Even the brightest stars can't outshine a bad script! Join us as we explore the most notable instances where exceptional acting talent couldn't save disappointing films. From Oscar winners to comedy legends, these stellar ensembles deserved better material to work with. Which wasted cast disappointed you the most?
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00:00So, um, how is Sin proposing to do this?
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the most notable instances
00:09where pitch-perfect casting couldn't save bad films.
00:13This is weird.
00:17Number 10, North.
00:19Forget North, South, East, and West.
00:22All signs here point to this movie being a complete and utter waste of time,
00:26but that's through no fault of its impeccable cast.
00:29Elijah Wood is as captivating as ever in the title role.
00:33I thought you didn't want to hear anyone else's problems.
00:36You always believe everything a stranger tells you?
00:38Come on, spill.
00:40Nah, you wouldn't understand.
00:42Try me.
00:42Throughout his journey to find perfect parents, he meets a total who's who of acting talent,
00:48including Kathy Bates, Julie Louis-Dreyfus, John Ritter, and even a young Scarlett Johansson.
00:54Sadly, the revolving door of stars is the only part of North worth the price of admission.
00:58North, we just don't understand why you're leaving.
01:02Neither do I.
01:03You're all nice people, and I'm really going to miss you.
01:07But I've just got to be alone.
01:10We're going to miss you too.
01:11The story lacks focus, momentum, comedy, and characterization.
01:15By the time the credits roll, the resounding feeling this North should have spent more time on the script and less on casting.
01:21What's that?
01:23Oh, nothing.
01:25Just something I've always had.
01:28You know, for good luck.
01:31Number 9.
01:31Gangster Squad
01:32There's not a single movie that wouldn't benefit from Emma Stone showing up in a breathtaking red dress.
01:38In the case of Gangster Squad, though, her flawless scene work can only go so far.
01:43She isn't alone in giving her A-game.
01:52Josh Brolin is incredibly compelling as a veteran-turned-cop.
01:56The rest of the cast is rounded out by Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, and Anthony Mackie, each of whom get a moment to shine.
02:02Sadly, Gangster Squad is significantly more interested in shootouts than character development,
02:07stranding both its cast and story in a sea of mindless action.
02:10If the movie had given its despians a little more to work with,
02:25we might have gotten a classic thriller instead of yet another forgettable flop.
02:29In tough times, he kept his oath to protect and serve.
02:33Just like the thousands who walk their beats every day,
02:37maybe without glory, but with pride and honor.
02:40Number 8. The Avengers
02:41Not to be confused with the spandex-clad heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,
02:461998's The Avengers is a spy parody with more star power it knows what to do with.
02:51After all, pairing Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes against a madcap turn from Sean Connery
02:56is an amazing pitch.
02:58But somehow, The Avengers managed to screw it up anyway.
03:01According to Colonel Jones, this is the site of a ministry installation sold off years ago, too.
03:06Wonderland weather, I think.
03:08Quite.
03:10After poor test screenings, the studio mandated the two-hour feature be trimmed down to a scant hour and a half,
03:16leading to a scattered final cut devoid of anything resembling cohesive storytelling.
03:21Don't worry, you're in my flat. Quite safe.
03:25What am I doing here?
03:26Having tea.
03:28It's a shame. Thurman, Fiennes, and Connery are definitely capable of making a great movie.
03:33But it wasn't The Avengers, that's for sure.
03:36Are you sure you're up for this, dear boy?
03:40Absolutely, I'm trying.
03:42Number 7. Nothing But Trouble
03:49Despite the Herculean efforts of its talented ensemble,
03:53Nothing But Trouble lives up to its name in all the wrong ways.
03:57It's a tonal mishmash of horror, humor, and hubris that fails to come together in any entertaining way.
04:02Here's how I like them, and I suggest you have them the same way.
04:13The worst part is the performances are actually pretty great.
04:17You've got Dan Aykroyd and John Candy each in dual roles,
04:21Chevy Chase chewing on scenery like he hasn't eaten in days,
04:24and even Demi Moore imbuing the classic love interest role with electrifying screen presence.
04:29And yet, it didn't matter.
