Disappointing Movies

Story posted September 13, 2021 in

For every few exciting blockbusters, there’s a hyped-up movie that didn’t quite meet expectations. In this listicle, the Arts and Entertainment Department look at some anticipated movies that missed their mark.

“Suicide Squad” (2016)

“Suicide Squad” directed by David Ayer is widely known as one of the worst superhero movies of all time. The reason most people believe this is due to the extraordinary trailer that accompanied the sub-par film. The trailer had all the great aspects of a trailer. An amazing song, paired with stellar visuals, great acting, and amazing action sequences.

However, the trailer promised something that was not in the movie, personality.

This movie lacked anything special about it. It had no personality which was a huge shock since the trailer was filled to the brim with personality. Also, the action shown in the trailer was pretty much all the exciting aspects of the movie. The movie rambled and gave the audience way too much exposition.

The trailer also showcased a great Joker performance by Jared Leto, making fans believe he would be the main antagonist of the film. However, his few scenes were short and inconsequential to the rest of the movie.

Overall, this was an insanely disappointing movie. The trailer promised a light-hearted action comedy with spectacular visuals and even better performances. Instead, we got a long unenthusiastic movie that was darker and more unremarkable than anyone signed up for. - Jack Freiser

“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” (2017)

“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” was the sequel to “Kingsman: The Secret Service” the surprise smash hit of 2015. The first “Kingsman” was an incredible action-comedy. The stunts were amazing, the dialogue was raunchy and hysterical and the characters were very intriguing.

With the same director and cast coming back for the sequel, expectations were high. Sadly, this movie ended up being just mediocre.

The sequel did not have the charm that the first one possessed. It felt long and the plot was a bit over the top. Samuel L. Jackson was a fantastic villain in the first movie; however, the worst part of the sequel is the awful performance by Julianne Moore.

Her villain is way too over the top that it is hard to take anything she is doing seriously. Her character is uninteresting and is never perceived as a big threat, unlike Jackson in the first film.

The sequel introduces a ton of new characters. However, despite the big named actors, it does not make up for the lackluster character development and sub-par writing throughout. Everything seems too convenient for the characters and the plot is also nowhere near as interesting or creative as the first.

This movie is the perfect definition of a cash grab. Everything about it was bigger. The A-list cast, the action set-pieces, and the comedic performances all included. However, nothing lands as well as it did in the first movie.

The first film is spectacular because it perfectly balances on the line of being too ridiculous. This movie crosses that line and becomes almost unbearable at times. - Jack Freiser

“The Kissing Booth 3” (2021)

After the success of the first “The Kissing Booth” film in 2018, fans were extremely let down by the sequel and were hoping for redemption in the third. Unfortunately, fans were mistaken, and “The Kissing Booth 3” was not any better, if not worse than “The Kissing Booth 2”.

Stars, Joey King, and Jacob Elordi are wonderful in the film, but the plot does not help the actors out in any way. The plot of “The Kissing Booth 3” is a replica of the 2020 sequel, where King and Elordi’s characters struggle with their long-distance relationship and cheating on each other. Along with that King’s character, Elle struggles to decide whether to go to college with her boyfriend or her best friend.

What happens in the third one? The exact same thing! The movie is extremely repetitive and becomes boring. It is a struggle to make it through the almost two-hour movie to find out what happens between characters Elle and Noah. – Savannah Swartz

“The Giver” (2014)
When the movie version of “The Giver” was announced, longtime fans of the novel were excited, but after watching were let down, to say the least.

“The Giver” is based on the 1993 young adult dystopian novel “The Giver” by Lois Lowry. The novel is well known because of its common use in English classes, and as of 2018, the novel has sold 12 million copies. The plot of the novel is well known and loved by many; so, fans were rather surprised when leaving theaters.

While the movie generally follows the main plot of the novel, director Phillip Noyce took some liberty with many key details. The setting and characters were the same, but there were many scenes in the film that were not from the novel at all, and many memorable moments from the novel were not included.

Overall, this film was a major letdown. Many fans were excited to see a live-action interpretation of a childhood favorite, but the film strayed too far from the plot of the novel to be anything but disappointing. – Savannah Swartz

Jack Freiser is a second-year majoring in either media studies or telecommunications. To contact him, email jef5614@psu.edu.

Savannah Swartz is a first-year majoring in communications. To contact her, email sms9072@psu.edu.