10 of the Most 'Meh' Movies of 2017

To put it lightly, 2017 was an interesting year for movies. Logan became the first movie since The Dark Knight to break the superhero mold, Wonder Woman topped every Marvel film at the domestic box office, Star Wars: The Last Jedi received a less-than-warm reception from fans, IT became the highest grossing horror movie ever, and an Edgar Wright movie made more than $100 million (Baby Driver).

In a year of good and bad movies, there were a large handful that fit into neither category. The following list is comprised of movies that weren't fantastic, but are worth checking out, should the opportunity present itself.

10. 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2'/'Thor: Ragnarok'

Before the mob starts rioting in front of where I live, allow me to explain. Marvel Studios has done something that, when they first started, had never been done before. Thanks to their dedication to crafting interconnecting stories, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the biggest franchise in film history, and with the upcoming releases of Black Panther, Avengers Infinity War, and Ant-Man and the Wasp, their profit of $13.5 billion is only going to go up. That being said, I believe it's only fair to point out some of the flaws that both these movies share, hence why I put them in a single slot, rather than two separate ones. The main issue is the humor; there is way too much of it. Now, there's nothing wrong with cracking the odd joke here and there—even Logan, the most dead-pan serious superhero movie of 2017, managed to get in a few laughs. However, both of these movies are non-stop laugh-a-minute comedies with uneven tones that make it hard to take the dramatic moments seriously.

9. 'Murder on the Orient Express'

Hercule Poirot is one of the most famous detectives in classic literature. His fame rivals that of Sherlock Holmes. While, for many, David Suchet is the ideal portrayal of the character, Kenneth Branagh brings his own version in this beautifully shot yet unevenly paced adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. While there isn't a single bad shot in the entire film, nor a bad performance, there are moments where the plot losses its footing and the pace screeches to a halt before it picks itself back up again. It's an alright murder mystery, and feels very atmospheric, but if Branagh plans to make Poirot the next big franchise for 20th Century Fox, he might want to ask screenwriter Michael Green to take a break before getting to work. After all, Green had a busy year lending his writing talents for Logan, Alien: Covenant, and Blade Runner 2049, and that pile of work may have been what caused this movie to settle for good, rather than aim for excellent.

8. 'Goon: Last of the Enforcers'

There's only one audience that will genuinely enjoy this movie; those who have seen the first one. If you're one of those people, then this movie would be right up your alley, as it follows Doug re-adjusting to life outside the rink, and its build-up to the final showdown makes it feel like Rocky on ice. Although the implication is that you should watch the original beforehand, it fails to stand on its own. Given the limited appeal, the lack of any hard-hitting jokes, and the underwritten dialogue, the movie's somewhat interesting story and character depth is lost on anyone who hasn't seen the first.

7. 'Transformers: The Last Knight'

Personally, I don't think people hate this movie because it's another Transformers movie, I think they hate it because it's another MICHAEL BAY Transformers movie. Had Bay stuck with his original plan and backed out after Dark of the Moon, or even Age of Extinction, The Last Knight would most likely have had a more positive reception. Although Bay isn't what one would call a good director, 2016's war flick, 13 Hours, proved that all he needed was the right script in his hand. In the end, maybe the problem isn't Bay himself, but a shady producer at Paramount. Ehren Kruger left screenplay duties up to Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Ken Nolan (no relation to Christopher), and while the film is only marginally better than the previous entry, thanks to a huge cutdown on product placement, it's more of a case of expectations versus reality.

6. 'Alien: Covenant'

As a newcomer to the franchise, I had next to no expectations of what this movie could or couldn't deliver. Knowing that some fans believed the franchise stopped being good after the second installment, I considered the possibility that it would be bad. However, Ridley Scott's last film, The Martian, convinced me otherwise, so I went in with an open mind and treated it as its own standalone film. What happened on screen was a decent sci-fi horror flick with genuine scares, creepy xenomorphs, and an exemplary dual-performance by Michael Fassbender.

5. 'The Hitman's Bodyguard'

For as many moments where this movie shines, there's just as many where it fades, leading to an unbalanced movie that either leaves you laughing out loud or smirking awkwardly. While The Hitman's Bodyguard is riddled with buddy action-comedy cliches and a cookie cutter plot, the chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson is what drives the movie forward. If one thing has been proven, it's that the pair need to work together more often. Maybe Jackson can vouch for Reynolds to star alongside him in Quentin Tarantino's next movie.

4. 'Live by Night'

Technically it's a 2016 movie since it had a limited release on Christmas, but its wide release in January makes it qualify for this list. Admittedly, when I first reviewed the movie when it came out, I gave it one of my less-than-stellar ratings. But since I'm currently reading the book, and having recently re-watched it, it wasn't as bad as I remember. I initially went in expecting an action-thriller gangster movie, when, in reality, it was more of a slow-burn drama. It was a case of marketing versus movie, and I had fallen right into the trap. After the movie became a miss with the critics, and one of the year's biggest box office bombs, it may have been the reason why Ben Affleck stepped down from directing duties of the solo Batman movie, and his script was entirely rewritten. Let's hope Affleck's next non-DC movie is a better outing.

3. 'Fist Fight'

Given the plot, Teacher Fight would have been a much better title, as it would hint at an interesting premise. Generic movie name aside, Fist Fight is a solid comedy with a unique twist on the after school fight cliché, and strong performances from Charlie Day and Ice Cube. Although not every joke lands on its feet, including a cringe-inducing cover of Big Sean's "I Don't F--- With You", the fight that the movie builds up to deserves to be ranked among the likes of the airport scene from Captain America: Civil War, and the Batman versus Superman fight in Dawn of Justice.

2. 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'

The reason why Pirates of the Caribbean franchise continues on, other than money, can be explained with a little history and context. When Curse of the Black Pearl came out, Disney was sort of on the rocks with their live-action features. Everything seemed to be poorly received by critics and lead to tanking at the box office. However, when that fateful movie came out, it gave people something to talk about; it was a dark, gritty, yet swashbuckling adventure with high seas action and compelling lore. Now that Disney has acquired Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, and with a string of live action remakes of their classic animated movies on the way, the Pirates series has very little to exist. My guess is that it's the sole film property Disney has that is more geared towards a mature audience, although that fact may change given their recent buyout of 20th Century Fox. Regardless, Dead Men Tell No Tales returns to the root of the franchise by producing dark themes, a fun adventure, a terrifying villain, and Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, who returns to the role with a lot more energy than On Stranger Tides.

1. 'Ghost in the Shell'

Hollywood's attempts at making anime adaptations rarely go over well, but all things considered, this retelling of the 1995 movie could have done much worse. The funny thing about the whole "white-washing" controversy is that the Japanese didn't seem to mind Scarlett Johansson playing the role. In fact, they were happy with the casting choice due to her role as Black Widow in the MCU. Even the director of the original movie had no objection, believing that only those with political motivations would cause such an uproar, and that artistic expression should be free from politics. When the movie came out and the dust settled, the result was polarizing. It wasn't the next Dragonball Evolution by any stretch of the imagination, but it certainly paled in comparison to the anime. The movie itself wasn't so much a remake of the 1995 movie, but rather an incorporation of elements from Stand Alone Complex, The New Movie, and the TV series Arise. It certainly had plot issues, a forgettable villain, and some generic dystopian future clichés, but it also had beautiful visuals, cool action moments, and the characters were faithful to their animated counterparts. Tally on the 6.4/10 rating on iMDB, the 45 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and the $169.8 million worldwide gross against its $110 million budget, and you have the epitome of "meh" in 2017 cinema.