Geeks logo

Well...That Could Have Been Better: the 11 Most Disappointing Movies of 2016

With the great, unfortunately, comes the not-so-great...and there were some doozies in 2016.

By Ghezal AmiriPublished 6 years ago 7 min read
Like
'Jason Bourne' [Credit: Universal Studios]

The previous year gave us some of the best comic book films to date, such as #CaptainAmericaCivilWar and, of course, #Deadpool. Horror was at an all-time great this year with the spectacular #LightsOut and #DontBreathe. Not to mention, #LaLaLand dancing its way into our hearts and wallets.

With the great, unfortunately, comes the not-so-great...and there were some doozies in 2016.

The following movies weren't the worst films of the year — so if you were looking for the Kevin Spacey classic #NineLives where he plays a talking cat, you will probably see it in another list — but rather the ones that had an immense amount of squandered potential and left audiences disappointed.

1. Jason Bourne

[Credit: Universal Studios]

Release Date: July 29th, 2016

The Matt Damon Bourne trilogy is regarded as one of the best of all time, known for its intriguing premise, spectacular characters and insanely phenomenal action sequences that feature everyday products like pens and toasters. When a fourth installment was announced, fans of the original trilogy (myself included) could not contain their excitement at seeing Damon back in the role.

What we got instead was an incredibly generic action flick, complete with sequences that were relatively passable. I am convinced Tommy Lee Jones was asleep for a majority of his scenes.

2. Assassin's Creed

[Credit: 20th Century Fox]

Release Date: December 14th, 2016

You have #MichaelFassbender in the lead role, #MarionCotillard and #JeremyIrons in supporting roles, and the director of the 2015 Macbeth adaptation at the helm of this video-game-to-film-adaptation. #AssassinsCreed was slowly being regarded as the video game movie that may possibly, finally be the great adaptation audiences and gamers have been waiting for! Unfortunately, we're still waiting for that great adaptation.

There are many who believe it was a nice action flick — however, for the anticipation it was building and the incredible lore of its game, Assassin's Creed fell short, with its convoluted plot and characters who had the emotions of a refrigerator.

Maybe #Uncharted stands a chance to be that leading adaptation when it releases never? Or the #AliciaVikander #TombRaider set for 2018? We can hope!

3. Suicide Squad

[Credit: Warner Bros.]

Release Date: August 1st, 2016

#SuicideSquad is one of the most divisive films of the year. Some viewers believe it is one of Warner Bros' best comic book movies; others believe it is the worst film of 2016.

Suicide Squad had an incredible first trailer set to #Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," which encouraged tons of fans to be hyped for this latest comic book film, which would really put the DCEU on the map after Batman v. Superman flopped. The final result included massive shifts in tone, ridiculously blatant editing issues and awkward/undeveloped characters.

Regardless of the problems it had, the Squad generated $745 million worldwide and we are getting a #GothamCitySirens spinoff with #MargotRobbie's #HarleyQuinn, which is an enormous plus for its fans.

4. Passengers

[Credit: Columbia Pictures]

Release Date: December 21st, 2016

The premise of Passengers is pretty intriguing. Two people awaken from an induced hibernation to be trapped on a spaceship headed for a planet colony only 90 years away? Sounds awesome! With the casting announcement of fan favorites #JenniferLawrence and #ChrisPratt, many expected this film to be a hit with audiences and an awesome addition to the sci-fi genre.

Unfortunately, many critics concluded that the film is a prime example of "style over substance" and, with a current score of 31% on #RottenTomatoes, audiences ultimately chose to spend their money elsewhere. The combined star power of Lawrence and Pratt could not save this ship from crashing into the proverbial box office meteor as it has earned $45 million thus far on a $110 million budget.

Release Date: March 25th, 2016

The two biggest heavyweights in the comic universe. The first appearance of a new #Batman with #BenAffleck attempting to shed the #Daredevil image from everyone's brains. It was supposed to finally kick off the DCEU with a bang!

Unfortunately, its release ultimately garnered more of an "eh." The film made $873 million, which is a huge achievement and shouldn't really be considered a failure, but it did not reach that billion-dollar mark that DC execs were secretly hoping for.

Criticism of the film pointed to its overabundance of subplots and the fact that the actual "versus" between Batman and #Superman occurred for roughly 15 minutes. Not to mention the infamous #MARTHA sequence that will haunt the dreams of fans forever.

6. X-Men: Apocalypse

[Credit: 20th Century Fox]

Release Date: May 9th, 2016

Do you guys remember X-Men: Apocalypse? Me neither. Coming off of Days Of Future Past, Apocalypse featured all the right people including Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, the incredible #OscarIsaac as the titular Apocalypse and Sophie Turner of #GameofThrones fame.

