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When bad acting meets big budgets, box office disaster follows! Join us as we count down the films that crashed and burned due to poor casting choices and cringe-worthy performances. From A-listers phoning it in to complete miscastings, these movies prove that even massive budgets can't save terrible acting.
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00:00Someone's in here. Someone's in here!
00:07You are laughing!
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the films that crashed and burned,
00:14at least in part because of their poor casting.
00:16Robin? I'm freaking Robin? And why are we chasing a runaway train?
00:22Number 20. Cats.
00:24It takes some serious skill to turn one of the longest-running Broadway musicals ever
00:28into a box-office dud of epic proportions.
00:39It's even more guffawing when you realize the amazing cast they assembled.
00:43You've got Jennifer Hudson, you've got Dame Judi Dench, you've even got Sir Ian freaking McKellen.
00:48The field of the fash.
00:55And yet, none of them could turn in a halfway decent performance, whether it was because
01:00the performances were too campy, or perhaps not campy enough.
01:03The fact of the matter is, no one was acting well beneath that hideous CGI fur.
01:08Suffice it to say, the only memories we have of cats are nightmares.
01:12I am the only contestant left.
01:18And quite obviously the best.
01:20Number 19. The Last Airbender.
01:22Is there a spiritual place where I can meditate?
01:25Oh boy, there's a lot to unpack here.
01:28Without even delving into the very obvious whitewashing, the cast of The Last Airbender is riddled with misfires.
01:33To start, their leading man had never acted before.
01:36And yes, you can tell.
01:37What if we found you? Teachers. Teachers to teach you bending. Which element would you have to learn first?
01:42Water. Water comes after air in the cycle.
01:45Then, there's Katara's actress, whose dad happens to be a billionaire investor.
01:49Based on her wooden delivery, there's not a lot of gray area in wondering how she booked the part.
01:53You're not taking him anywhere.
01:56No one is taking anybody away.
01:58We could go on, but you get the point.
02:00Part of the reason Avatar remains so popular is because of its compelling, three-dimensional characters.
02:05Without them at the core, all you're left with is one of the most egregious live-action adaptations ever made.
02:11We'll catch him soon, Uncle.
02:14Then we can think about the pretty girls.
02:16Number 18. Doolittle.
02:18Following up his career-defining work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the world anxiously waited to see what opportunities Robert Downey Jr. would pursue next.
02:26All those eyes ended up being a curse when he fell flat on his face in Doolittle.
02:30Is it yours?
02:32I don't own anybody.
02:35You or she had an issue that he came to me with.
02:38Despite being an alleged passion project, Downey Jr. sounds completely bored in every scene.
02:44Then again, that might be just the horrible accent.
02:46Very free, actually.
02:49One must hug uncertainty, don't you think?
02:52That's how Lily lived her life.
02:54I don't know.
02:55I'm pretty unknown, and the answers will be revealed.
03:00You sad, misguided nut!
03:04It's a far cry from Tony Stark's razor-sharp wit, and audiences were not keen.
03:09Doolittle wasn't just a box office disappointment.
03:11It was a total train wreck.
03:13Next time Downey Jr. picks a passion project, fingers crossed he shows some of that enthusiasm on screen.
03:18I have procured that which you said does not exist.
03:22Behold, the fruit of the eathen tree.
03:27I said clear a path.
03:29Number 17.
03:30After Earth
03:31In what might be the most Nepo Baby film of all Nepo Baby films, Will Smith didn't just get his son the leading role in a blockbuster.
03:39He got them both roles.
03:40It's a very special day for our family.
03:42Sadly, the one thing Will didn't do was put them in acting classes.
03:46Jaden sure does a lot of screaming in After Earth, but none of it really connects.
03:49She gave me an order!
03:51She said no matter what, don't come out of that box!
03:56Will doesn't fare much better, and in the end, both performances get lost in the overblown special effects.
04:02To prove it, Jaden and Will each respectively won Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst On-Screen Combo.
04:10Next time they want to spend time together, they should choose something less expensive.
04:13This mission has reached a board of criteria.
04:16I take full responsibility.
04:19You did your best.
04:21You have nothing more to prove.
04:22Number 16.
04:23Psycho
04:24Since this 1998 remake is a shot-for-shot copy of Alfred Hitchcock's classic, the only possible reason to see it would be to appreciate a new actor's take on these characters.
04:33Unfortunately, they cast Anne Hesch and Vince Vaughn.
04:36It's not as if she were a maniac, or a raving thing.
04:40She just goes a little mad sometimes.
