What’s the Worst Big Budget Film?

S

ScaryMonster

I’m the whispered word.
Valued Senior Member
What’s the worst Big budget film ever made, most people would say "Plan 9 from Outer Space" is probably the worst film ever made, but it was a small independent production.
What is the worst film ever made that had major studio backing it?

In my opinion it has to be "Highlander 2: The Quickening, I think the expression “As bad as Highlander 2” says it all!
The Chicago Times said of it:

“Highlander II: The Quickening is the most hilariously incomprehensible movie I've seen in many a long day—a movie almost awesome in its badness. Wherever science fiction fans gather, in decades and generations to come, this film will be remembered in hushed tones as one of the immortal low points of the genre." He continued saying "If there is a planet somewhere whose civilization is based on the worst movies of all time, "Highlander 2: The Quickening" deserves a sacred place among their most treasured artifacts.

FilmCritic.com said:

"Highlander has become a bit of a joke, and here's where the joke started. ... Incomprehensible doesn't even begin to explain it. This movie is the equivalent of the 'Hey, look over there!' gag. You look, and the guy you wanted to beat up has run away and hid."
 
If you're looking at the lousy/budget ratio, it's probably Waterworld.
 
"Waterworld" - 1995
"Batman & Robin" - 1997
"Batman Forever" - 1995
"Godzilla" - 1998
"Star Trek Insurrection" - 1998
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" - 2010
"Wild, Wild West" - 1999
"Battlefield Earth" - 2000
"Catwoman" - 2004
"Spiderman 3" - 2007
"Judge Dredd" - 1995
"Captain America" - 2011
"Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" - 1987
"Daredevil" - 2003
"The Happening" - 2008
"The Hulk" - 2003

See a pattern with superhero movies?

~String
 
It's probably not very big budget but the following movie has got to be the worst I've ever seen. But what would you expect with Tracy Lords playing the princess?


Princess of Mars (2009) NR

After a devastating enemy ambush leaves soldier John Carter (Antonio Sabato Jr.) fighting for his life, he awakens to discover that the experimental treatment designed to save him has inexplicably transported him to Mars. On the red planet, Carter finds himself endowed with extraordinary powers -- and in the middle of a feud between warring alien races. Traci Lords also stars in this sci-fi adventure based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Alien Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Adventure

This movie is: Exciting
 
There never was a Highlander II movie. Just ask any Highlander fan. Just like there never was a Star Trek V.
 
Waterworld. At least it's watchable on DVD. Batman and Robin is not...

So maybe Batman and Robin.
 
A lot of these recent big-budget remakes of films that were perfectly good in the first place are not only terrible, but completely pointless. Let the Right One In, the upcoming Conan remake, the Planet of the Apes remake (not the new "Rise of..." one, which is merely mediocre, but the one from some years back with Marky Mark), etc. I'm sure y'all can suggest some other examples.

There's a rumor floating around the Speilberg wants to remake Oldboy starring Will Smith. If this comes to pass, it will probably take the cake. There's something about this Hollywood urge to remake contemporary foreign films that are already awesome that just bugs the shit out of me. Is it that big a fucking deal to read subtitles, that we need to make second-rate knock offs of great films just to get the dialogue in English?

And of course, the Star Wars prequels. Those had major budgets, and are a complete travesty. But at least they gave us this scathing, hilarious, in-depth set of reviews:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI&feature=player_embedded
 
Sahara

Sahara is a 2005 action-comedy adventure film directed by Breck Eisner and based on the best-selling book of the same name by Clive Cussler. It stars Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz.

Though it opened at number one in the US box office, grossing $18 million on its first weekend, Sahara is considered to be one of the biggest financial failures in Hollywood history since Ishtar. From a financial perspective, Sahara was unusual because it performed reasonably well, generating $122 million in gross box-office sales. However, the movie was beset by high costs, including $160 million in production costs and $81.1 million in distribution expenses. The film lost approximately $105 million according to a financial executive assigned to the movie; however, Hollywood accounting methods assign losses at $78.3 million, taking into account projected revenue. According to Hollywood accounting, the film drew in revenue of $202.9 million against expenses of $281.2 million.

wiki
 
superstring01 said:
"Waterworld" - 1995
"Batman & Robin" - 1997
"Batman Forever" - 1995
"Godzilla" - 1998
"Star Trek Insurrection" - 1998
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" - 2010
"Wild, Wild West" - 1999
"Battlefield Earth" - 2000
"Catwoman" - 2004
"Spiderman 3" - 2007
"Judge Dredd" - 1995
"Captain America" - 2011
"Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" - 1987
"Daredevil" - 2003
"The Happening" - 2008
"The Hulk" - 2003

See a pattern with superhero movies?

