10 Failed Movies That Could Have Been Fixed With Just 1 Change

May 11, 2024, 2:10 p.m.

Movies

10 Failed Movies That Could Have Been Fixed With Just 1 Change

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Summary Jupiter Ascending should have focused less on the romantic subplot between Jupiter and Caine.

Van Helsing missed the mark by not retaining Van Helsing's profession as a doctor.

The Red, White & Royal Blue movie should have included book character June Claremont-Diaz for more depth.

Nothing is more frustrating than watching a terrible movie and knowing one small change would have made it a success. Moviegoers expect experienced filmmakers to know their story well enough to know what script changes, depicted perspectives, casting choices, and technical aspects will best serve that story. Yet however obvious the needed change might be in the eyes of the audience, it somehow didn't make it into the movie itself — and doomed it to fail and possibly join the biggest box office bombs of all time.

Several romantic subplots ruined their movies, demonstrating the tendency of filmmakers to believe they must include this when the story would be better off without it. Other unnecessary additions to the narrative turned what could have been a classic adventure into something too complicated. Additionally, filmmakers are rarely successful when they change the source material they are adapting or challenge the established canon of a series. These are all comparatively small alterations that, if they had been handled differently, would have made for a much better movie.

Related 15 "Bad" Movies People Still Love Some movies are bad. Some movies are so bad, they come full circle to being great and have become beloved as over-the-top cult classics.

10 Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Jupiter and Caine's romantic subplot wasn't necessary.

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buy Not available Not available Not available From visionary directors the Wachowskis, Jupiter Ascending follows Mila Kunis' Jupiter Jones, a cleaning woman from Chicago who discovers that she is actually the heir to a vast intergalactic noble house. With the help of genetically modified soldier Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), Jupiter must fight to protect Earth from the greedy clutches of Balem Abrasax (Eddie Redmayne) who is intent on taking over the planet for his own means. Director Lana Wachowski , andy wachowski Release Date February 6, 2015 Cast Eddie Redmayne , Sean Bean , Mila Kunis , Channing Tatum Runtime 127minute

If Jupiter Ascending hadn't bowed to the idea of an obligatory romantic subplot, the extra screen time could have been used to further develop both Jupiter and Caine's characters.

Jupiter Ascending is widely regarded as a movie with serious wasted potential needing a remake. The premise is fascinating: An average young woman on Earth is identified as a genetic match to the late galactic monarch. She therefore finds herself the target of scheming alien royals wanting to secure their own power. Jupiter Ascending has a strong cast featuring Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne, and Sean Bean, as well as some spectacular sets and costumes.

By all means, an intriguing new sci-fi blockbuster directed by the Wachowskis should have been a success. Where the movie went wrong (aside from some lazy dialogue) is dedicating too much time to the romantic subplot between the protagonist and the genetically-engineered soldier protecting her. If Jupiter Ascending hadn't bowed to the idea of an obligatory romantic subplot, the extra screen time could have been used to further develop both Jupiter and Caine's characters.

9 Van Helsing (2004)

Van Helsing should still have been a doctor.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Van Helsing is a 2004 action-adventure film directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Hugh Jackman as the titular character, a monster hunter tasked with defeating Dracula. Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, and Shuler Hensley co-star in this gothic horror-inspired tale that explores the battle between good and evil in Transylvania. Director Stephen Sommers Release Date May 3, 2004 Cast Hugh Jackman , Kate Beckinsale , Richard Roxburgh , David Wenham , Shuler Hensley Runtime 132 Minutes

Hopes are high for the Van Helsing reboot when the last movie should have been a hit. Van Helsing himself is one of the most fascinating characters in literature, hailing from Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel Dracula. However, the movie from the early 2000s reduces the premise of this character’s solo adventures to a cheap, throwaway action movie. While Van Helsing is a doctor in the book, Van Helsing makes him a mere vampire hunter, probably based on the idea that this would lend itself better to the action.

However, in doing this, they rob the character of any depth or nuance. Van Helsing can still be a doctor with a much broader knowledge of where the scientific and the supernatural meet and be capable of killing a vampire. Van Helsing’s poor characterization is characteristic of the entire movie, going for the most basic empty concepts thought to be entertaining. It might have been better if they had started with a character truer to the original and gone from there.

8 Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)

The Red, White & Royal Blue movie should have included June Claremont-Diaz.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Red, White & Royal Blue is a romantic comedy film based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Casey McQuiston. The film follows the President of the United States son, Alex, and Britain's Prince Henry, who are at odds over nearly everything. However, the two get into an altercation at a significant event, further causing a divide between the two nations; they are forced to reconcile their differences on paper. But as the two spend time together, their rivalry evolves into something more. Director Matthew Lopez Release Date August 11, 2023 Cast Taylor Zakhar Perez , Nicholas Galitzine , Uma Thurman , Stephen Fry , Sarah Shahi , Ellie Bamber Runtime 121 Minutes

The movie adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s beloved novel Red, White & Royal Blue was generally well-received, but many critics complained that it lacked depth. Meanwhile, book fans lamented over every character and plot point cut from the story. Among these was June, Alex’s sister, who is essentially merged with his best friend Nora to be one character. The movie didn’t do justice to Alex or Henry’s sisters, with Princess Bea being made Henry’s younger sister and the storyline of her drug addiction also being cut.