04:43We all go a little mad sometimes.
04:46Haven't you?
04:50Yes.
04:51In Hesch's hands, Marion Crane comes across as a shrill shadow of her former self.
04:56But that's nothing compared to what happens to Norman Bates.
04:59Shut up!
05:00Shut up!
05:01The fact that Vince Vaughn is now known for raunchy comedies is a good indicator about how this worked out.
05:07With just one look, it's clear as day why this movie was outright rejected by moviegoers.
05:12We scratch and claw, but only at the ear.
05:16Only at each other.
05:18Number 15.
05:19Catwoman
05:19You have to feel at least a little bad for Halle Berry here.
05:24She was a bona fide A-lister coming off of X-Men and Monster's Ball.
05:28But then, Catwoman had her eat animal food on screen.
05:32Really.
05:32The rest of the movie is stuffed full of cat puns and strange story choices that make it feel more like an experimental college show than a big budget blockbuster.
05:40You hear that?
05:42It's called silence.
05:43That's all I ever wanted.
05:45Now keep it down.
05:47Thanks for the party.
05:48For what it's worth, Halle Berry is 100% committed to the bit.
05:51Although, that's kind of the issue.
05:54She embraces her feline instincts so much, the rest of the movie became the laughingstock of the superhero world.
06:00Not that kind of girl.
06:01What kind of girl is that?
06:02A loser.
06:04Number 14.
06:05Alexander
06:06No!
06:07No!
06:08You've taken from me everything I've lost, baby!
06:12You!
06:12Stop it!
06:13Stop acting like a boy!
06:15Is this a movie or a documentary?
06:17It's genuinely hard to tell at points.
06:19In fact, there's so little narrative momentum in Alexander, the only thing that could have possibly saved it were some powerhouse performances.
06:26Except, we didn't get that.
06:28Val Kilmer is given nothing but hokey lines, Angelina Jolie is stuck voguing for three hours, and even leading man Colin Farrell struggles to muster any emotion.
06:37Have courage, father.
06:39And go on your way rejoicing that at each step.
06:42And may recall your father.
06:43Instead of rousing and climatic, their performances make Alexander feel twice as long as it actually is.
06:58The movie ended up totally flopping at the box office, and quite frankly, it's justified.
07:03Hey, at least all these actors would go on to much better things.
07:06We're going home!
07:20We're going home!
07:22Number 13.
07:23Space Jam A New Legacy
07:24Hey, I think I got something that'll cheer you up.
07:27I'm eating at Warner Brothers about some high-tech movie thing.
07:30You should come.
07:31Cool?
07:32Yeah, dude.
07:32Look, we all love LeBron James.
07:35However, an actor, he is not.
07:37While the Space Jam formula worked well enough for Michael Jordan back in the day,
07:41A New Legacy demands too much from James' rudimentary skills.
07:44He utters every piece of dialogue like it has a question mark at the end.
07:48You think it's a game?
07:48I'm calling authorities on you, because what you got going on here-
07:51On this phone?
07:52How'd you do that?
07:53Considering the movie is centered on James searching for his son, the lack of emotion is a massive hurdle.
07:58Where's my son?
07:59Oh, now you want to be Daddy of the Year?
08:01Just calm down, LeBron.
08:02He'll be here, okay?
08:03We got bigger fish to fry.
08:04To make matters worse, James is surrounded by some of the industry's best voice talent,
08:08bringing the Looney Tunes cast to life.
08:10Look, Bugs, you already got what you wanted.
08:12Your friends, Toon World.
08:14I still need my son back.
08:15In comparison, James just can't compete.
08:18Well, at least we're good.
08:19Number 12.
08:21Swept Away
08:21I thought we agreed that we were going to get dressed up for dinner.
08:25If you're going to put us on a boat built for pirates, can we at least not dress like one?
08:30Based on the 1974 original, Swept Away is about a spoiled socialite who watches up on a deserted island with her old deckhand.
08:37She learns the error of her ways, begins a romantic relationship with him, and leaves as a better person.
08:42The movie hinges on the audience buying into Amber's growth.
08:45But when it's Madonna spouting off unconvincing insults, the movie would be lucky if viewers took it seriously at all.
08:50Fooking's the name of the fish.
08:52Yes, ma'am.
08:53Well, I don't care if it's Fooking, Puking, or a f***ing Kung Fooking.
08:57I want that fish, and I want it tonight.
09:01Unconvincing is a good word for this remake altogether.