~String
Click to expand...


I've not seen Captain America, I heard that it was just a little bit old fashioned?
I thought Thor was okay and I’ve not heard anything about “The Green Lantern” I wonder if this run on superhero movies says something about modern American society?
You could add Matrix Revolutions to that list, but it's on a different scale of rottenness compared to Highlander 2.
The worst Rom Com? Maybe Gigil or Notting Hill (I hate that movie)
 
ScaryMonster said:
I thought Thor was okay
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Actually, so did I. And so did a lot of people. It had a surprisingly good plot (though an insipid ending).

ScaryMonster said:
You could add Matrix Revolutions to that list
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Are you kidding? The movie was profound, philosophical and amazingly nuanced. Not to try to insult you, but you almost need to slow the movie down by 10x just to see all the facets. I thought it was sublime, way better than the first and I just don't think people got it. . . and that was its failing. People don't want movies full of eastern and ancient philosophical and religious references. That's too much thinking. People wanted a few tidbits, but wanted a Matrix redux. . . but that was never going to happen.

~String
 
Given all the lists here, I take it none of you have seen Battlefield Earth yet. Good on all of you, you shouldn't watch it- my brain shriveled up and nearly fell out my ear towards the end.
 
superstring01 said:
Really? I thought they were some of the best movies of all time.
Click to expand...

And that is why there is still hunger in this world.


superstring01 said:
I thought the books were unbelievably boring.
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No need to think, they are in fact "believably" boring.

superstring01 said:
The movies were a significant improvement on the franchise.
Click to expand...

Only from the capitalist perspective: they made a shitload of money.

superstring01 said:
~String
Click to expand...
^Mr MacGillivray
 
CptBork said:
Given all the lists here, I take it none of you have seen Battlefield Earth yet. Good on all of you, you shouldn't watch it- my brain shriveled up and nearly fell out my ear towards the end.
Click to expand...

See by quote from my original post in this thread.

superstring01 said:
"Waterworld" - 1995
"Batman & Robin" - 1997
"Batman Forever" - 1995
"Godzilla" - 1998
"Star Trek Insurrection" - 1998
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" - 2010
"Wild, Wild West" - 1999
"Battlefield Earth" - 2000
"Catwoman" - 2004
"Spiderman 3" - 2007
"Judge Dredd" - 1995
"Captain America" - 2011
"Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" - 1987
"Daredevil" - 2003
"The Happening" - 2008
"The Hulk" - 2003
Click to expand...

~String
 
CptBork said:
Given all the lists here, I take it none of you have seen Battlefield Earth yet. Good on all of you, you shouldn't watch it- my brain shriveled up and nearly fell out my ear towards the end.
Click to expand...

You mean the following movie?

Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 (2000) PG-13

In the year 2000, an alien race known as the Psychlos devastated Earth and turned it into a wasteland. In the year 3000, the aliens -- led by the horrific Terl (John Travolta) -- still hold the surviving human population hostage and have forced Earthlings into slavery. But when human Johnny Goodboy Tyler (Barry Pepper) discovers the aliens' major weakness and leads the final fight for Earth's survival, the parasitic Psychlos are in for a shock.

Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Alien Sci-Fi

This movie is: Campy, Exciting

Not one of John Travolta's best, but still worth a one time watch.
 
superstring01 said:
"Waterworld" - 1995
"Batman & Robin" - 1997
"Batman Forever" - 1995
"Godzilla" - 1998
"Star Trek Insurrection" - 1998
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" - 2010
"Wild, Wild West" - 1999
"Battlefield Earth" - 2000
"Catwoman" - 2004
"Spiderman 3" - 2007
"Judge Dredd" - 1995
"Captain America" - 2011
"Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" - 1987
"Daredevil" - 2003
"The Happening" - 2008
"The Hulk" - 2003
See a pattern with superhero movies?

~String
Click to expand...

Some of us like super hero movies, but that's what happens when you let a bored kid read comic books while growing up. I found every one of those movies quite entertaining and even watched most of them more than once.

Sense we know what you don't like, can you tell us what you do like (a list would be good)?
 
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