# Movies that could have, should have, been much better than they were. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420 "2013-10-16T18:11:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/121 "2013-11-01T02:43:54Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Terminator 3 could have been a total classic . . . . . . if they had based it on [this novel](http://smstirling.com/books/t2-infiltrator/) by S.M. Stirling. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/122 "2013-11-01T02:56:06Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > At its most basic outline, Highlander is one of the coolest and most poorly utilized concepts in movies and television. I mean, get one B- history major on the writing team, and the screenplays write themselves. [Aliens from the @%#&# Planet Zeist?!](http://www.galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=109) :mad: ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/123 "2013-11-01T03:34:24Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Aliens from the @%#&# Planet Zeist?!](http://www.galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=109) :mad: No. Its most basic. Some people are immortal. We don’t know why. They can sense each other, and when they decapitate another immortal after a bitchin’ sword fight, they gain their power. These immortals are scattered throughout history. That’s it. No explanation. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/124 "2013-11-01T04:43:52Z")
**Breakfast at Tiffany’s**. Audrey Hepburn was stunning as Holly Golightly . . . but the part really should have been given to Marilyn Monroe. Even Truman Capote, who wrote the original, wanted Monroe. And then there’s that abominable performance by Mickey Rooney. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/125 "2013-11-01T10:41:29Z")
In threads like this, I always mention [The Fountainhead](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead_(film)). The film is only so-so. It really needs to be remade. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/126 "2013-11-01T13:00:58Z")
_The Mist_ is one of my favorite stories. I was really looking forward to the movie. And, in fact, I really enjoyed it- it captured the essence of the book, and the sheer terror of watching the world around you turn into a Cthuloid horror. And then the ending. Sigh. In my opinion, the book ending was _perfect_; the world has permanently changed, but there’s still a small sliver of hope for survival. The movie ending was just a big ol’ “fuck you” to the protagonist. I understand that Stephen King, himself, has said that he prefers Darabont’s ending. I disagree, and would like to point out that King has also done a hell of a lot of cocaine over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/127 "2013-11-01T13:52:26Z")
All three _Chronicles of Narina_ movies. Instead of keeping the most important elements of a beloved series of books, the jettisoned all of the heart and spiritual imagery and made significant plot changes which made it just another run-of-the-mill kid’s adventure story. The changes to _Voyage of the Dawn Treader_, in particular, were criminal. If they had just had a bit more faith in the source material those movies would have been a lot more successful. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/128 "2013-11-01T14:54:10Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > [The Fountainhead](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead_(film)). It needs to be remade. An Objectivist Atlas will shrug When the ladies won’t go past a hug Self-reliant as Rand Is his own nimble hand On his Fountainhead ready to tug! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/129 "2013-11-01T14:56:13Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > I disagree, and would like to point out that King has also done a hell of a lot of cocaine over the years. News to me. I know he has a drinking problem. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/130 "2013-11-01T15:37:27Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Red Dawn - Go full-on silly. Instead of a nameless asian country make the invaders Canadian. The problem with Red Dawn was, the enemy was _supposed_ to be China, which these days is the only country which might plausably pull off an invasion of the US. But the Chinese government found out about the movie and bitched, and the producers wimped out and make North Korea the bad guys instead. That’s how the movie ended up as a low-grade farce instead of a “serious” action movie. (They shot some of the chase scenes in my neighborhood, BTW 🆒) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/131 "2013-11-01T16:24:04Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > In threads like this, I always mention [The Fountainhead](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead_(film)). The film is only so-so. It really needs to be remade. “So-so” means it ranks leaps and bounds over the steaming pile of crap that it’s source material is/was. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/132 "2013-11-01T18:22:16Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > **Breakfast at Tiffany’s**. Audrey Hepburn was stunning as Holly Golightly . . . but the part really should have been given to Marilyn Monroe. Even Truman Capote, who wrote the original, wanted Monroe. > > And then there’s that abominable performance by Mickey Rooney. Well yes, someone sexy should have been cast in the role, instead of an adorable fashion model waif type. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/133 "2013-11-01T21:35:14Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > I doubt I’d like that. It’s a rare bit of magic that things line up to make a movie like “The Fountainhead.” It may not be what most people would call a “good” movie, but it’s so much more. The story is great, but the film was very subpar IMO. Each scene in _ **The Fountainhead** _ seemed very… rushed? Like the director wanted it down as quickly as possible. And I have never been a Gary Cooper fan. A very wooden actor, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/134 "2013-11-01T22:39:31Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > News to me. I know he has a drinking problem. He’s been clean and sober since the late 80s. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/135 "2013-11-02T08:01:46Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > In threads like this, I always mention [The Fountainhead](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead_(film)). The film is only so-so. It really needs to be remade. I’d love to see it remade, for so many reasons. But it could only be done as a period piece. In 2013, what architectural styles would Roark be rebelling against? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/136 "2013-11-02T15:33:12Z")
Every “Superman” movie ever made, including the good ones and the bad ones, could have been better. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/137 "2013-11-02T15:36:41Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Every “Superman” movie ever made, including the good ones and the bad ones, could have been better. I thought _Superman and the Mole-Men_ was the best of the lot. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/138 "2013-11-02T19:22:38Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Every “Superman” movie ever made, including the good ones and the bad ones, could have been better. Nonsense. Superman the Movie, with Christopher Reeves was perfect. In fact I rate it as the best Super hero film ever, with the Avengers being a close second. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/139 "2013-11-02T20:59:10Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nonsense. Superman the Movie, with Christopher Reeves was perfect. In fact I rate it as the best Super hero film ever, with the Avengers being a close second. Have to disagree. Reeve is perfect, but while the film has some undeniable moments of true grandeur, it also has an equal number of moments of profound silliness. I know they were trying to make a children’s movie, but still. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420/140 "2013-11-02T22:58:31Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nonsense. Superman the Movie, with Christopher Reeves was perfect. The question isn’t whether Christopher Reeve was perfect; he was. The question is whether Ned Beatty as Otis would’ve been a little too silly opposite Adam West. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-could-have-should-have-been-much-better-than-they-were/671420.md?page=8)