09:03There's simply not enough nuance in Madonna's delivery for the movie to land,
09:07and as a result, Swept Away sank at the box office, just like Amber's ship.
09:11Help!
09:12Go! Shout! Shout!
09:14Somebody help!
09:17She's crying for him, the idiot.
09:19Number 11. Dear Evan Hansen
09:22When Ben Platt originated the role of Evan Hansen on Broadway, he cried his way to a Tony Award.
09:27But if you put that same performance on film, it reeks of overacting.
09:31I never thought that it would go this far.
09:34Ignoring the fact that he's clearly a 27-year-old trying to play a high school student,
09:38Platt plays to the back row, even though the camera is right in front of his face.
09:42It makes Evan's tearful soliloquies more uncomfortable than moving.
09:45Something other than this mess that I am,
09:48cause then I don't have to look at it,
09:51and no one gets to look at it.
09:53The performance may have worked if Dear Evan Hansen committed to its exaggerated reality,
09:57but the rest of the cast is taking an incredibly grounded approach to the work,
10:01which creates a tonal imbalance that tears the whole movie apart.
10:04You don't have to ask us, though.
10:06The poor box office speaks for itself.
10:08What I did...
10:10I can't even...
10:15It's the worst thing.
10:18Number 10. The Love Guru
10:20This comedy was not only bad,
10:23it arguably helped end Mike Myers' career as a funny live-action leading man.
10:27I'd like an alligator soup and make it snappy.
10:31Because alligators are snappy,
10:34and at the same time I wanted prom.
10:36He stars as the titular love guru,
10:38who must help the best player on the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team
10:42get through some personal problems.
10:44Myers doesn't shine his brightest in the role,
10:46and even won the Razzie Award for Worst Actor.
10:48I'd like to thank the Academy.
10:50Wow, these things are heavy.
10:53Yeah.
10:53Put me down, a-hole.
10:54Okay.
10:54But he's not the only one who disappoints.
10:59Many of the movie's Razzie nominations were for its acting,
11:02with Jessica Alba,
11:03Vern Troyer,
11:04and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley also receiving nominations.
11:07The Love Guru made a little over $40 million on a $62 million budget,
11:12which tells you everything you need to know.
11:14What's the capital of Thailand?
11:16Bangkok?
11:17Exactly.
11:18Oh!
11:19Omar Sharif, my ball!
11:22Number 9.
11:23The Mummy
11:23Tom Cruise doesn't miss often,
11:26but when he does,
11:27he misses hard.
11:28What are you doing here?
11:29Jenny looks good.
11:30Okay, this isn't happening.
11:31I mean, really great.
11:32Okay.
11:33Stop.
11:34The Mummy served as a reboot of the long-running horror franchise,
11:37and it looked to kickstart a brand-new shared world
11:39centered around the classic Universal Studios' monsters.
11:42The film's budget reportedly fell between $125 to $195 million,
11:48and it grossed a seemingly successful $410 million,
11:52but it appears no expense was spared on promotion,
11:55which meant money was lost in the end.
11:56Like a curse.
11:58Around here, that's just another word for treasure.
12:00And this guy, this Henry guy,
12:02he seems to want it pretty bad.
12:03Well, now he's gonna have to pay double.
12:06The Mummy's failures were many,
12:08and critics often pointed to the acting
12:09as a particular source of contention.
12:11Cruise's performance didn't measure up to his career highs,
12:15and he was aided by disappointing showings from the supporting cast,
12:18including the Razzie-nominated Russell Crowe and Sofia Boutella.
12:21Number 8.
12:35The Adventures of Pluto Nash
12:36Few movies have bombed as hard as The Adventures of Pluto Nash.
12:40Well, he'll help us.
12:41He couldn't sing a note if it weren't for me.
12:43You taught Tony Francis how to sing?
12:45No, I convinced a bookie not to pour some acid down his throat.
12:49It's one of the worst performing releases of all time,
12:52grossing a pitiful $7.1 million on an $100 million budget.
12:57The fact that disaster was on the horizon was evident from the jump.
13:00Both actor Joe Pantoliano and director Ron Underwood have claimed
13:04that they knew the film left a lot to be desired even as they were making it.
13:08It's a cryogenic chihuahua.
13:11It's a real dog.
13:12Oh yeah, it's very delicate.
13:13You know it's illegal to bring pets up here.
13:15But I got a friend back in Juarez who knows how to freeze dry these things.
13:19Underwood pointed to his star Eddie Murphy,
13:21claiming that he wasn't feeling that funny.