However, Bea was at least in the movie. In addition to including another beloved character, June’s presence could have been used to make the Red, White & Royal Blue movie more meaningful overall. Alex and June have a conversation in the book where she tells him that he can still make a difference in the world, even if he is with Henry. Adding this conversation (and therefore June) to the movie would have helped give it the political context it was sorely lacking.

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7 Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Solo should have cut the Kessel Run.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Solo: A Star Wars Story is a spin-off of the Star Wars franchise that focuses on the early years of Han Solo, with Alden Ehrenreich replacing Harrison Ford as the iconic smuggler. The movie explores how Han met Chewbacca, acquired the Millennium Falcon, and became the roguish smuggler fans know and love. Donald Glover brings back Lando Calrissian, Woody Harrelson plays Tobias Beckett, Emilia Clarke portrays Qi'ra, and Paul Bettany embodies the crime lord Dryden Vos. Director Ron Howard Release Date May 10, 2018 Cast Alden Ehrenreich , Emilia Clarke Donald Glover , Woody Harrelson , Phoebe Waller-Bridge , Thandiwe Newton Runtime 135minutes

The Star Wars prequel showing the early days of Han Solo’s adventures probably should have done even worse than it did. Alden Ehrenreich’s performance held up, while the story and supporting cast were strong enough to carry the iconic character. However, the movie destroys all the mystery of Han’s past by detailing everything he ever mentioned in an offhand comment in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Han is supposed to come across as more worldly than Luke and less inclined to follow the rules than Leia through his unseen resume of criminal exploits. Telling the audience what they all are ruins the effect. This is not to say that some of his origin story couldn’t have been explored – how he met Chewbacca is worthwhile. However, Solo should not have gone as far as to include the infamous, unexplained Kessel Run. By leaving this adventure out, some of the mystery of Han Solo could have been preserved while showing him in the context of a fun backstory.

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6 Tenet (2020)

The protagonist's relationships with Kat and Neil needed to be developed more.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a nameless Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Director Christopher Nolan Release Date September 3, 2020 Cast Kenneth Branagh , John David Washington , Michael Caine , Robert Pattinson , Elizabeth Debicki , Dimple Kapadia , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Clemence Poesy Runtime 150 minutes

It is safe to say that Tenet does not come out on top in any ranking of Christopher Nolan’s movies. Tenet is a solid movie with a fascinating approach to time travel; its cast of underrated stars are mostly first-time Nolan collaborators who all do well in their roles. However, Tenet lacks a hard-to-define quality that would take it from good to great. One common criticism is that while the concept is interesting, it is far too confusing.

However, Inception is confusing but still works. Further developing the relationships between Tenet's three main characters would have drastically improved the movie, as the very reason they are all involved in the time travel adventure is for each other. Additional conversations that demonstrate why the Protagonist even likes Kat and Neil would better support the story.

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Related 8 Time Travel Movies That Actually Make Sense Time travel is a common theme in the sci-fi genre, and with every artist making their own time travel rules, not all movies make sense.

5 I Am Legend (2007)

Robert Neville should have been a morally gray character in the I Am Legend movie.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Loosely based on Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, I Am Legend stars Will Smith as Robert Neville, a virologist who believes himself to be the last human on Earth. After a virus turns most of the world's population into vampiric creatures known as Darkseekers, Neville finds himself immune. Believing himself to be the last man of Earth, Neville stalks through the ruins of New York, hoping to create an antidote that will save humanity. Director Francis Lawrence Release Date December 14, 2007 Cast willow smith , Salli Richardson-Whitfield , Will Smith , Alice Braga , Charlie Tahan Runtime 101 minutes

I Am Legend is hardly one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, but it turned a profit at the box office and achieved decent reviews. However, the I Am Legend movie’s ending differing from the book’s ending is divisive. While in the movie, Robert Neville dies a hero after discovering a cure for the virus plaguing New York City, in the book, he discovers that the vampiric creatures he has been fighting are sentient and view him as the villain in the story.

This ending was apparently cut from the movie because it was poorly received by test audiences. However, it would have made I Am Legend a much more nuanced story about the nature of evil and different sides to a conflict. The filmmakers should have taken the risk for potentially more reward, instead of defaulting to another generically heroic Will Smith action character.

4 Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

At World's End didn't need the Brethren Court.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Barbossa voyage to Davy Jones locker to rescue Jack Sparrow before the final battle with Davy Jones and the East India Trading Company. Director Gore Verbinski Release Date May 19, 2007 Cast Johnny Depp , Geoffrey Rush , Orlando Bloom , Keira Knightley , Jack Davenport , Bill Nighy

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl worked because it was a basic action-adventure rescue story that supported Jack Sparrow’s wacky antics. The second movie started to devolve into more convoluted supernatural storylines, but the scope was still contained and the characters' motivations straightforward enough for another Princess Bride-esque blockbuster. However, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End took things too far.

