’ve got to cast my votes for _The Thin Red Line_ and _Eyes Wide Shut_. _Eyes_ had enough to redeem it to save it form being out and out **bad**. . . but it was still awfully disappointing. The worst part is that it was all Kubrick’s fault. The script and the acting were fine but, my god, why does he have the actors . . . pause . . . between . . . every . . . other . . . word. The movie could’ve (and should’ve) been about 45 minutes shorter. _The Thin Red Line_, on the other hand. . . They have not yet created strong enough expletives. I wrote deeper philosophy when I was in the 7th grade. Literally. I also wrote and directed a more entertaining screenplay. My friends and I turned down Letterman tickets that day because we had already bought our tickets for a 3 hour long soar ass. The horror. . . ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/36 "2001-02-11T14:20:54Z")
Last New Years Eve I went to a friends’ house for a sort of “reunion” because the party was put together by the Seniors of last year but are now in college. Well, we all had some movies, but everybody was drooling over the 80’s movie, **Willow**. I mentioned that I hadn’t seen it and everyone was like, “Well, you MUST see it!” “It’s sooo cool!” and “I LOVE Willow!” I watched it and I didn’t think it was something to have a heart attack over. It was a nice little movie, but nothing more for me. The other one is **Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me**. I was geared up and ready to go to see that movie, waiting for the biting satire that had pleased me in the first movie. What I got was the satire from the first one, used over so many times it wasn’t funny anymore. Of course everyone I know loves that movie and had to torture me by repeating lines like my all-time favorite, “Get-in-my-BELLY!” or the classic Chili’s Baby-Back Ribs song. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/37 "2001-02-11T14:37:26Z")
**The Phantom Menace** has been mentioned several times, but I have to say that I wasn’t disappointed. Having seen the abomination of **Episode IV: Star Wars: A New Hope: The Version That Should Never Have Been: So-Called Special Edition** I _knew_ **TPM** was going to suck monkey butt. That Lucas was willing to defile his own classic with a box of digital crayons indicated to me that whatever semblance of artistic integrity he may have had somewhere down the road had long ago been abandoned in favour of shameless, pandering. Also, **Mallrats**. I really enjoyed **Clerks** and looked forward to **Mallrats** but was sorely disappointed. I easily forgave the weaknesses I saw in **Clerks** as symptoms of its ultra-low budget but **Mallrats** proved that **Clerks’** flaws are actually Kevin Smith’s. The man can’t frame a shot to save his life and his hyper-articulate characters talk (or shout) _at_ each other instead of _to_ each other. It’s sad that, although I still love it, **Clerks** is about the best Smith can do. Cheers, Hodge ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2001, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/38 "2001-02-12T01:48:08Z")
I’ll second Hodge about any post-clerks Kevin Smith. When I first saw Clerks, it was funny and origional and really impressed me. Sadly, his later films never reach that level again. They are all rehashes of the same old jokes. Come on, do we have to see Jay and Silent Bob again? Can’t you think up something else that is funny? It’s unfortunate that such a promising filmaker couldn’t use his newfound respect (and budget) to grow as an artist. Smith was a one hit wonder and apparently has nothing more to say. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/39 "2001-02-12T17:39:36Z")
Dogma. It could have been so much more. The Matrix. From all the hype and people bleeding over it I was expecting something just this side of being divinely inspired and what do I get? Decent special effects that will look tired and dated in 3 or 4 years masking insipid acting, worse writing and a tired, predictable plot. Yay. Incidentally: From what I remember of the Silmarillion, the “supernatural” beings in the Lord of the Rings universe can look however they want. Gandalf (as Olorin) can cast off his mortal form and walk on the wind, invisible to man. Therefore, a Balrog will look however Morgoth wants it to look. If a Balrog really wants wings for whatever reason, then that’s what it gets. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2001, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833/40 "2001-02-13T01:00:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by even sven \* > \*\* > It’s unfortunate that such a promising filmaker couldn’t use his newfound respect (and budget) to grow as an artist. Smith was a one hit wonder and apparently has nothing more to say. \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slortar \* > \*\*Dogma. It could have been so much more. > \*\* Ahhh, validation! I often get incredulous looks when I voice my opinion on Kevin Smith. I rate **Dogma** as an interesting failure. Instead of characters shouting obscene jokes at each other, they shout Catholic theology at each other. Definitely a case of Smith’s reach exceeding his grasp. Cheers, Hodge [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-disappointing-film/53833.md?page=3)