13:23This opinion was mirrored by critics,
13:25who berated Murphy's lead performance
13:27and felt it was uncharacteristically dull.
13:29It's safe to say it's certainly a blemish
13:31on the actor's otherwise legendary resume.
13:34It is a pleasure to meet me.
13:36Number 7. Snow White
13:38Mirror, mirror on the wall, what's the worst casting of all?
13:42Well, here it is.
13:43While some took issue with the colorblind casting
13:45of a princess dubbed the fairest of them all,
13:48at least Rachel Zegler can sell a scene.
13:50The same cannot be said for Gal Gadot's
13:52ahem, questionable turn as the evil queen.
13:55Ready to get the deed?
13:56Finally done, I'll proceed.
13:58Second to none with no doubt.
14:00When I'm going out, mirror on the wall, mirror on the wall.
14:03Any shred of the character's malice and intrigue
14:06is lost in her highly dubious line readings,
14:08auto-tuned singing,
14:09and inability to move her neck in her costume.
14:12Delicate, elegant, exquisite.
14:20It's a baffling performance so bad,
14:23it's a wonder Disney didn't pull the plug
14:24after seeing the dailies.
14:26Maybe then they wouldn't have so much money
14:28when Snow White flopped.
14:29If you won the throne...
14:30If you won the throne...
14:32Take it.
14:39Number 6.
14:40Kazam.
14:41Shaquille O'Neal is a spectacular basketball player,
14:44but in this case,
14:45his acting chops didn't live up to his athletic skill.
14:48And if you girls are hungry...
14:49Kazam was released in 1996,
14:55the same year O'Neal won gold at the Olympics
14:57and moved from the Magic to the Lakers.
15:00It was a huge year for his career,
15:02but he wasn't able to capitalize it with Kazam.
15:04He plays the titular character,
15:06a genie who grants three wishes to the young Max.
15:09O'Neal's performance was enjoyed by some,
15:11including critic Roger Ebert,
15:12but most found it uninteresting
15:14and it has since become the target of jokes.
15:16The movie bombed,
15:17grossing just under its budget of $20 million,
15:20and O'Neal later admitted that he only did it
15:22for the experience and money.
15:24You realize who I am?
15:26I'm your genie!
15:27In that case,
15:27I wish I was as big as you,
15:29but not so stupid!
15:30That's not a wish!
15:31That's an insult!
15:33Number 5.
15:34Gigli
15:34On paper,
15:36Gigli is a winner.
15:37It was written and directed
15:38by the Oscar-nominated Martin Brest
15:40and featured a number of A-list celebrities.
15:42Put some on your head!
15:44Your tongue would slap your brains out
15:46trying to get to it.
15:49Interested?
15:51Sure!
15:52The cast was led by Jennifer Lopez
15:54and Ben Affleck,
15:55who starred as the titular Larry Gigli.
15:57Despite the duo being a real-life couple
15:59when the movie was released,
16:00folks felt they lacked on-screen spark
16:02and the movie floundered.
16:04Both received Razzies
16:05and even won together for worst-screen couple.
16:08It's turkey time.
16:11Huh?
16:14Gobble, gobble.
16:15Even fabled actors like Al Pacino
16:17and Christopher Walken
16:18had nothing to work with,
16:19with the latter giving a horribly
16:21over-the-top performance
16:22as a detective chasing Gigli.
16:24The movie made just over $7 million
16:26on a $75.6 million budget
16:29and effectively ended Brest's directing career.
16:31Well, in case you're interested,
16:33my life sucks.
16:36You alright?
16:37Stick a fork in me.
16:38I'm done.
16:39Number 4.
16:40Glitter
16:40Mariah Carey likely hoped
16:42to become a film star with Glitter,
16:44but that didn't quite pan out.
16:45The movie's story feels derivative,
16:59with Carey playing an aspiring singer
17:00who falls for a DJ.
17:02Unoriginal scripts can still work
17:04with sharp writing and good performances,
17:05but Glitter contained neither.
17:07Carey's performance is considered
17:08particularly egregious.
17:10It's been said that she often fails to emote,
17:17and many of her scenes come across
17:19as painfully awkward,
17:20but Carey would be the first
17:21to admit that it was bad.
17:22She's spoken at length
17:23about the movie's failure
17:24and the toll it took on her.
17:26Thankfully,
17:26there's always the mega successful
17:28singing career to fall back on.
17:29And I'm so into you
17:31And that's forever and ever
17:34Oh my life, my love
17:37Number 3.
17:38The Wicker Man
17:39Is Nicolas Cage the most memed actor
17:41of all time?