The movie tries to achieve some sense of political complexity and historical accuracy with the Brethren Court, but neither of these things are the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise’s strength. The Brethren only padded the runtime and created more plot holes. The third movie could have been rescuing Jack, sorting out internal conflicts, and the final battle with Davy Jones, and it would have been a streamlined story recalling the original.

3 The Matrix: Resurrections

Hugo Weaving should have returned as Agent Smith.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Set sixty years after The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Resurrections is a sci-fi action movie that sees the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne moss nearly twenty years after the release of the previous film. Neo has become a game developer who struggles to grasp reality, and his concerns are validated when a new visage of Morpheus arrives to free him from his prison - a newly created Matrix. Learning that Trinity is alive and being held prisoner, Neo will join a new rebel force to save her and confront a new, dangerous foe known as the Analyst. Director Lana Wachowski Release Date December 22, 2021 Cast Christina Ricci , Keanu Reeves , Carrie-Anne Moss , Jessica Henwick , Ellen Hollman , Jonathan Groff Runtime 2h 28m

The Matrix Resurrections proved to be controversial, failing at the box office and garnering average reviews. The movie isn’t terrible, as it is at least self-aware and gives Neo and Trinity a happy ending of sorts. However, Neil Patrick Harris’ The Analyst and a new version of Agent Smith lacked the impact of the original Matrix villains. The consensus is that while recasting Morpheus worked, it did not for Smith. Hugo Weaving is impossible to replace, still standing out in some of the most dramatic parts of the Matrix trilogy that drive home all its major themes.

Recasting Morpheus makes sense because the new character isn’t supposed to be the real Morpheus. However, if Weaving had been able to return, Resurrections could have been a hit. With a new adventure and a classic villain in place, audiences would have been more inclined to welcome Neo and Trinity back. Additionally, it would have been fascinating to see Weaving's performance at certain parts of the movie, such as Smith saving Neo from the Analyst.

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2 Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)

Terminator 3 should have maintained the time loop structure of the first two movies.

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buy Not available Not available Not available A highly advanced Terminator travels back in time to kill an adult John Connor and his future lieutenants, including his future wife Kate Brewster. Director Jonathan Mostow Release Date July 2, 2003 Cast Arnold Schwarzenegger , Nick Stahl , Claire Danes , Kristanna Loken , David Andrews , Mark Famiglietti Runtime 109 minutes

One sentence explaining why Kyle told Sarah Judgment Day happens in 1997, but that he was mistaken, would have transformed the movie.

The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day are universally considered the best Terminator movies, with the third installment being the cut-off where the franchises begin to spiral. T2 ends before there is any real confirmation that Sarah, John, and the T-800 succeed in preventing Judgment Day (barring the deleted flash-forward) when the first movie suggests that it is impossible to change the past or future. Other things would have improved Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: a less repetitive plot, more consideration for John’s would-be future lieutenants, and the great Sarah Connor’s presence.

However, what would have made the movie fascinating is if it had maintained the interpretation that all time travel happens within a closed loop. One sentence explaining why Kyle told Sarah Judgment Day happens in 1997, but that he was mistaken, would have transformed the movie. It would have meant that Sarah and John stopping Judgment Day in the mid-90s was only one event in the timeline, while the real thing was always supposed to happen in the early 2000s.

Related 8 Movie Franchises That Deserved A Better Legacy Often the legacy of a great movie franchise can be tarnished over the years, with substandard sequels diminishing the overall impact of the series.

1 Passengers (2016)

Passengers should have been from Aurora's perspective.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Set on a colony ship carrying hibernating human passengers to a distant alien world, Passengers stars Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt as Aurora and Jim, two passengers on the ship who are awakened from their induced sleep almost a century too early. As the two begin to come to terms with their isolation and start to form a bond, Aurora begins to suspect that Jim is not as innocent in the accident as he claims to be. Director Morten Tyldum Release Date December 21, 2016 Cast Laurence Fishburne , Aurora Perrineau , Chris Pratt2 , Jamie Soricelli , Jennifer Lawrence , Kimberly Battista , Andy Garcia , Michael Sheen Runtime 116minuntes

A heavily trodden discourse about Passengers is that the events occurring should have been shown from Aurora’s perspective instead of Jim’s. This would have provided the movie with a substantial plot twist when Aurora realizes that Jim woke her up himself, rather than the audience knowing this from the beginning. Aurora and Jim’s storyline is heavily romanticized when, objectively, he selfishly puts her in a bad situation only to end his solitude.

Framing Jim as the antagonist would have made it a much stronger story altogether, but if they were dead set on the romance, attempting to impart Aurora’s shock to the audience would still have been an improvement. It might have forced the movie to work harder to redeem Jim after the reveal. This suggested change is a very popular one, demonstrating how many audience members can ascertain what alterations would have made a movie better.