04:40Nothing But Trouble is a doom farce from the very beginning.
04:44Maybe that's why the movie got such a critical bashing.
04:47It isn't just bad, it's wasted potential.
04:50We climbed the cliff, we got on the train right after the fuel dump exploded.
04:54We think maybe the Brissian Air has been killed.
04:56That's dead.
04:57Number 6. The Big Wedding
04:58Okay, first off, Robin Williams as a priest is absolutely inspired casting.
05:04Alejandro, is it?
05:07You do speak English, don't you?
05:08Oh.
05:09And the couple is Ben Barnes and Amanda Seyfried.
05:11And the parents of the groom are Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton.
05:15Sign us up.
05:17Fair warning, though.
05:18This wedding doesn't give out any party favors, even to its star-studded cast.
05:22In actuality, The Big Wedding is a mind-numbing affair
05:25that will have you checking your watch more than a few times before it's over.
05:28He said terrible things to me.
05:30Punch him in the nose?
05:31Of course not.
05:33Because that would be on Ladylike.
05:34It's honestly kind of offensive to put so many hilarious comedians in a room,
05:38only to give them so little to work with.
05:40Here's hoping at least some of these actors can rejoin down the line
05:44for a project that actually makes use of their talents.
05:46You know, you were right.
05:49About what?
05:50There are different kinds of love.
05:54Which one are you feeling now?
05:56All of them.
05:57Number 5.
05:58All the King's Men
05:59Remaking a Best Picture winner is no easy task,
06:03and this movie is a good case study as to why.
06:06At the very least, the 2006 take of All the King's Men assembles quite the team.
06:11And they wanted this.
06:13Nobody do good ahead.
06:16Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Anthony Hopkins.
06:20Say less.
06:21However, its esteemed talent pool just makes the film's shortcomings all the more apparent.
06:26If Anthony freaking Hopkins can't make a scene work, no one can.
06:31Asking is different than telling, and that sounded like telling to me.
06:37Didn't it to you, Jack?
06:38Then again, you get the impression that most of these performers are only here to fish for Oscar gold.
06:44Look, All the King's Men is clearly a worthwhile story,
06:47and the repertoire of talent involved is sky high.
06:50So it's still baffling how putting them together led to such dismal results.
06:55You can say that.
06:55It doesn't hurt any more to hear it than to know it.
06:57Number 4.
06:58Valentine's Day
06:59Love is in the air.
07:02Unfortunately, so is bad writing.
07:03Valentine's Day was set up to be the romantic comedy of all romantic comedies,
07:08and it had the stacked cast list to prove it.
07:11You don't even like it.
07:12No.
07:13No, I love it.
07:15You want to see Bradley Cooper?
07:16Done.
07:17How about Julia Roberts?
07:18She's there too.
07:19What about Taylor Swift, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, and Jessica Biel?
07:24Yeah.
07:25This cast is insane, and that's not even all of them.
07:28Yet somehow, Valentine's Day can't seem to find anything interesting for its actors to do.
07:33I don't want this to happen to you.
07:36I'm sorry about Morley, but I'm going to see my boyfriend.
07:40It's maddening since a year after the similarly themed New Year's Eve made the exact same mistake.
07:46Here's a tip.
07:47Don't cast A-listers unless you have A-list material.
07:50You came all the way here to bring me my rubber bracelet?
07:56Sort of.
07:58And to say, Happy New Year.
08:01No.
08:013.
08:01The Bonfire of the Vanities
08:03Tom Hanks is the epitome of a classic Hollywood leading man.
08:07Charming, handsome, and capable of tugging on the heartstrings at just the right moment.
08:11However, all of that is the precise reason why he's unfathomably miscast in the Bonfire of the Vanities.
08:33We aren't supposed to root for Sherman McCoy, but that message gets lost in translation when it's played by Hollywood's quintessential everyman.
08:41Then there's the Bruce Willis side of things.
08:44The studio mandated casting after the success of Die Hard.
08:47He reportedly wasn't too pleasant on set and you can tell.
08:53Good evening, Peter.
08:57Good evening, Joe.
08:59Did we mention Morgan Freeman's in this too?