17:42If not,
17:43he's certainly up there.
17:44No, not the beast!
17:46Not the beast!
17:47Ah!
17:49I'm out of my eyes!
17:50My eyes!
17:51Ah!
17:52The Wicker Man is two things.
17:54A remake of a beloved horror movie
17:56from 1973,
17:57and a goldmine of unintentional laughter.
18:00Cage plays Edward Malus,
18:02a cop who explores a pagan island
18:03off the coast of Washington
18:05for a missing girl.
18:06He hams it up to an absurd degree,
18:08and many people find his role
18:09overacted and hilarious.
18:11How'd it get burned?
18:12How'd it get burned?
18:13How'd it get burned?
18:14How'd it get burned?
18:15I don't know!
18:16Look, Cage is a great actor,
18:18but not here.
18:19Not with this level
18:20of terrible line delivery.
18:21Poor reviews
18:22and bad word of mouth
18:23quickly spread,
18:24not to mention the jokes.
18:25And the movie failed
18:26to meet its $40 million budget.
18:28But hey,
18:29we can never forget
18:30that Not the Beast sequence.
18:32I mean, come on,
18:32it's hilarious.
18:33Killing me won't bring back
18:35your goddamn honey!
18:36Number 2.
18:38Showgirls.
18:38Yeah, you've heard us
18:39talk about this one before.
18:41Many factors went into
18:42the bombing of Showgirls.
18:43Nice dress.
18:44Thanks, it's a Versace.
18:47It's Versace.
18:49What?
18:51Versace.
18:52It's pronounced Versace.
18:54For one thing,
18:54the movie was released
18:55with an NC-17 rating,
18:57meaning nobody under 17
18:59could be admitted.
19:00Most mainstream movies
19:01avoid this rating,
19:02as it's considered
19:03a death knell
19:03for box office success.
19:05For another,
19:06it just wasn't considered
19:07very good.
19:07With most aspects
19:08of the production
19:09earning criticism,
19:10the acting was often
19:11singled out for condemnation,
19:13especially as
19:13Elizabeth Berkley's
19:14lead performance
19:15as Nomi Malone.
19:16What do you want?
19:17Um, burger, fries, and soda.
19:19Get her some brown rice,
19:20vegetables,
19:21and a bottle of Evian.
19:22Showgirls was nominated
19:23for a staggering 13 Razzies,
19:25with six coming
19:26from the acting categories.
19:27Berkley was notably
19:28awarded Worst Actress,
19:30and the film's failure
19:31also marked the end
19:32of her time
19:32with the creative artist
19:33Talent Agency.
19:34There's always someone
19:35younger and hungrier
19:37coming down the stairs
19:38after you.
19:39Before we continue,
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19:55Number 1.
19:56Battlefield Earth
19:58This notorious film
19:59seems to have been
20:00something of a passion project
20:01for John Travolta.
20:02While you were still
20:03learning how to spell
20:05your name,
20:06I was being trained
20:08to conquer galaxies!
20:10A Scientologist
20:11since the mid-70s,
20:12he hoped to adapt
20:13L. Ron Hubbard's
20:14Battlefield Earth
20:15for the big screen.
20:16Hubbard had published
20:17the novel in 1982.
20:19Long after founding
20:19the Church of Scientology,
20:21Travolta even added
20:22his own money
20:23to the movie's budget,
20:24which ballooned
20:24up to $73 million.
20:26Everything backfired, though.
20:28Battlefield Earth
20:29was widely condemned,
20:30with many finding fault
20:31in the movie's acting.
20:32Well, according to
20:33the Clinko historians,
20:35the species is called
20:36Dog.
20:37Dog?
20:37Yes.
20:39Obviously,
20:39the superior race
20:40having the man-animal
20:41chauffeured around.
20:42Travolta's gonzo performance
20:44was mocked far and wide,
20:45as were those of
20:46Barry Pepper,
20:47Forrest Whitaker,
20:48and Kelly Preston.
20:49Basically,
20:50no one came out
20:51looking good,
20:51and the film grossed
20:52just under $30 million.
20:54Suffice to say,
20:55plans for a sequel film
20:56were abandoned.
20:57We're going to be rich, right?
20:59Right.
21:00I'm going to make you
21:02as happy as a baby
21:04Cyclo on a straight
21:05diet of Garbango.
21:07Which of these movies
21:08would you most want to see
21:09with a different cast?
21:10Let us know in the comments below.
21:12In fact,
21:12I find it quite amusing
21:13telling me to play nice.
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