So what went wrong?! It did not perform as well as expected. Perhaps this was a case of unrealistic expectations, since so many loved DOFP, but the unimpressive CGI sequences combined with actors who seemed equally unimpressed fell on Bryan Singer, not on fans.

7. Independence Day: Resurgence

[Credit: 20th Century Fox]

Release Date: June 20th, 2016

I think the worst thing about this sequel to the classic silly blockbuster Independence Day is the fact that Resurgence manages to pull a complete 180 on what made the original so enjoyable. The 1996 original is not a cinematic masterpiece by any means, yet it is fun! With characters you enjoy seeing and want to share a drink with (while attempting to outsmart aliens), there are also some incredible feats in visual effects, specifically that iconic White House explosion scene.

Twenty years on, fan favorites Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman returning could not save Resurgence from its bland, boring schlock. The film attempts to set up future sequels, which is mistake #1 so many of these types of films seem to make: STOP SETTING UP FOR MOVIE #2! MAKE US CARE ABOUT THE MOVIE YOU HAVE NOW!

Resurgence could have been another fun blockbuster that would make a wonderful back-to-back feature with its original. The final result wasn't fun at all, and because of that error, it wasn't a blockbuster either.

8. Hail Caesar!

[Credit: Universal Studios]

Release Date: February 5th, 2016

One of the few included in the list that is certified fresh, this #CoenBrothers comedy is not terrible by any means. It has occasional moments of humor and a ridiculously talented A-list cast including #GeorgeClooney, the future #HanSolo in #AldenEhrenreich, #ScarlettJohansson and #ChanningTatum as a dancing sailor!

Unfortunately, because of how revered the works of the Coen Brothers are, Hail Caesar! simply did not live up to the hype that these names generated. The Coens' cinematography is certainly present, but the lack of an interesting plot — and an overwhelming sense of style over substance — contributed to this film about the Golden Age of Hollywood ultimately falling short of expectations.

9. Zoolander 2

[Credit: Paramount Pictures]

Release Date: February 12th, 2016

I feel for those people who thought seeing the sequel to the #BenStiller classic #Zoolander would be the perfect Valentine's date. #Zoolander2 is another addition to the failed comedy sequel (see: Dumb And Dumber To, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues) that came out much too late.

Although many of the original cast returned 15 years after the original, audience members chose to stay away from this attempt at being really, really good looking. The failed attempts at humor — by utilizing references from the first one and an endless array of tiresome cameos — meant this sequel did not live up the immensely quotable and incredibly silly original.

10. Warcraft

[Credit: Universal Studios]

Release Date: June 10th, 2016

Prior to the release of #AssassinsCreed, many expected #Warcraft to fill the void of the video game adaptation because of how insanely popular the Warcraft series is. Travis Fimmel of #Vikings fame and Toby Kebbell, known for his portrayal of the antagonistic Koba in the #PlanetOfTheApes franchise, all starred in the film along with #PaulaPatton, #DominicCooper and the wildly talented #BenFoster.

The film did very well overseas, generating over $386 million, and allowed Universal to make back its production budget. Domestically, the film earned a measly $47 million, a number that is rather shocking when you think about how much money the "Warcraft" name generates through all of its branches.

Critics were also not feeling Warcraft, which pulled in a 28% on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 4.2/10. Fear not, lovers of the #DuncanJones adaptation; there are still talks of it getting a sequel since it did perform incredibly well at the foreign box office.

11. Ghostbusters

[Credit: Columbia Pictures]

Release Date: July 15th, 2016

The final example that divided moviegoers in 2016 was the remake of the beloved 1984 classic, #Ghostbusters. Taking away the issue of gender politics and judging Ghostbusters (2016) on its own merits, the ultimate result featured serviceable performances from its main cast that make you chuckle...and then forget immediately why you were laughing.

Many concluded that there are some interesting sequences utilizing CGI, but the characters lacked development. For those interested in the Ghostbusters universe, original director Ivan Reitman revealed that there are going to be more Ghostbusters films, "they’re just in development right now." Whether that means a direct sequel to the one released this summer or a whole new gang specializing in ghost busting, keep an eye out for more ghosts in the future.

What Were Some Of Your Biggest Movie Disappointments Of 2016?

movie
Like

About the Creator

Ghezal Amiri

Afghan-Canadian writer who enjoys witty quips and BTS, proper grammar and Jodie Comer.

I tweet with @MrsBananaPhone because it's the best and beats the rest.

I also have designs: https://www.teepublic.com/user/designingsimple

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.