09:01A movie with this cast should have been a slam dunk.
09:05Instead, this bonfire is a confused, smoldering mess.
09:09I remind you that you are still under oath.
09:11Now, did you record this conversation?
09:192.
09:20Amsterdam
09:20How can you possibly mess up a leading trifecta of Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington?
09:28When you throw in supporting roles for Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Zoe Saldana,
09:32it seems like Amsterdam should have written itself.
09:35So, what about the results?
09:36I can tell you the results.
09:38I remember them.
09:38I found mercury, luminol, and somnophene in his stomach, and they were in high amounts.
09:44Maybe then it would have been watchable.
09:46The bloated period piece spends entirely too much time on wacky hijinks and not nearly enough on the engaging filmmaking.
09:52You good?
09:53Mm-hmm.
09:54Fine.
09:54It comes and goes.
09:55I'm fine.
09:56Yeah?
09:57You feel fine, then all of a sudden...
10:00The cast is great in a vacuum, but here, they all seem completely lost in the material.
10:05A fact that's made abundantly worse by the distant lack of chemistry between the leads.
10:09Let's just say there's a good reason Amsterdam allegedly lost its studio over $100 million.
10:14I choose to stay.
10:17Who knows, maybe I'll find a new life and a new love.
10:21I hope so.
10:22Before we unveil our topic, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:25Heavenscape
10:26How did a western with Chris Christopherson, Christopher Walken, and Jeff Bridges go so wrong?
10:32Tell me when you want to get serious.
10:36I am serious.
10:37Town and country
10:38The movie was so bad, it allegedly sent Warren Beatty into a full-on acting hiatus.
10:43And I am a fool.
10:47And I know that.
10:54So, is there anything left?
10:57This is where I leave you.
10:58Not even these comedic all-stars can spin a laugh from this tired script.
11:03Who does that?
11:03Quiet.
11:04Her mother's sitting right next to me.
11:05If you can't tell your family, then who?
11:07I would rather tell anyone.
11:09That is rude.
11:10Anyone else, actually.
11:11God, why don't you go upstairs and take a nap?
11:12It's not your call.
11:12I can't do this anymore.
11:13Be Cool.
11:14Very cool casting for a very uncool heist comedy.
11:18You know what Sin said?
11:19He said, it's all there.
11:20He just needs to put his touch on it.
11:22That's it.
11:22That's exactly what I said.
11:24Mars Attacks.
11:25It's impressive to make Jack Nicholson and Glenn Close fighting aliens feel so boring.
11:31Theodore, I simply could not feel that Lincoln...
11:34It's a full-scale invasion.
11:35Mr. President, we're going to need to get you to safety.
11:37Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
11:45about our latest videos.
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11:551.
11:57Movie 43
11:58Across an arduous, unfunny hour and a half of interconnected sketches, the only intriguing
12:04question to come from a truly awful Movie 43 is how on earth it got so many big names.
12:11Are you not attracted to me anymore?
12:12Of course I'm attracted to you, honey.
12:15So will you?
12:16This is a true heavy hitter cast featuring the likes of Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Emma
12:21Stone, Kate Winslet, Chris Pratt, and so many more.
12:25That none of them could turn in a good performance goes to show this was an issue with material,
12:30not talent.
12:30Rumor has it cast members like Richard Gere even tried to wiggle out of their contracts
12:35by making absurd production demands.
12:37It's horrific.
12:39I'm still not seeing what the problem is, though.
12:42The only stars who emerged unscathed were Julian Mora and Bob Odenkirk, and that's just
12:47because their segment was cut from the final edit.
12:49Well, I don't gotta watch anything, Jack.
12:52Yeah?
12:52Yeah.
12:53Yeah.
12:53Yeah.
12:53Yeah.
12:54Yeah.
12:54You touching me?
12:55Yeah.
12:55You touching me?
12:56Have great cast saved any bad movies for you?
12:58Let us know in the comments down below.
13:00And don't forget to like and subscribe for more WatchMojo videos.
13:03In fact, I am the only person on the whole freaking planet who is completely and 100%
13:11alone on Valentine's Day.